Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Quote Freebie - Quotes from Books I Want as Tattoos

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish meme, brought to you by That Artsy Reader Girl!

I've always known I was going to get tattoos. More than that, I always knew what I wanted them to look like. 

It all started as a kid, coming to terms with the fact that I couldn't travel with all of my books alongside me all of the time. What I really wanted to do was crack my ribcage open like swinging cabinet doors, and shove all of my favorites into my chest cavity, wedged in between my heart and lungs. It wasn't enough to have them lined up on my shelves at home; I needed to carry them with me always, more than just the heavy double-stack I typically lugged around in my backpack each day, on top of the requisite textbooks. 

So, instead, I decided it might be more appropriate to pick my favorite quotes, and carry those. Much more portable. Then, I could ink them directly into my skin, like words being printed onto a sheet of paper. It was the closest kind of transfiguration I could realistically accomplish, the closest I could get to turning into a book myself. 

It's only as an adult that I've been paying more attention to what it would realistically look like to get all of these tattoos. For instance, I'm 28: technically, I've had a large amount of lead time to start building my collection. But I'm poor, and I'm terrified of needles, and I have a huge amount of anxiety and a very low threshold for low, annoying, uncomfortable, sustained levels of pain, which is pretty much what I think tattoos are supposed to require. After all, you aren't allowed to look that cool without there being some kind of penalty for it...

But I've still got the Notes section on my phone filled up with a full roster of tats. Once I actually become a real-life grown-up, I'm going to get them. It's only a matter of time, and money... and pain tolerance. 

1. "This is not for you." - House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

The book is a metatextual postmodern marvel; getting a tattoo of words from its pages is just a continuation of its already cult status among the nerds who know that it isn't really just a book... not really. This particular phrase references its "Dedication" page, which can also be read as the beginning of the font-specific narrative of one of its many authorial voices... that dual-status kind of plays into why this tattoo is so appealing to me. 

Because of the myriad of ways this book can be read, I really like the idea of this as a tattoo because of the inherent meaning change once placed on skin, instead of paper. Personal real estate makes this less of a warning of the horror story to come, or a rejection of anyone's individual ownership of the narrative, but also, a more feminist status, a declaration of independence and autonomy.

But, you see, unlike any of the other words in my tattoo list, I want this one printed backwards, so that when I look in the mirror, I can read it, too. 

Having a younger sibling - of which I have three - who works at a funeral-home-slash-memorial-park gets you thinking a lot about mortality, but the truth of it is, I've always been that kind of kid. I remember Father Kevin, one of the best religious persons I have ever met, including this phrase in a sermon when I was about eight years old: "You are condemned to death from the moment you are born." No one makes it out of here alive, folks. The only things you're guaranteed at the gate to Consciousness are a heartbeat and a death certificate. The rest is between you, Luck and Fate. 

So, I really love the idea of a tattoo along my collarbone - printed backwards in its specifically-designated Courier font, just like it is in the source material - that lets me read "This is not for you." every morning, every day, when I'm putting my contacts in. It's a nice reminder that my loose collection of atoms and neuroses is only on loaner; some day, I have to / get to give this all back, and prove that I have something to show for it. Because it wasn't ever for me anyways... just like it's not for anyone else, either, and just like that hallway off the living room definitely wasn't that long when you went to bed last night. 

2. "They passed down all the roads long ago, and the Red Bull followed behind them, and covered their footsteps." - The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

I am a tremendous fan of The Last Unicorn. Like some of the other choices on this list, I fell in love with the 1982 movie long before I actually read the book. This classic Fantasy tale is so delightfully written, with whimsical anachronisms and beautiful descriptions, that it's up there with The Phantom Tollbooth for "Things to Enjoy When My Brain Needs a Reset." It's a reminder to not take things too seriously, and that even the strangest and most reality-defying of beasts can be overcome. 

