WRITING/PODCASTING A NOVEL IN 30 DAYS NOV 16

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

16 Nov 2021 daily count 1687 cumulative count 24598

The HR representative handed Carl a folder of papers for him to fill out to add Cheryl and Myra onto his insurance plan and to add Cheryl to his retirement plan. He went back to his desk and put the folder on his desk to take home later. He got back to work on his emails and projects and by the time he looked up again it was noon. He decided to grab lunch at the nearby grocery store that had a sandwich counter. A text from Nate came through to his phone as he got into his car to leave for lunch. The text read did you look at Vince’s report with Cheryl. Carl replied they did last night. Nate messaged back that they needed to meet with her and Cheryl as soon as possible. Carl replied that Cheryl was working this afternoon and did it need to be in person. Nate replied it could be over the phone tonight. Carl then messaged Chery that Nate wanted to talk over the phone tonight after they put Myra to bed, and Cheryl replied a few minutes later with a simple OK.

Carl parked his car in the grocery store lot and grabbed a prepackaged sandwich, a bag of chips and a soft drink. He drove back to work and ate his lunch in his car with the radio on. The only sound was of the traffic from the main road and Carl ate in the silence he craved. He finished his lunch and went back into the building where he worked and sat back down at his desk.

Carl finished work without much fanfare that day, he had handled all the emails from when he was gone and ensured all of his projects were on a good path. He accomplished a great bit and now it was time to go to the shop and pick up Myra. He checked his phone for messages and saw that Cheryl had left him pictures of the crafts that Myra and Carmine had made throughout the day. Another smile creeped across his face as he headed over to the coffee shop.

Once he got there, he parked his car near the front door and took a moment to look around for the car that Harold used to drive. He almost laughed at himself for looking for the car since he knew Harold was dead, but he still scanned the lot for the car just in case. Carl wondered what he would do if someone tried to take Myra away from them at this point, how would he react. Instantly he knew that he would fight with whatever strength he still had to keep his newly formed family together. Wit that he entered the coffee shop and looked around for Myra. He found her standing behind the counter with an apron on and helping with orders. Cheryl called out to Carl from the kitchen.

“Hey Carl, Myra will be done after she clears the orders she is working on, take a seat and I’ll grab a sandwich for you.”

Carl took a seat where he usually did, on the couches facing the street out front. Myra brought him a drink and a sandwich. “Thank you, good helper, how was your day today with Carmine,” asked Carl?

“We had a great time over there and we made some centerpieces for our dining room table. You’ll see once we get home. How was work today,” asked Myra?

“Had to play catch up and get some paperwork to fill out later tonight. I think you can help me with it,” replied Carl.

“I am going to finish the orders that Cheryl got me started on and then we can go. I like working here and meeting all the people that come here, no wonder you love this place so much,” said Myra.

Cheryl came out from the kitchen and sat across from Carl as Myra went back behind the counter. “She wanted to get behind the counter and help out when we got here, and my boss was cool with it. How was your day,” asked Cheryl?

“Got a packet to fill out for insurance and retirement. Nate wants to talk to us tonight after we put Myra down to bed. I got caught up with all my emails and all my projects are on time. Overall, not a bad day. My boss wants me to take some time off and is going to make sure all my work is covered by someone there, he knows I’m very particular in how I get things done there,” said Carl.

“Is it a family thing that you guys never sleep,” asked Cheryl?

“We sleep, eventually. I slept well last night. We just like getting things done. You saw how big that house is and their lot, that’s all paid for in cash no credit at all. My brother makes me look lazy, so I guess Carmine got the bad brother,” joked Carl.

“Not everyone can work those long hours that you guys' work. How are you feeling today,” asked Cheryl?

“I am doing good, no episodes. How did Myra do,” asked Carl?

“She was a champ through everything. We made breakfast and I saw that you didn’t take any lunch with you so that’s why we made you this sandwich. You better eat it up quick because the after-work rush hour will be here, and Myra will be drowning in orders. No issues or episodes with her at all today, no crazy talk about dead people,” replied Cheryl.

Carl was happy hearing this and his smile grew. He looked at Cheryl deeply in the eyes and mindlessly ate his sandwich. Cheryl grabbed his hand and slightly squeezed it and stood up to go back to the kitchen to help. Carl didn’t want her to go but knew that she was on the clock and didn’t want to jeopardize her job. As he sat and ate Myra sat down across next to him with her chocolate milk. He broke off a few pieces of his sandwich to give to her and they sat there and smiled at each other. When they finished the sandwich, Myra took the plate back to the kitchen and returned with her apron off and her book in her hand. Carl stood up and met her at the register.

Carl called out to Cheryl, “we are heading out, see you at the apartment.”

“What do you want for dinner tonight, we grabbed a few things at the store today and put them away. I was thinking of something vegetarian, and Myra said she wanted to do the desert,” replied Cheryl as she came out from the kitchen to see them off.

“Nate and Carmine are the vegan wizards, I don’t have any good recipes for a vegetarian meal,” replied Carl.

“No worries, carmine gave me a few ideas, I’ll text you one of the recipes that Carmine suggested. Do you think you can prep so when I get home, we can put it all together,” asked Cheryl?

“I have a great assistant so I think we can handle that part,” replied Carl.

Cheryl grabbed Carl before they left and kissed him. “Take good care of Carl Myra, he has had a long day,” said Cheryl as she broke off the kiss and looked at Myra.

“See ya at home then,” replied Carl. They went to Carl’s car and got in. “What do you want to listen to on the way home, do you want music or news,” asked Carl?

“I wouldn’t mind hearing the news. It makes me feel all grown up, “replied Myra.

Carl put on the NPR station hesitantly. He hoped that there would be no mention of the body from the announcer. Instead, there was a program on that was talking about occult leaders from the past. One name that was mentioned was John Dee. Carl had never heard of that person before but something in him made him take note of the name. The program wasn’t finished when they made it back to the apartment, and when carl tried to turn the car off, he found that he couldn’t. The key would not move, and he looked back at Myra in the back seat. She was transfixed on the radio. Carl couldn’t unlock the doors or open them, so he sat and waited until the program was over. When the announcer went on to another story, he was able to turn off the car and open his door. Myra broke her trance as if nothing had happened and opened her door to leave the car and go to the apartment.

“What happened just now,” asked Carl?

“What do you mean,” replied Myra.

“I couldn’t shut off the car, I couldn’t open the windows or doors and you were staring at the radio. Have you heard of the guy they were talking about on that show,” asked Carl?

“What radio show are you talking about. Didn’t you just put on a podcast,” said Myra.

“No, I had on the radio, and I couldn’t get out of the car until they stopped talking about him,” replied Carl.

“You actually just sat there for a short while not moving while the podcast was on. I didn’t want to disturb you because you looked like you were really into it, that’s what happened,” said Myra.

Carl knew what he had just experienced, and he was sure he didn’t just have another episode. Instead of arguing with Myra and making her upset he just shrugged his shoulders and started towards the apartment.

“Are you mad at me,” asked Myra?

“No, I am not mad at you. Of course not. I must have just dozed off or something after I parked the car. Kinda like a daydream. Let's get those veggies prepared for Cheryl and watch some cartoons,” replied Carl. He opened the front door and headed for the kitchen to see what food they had bought. His phone buzzed at him indicating a message had come through, it was Cheryl with the recipe from Carmine.

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.