With NaNoWriMo, I honesty haven’t been taking in too much to entertainment, even reading (which is like half-entertainment, half-work). My plan for these last two months was several books, but I haven’t even finished one all month (unless you count the first book of Parade’s End, which I guess we should).

We did, early on, switch gears to the final season of Fringe. Wow. It’s really interesting how Abrams decided to do this thing, and it makes me wonder why. You see, Fringe, like Lost before it, is a contained series, like Sherlock or lots of other British series. Effectively, season four ends the series with the conclusion of everything we have been expecting to end, but with a few little teasers for something new. Season five, then, is really a bonus season, taking place not only in the futures of the main characters, but also outside of the main plots of the first four seasons. I only like this idea if I think about it that way: a bonus season, like a movie sequel. (I also had major issues with one main development at the end of season four, which seemed to want to be scientific but was clearly impossible (key words: Olivia as power). Other than that, I thought the (first) ending was pretty good. It’s funny; I always hated how easily Abrams would kill off his main characters in Lost, but I found myself also resenting how resilient they were in Fringe.)

Frozen (2013). Found myself on the last day of November at the movie theater with my extended family, shoulder-to-shoulder with swarms of eight-year-olds and up to my elbows in the kiddie combo, watching the newest Disney princess flick. It was pretty excellent. Now, I had to restrain myself from throwing my frozen Coke at the screen when one of the first things to happen was the death of the parents (Disney! What gives? Every single movie you make?!?), but then I calmed down as it proceeded with great animation, beautiful scenery, engaging characters, catchy tunes, laugh-out-loud moments, and complex dilemmas. I did think that Anna should have turned out to be a latent spring sorceress, and I also think they could have done a better job at making the bad guy seem just a little bad before the big reveal, but overall… up to par, a little above.

I told you I hadn’t watched much. I haven’t even gotten through Christmas Vacation yet, this year. (For Christmas entertainment recommends, click here.)

My novella-in-progress.

And yes, I have been going on and on all month about NaNoWriMo. (To follow the series, click here.) The basic news is that I entered National Novel Writing Month and its 50,000 word requirement with a vague plan for a Benevolent spin-off novella. I was severely injured two days previous and (yeah, enough with the excuses ;)) only hit 30,000 before the deadline. I have given myself till next Saturday at midnight to finish the book (it will be around 50,000 when complete, I believe). I think it is going well, but it is so hard to tell, using a different technique. (Who am I kidding? It’s always hard to tell while writing–or at any time–how good or bad my own stuff is.) At this point, I am writing the final section before the last chapter (there are only eight chapters in the book, total), and things are revving up for the big night (of The Night of One Hundred Thieves). I have plotted out the rest of the book and just have to type and type and type. Yesterday, my husband and I figured out a rough page count for the final version and then went to our bookshelves to compare it to a book there. I know that intuitively I always said this was going to be a short novel (mistakenly, I was calling it a novella), but it is so small! I really feel like all that work should be much weightier! Oh well, it will be a cheaper and less daunting book than its predecessor, as long as I can keep readers from being confused about the many, many characters. (Love the book cover? It’s not final, but me too.)

I have also run into a little snafu with my plan to dominate the book world by entering all the indy-open novel contests: money. Miraculously, I have managed all year since March to make all the fiscal requirements, but right when a couple of big ones are looming, I find myself cash poor; like hundreds cash poor. Argh. So unless my book goes viral or money suddenly sprouts from our Charlie-Brown-sized Christmas tree, I am going to have to swallow the disappointment and leave myself a reminder to never wonder if.

*To continue this thread with the rest of NaNoWriMo 2013, click here.