But more than that, the story itself carries significant themes of change, experience, and personal growth, even when it is tragic. The final goodbyes to our characters are tremendously bittersweet, and I adore its truthfulness: an ending can be happy, but still carry weight; goals can be accomplished, but still require sacrifice. And that's a pretty good reminder, too. 

(But do I also wish that Red Bull was not the popular brand name of an energy drink? Kind of, yeah.) 

3. "She grew stronger by fighting with the wind." - The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden is another one of those books that has shaped my life and perspectives tremendously, but I can also agree that the movie is what sold me on the book first. Any child of the '90s with at least one parent who loved period films is no doubt familiar with the 1993 adaptation of the classic British children's novel. I know I certainly am... and its soundtrack is still among my most-played instrumental pieces of my Spotify account when I need to chill out a little. 

While the book itself is definitely a product of its time - including some high-key, definitely frustrating racism, British imperialism, and a big ol' thumbs up to marrying your cousin - it was one that still makes a major impact on me today. After all, it's one of the reasons I keep a pretty significant garden of my own, and I've always loved a good self-improvement story. It was even the basis of my 2018 NaNo project - one that borrows part of its title from this same quote! - where I began writing an updated, contemporary YA version, centered around a rooftop garden in New York.

This quote exemplifies the naturalist, romantic perspectives of not only the growth that becomes possible when you engage more meaningfully with your natural environment, but also, how much more fulfilling your life can become when you're willing to open up a little to the world outside your comfort zone.

4. "If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting the rest of our lives." - The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Lemony Snicket

As someone who entered into the first grade the same year The Bad Beginning was published - a phrase which here means "an upsettingly long time ago" - I really do feel like A Series of Unfortunate Events was a major through-line of my burgeoning educational experience. Lemony Snicket was a standout of every Scholastic Bookfair, and the subject of many a friend's elementary book reports. 

This particular quote bears weight because of how much this series shaped my early life, but also, because the sentiment is just as resounding now, as an adult. I experience pretty crippling anxiety most days... except for the ones when I've also made the mistake of having coffee, when it turns into a whole hydra of other issues, as well. But if I waited until I was ready to tackle even a quarter of the things I was anxious about, I'd go the rest of my life without ever leaving the house or answering my cell phone again. 

Which is, you know. Tempting. But unhelpful. 

5. "What's past is prologue." - The Tempest, William Shakespeare

Every single thing you've done or accomplished in your life, is only leading up to your next great story. 

The Tempest is my favorite Shakespearean work, in part because of the unique position it holds within his canon: it was the last play he wrote as a solo writer, leading up to his last-ever work only two years later co-writing. It's the perspective of an authorial voice in the shadow of his end, and it's reflected in quite a few major scenes within the work itself, specifically in Prospero. 

This quote is one of my favorites, because of how straightforward it is. You can sum up so much in just those four small words. And there's hope in it, for all of its status as a literary career's ending: because all that's gone before is just the backdrop for the greater that has yet to arrive. Which means there's always something to look forward to. 

6. "The only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that's hardly worth the effort." - The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth is an absurdist, fun, fantastical tale which humor that's accessible for children and enjoyable for adults. It was one of the first books my Dad bought and read to the four of us kids in our family, and the Lands Beyond have been some of my favorite places to return to time and again, even as a semi-functioning grown-up-brain-faking approximate-person. 

For something that has so much fun with its words, it gave me the language I needed to describe things like my experiences with depression (the Doldrums), or externalize problems I was facing in a way that made them easier to tackle, courtesy of foul beasts like the not-so-giant Giant and the Terrible Trivium. And while I consider myself to be a proud resident of Dictionopolis (obviously), I can understand those who prefer Digitopolis just as well, and consider them worthy friends, especially when I need to calculate the tip at a restaurant. 

The book carries with it about a hundred or so different and important messages, and each worth learning (and relearning again). The importance of trying new things, and putting in effort, despite the dangers of being unsuccessful, runs throughout, and it's one of the ones I need to hear the most often. 

