A cameo appearance, and what's in a NaNo?

I've been doing some beading again lately, this time with the cameos I got last summer. Since I haven't been able to find settings for them I figured I'd have to do that myself. I made this broochy thing out of one:


I glued it on a piece of fabric and embroidered the fabric with beads. It's still hollow from the other side, so I'll have to see if I should sew on some backing. I have a bead order coming with more fringe beads and seed beads, and I can't wait to make more of these. I really love intricate beadwork, although I'm not very good at it yet. Takes a whole lotta practice!

As for my NaNo novel...well, I probably should be panicking, but I'm not. That kind of storm writing just isn't my style; I need creative pauses when I just mull over the story in my head. And after those pauses I can write 3000-5000 words in a day. I have written one book in almost exactly a month, though, that more quiet YA of mine, but I was HUGELY inspired, almost obsessed, and the text just flowed out. I couldn't have written it more slowly. And it has undergone massive rewrites since.

While I like my NaNo novel, too, it's a much more commercial book, which means the plot must be snappy. However, when I write in a stream-of-consciousness style without pre-planning, the result usually isn't good because I write myself into a corner or don't put in enough twists. Yeah, I know I could always rewrite and edit, but truth be told, I prefer to get it as right as I can in the first draft because intricate plots are hard for me - give me a complex character or two and I have no problems, but plots tend to make me weak in the knees and not in a good way.

So, I've figured NaNo isn't quite for me. Then again, I sometimes wonder, who is it for exactly? Everyone knows writing a first draft of a whole novel (or the first 50 000 words) in 30 days isn't going to produce a pretty sight, so what's the use of rushing? Maybe it is best for those people who have problems finishing novels? Or maybe it's just fun and I don't get it? *scratches head*

Oh well, at least I accomplished something in November...I learned to cook super yummy Indian chicken! :-D For a gal who has mostly lived on whatever the hand can grab the quickest from the freezer, that is good. And it inspired me to expand my cooking skills - within a week, I've made quark pie (a local favorite), chocolate chip cookies, and spicy pasta casserole. I'm so going to try my hand at cheesecake next!