National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021
Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along to what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at timothy@createartpodcast.com
History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo
NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.
NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp.
The Writing So Far
27 Nov 2021 daily count 1379 cumulative count 38438
Carl broke their gaze first. He started eating the oatmeal and drinking his coffee. He looked back at Myra who was eating her omelet with relish and motioned to Cheryl to eat her food. He wished he had telepathy to tell her what he was thinking at that moment. He wanted to find a way to break this curse so that no one would be hurt by it anymore. Even if it meant his life would be forfeited, he was willing to make the sacrifice in order for Myra to be free and his family and friends to not have to deal with the possible hurt that the curse would incur upon them. He knew Cheryl would try to talk him out of succumbing to death in order to save everyone else, but he didn’t feel he had an option. He would read through the diary and find out its secrets, he would do it over the weekend when everyone was asleep and whatever solution came from this he was prepared to do. He had this same feeling when he accepted his terminal diagnosis. Peace descended and he was actually on a euphoric high for weeks that his ex-wife couldn’t understand. When she figured out what he was planning back then she put a stop to it. His suicidal ideation at that time is not what ended their marriage, it was the aftermath. He accepted his impending death, and she would not let him go quietly, the way he wanted to go. He felt that Cheryl was cut from the same cloth.
Everyone finished her breakfast quickly and Myra took the dishes to the sink to soak. She headed back to her bedroom to get changed. Carl and Cheryl sat at the table looking at each other.
“You look tired, do you want me to drive out there today,” asked Cheryl?
“I am going to take come coffee with me and I should be fine. I have had weeks of sleepless nights before and coffee keeps me alert enough to keep moving,” replied Carl.
“I have today off so I can stay here the whole day, but we need to talk about the living situation soon. I would like to move in before next month and break my lease. Is there a charge for parking here,” asked Cheryl?
“I get two spots included in my rent so adding you in won’t have an affect on the price. I’d like you to move in and we can talk about marriage and what that looks like and all that other stuff. With you living ere we will have time to do that,” replied Carl.
“We also need to talk about you and your care and what that looks like if we are going to need a nurse to come in here and help out while I am at work. I know you have this tumor, but I don’t know how you progress through this battle and how we get to the other side. Before say a word there will be an other side that we will get to, I am not losing you quietly and I am not going to let you give up. If you didn’t know that I can be as stubborn as you, now you do. I told you I am in this for the long haul. Now what were you just thinking about and if you say my beautiful eyes I’ll puke in your lap right now,” joke Cheryl. She was trying to show strength to help alleviate Carl and he recognized it.
“Do I get to pick out the nurse,” asked Carl?
“Only if her name is Olga and she is older than both of us with a wort on her face as big as a quarter,” said Cheryl.
“I was hoping for someone with a puss filled goiter that I would have to lance on occasion,” said Carl.
“You really don’t like being serious do you. I get it, it’s your coping mechanism. Just so you know I can keep the jokes rolling right along with you as long as you do what you need to do to stay with us for a long time,” said Cheryl.
“Okay but if Olga says that I need to wear adult diapers to bed, don’t complain about the smell when I eat fast food tacos, “joked Carl.
“That is your usual man musk, that’s why I am attracted to you,” said Cheryl.
“We do need to figure out how to break this curse before anyone else gets hurt. We can talk once we get over to Nate’s and I am sure he might have some ideas. We don’t know if this stuff is related to her or if it is the diary, I’d like to think its related to the diary,” said Carl.
“I am going to hop in the shower and get ready, give me a few minutes. We will figure this out, I am sure. I’ll be damned if I am going to live in a horror movie where the kid is the monster,” said Cheryl. She went to the bedroom they shared and closed the door. Carl was left alone at the kitchen table with his coffee and his thoughts.
Myra finished up and sat at the kitchen table with Carl.
“Are you going to get ready to go,” asked Myra?
“Yeah, I am just waiting for Cheryl to get done in the shower and I’ll clean up and get dressed,” said Carl.
“Something happened last night didn’t it,” asked Myra?
“Well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but it seems your dream became a reality. Everyone is okay, but we were scared there for a minute. Has something like this happened in the past,” asked Carl?
“I don’t remember ever having this happen. So, Uncle Nate, Vince and Angela were in trouble last night,” asked Myra?
“Let’s just say that they all experienced what you dreamt about. Do you remember anything about the old man and what he looked like from your dream,” asked Carl?
“I think if I saw a picture of him, I’d recognize him, but I don’t want to see him ever again. He was creepy,” said Myra.
“Well, we might need you to look at a few pictures to find out who he was and then we can try to understand what happened to my friends and family,” said Carl. “Do you think you could do it for them. I already know how brave you are, and I’ll be here to protect you.”
“I know you will,” said Myra.
Myra grabbed another glass of chocolate milk while they waited for Cheryl to finish up. When Cheryl came out of the bedroom Carl went right in without a word. He closed the door and started the water to splash on his face. It was cold and didn’t warm up as Cheryl had used up all the warm water. Carl wasn’t angry at this, he welcomed the freezing water on his face as it woke him up to another level of consciousness. If he felt that he was ready for the day, now he really felt ready for the day. It reminded him of one of his first apartments that hardly ever had warm water. When he was done washing his face he put on some deodorant and slipped out of all his clothes and changed them. While changing he looked at himself in the mirror and thought about that Myra trusted him to protect her. This made the decision to read the diary harder.
Carl got finished dressing and walked out to find Myra and Cheryl sitting at the table still drinking and talking softly.
“Okay let’s grab those kids some lunch and head out to Nate’s,” said Carl.
They all walked out and climbed into Car’s car. The drive over was uneventful except for finding something vegan that they would all enjoy at the grocery store. When they got to Nate’s they saw Carmine’s car in the driveway and parked next to it. Seth and Rachel were at the front door waiting for everyone to come up.
“Uncle Carl, long time no see,” said Seth.
“I know you can’t get sick of seeing my face Seth, “said Carl.
Reaching Out
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation.
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