7. "Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle." - Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

Fun fact about me: in high school, my calling card was ridiculously long and overly-detailed English projects, including - if not especially - research papers. We were required to do one a year, and while my Freshman and Sophomore experiences were definitely worthy of merit (Modern Falconry, and the Injustice of Book-Banning, respectively), I really hit my stride with my Junior and Senior installments. Junior year was a perspective on Nancy Drew and the Women's Movements of the 20th Century, and I handed in two copies: the required six-page-max length, plus a twelve-page version, just for funzies. Senior year was The Impact of Charles Dodgson's Personal Life on His Writings As Lewis Carroll, Particularly Alice in Wonderland. 

I read about five or six different books about Charles Dodgson for that project, and explored not just his various biographies, but psychological perspectives, philosophies represented in his characters, his passion for photography, and the enduring legacy of Alice in Wonderland in children's books, fashion, movies, and more. 

Do I remember much of what was in them now, over a decade later? Absolutely not. But maybe that makes some of them worthy of a reread. What I do remember, was how completely I had fallen in love with the actual story, not just the Disney-fied version I'd watched as a kid, or the overly-sentimental antique-lovers perspectives that seem to accompany every overly-twee tea party on Pinterest.

Here's the thing, though: I don't know if this is going to be the actual quote I want to go with... as it so happens, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass happen to be chock full of really great ones! This is just the one I've been leaning towards right now. 

8. "They would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever" - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

Another fun fact you might - or might not - know about me, is that Tom Sawyer was a pretty important character for childhood Savannah. I've read this book every single summer since I was in the second grade, and have done so multiple times in various interims throughout the years, as well. Like with The Secret Garden, it's one that I've done some major reflecting on while growing up (aka, this book is ALSO high-key racist in some very unfortunate period-accurate ways), but that's kind of been part of the importance of revisiting it so often: I grew up with it. I learned more about the world as I learned about Tom's world. It always feels like there's something new to take away. 

Take, for instance, this quote: it's not exactly a standout. It's not necessarily something that the book is particularly known for, or one that gets printed on tote bags or anything. But for some reason, reading the novel this past summer, it really popped out from the rest of the text. I'd rather live in Sherwood Forest than the White House, too... and it's a reminder that fame and distinguished titles don't stack up even a little bit to independence, family, fun, and doing the right thing, either. 

9. "There's something at work in my soul that I do not understand." - Frankenstein, Mary Shelley 

It has ALWAYS been the case that at some point in my life, I was going to get a Frankenstein tattoo. I read the book for the first time at sixteen, and it hit me over the head like someone striking a church bell, and the reverberations have echoed in my heart ever since. I'm lucky to have been able to revisit it multiple times in various college courses, and even more times since, and beyond it all, it remains a steadfast favorite. 

The thing is, I feel like this quote isn't the typical one people go with, either: "Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful" feels like the more popular tattoo choice, which you can easily verify with the power of the Internet.

The reason I like this particular quote so much, instead, is because it leans into feelings of uncertainty. Themes of learning, self-reflection, and humanity's continued inability to comprehend the ramifications of scientific progress are obviously a main factor in Frankenstein, but I like the idea of pushing further into that "grey area" feeling that we all, as thinking, emotional humans, still wander into when we consider the essence of our being. 

There's something at work in my soul I don't understand, too. But not getting it, is just part of the journey to knowing myself better in the future. 

10. "Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze" - "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," William Wordsworth 

I don't particularly like Wordsworth, and poetry isn't tremendously appealing to me, so I'll keep this particular explanation short and sweet: this section of the poem rather famously describes a grouping of daffodils on a Spring day.

If you've been around myself, or this blog, for any definite amount of time, you know why daffodils are incredibly important to me, and I think this is a fitting way to memorialize that particular relationship in tattoo form. 

What's in YOUR Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was So Excited To Get... and Haven't Picked Up Yet

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! 

