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NaNoWriMo Day 30 comes full circle

November 30, 2023 Author Emma Palova 1 Comment

On the last day of the 50k-word challenge, I logged 1,302 words for a grand total of 53,796 words, two days after I reached the finish line.

The last day of the challenge came full circle as I went out on the trail on a sunny November day. It was 46 F and mild, and a runner was ahead of me. We passed the frozen lake without ducks on the left and crossed the small bridge. I felt good.

My author friends and I went into the challenge after I posted a special episode of For the Love of Books Podcast on Oct. 31. It carried me through and through. I kept repeating the words, “Keep pushing through.” If you hit the wall, skip to the next chapter. It was priceless advice. Thank you, my friends. Out of seven authors tackling the challenge, two of us finished, which is pretty good, because the average rate of finishing the challenge is 10 to 15 percent. YAY!

To listen to it go to https://emmapalova123.podbean.com

I am looking forward to the festive holiday episodes with authors Cassie Veselovsky, Barbara Kompik, and Kenneth Harmon. Currently, I am scheduling January. All recordings are on Zoom on Thursdays at 5 p.m. To sign up go to:

For the Love of Books Podcast

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NaNoWriMo Day 29

November 29, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

Still writing past the 50k-word finish line to complete the first draft of my new novel. I logged in 2,022 words today for a total of 52,499 words. Tomorrow Nov. 30 is the last day of the challenge. So keep on writing until midnight.

I drove to the Cannonsburg post office and then to the ski area. The Cedar Lounge is now open for a beautiful view. We have to check that out.

Also made reservations for the Masquerade Ball on New Year’s Eve at Candlestone. Will keep you posted on this one.

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NaNoWriMo Day 29

November 29, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

Starting out writing with Miserere Mei, Deus as the supporting character realizes his dire situation. More to come.

youtube.com/watch

inspiration, National Novel Writing Month, Uncategorized

NaNoWriMo Day 27

November 27, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

Heywood Banks comes to Lowell, MI

On a freezing November day, I logged in 2,027 words in the 50k-word challenge for a total of 48, 472 words, after filing a story about comedian Heywood Banks aka Toastmaster General for The Lowell Ledger.

I love Banks’s “About” page on his website. Not only was Banks born on April Fool’s Day in 1950, but he didn’t apply himself (whatever that means), he sang on the street, and never had a “B” plan.

Then he came out with his famous “Toast”. The story of the song goes back to 1986 when he was browsing at a Salvation Army store for props for his act. He bought an old toaster, thinking he would make toast during his act. Later his wife said she was looking forward to having toast the next morning, and Banks started improvising about toast while playing a bongo.

History has a tendency to repeat itself

General Strike, Nov. 27, 1989

On this day, 34 years ago, I marched along with one million people on Wenceslas Square in protest of the socialist regime in former Czechoslovakia. The Velvet Revolution led by students and artists culminated with the General Strike that toppled socialism in the old country, and gave way to the formation Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

I feel privileged that I had written about it in “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” where East meets West. The book is available on my website at

https://wordpress.com/pages/emmapalova.com

Books make great Christmas gifts. Please check out my book page with the PayPal button.

daily writing, National Novel Writing Month, Uncategorized

NaNoWriMo Day 26, the last Sunday before Advent, distilling in full swing

November 26, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

As I logged in 2,146 in the 50k-word challenge for a total of 46, 445 in two writing sessions, I lived a normal Sunday going to mass at St. Pat’s and even cooking festive dinner.

I paid attention to the sermon given by Vicar David about the good sheep and the bad goats. Doing bad stuff is just as despicable as doing nothing at all. I regret how many times I have been just an observer rather than acting, except for the Velvet Revolution in 1989, when I walked into the streets to manifest against the socialist regime.

I’ve been touched by the church’s prison ministry and the need for women’s underwear in the county jail. This time, I took action, I bought underwear, reading glasses, and socks, and put a book in the prison package. I have to get out some travel-size toiletries from the hotels, that I had forgotten to take.

We also stilled the plum ferment, but the yield is half of last year’s, which is not good. It must be due to the low content of sugar, which is a result of not enough sun when the fruit ripens.

For more info go to:

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NaNoWriMo Day 25, Action

November 25, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

The writing went good on this dark November day as I logged in 1,840 words for a total of 44, 299 in the 50k-word challenge. I moved the story ahead with an action-packed chapter putting the main characters on center stage.

The whole word challenge still seems unsurmountable from day to day, even though the word count helps, and the stats. Did I hit writer’s blocks or walls like the proverbial Marathon runner? You bet ya, many times.

