Meet my new Ninja, designed to fight off writer’s block, self doubt, and inner editors. And it kinda looks good defending my name tag, done by Johnny Thief, a very cool tattooist and horror writer.

Go NENJAs!  (North East New Jersey= NENJA)
As Hillary says -  
May our typing be swift, our word counts honorable and 
may we sneak  writing into our lives as easily as 
we melt invisibly into the shadows.  

So, I’ve been talking about being in NaNo for a while now, and that it’s my 3rd year doing it…

It’s also the first time I managed to make it to something regional!

Schedules, cars, life was not on my side to be able to show up places the past few years. Other than a few programs the first year, I’ve participated but had a hard time fully showing up for the group/community. Yeah, I was sort of doing this one or two at a time support system thing. But a new NaNo site makes for new ways to engage.

So, since I am surviving the driving anxiety hard work, I added trying to people into my plans. Does that mean I am driving to these things alone? Absolutely not! We’re not at the highways and byways thing, let alone rush hour highways. But I can plan it out.

Bribed the hubs to drive/go with me, on the promise of buying him dinner. After all, it was a restaurant, and over the years I learned that if I put him in a place that lets him out easy and put food in front of him, I get at least an hour. To both our surprises, we arrived at 7pm and left at 11pm!

To be fair… I knew I could enjoy other people’s company that long. It was his level of tolerance that caught me off guard. Yeah, he kept trying to deny his writing ability, and I know he’s not a novel writer, but he held his own on plenty of subjects. Comics and tech mostly, but that’s just fine, that’s what he knows most.

I only wish we’d have picked the closer table, so he could have involved himself in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy writers chats, if there were any.

Still, I am happy he wasn’t bored, and that I managed to do this thing. To show up, meet new people, and remember to talk to them. Years ago, I used to hide behind hubs and make him people for the both of us. Now, I started conversations, held them, and introduced myself readily.

Proves that each bit of this journey works. Takes time, and likely age is a factor too, but I have hope. Yes, this year I need to get help getting around, and can’t get too many places. Next year? Next year I might be a well contained nervous wreck and drive myself everywhere I want to go. It’s a good possibility…

For now, I consider the end of NaNo Pot Luck Party next, and maybe snag the hubs for the midpoint event should that get sorted out. Oh and enjoy my participation prize AKA goody bag… Even adults need the post doctor like visit prizes. I prefer stickers to suckers… But you’re never too old to color!

Counting down the days, with an outline ready to roll too. See you all soon.