It’s Samhuinn eve! Samhuinn eve! Samhuinn eve! The two worlds are at their closest and the “beyond” is more accessible than any other time of the solar year. It’s basically what amounts to new years for me and mine. Tonight, I’ll light a fire and celebrate the coming of my grandson and the long night as the dark of year reaches its apex and the light begins to return. How perfect that the boy is to be called “Shining One” and how appropriate that the utter madness of the NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow (tonight) at 00:01. If I did not have to work on Tuesday, I would get up then and start along with more than a few WriMos I’m sure here in the birth place of it all! I am sure S.F. has some sort of start up party tonight. Sometime I should totally go over to The City (about an hour and change depending on the day) and check out the Office of Letters and Light. I am amazed at how excited I am. I think it must have to do with all the energy that comes from knowing this is happening all over the world. My writing buddies are international; indeed one lives in Germany, “Yo, Durfuiniel!” and the other is an expat living in England, “Hey, Ravven!”.

My sponsorship efforts are beginning to bear fruit. My friends are so generous, so huge hearted. Slainte, Craig! Papa Bear gives you a big polar bear-hug, Jymmy! You guys rock! Not since I was 10 years old riding in a “Bike-a-thon” have I actively fundraised. Indeed, I hate asking for money, but the opportunity to write and create provided by the Office of Letters and Light is just too cool not to, especially for young people. OLL’s Young Writer’s Program is definitely special. I’m sure all those young budding writers are even more excited about tonight’s start than I am.

I am humming to start. I have my Propp-esque outline ready, have written a general synopsis and have even test driven part of a scene. I’m starting Scions of the Moon with much more preparation than I did The Kevodran, which should be paramount to feeling a bit more confident. The fact of the matter is, however, that I am rather nervous with what amounts to “…battle shakes…” They have nothing to do with the fear of failure but rather are the product of nervous tension as I approach the moment I have spent the last month prepping for. I have absolutely no fear of starting tomorrow morning at 04:00 and finding my well dry, my lady Muse gone. Oh, no. If The Kevodran taught me anything, it is that she’s there inside me waiting—I see her face and know her name—and as long as I don’t jilt her once we start, like the spice, the words will flow. There will be drama; there will be challenge; there will be desperate moments of doubt, but all I needs do is write…even if it is crap and the words will come. I’m just twitchy, like a hound straining at the start of the hunt.

And the course is full of challenge to be sure. I have school to teach from what amounts to 06:00 to 05:00 including drive time. I have HOL homework that needs to be finished and new homework for the month of November needs to be addressed. I have an APIP meeting on Thursday. I have Rock-A-Thon all night on Saturday. I have student council meetings each Wednesday and bagpipe lessons on Thursday evenings. My lovely wife Marirose leaves mid-week for the Los Angeles Music Awards where she is nominated for no less than three awards—talk about your proverbial nervous race-horse! I follow the next day and we’ll have an amazing over-nighter with her band The Gypsies. I have over 300 writing assessments to grade on the 14th. Because Marirose works the evening of Thanksgiving, we’re angling to have our Turkey Day—the absolute most important holiday of my year as it marks my true new years—on the Wednesday before…thank God I have the day off. I will however, begin preparations starting on the Monday of that week. To this crazy mix I add the NaNoWriMo…LOL! I am insane. There are write-ins each Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 in the next town over on Sundays at Panera Bread and locally at Queen Bean on Thursdays from 18:30 to closing. I want to make at least one or two of each, particularly the Queen Bean as I’ll only be able to attend two such meets.

Can it all be done? Well…it simply must. The three moon maidens, Hen, Ink and Rain are demanding equal time with Efrahm along with the rest of my not-so-imaginary crew and there it is!

Originally posted in The Salamander’s Quill 1.0 now deleted.