SO, I've already done a little bit of addressing recently - in my Camp NaNo celebration post, in case you missed it! - that I haven't read a whole lot of books lately. Yes, it's a bummer, and yes, it's messing with my mental health a little bit. 

The worst part of the whole thing, by far, is just how little it has to do with actual access to books I'm fully looking forward to reading. At last count, it was nearing the 400 mark, between the nearly-100 novels I have queued up, ready to go whenever on my Kindle, and the bookshelves looming imposingly in the corner of my room, next to my window, which boast over 250 variously genre-d titles themselves. 

I know it's time for a bit of a reading nook clearing and unhaul, kind of like I managed to do last year. (Unfortunately, a very busy March-April-May has left me with virtually no time for Spring editing of my closet or bedroom, so that's got to happen some time before Memorial Day... or else I'll go venturing into Summer REALLY behind!)

But Rome wasn't built in a day, and nor was nearly 400 books accumulated over one really bad reading season. These books have been stacking taller and taller since I graduated college and moved back into my childhood home in 2016, and not moving much of anywhere else has allowed the hoard to continue unchecked. 

The truth of the matter is, I'm a huge mood reader... it's impossible for me to pick up a book if it doesn't fit the vibe of how I'm feeling. And while there are plenty of books on my shelves to suit pretty much every mood, it's hard to make books I've held onto for years, stand up to the likes of new releases freshly picked from the library. 

Still, I won't give out hope. Someday, however long it takes, I know I'm actually going to make it through some of these reads! 

Here are some of the books I'm still holding on to... because no matter how excited I was when I first picked them up, I just haven't been able to muster the same enthusiasm for opening the front cover! 

1. Across the Green Grass Fields, Seanan McGuire

Okay, let me explain: Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors of all-time, point blank, period. My love for the Wayward Children series has been passed around to multiple friends, it's one of my most reliable Fantasy genre recommendations, and I absolutely treasure each of the hardcover copies I own, all lined up neatly on my shelves.

The problem is, the reticence I feel towards cracking this one open has absolutely nothing to do with not wanting to read it, but instead, wanting to read it TOO MUCH. Like I said, I'm a mood reader! I'm absolutely unwilling to "waste" a really amazing read at a time when I'm just not vibing with it; hence, I hold onto the books in this series for months at a time, until I can find a good opportunity - like a vacation - to really slow down and savor it. 

I'm also hanging on to copies of Middlegame and Over the Woodward Wall for this exact same reason. I just care too much to waste a great read! 

2. The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith

This book seemed to be the talk of the town last summer, particularly on Bookstagram and Tumblr. I don't know if it was actually the book itself people were so entranced with, but serial rewatchings of the stylish and sun-soaked 90s film adaptation with Gwenyth and Jude and Matt Damon, plus news of a Dakota Fanning-helmed upcoming TV adaptation as well. Regardless, I picked it up at the end of July with the intention of reading it on vacation in August... and it just didn't end up working out like that! 

Do I absolutely hope that I can drum up the kind of attention span it takes to read this with a chilled glass of rose and my sunnies on this coming summer? Absolutely. At the same time, the deck furniture is in severe disrepair... maybe I'll have to settle for lounging on the couch instead. 

3. Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse 

I've been hearing nothing but praise heaped on Roanhorse for years now, and I was so excited to finally purchase Trail of Lightning and Black Sun for myself at various points of last summer. I'd even gotten as far as packing ToL on vacation in August, and had figured that it was my best chance at not only knocking out one of my most-anticipated reads, but one final slot on my Seattle Arts and Lectures "Summer Book Bingo" card. 

Unfortunately, 'twas not to be. I forgot two crucial elements of success: 1, how totally melancholy I get in the final weeks of August, and 2, that I've somehow found myself incredibly sensitive to violence in my advanced age (28). Both of these combined to be a total non-starter, as I was barely able to make it through the first few, brutal chapters. 

