Success!

Way back in September of last year, I was pissing and moaning about how, now that I’m retired, I don’t take long drives for work anymore and so I was having a hard time getting my mind to wander enough for my subconscious to work plot lines.  Many of you suggested “Mulling While Walking.”  I even wrote a blog on the difficulties of doing that for me.

The Walking Mull

At least part of the problem (which I didn’t even talk about) is that I can’t go outside on a consistent basis during the summer.  Even early in the morning, it’s miserable.

But . . . November is here, and the weather actually cools off.  It’s my very favorite month, although late October is pretty nice too.

That, plus the swap from daylight savings time, opens this neat little window around 7am.  I’m not really doing anything else productive–my creative side hasn’t fully woken up yet–and I’ve finished reading my mail and Facebook and whatever blogs I read daily.

So I decided to start taking Destiny out that time every day.  Why not?

And guess what?  I had a successful walking mull!!!

As a hard-core “pantser”–I don’t outline a lot, don’t even really plan where my novel is going next–I need a lot of ideas.  Like the novel I’m working on now: The Adventures of Sir Kay (working title; this will NOT be the real thing).  It’s pretty easy to write him into a lot of complex situations, but not so easy to get him out of them.  I’m a steadfast believer that “something will come up.”  And it did.

Yesterday I wrote 2,500 words.  That’s a LOT for me.  I typically average around 7,500 a week.  Not nearly enough to succeed at NaNoWriMo.  But I’m really excited where this is going.

Can’t wait to show you.  Won’t be too long from now before this novel is ready to start posting (particularly if I keep this pace up).

Destiny in her favorite chair, recovering after a long walk