A Peek into a Writer's Mind

I never thought I would say this, but I think I'm on a word overload. Ha.

With only 5 weeks left in the semester, my assignments are getting decidedly more complex and the reading has gone from 1 chapter a week to about 3 chapters per class. A lot to digest whilst also trying to write a 50,000 word book in 30 days. It also happens to be my turn to teach the Upper Room kids, so I'm studying and trying to prepare for that as well.

Yet, I love a good challenge and I like being kept busy. You know that old saying? It's true.

Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop

So, to keep myself and my overly analytical mind out of trouble, I stay busy.

Anyhow, the book is proceeding, though, I regret to say that I am already a bit behind. I wasn't able to write at all over the weekend and that really slowed me down. As of right now I have 6,336 words. I'm trying desperately to catch up and hope to have at least 11,000 by the end of the day. Here's a little sample...

Lucy let out another sigh and for the first time looked at her surroundings. She was standing in what appeared to be a large fenced in barnyard. Beyond it she could see a farmhouse and even further away she could see fields of corn and soybean. What could possibly be hidden on this farm that she needed to find? And how could she look if she didn’t know what she was looking for?

She sat down on a bale of hay and stared off vacantly in the direction of the corn field.

“ You must be the new pig.”

Startled, Lucy, fell off of the hay bale. Her fall was met by immediate snickers from just about every corner of the yard. As she righted herself and hastily readjusted her glasses and her clothing, she noticed a pig, standing upright on it’s two hind legs, looking at her rather quizzically. She glanced away to see who else was in the yard and was surprised to find a goose, her gander, a horse, and a huge spider hanging from a web.

I beg your pardon? She asked dumbly.

“ I said, you must be the new pig”, the pig repeated.

Lucy was about to reply to the negative when she noticed that the pig was wearing faded jeans, and a flannel checkered shirt. “Uhhh….” She started weakly.

“ Templeton was right” the pig said loudly, “this pig is a complete idiot!”. This announcement brought another round of laughter from the yard.

“Excuse me!” Lucy said, once again indignant. “ I am not a pig, you are!”

The pig appeared to take great offense at this statement. He started to make a snuffling sound, and began to clicking his two front hooves together.

“And I’m not an idiot!” Lucy continued, “I’m just completely out of my element! I’m looking for Professor Fanglethorn and I’ve had to come here to find him and I don’t understand why he would be in a barnyard with all these rude animals!” She paused here, out of breath. She was about to speak again when the pig started to speak.

“ I take the utmost umbrage at being characterized by the likes of you as a pig. I  am a person and it is undisputed that you are the pig. 

My wife and I are the owners of this farm and it was Fanglethorn who gave you to us to eat for Christmas Dinner.”

Upon hearing this, Lucy’s eyes started blinking rapidly again behind her glasses and her mouth, which had dropped open during the Pig’s speech, began opening and closing soundlessly.

The spider, who had been silent up to this point, dropped further down from the web on which she had been hanging and said in what she obviously thought was a whisper to the Pig, “ Are you sure she’s a pig? Look at the way she opens and closes her mouth, Wilbur. She seems more like a cod fish to me.”

Lucy clamped her mouth together so hard that her teeth rattled.

“I see where you’re coming from, Charlotte” Wilbur answered the Spider, “ but she’s definitely a pig. Professor Fanglthorn said so, and just look at her.”

Lucy felt all eyes in the yard turn to her. This was getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute.

“Uh, look”, she began. “I’m sure there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. Professor Fanglethorn is  is my advisor. He would never have sent me anywhere to be eaten for Chrsitmas dinner.”

Even as she spoke the words she was struck by the absurdity of the whole scenario. The Pig ignored her and Charlotte said rather nastily, “And yet, here you are”.

“This is your new home Piggy Girl, at least for the next few weeks”, “Wilbur chuckled deviously. He then opened the gate to the yard and walked in the direction of the farm house. “ I still say you’re a cod fish”,Charlotte said meanly before scurrying back into the rafters of the barn. 

And that, Ladies & Gentlemen of Blog Land, is a little peek into my NaNoWriMo madness! Teehee.