NaNoWriMo 2018

NaNoWriMo - which stands for National Novel Writing Month - has begun today. This is my tenth year participating in the challenge and I am so very grateful to have found this community of writers. The basis of the challenge is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel during the month of November. It may sound a little daunting when put that way. So let me say that that equates to 1,667 words per day. There, that's better. :)Here is their website if you fancy giving this a tyr: www.nanowrimo.org

NaNoWriMo write-in

We had a NaNoWriMo write-in this evening in our recreation room. It was small but also very nice and relaxing. It was also productive and we all got words written. One of the attendees reached the 25.000 word mark in his story so that was a lot of fun! I wouldn't mind hosting another write-in in there!

NaNoWriMo 2017

National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo - 2017 is underway! I'm off to a good start and so are my children. For the first time my kids are writing stories through NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program. It has been wonderful to embark on story telling together! My kids are writing creepy stories while I am writing a love story. Each day they have shared their day's writing with me and then again with their dad when he gets home. We're only three days into NaNoWriMo 2017 but I can say, without a doubt, that this is my favorite year of doing this writing adventrue! I can't wait to see how all of our stories turn out!

National Novel Writing Month

Wednesday is November 1st - which also marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month - or NaNoWriMo as it's also known! The premise of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a new novel. It's fun and doable challenge especially if you're able to get out and meet other participants taking part in NaNoWriMo. This will be my ninth year participating. I love it!

This year I have extra reason to love NaNoWriMo as my children will be taking part for the first time. They will be participating through the Young Writers Program. They don't have to write 50,000 words, though. They set their own goals and work daily to meet them by the end of November.

There's still time to sign up if you're interested in giving NaNoWriMo a try!

30 Days of readathon - Thin

It's only two weeks until the Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon! Yay! Toda's prompt for #30daysofreadathon is Thin. I find it interesting that all of my shoices are nonfiction. However, I utterly love all of these books! 

National Novel Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo - has begun for 2016. It's a journey that a lot of writers take in November to write fifty thousand words of a first draft of their novel. People all over the world take part - some are first time writers, some are writing their twentieth novel. There are even what is called 'NaNo Rebels' - people who rebel against the fifty thousand words and do something else writing related, like create Thirty Covers in Thirty Days. Whatever one chooses to do the NaNoWriMo experience and the camaraderie within the writing community is amazing! I highly recommend it.

NaNoWriMo Win

 

I technically 'won' NaNoWriMo on the 18th but didn't validate my win until this morning. So now it is official. Of course, after writing my post yesterday about feeling burned out I woke up this morning ready to write and full of ideas. Isn't that always the way. LOL

NaNoWriMo Goal Achieved

I have reached my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) goal for 2015. I hit the 50,000 word mark last night. This is my seventh year participating and I have to say that it is as exciting to reach that goal as it was in 2009 when I first took on this challenge. There’s just something to be said about having such a big goal and meeting it.

I am not done with my novel for the month, though. I want to have this first draft completed by the end of this month. So I am continuing to write every day. Of course, I do that regardless of whether it is November or May or any other month of the year. Writing every day is so natural for me now that I feel as if my day isn’t complete if I haven’t written by early evening. It may sound a little odd but it’s true nonetheless.

If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo – how is it going for you? There’s still plenty of time to finish – so keep going. And remember, every word counts!

Meeting a goal

I wrote yesterday about wanting to reach 40,000 words toward my National Novel Writing Month goal by today. I am pleased to report that not only did I reach this goal I surpassed it. I am over 41,000 words as of right now. Yay!

So hopefully I will indeed reach 50,000 words by Friday as I would like to. As I said I want to be at the NaNoWriMo goal by the time my kids go on vacation on Friday afternoon.

I have a couple of other goals going on this month (Christmas related) that I am on track with as well. So here's hoping all continues to go well.

Hoping to break 40k this weekend

As I sit down to write this blog post I have reached 36,468 words on this year’s NaNoWriMo adventure. My goal is to reach the fifty thousand words by this Friday, November 20^th. I’m certain I can do that especially if I make this weekend’s goal of achieving the 40,000 word mark. Why the rush? As of Friday afternoon (the 20^th) my children will be on a well-deserved week long vacation from school in order to celebrate Thanksgiving. Of course, I will still write each day as that is my habit but I want to have reached my 50k for NaNoWriMo. That way, anything I write (I usually aim for about 1,200 words per day) will be bonus words over the 50k. And hey, maybe I will still write at least 1,667 words per day but if I don’t at least I’ll have reached my November goal. I’m going to do that by reaching the 40k mark by end of day tomorrow – Sunday.

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo how is it going for you?

