In Case You're Wondering...

Probably be even more occasional than usual during this month in posting the blog. I'm taking part, as I have for the last 4 years, in the National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days--the month of November. The first year a struggled to finish it, but I did and it was a pretty good novel, too. No, there's no where you can read it. So sorry.

As the years have gone on, I've become better at pumping out the words. I now average 2200 words a day, with occasional spurts of 5000 words or more. This year I'm already at 20,000 words and it's only Nov 10! I think I'll finish in plenty of time.

Thing is, I really come alive during this time of year. I slog through the day but I keep going because when I get home I can get into that little world I'm creating word by word. It's usually a fun place to be.

This year I'm doing a book about my childhood in Catholic School, with some rock and roll thrown in. It's rather surprising the things I recall when I start to write--like the time my mom was stopped by a cop who said she'd gone through a stop sign.

"I did not," she said. "I know I stopped for it."

"I'm writing you up anyway," the cop said. "How fast did you go through that sign."

"Zero," my mom said. The cop dutifully wrote it down. Then he tore the ticket out of his book and gave it to her to sign.

"I'm not signing this," she said. "I did't roll through that stop sign."

"You sign this right now," he said, dropping the traditional "ma'am."

"I won't sign. YOu're wrong and you know it," mom said.

"If you don't sign, I'm going to arrest you."

"Arrest me, then. I'm right and you know it."

Leslie and I were in the back seat, somewhat scared that my mom was talking back to a cop.

"If you don't sign this," the cop said, "I'll arrest you and I'll put your kids in a foster home. Is that what you want?"

Leslie and I were crying at this point--we were about five and six years old--pleading with my mom to sign the ticket so that we didn't have to be taken away from her. My mom grabbed the ticket from the cop and signed.

"I'll bet you feel like a big man because you made my children cry," she said. I recall she dressed him down a bit more but I don't remember what else she said because I was still scared.

Later mom said that when she got to court and the judge saw the ticket which said she went through the stop at "zero miles an hour," he laughed and dismissed the thing.

So I suppose I come by my penchant for criminal law honestly. I've got bad childhood memories of the abuse of police power.

On the other hand, my mom stood up to the cop and I didn't end up in a foster home. So maybe there is a kind of justice.

Anyway, I'm at 20,000 words and working. Gotta get to it. Wish me luck.