At The End Of Week One...

Well, it's Sunday evening, and I've officially finished week one of NaNoWriMo. And what a week it's been! God has been gracious to grant me 14,163 words. (i.e., a crazy amount of words!) And it turns out, I can ignore my evil internal editor (IE). I left bracketed words and questions throughout the six chapters I churned out last week. So, my IE's probably just storing up her wrath for December, but for now I can say it's been a great writing week.

I am also grateful for the fellow WriMos, friends, and family who've encouraged me on facebook and e-mail this week. My facebook page was filled with people cheering me on which helped me reach my word count goals every day this week, even on Tuesday--the day I hated what I wrote but kept on going. I know it would've been harder without my cheerleaders.

Finally, I am grateful for the story that's developing. I am having so much fun with Noah, Maddison, and their community that I can't wait to sit down and write what happens next. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd interview Noah for you, indulge me...

An Interview with Noah State (21):

Author: Would you describe your appearance for us?
Noah: Well, I have brown hair and green eyes. Daniel would add that I have a constant furrow on my forehead, but that's only when he's around. *chuckles* I'm in fairly good shape, mostly from playing football and wrestling in high school and running now. Does that answer your question?

Author: Close enough. Now, if you had one day to live, what would you do?
Noah: I would start the day at the beach, getting up early to run on the sand and watch the sun rise over the water. Then I'd wander through old civil war sites for the morning and afternoon, and end the day by having dinner with my brother at some sports bar with greasy food and some football.

Author: Wow, you didn't have to think about that last one at all. On the other end of the life and death spectrum, what brings you joy?
Noah: Simple things--like watching the sun rise, a well-made americano, a fully restored book, a greasy cheeseburger with fries, oh, and making Maddison smile.

Author: I like that list. Tell me, what motivates you to do the things you do?
Noah: (pauses to think for a moment, finger tapping on his mouth) A sense of duty, I guess. A thirst for justice, and the hope of there being something better in life.

Author: By something better, do you mean eternity and God? Do you have a spiritual walk with him?
Noah: No. I think there must be a God, but, if I'm honest, I'm sure he's already made up his mind about me. I'm guilty and he just hasn't punished me yet.

Author: I'm sorry. Maybe it won't always feel like that....


So, dear friends, do you have questions? About Noah? The story? My writing process? Leave me a comment, and I'll do my best to answer them and give you a sneak peek into Maddison's head next week.

Until then...