Do I intend to pick this one up again? Yes! And Black Sun, too! But it's going to take some time to get there... if I can actually manage to get my reading engine revving again soon, this isn't exactly going to be one of the ones I finally pick up first. 

4. Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain

I don't know... I bought this book at some point in the two weeks after the legendary culinary storyteller's death in 2018, swept up in the fervor of interest in his canon of work that always manages to succeed the loss of an industry giant. I was a fan of his TV shows beforehand, but hadn't ever felt like I needed to grab his writing before, and relished the opportunity to get to know him better, in his own words. But there's just something about trying to pick up an author's work so quickly after their highly-publicized end... like no matter how great it is, you know how the REAL story ends, in such a tragic way. 

I know I'll read this at some point. I'm still very much looking forward to it. 

5. Circe, Madeleine Miller 

The somewhat comforting thing is, I know I'm not alone in saying that Song of Achilles tore my chest open, flipped me inside out, and rested me belly-down in a bed of coals by the time I was done with it. I truly don't remember the last time a book has made me cry so hard before, and this is coming from someone who went through a serious Greco-Roman period in middle and high school, and was VERY MUCH AWARE of how the story of Achilles was supposed to end already. 

I think this is exactly why I am both so excited and slightly terrified to eventually read Circe. I know this one is going to hurt, in the best way possible. I just need to find the right time to make an attempt. 

6. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley

This was actually a total impulse purchase made last summer, in the throes of my annual bloggoversary celebrating, and one that pretty immediately vindicated itself based on the fact that I found an exact replica of my Value Village $5 purchase for nearly four times the price at Barnes and Noble within two hours of picking it up. 

Despite the fact that I still haven't read it yet, it's actually resulted in the purchase of THREE other books about Arthurian legend since then, which I've just generally sort of been accumulating. Could Summer 2022's hottest trends actually be round tables, broad swords, and fighting for the throne?  

7. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton

I heard the hype. Bought the book. Bought a copy for my best friend. Best friend read the book, and loved it. Heard about how much my other friends loved it. So far, attempts to sit down and actually read this book: THREE. 

I don't know what the deal is. Honestly, the first few chapters I've managed to make it through have just been such a slog. It's not like it's fun from jump; I have been told by numerous people that you just need to stick through the first fifty or sixty pages before it starts getting to be more of a good time. So, I get that I just need to keep at it. It's just bordering on the impossible to muster up the enthusiasm to actually do so. 

8. The romance novels I actually own in mass market paperbacks... and in one case, HARDCOVER

Here's the thing: am I ashamed I read romance novels? No! Did this absolutely use to be the case? Yes! But now I'm way less willing to put up with the BS of others, and way more willing to wear my Out of Print "Fabio Reads" tee out in public, around people I know. I'm very upfront about what I've been reading, and sometimes, that is absolutely just a slew of romance novels. 

But you know what feelings have stayed the same? That they're just so much more convenient to read on Kindle! 

I know there's something about mass market paperbacks that pisses everyone off - the fact that they're cumbersome and bizarrely shaped, the fact that their spines are so damn thick you have no choice but to crack them if you actually want them to stay open for any period of time, that they spit bookmarks back at you when you flip them open - but honestly, I've got a hardcover romance novel that I haven't managed to pick up yet, either: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. It was a Goodwill purchase in recent years that just so happened to be the bulkiest novel I now own, and it barely fits on my bookshelves, let alone in my hands. 

At what point do I just put my hands in the air, donate all of them, and decide to get a free library copy on my eBook instead? 

9. Oh My Gods: A Modern Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths, Phillip Freeman

Like I mentioned earlier, I had a serious Greco-Roman period as a middle and high schooler, in ways that manifested themselves in poring over D'Aulaire's illustrated Book of Greek Myths and Edith Hamilton's Mythology in truly embarrassing ways, and that dovetailed neatly with the publication of the Percy Jackson series, which my friends all swapped around the lunch table. 

