The Day the Deer Ran Wild

Today, I finish NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, the challenge of writing 50,000 words in one month. This week, I received notice that I was awarded a $4,000 grant to write a book. The book will include interviews with everyday elders to talk about life yesterday and today.

If it wasn’t for Medium, Vocal, and NaNoWriMo I would not have even considered applying for a grant. Submitting some of my top stories from Vocal that I published on Medium as well and placing those stories on that grant application most likely made the difference.

The title of this story is the story I told this month in writing on NaNoWriMo. Some of my 50,000 words included a few stories I had already written on Vocal and Medium. And it included some of what I have been talking about since July of this year, along with a friend and co-presenter.

In July, we spoke to counselors at the Minnesota American Indian Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies (MAIIDS) on Long-term recovery and living in two worlds. Then in October of this year, we made a similar presentation to the Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health (MARRCH).

Since I have developed the habit of writing every day, it makes it possible to write this book in the time allotted. In addition to the book, it is requesting a presentation. Now, I am familiar with book signings but I don’t think that is what they have in mind. I am going to ask for a spot at the local art gallery to show my work which will include photos and a presentation about what I learned from my interviews.

What does my title in this story have to do with what I am talking about? Great question, or wasn’t that noticeable?

This 50,000 words on NaNoWriMo was difficult to start writing. I had hoped to write fiction and that just didn’t come to fruition. But so far the title has stuck. It is deer hunting season, and the deer are scarce this year.

None of my guys are hunting. I have a husband and a few grandsons that hunt. Not this year. We haven’t seen many at all and we live in the country where normally we would be seeing them in our field at this time.

I put the title out there on NaNoWriMo fully expecting to write fiction, based on reality of course. I didn’t spend the time developing the characters needed to write this story.

I identify with the pantser title, and it does fit. I have not been a planner very often in my lifetime. As the title definition advertises, I, “Fly by the seat of my pants.”

My co-presenter and I have been talking about being women in long-term recovery and as Native American women living in two worlds. Storytelling is how I grew up socialized in the culture. Storytelling comes easily to me, but I understand how it isn’t always an accepted way to talk to others.

My husband will say, “Sometimes, it takes a page to say what could have been said in a few sentences.

He doesn’t always mean just me, although I know I am included in those statements. He usually refers to someone else when he brings that up, but I know he thinks that of me too. There are probably more men that carry that sentiment, than women.

Why the title? That is how I picture the country I lived in before the settlers moved in. The same thing with the buffalo and other critters native to this part of the country.

That is how I picture my people. Not restrained to life in one spot all year. There were wild rice, berries, maple sugar, hunting, fishing camps, and others. My family went to those places and camped there at one time. And there are still camps for some families.

I don’t know why but fiction has been difficult for me to write. I have a good imagination, so it really shouldn’t be, but people reading my fiction almost always think I am writing about my life or my truth. Does that mean my fiction is not believable or that it really isn’t fiction? Or that it is good enough to fool people, or I am a good liar, etc.

Well, this got long and b o r i n g! Thank you for reading if you stayed to the end!!

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com