on books, and writing, and writing books

let me be the first to say that NaNoWriMo is not easy.  it's been less than a week and i'm already behind.  and, boy let me tell you, being behind is not where you want to be.  but the beginning is always the hardest, i think.  and the words are starting to come easier.  i think the more i continue to tell myself that my sentences don't need to be perfect, and my description doesn't need to be exact, the easier it gets.  so while it's been stressful trying to catch up word-wise, it's also been fun. 

and i've also learned something interesting about myself and my writing: i need to see things.  for example, today i tried to write a description about the house that the heroine lives in.  and i'm sitting there thinking, and thinking and thinking.  and then i get my sketch pad out.  two ours later i have drawn out a blue print of the house, upstairs and downstairs.  all of a sudden, i can write it.  because i can see it.

so even if i don't make the 50,000 words -- and i will -- i think this month will be great for my writing and just...me in general.  wish me luck!

and because i've got books on the brain, i wanted to post these beautiful reprints of the penguin classics i saw while browsing around on black *eiffel.  so now, not only can you read and be intelligent, but you can do so in some serious style.  i'm pretty sure they're available at anthropologie, urban outfitters, and, of course, amazon.