Horror Author
At least twice a
Month it happens
The nightmares always
Have the same theme
I run from something
Every dream is different
Sometimes I’m pursued
By monsters or creatures
Other times it’s
Men with guns
A different scenario
A different location
But I’m always running
What are the dreams telling me?
What am I running from?
From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.
November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. This is important because many people only want puppies or kittens from shelters. A lot of the older animals don’t get a forever home. Many shelters will waive fees for senior pet adoptions or for pets that have been at the shelter for too long. Senior pets are less likely to play and run around like crazy and that’s why I love adopting senior pets. I don’t want to deal with the rambunctious tiny ones. I want crabby old ladies who lay there and judge everyone.
I want to tell everyone about my cat, Callie. According to the shelter adoption papers she is about 12 years old. I think she’s much older than that, but in either case she’s a senior kitty. She likes sleeping, eating food, and yelling at me to refill her water dish. She doesn’t do much else. She’ll lay on my lap and sleep while I watch TV or read a book. She’s a perfect companion for me. So, if you have a lifestyle that’s a little more chill and quieter, try adopting a senior pet. And make sure you get them the right food for their age. I’m not sure about dogs, but senior cats can’t eat as much wet cat food as younger cats. Just FYI.
November is a busy month for writers. Not only is it National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), it’s also National Life Writing Month. Sometimes called Memoir Writing Month, the purpose of National Life Writing Month is to encourage people to write about their own lives. Who better to tell your life story than you? I have written small bits about my life for a couple years. I even put some of those writings together in my book “Mushaburui: A Mental Health Journey.” For those of you who read this blog often, you’ve read a few personal things about me from posts and from my poetry.
This month however, I’m taking a step back from myself in an attempt to focus on NaNoWriMo. Last November, I started writing what will become my first novel. I have only written short stories and one novella up till now. I did not meet the goal of 50k words last November. Then last April, with everyone in lockdown/quarantine, I wrote a bit more of my novel. I have about 55k words and only about 2/3 of the story written so far. My goal for this year’s NaNoWriMo is to finish my novel which might only be about 30k words.
I’m still not meeting the official goal of 50k during the month of November, but blog writing counts too, right? What kind of writing goals have you set for yourself for November? Are you writing fiction or nonfiction? Tell me in the comments. Or share a personal story of yours in the comments. And everyone out there pushing themselves a little more to meet their writing goals, good luck. I believe in you.
James Pack 