This collection of modern retellings was penned by none other than Phillip Freeman, preeminent author-slash-Classics scholar, who has also written collections on Celtic mythology, as well as the lives of Sappho, Julius Ceasar, and Alexander the Great. I think it's the outrageously appealing cover and bonafide pedigree of its origin that has held me off of reading this for so long... I know I'm going to enjoy it, it's just about finding the time to dedicate myself to a fairly chunky read. 

10. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch 

You guys, not to continue to illustrate the point of how much I despise mass market paperbacks, but I made the mistake of buying this seriously hefty read in a MMP format back in like 2011, and have never been able to muster up the ability to read it in such a dauntingly difficult state. 

I'm truly considering just donating this copy, and buying a new, more reliable sized one instead. I'm already 70 pages in to it, and I'm liking the plot, characters, the whole thing. It's just sticking with such a cumbersome brick of book in my hands that's the problem! 

What's in YOUR Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!

Surprise: I Wrote 100K In 29 Days to Beat Camp NaNo!

Yes, yes, I know I haven't been here in a while. It's been a really long time... not since about midway through February, actually. 

Though it's worth pointing out that I haven't been on Goodreads in longer... in fact, according to my GR Reading Challenge, I have only completed 3 books this year, which is somewhat embarrassingly close to the truth. (Okay, okay, so maybe it's higher than 3 by this point. But it's definitely not higher than 10, which is going to be a problem come December, considering that I had originally intended to read 60 books this year.) 

Even back in that February post on the blog, you can see pretty clearly that I'm bordering on desperate to try and scrape together some books to read, with a Readathon weekend. While I'm inevitably successful, the whole thing is tinged with this kind of icky feeling that I've been feeling in regards to one of my most long-running past times for a while now.

Part of this is simple: because I truly could not compel myself to read anything. And that totally sucks, because reading is something that I know is really, really good for me. As a kid, it was my major coping mechanism, one of the only things that helped propel me through days of school, being dragged along to my siblings' various events and extracurriculars, and spending lots and lots of time on my own. As an adult, it still serves as one of my primary means of relaxation, a kind of break from the rest of an overbearing reality. In my family, I'm the big "reader," and not reading for such an extended period of time started to wear on not just my mental health, but sense of identity. 

To give you a little more clarity as to what I'm talking about when I say "more than a Slump," here are three titles of blogposts I have seriously drafted in my absence.

The last book I really have finished was way back in March - a severely lackluster romance novel - and not only was it boring, overly simplistic, and honestly, not very good at all, but it's also the only book I actually managed to finish in that entire month. I also read a nonfiction book - about a man's memories of his family, and their food, which is usually a total ringer genre for me - and I genuinely was enjoying it, but only made it halfway through, because after returning home from vacation, I found myself totally not compelled to read it. 

So, instead of continuing to pound my head against a wall that I knew was just not going to budge, I decided to turn my attention somewhere totally different: towards writing instead. 

I was languishing in feelings of just total ineptitude and lack of motivation, sitting at my kitchen table on March 30th. Something fluttered around in my brain - like a torn sheet of paper, pinned to a corkboard above a heating vent - and I thought, "What if I decided to do Camp NaNo this year?" On impulse, I signed on, made a Project description, and even whipped up a fake book cover, which I do for all of my projects. In the end, the only way I knew I'd be really committed was if I brought someone else into it, too... so I texted my brother.

And that was it! The day before Camp started, and I was locked in. 

The reason I chose my brother as my solitary confidant, was because this particular Project also feels like it belongs to him: it's based off of a series of cooking lessons I gave him last summer, in anticipation of him moving into an off-campus apartment for the first time. He had never had to deal with his own kitchen - let alone roommates - before, and I was worried about his ability to meal plan and provide for himself all on his own... so I built out an entire eight-week curriculum, including a Midterm and Final, that incorporated all of the information I figured a total beginner needed to know.