I used the advice from the For the Love of Books Podcast special NaNoWriMo episode; it truly helped me get through. I hit both high and low points but averaged 1,795 words a day.

https://emmapalova123.podbean.com/e/nanowrimo-special-panel-advises-to-keep-on-writing/

I am looking for the challenge to be over since I had to live around it and keep the momentum going. And I am still writing and plotting. The weather outside helps me stay inside, but I feel the deprivation from oxygen. I don’t know how many trail mixes I have consumed over the last 25 days. I flipped back and forth between Harmony with Himalayan salt and Second Nature Keto Crunch, and consumed endless teas, both black and herbal.

I still had to perform for both our local Lowell Ledger Newspaper, sell my books at Christmas through Lowell, do the laundry, and Thanksgiving. Is the challenge doable?

It depends a lot on how you approach it. Does your story matter? Of course, it does. If didn’t I wouldn’t be writing this.

To be continued.

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NaNoWriMo Day 24, stilling

November 24, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

On a sunny but freezing cold November morning, we drove to Honey Creek for a festive post-Thanksgiving breakfast after sleeping in. I started writing late but ended the first session with a steady count of 1,332 words moving the story ahead into full action.

In the afternoon, I joined the guys in our Moravian Sons Distillery for a break from writing and to check on the stilling. We were stilling the last batch of pear ferment for a total awesome yield of 31 liters from three barrels of Bartlett pears. However, the peach ferment disappointed at only one gallon from one barrel of peaches. The peach harvest wasn’t good this year, due to the weather, so the peaches may not have had enough sugar.

But, the distillery smelled like a bakery, when the steam came out from the still. It was sweet and the pear spirit was delicious. Check the store locator for our spirits. For more info go to

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NaNoWriMo Day 22

November 22, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

To the finish line

The race to the 50k-word NaNoWriMo finish line is on. I logged in today 1,872 words in two sessions that I broke up with a walk on the trail to get some fresh air and oxygen in my blood. The sun peaked out from the overcast sky for a few minutes. In the afternoon session, I reached a total of 39, 172 words.

It’s the night before Thanksgiving so we went out to one of our favorite joints in Belding- The Candlestone Inn. They were setting up for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Feast. I ordered an apple cider mimosa and ouch, they were out of champagne. Are they going to have champagne tomorrow for the feast?

It’s the little things that get to you. But Ludek started stilling the pear ferment and the yield is turning out excellent. Now, we have the full portfolio of fruit spirits: plum, apple, pear, and peach.

For more info go to:

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Check out Moravian Sons Distillery spirits.

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NaNoWriMo Day 21, Happy 10th birthday to Josephine Palova

November 21, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

Total word count 37,300

It was a rainy freezing cold November day great for writing. I logged in 1,801 words for a total of 37, 300 words in the NaNoWriMo 50k-word challenge. I moved the story forward big time, but not enough to be ahead due to the holiday.

Then off I drove to the only grocery store in town, that was packed to the rafters because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The usual scene unfolded in front of my eyes- half-empty shelves, not enough cash registers and lines. All that reminded me painfully of my life in former socialist Czechoslovakia before the regime toppled on Nov. 27, 1989.

After the challenge is over, I will write a post about shopping bags, and how I was happy not to have them in the USA until like five to 10 years ago.

I also made a stop at the Lowell Area Historical Museum (LAHM) to pick up my kombuchas from the big holiday event, and to fix my book display. And Heureka I discovered an old Underwood typewriter, that I had not seen there before.

Today is our granddaughter Josephine’s 10th birthday, and I found a great video that I would like to share here.

https://www.facebook.com/emma.palova.9/videos/751019993729813

Now, we’re heading out to self-distribute our fruit spirits from Moravian Sons Distillery based in Lowell, MI. For more info to https://moraviansonsdistillery.com

We have two new flavors, pear and peach. Just like books, spirits make awesome holiday gifts. Follow us on WordPress and Facebook.

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NaNoWriMo Day 20, Revolutionary Days of the past

November 20, 2023 Author Emma Palova Leave a comment

Another rough catch-up writing day. I wrote around 1,000 words for The Lowell Ledger in the morning. It was a story about Christmas Through Lowell that I pulled off from “inside out” while selling books at the Lowell Area Historical Museum.

I had to take a break, hop on the treadmill for 20 minutes, and then do my NaNo word count for a total of 35, 499, and finish up in the evening.

Yes, I am exhausted after the three-day event at the museum and from the writing challenge. But I still managed to observe the revolutionary days from 34 years ago in former Czechoslovakia as the socialist regime was finally toppled on Nov. 27. The Velvet Revolution started on Nov. 17 with students demonstrating.

To be continued……