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Can You Write a Novel in 30 Days?
I dare you.
What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month’s time.
Who: You! We can’t do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let’s write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To give yourself permission to write without obsessing over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To stop being one of those people who say, “I’ve always wanted to write a novel,” and become one of those people who can say, “Oh, a novel? It’s such a funny story–I’ve written three.”
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins 12:00:01 November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at 11:59:59. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.
Interested?
Yeah, me too. As a self-proclaimed writer, I am of course a member of the Someday I’ll Write a Novel Club. While I have many t-shirts, I have yet to write a novel; however, that is going to change this November. Are you in the same boat? Then head on over to National Novel Writing Month‘s website for more information and to sign up!
Here are the Rules:
- Write a 50,000-word (or longer!) novel, between November 1 and November 30.
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Start from scratch. None of your own previously written prose can be included in your NaNoWriMo draft (though outlines, character sketches, and research are all fine, as are citations from other people’s works).
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Write a novel. We define a novel as a lengthy work of fiction. If you consider the book you’re writing a novel, we consider it a novel too!
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Be the sole author of your novel. Apart from those citations mentioned two bullet-points up.
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Write more than one word repeated 50,000 times.
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Upload your novel for word-count validation to our site between November 25 and November 30.
So. Anybody else going to sign up? I think you should. Plus, it’s for charity! How can you resist that?
Now get writing!
DIY: Pumpkin Decorating Without Carving
Don’t get me wrong, I love the traditional way of decorating pumpkins, but this year, I felt it was time for a change. After a little research, I realized that there were many ways of decorating pumpkins without the carving or the mess! These fun techniques will be sure to take your Halloween festivities up a notch, so hurry to the pumpkin patch and pick the perfect pumpkin to decorate.
Decoupage a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*Mod Podge Glue
*Foam brush
*Paper, leaves or other thin materials.
Directions:
1. Wash your pumpkin thoroughly so there is no dirt covering the surface.
2. Once the pumpkin has dried, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge glue all over the pumpkin.
3. Next, immediately place the item on the pumpkin that you want to be decoupaged. I would suggest something thin such as a leaf, ribbon, or some magazine clippings. This will make it so everything dries evenly and with a flawless finish.
4. After this dries, put two more top coats of Modge Podge over your final product. Let dry and viola!
Shimmer a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*Glitter of Your Choice
*Mod Podge
*Foam Brush
Directions:
1. Wash your pumpkin thoroughly.
2. With your foam brush, coat your pumpkin with a thin layer of Mod Podge glue.
3. Immediately sprinkle the pumpkin with the glitter. You can even do this in layers so the pumpkin has many different colors.
Lace a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*Enough lace to cover your pumpkin completely
*Mod Podge
*Hot Glue Gun
Directions:
1. After you wash your pumpkin, let it dry
2. Next, cut your lace to fit your pumpkin. It is easy to wrap the whole piece of fabric around it to give you a general idea of how much you will need.
3. Modge Podge the whole pumpkin and immediately place the lace all over your pumpkin. I like to lay the lace flat, place the pumpkin in the middle of the fabric and gather the fabric to the stem of the pumpkin. Almost like you are wrapping a wine bottle with tissue paper.
4. Cut the loose ends of the fabric so all of the edges are even
5. Hot glue the edges so that they do not fray.
Paint a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*Fabric or ribbon
*Paint
Directions:
1. After your pumpkin’s surface is cleaned, paint your pumpkin with a couple of coats of paint.
2. Let dry and then tie a bow around it. This is such a simply way to bring so much life to a little orange pumpkin!
Push-Pin a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*A lot of Push-Pins
Directions:
1. This is simple, but time-consuming: Merely push the pins into your pumpkin. Make different sayings, pictures, patterns, or whatever suits your fancy. If you have the right amount of patience, you can have a beautiful pumpkin as the end result.
Rhinestone a Pumpkin
What You Need:
*Rhinestones
*Hot Glue Gun
Directions:
1. Very Simple task: bedazzle your plump pumpkin! Heat up your glue gun to start off.
2. Place a dab of glue on the bottom of the jewel.
3. Place jewel on desired area of pumpkin.
4. You can even glue on some little plastic spiders to add even more spooky-glam to your pumpkin project!
Enjoy decorating!
(images courtesy of pinterest)
A Meal from Bethenny Frankel
Okay, this fabulous woman is one of my role models. She made an empire out of herself, and I have watched her on Bravo ever since she made the scene. She is an amazing woman who advises others on how to eat and drink well without compromising taste. I have all of her books, watch all of her shows, and absolutely adore her Skinnygirl Margaritas. On her website, she has so many amazing recipes that are free to the public! I made one this weekend and it was absolutely amazing, so I had to share it with you all.
Penne a la Carbonara
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
* One box of whole wheat penne pasta
* 1.5 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon of Butter
* 1/2 Cup of freshly grated Parmesan
* 1.5 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon of Butter
* 1/2 Cup of freshly grated Parmesan
* 6 Pieces of turkey bacon chopped
* 1.5 Teaspoons of salt
* 1.5 Teaspoons of salt
* Teaspoons of pepper
* 1/3 Cup of skim or soy milk
* 1 Egg beaten
* 3 Tablespoons of chopped parsley (optional)
Preparation:
* Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the penne pasta.
* In a large skillet, sauté turkey bacon until crispy. Then coarsely chop. Place bacon back in the skillet.
* Cook pasta al dente, drain, leaving pasta slightly wet (adds texture and thickness).
* Add the pasta to the skillet with the bacon, add the remaining ingredients and fold until well mixed.
* Garnish with parsley.
She also had this fab low-carb drink recipe that is now my favorite drink EVER.
Skinnygirl Mojito
Ingredients:
* 1/2 lime
* 1 cup ice
* 1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
* 1/2 tsp. gently warmed honey
* 2 oz. clear rum
* 4 oz. club soda
* Mint and lime for garnish
Preparation:
* In a martini shaker, use a long spoon to muddle 1/2 fresh lime cut into six wedges. Add 1 cup ice and 1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice.
* Combine 1/2 tsp. gently warmed honey, 2 oz. clear rum and 4 oz. club soda. Add this combination to muddled mixture.
* Stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint and lime.
Check out her other amazing recipes in her fabulous cookbook: The Skinnygirl Dish.
(The chocolate cake recipe alone in this book makes it worth while!)
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(Photos and recipes courtesy of bethenny.com)
Easy Vegan: How to Make Pumpkin Soup
With pumpkins popping up at all the local markets and fruit stands, I think it’s time I shared my favorite fall soup recipe! This recipe is naturally vegan, and packed with flavor.
While the commercial varieties of pumpkins are the easiest to get ahold of, my favorite varietal for this flavorful soup is the Rouge Vif d’Etampes or Cinderella Pumpkin. Usually flatter, and often with a yellow or green blush, the flesh of these delicacies is tender enough to eat raw (if you’re into that). When I use them for Jack-o’-lanterns, I’m able to scoop out the seeds using only my hand, and they create a superior soup.
Save and print this recipe card!
*Roasting Pumpkin: Roast a pumpkin by cutting it half and placing it cut sides down in a lightly oiled pan. Bake in a 375* oven until fork tender. Discard seeds and stringy center. Use an ice cream scoop to remove the remaining pumpkin pulp. Pulse in a blender until smooth. You can freeze any remaining pulp for a later cooking project.
Do you have any favorite fall recipes?
