NaNo update and more

I wrote two chapters last night and I've reached more than 20,000 words on my novel. That puts me more than a third of the way through. Yay! The story is still flowing well, but it's awfully talky. I'll definitely need to go back and rewrite a lot of it. Still, I've discovered that writing all this embeds aspects of my characters more deeply into my consciousness, which seems to help the rewriting process. No, I'm not getting all mystical or philosophical, but I don't know how else to explain it. Another way to say it might be: The better you know your characters, the easier it is to portray them smoothly.

Wednesday I mentioned B.J. Hoff's post at the Charis Connection about writing realistic fiction. Today Mark mentions another post of hers, along similar lines, at The Master's Artist, in his discussion of "edgy" fiction. He does wax more philosophical and theological, but as always, it is enlightening.

Yesterday was the 3oth anniversary of an event made famous in song: the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. There's an interesting Web site with information about the tragedy and you will also find lyrics to Gordon Lightfoot's song. I liked the song long before I knew more about the real event.

Today, of course, is Veterans' Day, which is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended WWI. My Grandpa Myers, who died in 1965, served in that war. One of my favorite family stories is how my future grandparents corresponded during the war. Oscar Myers (yes, his real name) was nine years older than Julia Hudson, but he knew her at church and already had his eye on her. Julia must have been about 16 when we entered the war and Oscar was sent overseas. Her brother told her she should write to Oscar as her patriotic duty. Well, they were married in 1920 and more than 50 years later, when Grandma died and my mom and her siblings cleaned out the house, they found that she had saved many of the letters. I remember Grandpa as a kind, patient man with a twinkle in his eye. He loved the Lord and I know I'll see him and Grandma someday, but I still miss him. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Myers, for the heritage of faith you bequeathed your children and grandchildren.