Writing a novel is harder than it sounds. lol

Well, I have started on the novel.  And by started, I mean I have STARTED.  Barely.  I have been trying to develop the characters in my mind, and wrote a few pages just to get SOMETHING, ANYTHING down on paper.  I have no clue what I am doing.  And when I say I am clueless, I mean CLUELESS.  I am as clueless a writer as I am a painter.  I just feel like I should say this.  I am proud to document my cluelessness.  I have been learning about what it means to "despise the shame', as Jesus did,  of our personal weaknesses and/or failures, and to count it as insignificant compared to knowing Him.  Therefore,  I want this to be known far and wide that I am not one with much of any talent or ability.  My hope and prayer, however, is that God will use me in whatever capacity He sees fit to bring glory and honor to his name, and if he chooses He can work with me in this effort, and it could turn out to be something worth reading.  I am praying that God will lead and guide me in this effort, and give me the wisdom I need to do the job well.  But if it is at all, it will be because of HIM and NOT ME.
In my quiet time this morning, I glanced back at the goals I had set for 2013 back in January; it was exciting to see that, while there are several I did not achieve (the weekly exercise one, and the going to bed/getting up at same times being the two main ones I did not accomplish), most of the ones I wrote down I was able, with God's help to accomplish.  They included trying to have Bible time with the kiddos atleast four times a week, going gluten free for 2 months with Joseph, getting away for a weekend with Joe and taking atleast one family vacation.  I was also able to read through the four gospels and the book of Acts this year, which is not reading through the whole Bible, my original goal,  but I still consider it a victory that I am doing better at having regular quiet times.  I strived to pray more and worry less, and I will have completed working through the book Shame Interrupted by the end of the year, as well as finishing up my working on my life purposes/goals/manifesto.   All this to say, I was very encouraged by the spiritual progress God has helped me to make this year, and am excited to see where God will take me and my family in 2014.  I am planning to take a facebook/online sabbatical in January to pray for the year ahead, and seek God's guidance and wisdom in what my focus should be for 2014.