I had subjected my brother to a total of eight cooking topics and their affiliated PowerPoint slide decks, each between 35 and 75 slides in length, allied with an accompanying eight weeks of Cooking Labs, in which he was tasked with shopping for and preparing an average of four to five recipes a week. I figured that working off of all of that material would manifest its way similarly to how I do my regular NaNo writing based off of incredibly detailed outlines.

I realized within a week, that it really, really worked: not only were all of those loosely collected documents definitely a functional foundation for this new format of writing, but I was able to utilize each of those bullet points and slides as a jumping-off point for paragraphs and paragraphs of text. Instead of feeling like I had to rake over the grooves of my brain and hope to collect enough words to arrange on a page, I felt like I was flying. 

And my brother was just the best about it. He cheered me on as I sent my updated numbers every single day - sometimes even multiple times a day - and acted appropriately flabbergasted when they started climbing by the thousands across only hours. 

I finished the 50K challenge in two weeks even. So I soon set my sights on loftier goals... and handily hit 100K words on Day 29 out of 30. 

And after I was finished, I sent a 3,000 word, gif-laden, self-aggrandizing email to my parents and all of my other siblings about it. Absolutely none of them had any idea I was working on something like this at all... not even an inkling that something was up with me. 

(Yes, this was slightly concerning, but I was so excited I was more than willing to overlook it.) 

• Shortest Days: 186 / 185 words
• Longest Day: 7039 words
• Major Life Events: all-day volunteering with various local organizations, visits with friends, seeing two different family members in their various local theater productions, having my sister come up for a weekend, driving over to the Eastside to see my brother, attending our extended family's Easter Brunch. 
• Major Distractions: changing out my Fall / Winter wardrobe for my Spring / Summer clothes, Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, figuring out how to start my garden in a year where it just won’t stop hailing in Washington State.
• Average per Day: Approximately 3,336 words (about six single-spaced pages per day, for 30 days straight)

Unlike my other NaNo challenges - which you can read about elsewhere on this site, including from back in November 2020 and November 2021 - or even my recent experiences with reading, absolutely zero percent of this situation was painful. In fact, far from it: the only way I even managed to get that much written was because I was having an absolute blast the entire time. Nothing was a slog, or a drag, or a curse, or a hurdle... in fact, I don't recall any other project I've worked on in recent memory that allowed me to have quite as much fun! 

Not only am I now refueled and ready to take on new challenges, but I'm so excited to continue supporting this developing manuscript of mine. Even during the process of writing, it was pretty incredible to see how it has all been coming together - even more so than my usual process with writing out 50K - and I already find myself coming up with more exciting ideas about how to go back, revise, and make it all even better again. I keep brainstorming concepts for new subchapters and elements that could be published online, and I spend my time daydreaming about one day, being able to make this a kind of pseudo-career. At the very least, a very joyous and time-consuming hobby. 

And believe it or not, I have hopes that sometime soon, my reading problem will recover, too. I've been thinking lately about my own propensity for taking part in various Summer Reading Challenges, and while there's no way I'm up for that level just yet, it might be nice to see exactly how much I can incorporate into other parts of my schedule in the next few busy months. 

For now, though, I'm enjoying where I'm at. I'm still writing a ton, volunteering my time and attention to local groups that have my heart, going to parties and spending time in our (rare) bouts of sunshine with friends, and most vitally of all, it's gardening season, and I've got some home improvement ideas to pitch to my parents that I'm sure they'll strike down without repentance (Composting system in the backyard? Adding a screen to the door on my balcony so I can keep it open in summer? New deck furniture so I can actually spend time sitting down outside without getting splinters in my jeans?). 

And of course, I have my manuscript to work on whenever I want it. And that's pretty damn exciting to think about. 

So, that's how I totally crushed Camp NaNo! Have you ever taken part in a non-November challenge? How did it go? Let me know, in the comments below!