Encouraging my kids to create

Since it is November it is a month of all-out writing for me. Anyone reading my blog knows I am a big supporter of NaNoWriMo. In recent years my children have taken quite an interest in what I am writing and the process of actually creating a short story or a novel. It is an exciting feeling to have their interest but it is also one filled with responsibility.

So I decided to have them write their own stories. I have one child who is extremely interested in the actual words involved in telling a story. The other is interested in the illustrations. So I am encouraging them to work together and write and illustrate a story. I am excited to see what they come up with.

Writing Sprints

For the majority of today I did not feel like writing. This is not a good thing for me on any given day. It is an especially bad thing during the month of November while I am participating in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. The objective there is to write 1,667 words per day to reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. Yes, I am ahead in my word count and should reach the 50k level without a problem but still, daily writing. It is a habit of mine and one I want to keep up with always. However, today, I simply could not drudge up any interest in writing. I did know that I would be meeting a friend on Twitter tonight to do some word sprints, though.

So, I spent the day hanging out with one of my daughters while the other spent the day with my husband. We all had some one on one family time and came back together tonight. The daughter I spent today with wasn't feeling the greatest, though. So she and I stayed home, slept in and watched television together. We talked and laughed and she introduced me to a couple of mermaid shows she likes on Netflix. I also took her to Starbucks for a Frappuccino. I am happy to report that she is feeling better tonight and we had a very pleasant day together.

And I have written over two thousand words tonight. I met my friend on Twitter and she had another group of writer friends and we all did some sprinting together. It has been great. And of course, I always love making new writer friends - whether in-person or online! :) Now I am off to sprint with them again. Hopefully this can become a regular thing and not just a November thing. How cool would that be?

First day of November

The first of November is an exciting day for me. For one thing, I thoroughly enjoy the excitement my children have about going through all of their Halloween candy. It is so fun to see them spread it all out (on the living room floor this morning) and take a tally of what they have. Then, of course, they start trading. I have one child who can't eat nuts and dislikes coconut. So she trades her sister all of that sort of candy for stuff she does like - Twix, crunch and Kit Kat being the forerunners. It makes me smile to see them do this because I like seeing them work together (now to achieve this with their actual chores) and it reminds me of my brother and I at their age. We had so much fun going through and trading our Halloween loot.

Another reason I love November first is because it is the official start to National Novel Writing Month (NaNowriMo). I have already achieved my word count goal for today, which is 1,667 words. I will write more though because I like to start off ahead if possible. It has become a habit for me to start writing my NaNo novel just after midnight on the first. I had to go to bed after reaching a little over 1,200 words last night. Then today when I opened up my story the last couple of sentences I had written last night made absolutely no sense to me. I had no idea what I had been trying to say and had to laugh at myself. I was so tired I had literally been falling asleep at my laptop. I know one of the goals for NaNoWriMo is no editing during November but I had to take those last sentences out. I honestly had no idea what I'd been trying to convey.

The last reason I get excited at the beginning of November is because in my opinion we are in the holiday season. If I could convince my husband to get on board we would be decorating for Christmas today. He's not keen on this plan, though. The earliest our kids and I can really start putting out decorations is the week of Thanksgiving. He won't balk overly much at that. Still, there are a couple of little things out on my desk now, a little snowman and a Christmas bird that I crocheted. They are both very Christmas-y to me and make me happy. So yes, I love this time of year for so many reasons.

Picking a topic

NaNoWriMo begins in three days and I have yet to decide on a topic. I though I had and even set up my novel page with the title. That is all I have though because I am a definite 'pantser' when it comes to doing NaNoWriMo. I have an idea and a few details in my head but no formal outline or pages of notes or index cards pinned to my bulletin board. I don't even have Post-It notes with anything scribbled down on them on my desk. This will all change as of November first, of course, when the fun and craziness that is NaNoWriMo officially begins.

For now, I have three ideas that I can't seem to make up my mind about. I like all of them. My original idea has been percolating in my brain for a while now. It is the next story in my small town series. I also have an idea to write an inter-connected series of short stories. Then this morning I saw the latest story starter on A Daily Rhythm and now I have one more idea. The prompt is:

They met too soon.

How cool is that? I immediately had a great idea for that prompt. The thing is, now I have a third idea for November and I don't know which one to go with. I suppose, being the pantser that I am, I will see what I am feeling inspired to write as the clock turns over from Halloween to November fist and the writing fun and madness that is the next month.

What about you? Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Are you a 'pantser' or a 'plotter'? Please share with me.

National Novel Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo as it is commonly known is fast approaching. It runs from November 1st through November 30th. The goal during the month is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel. It is so much fun and something I look forward to all year long! I know, I know, it sounds kind of crazy but honestly it is so liberating! There is something about knowing there is a word goal and a finite amount of time to get there that helps to turn off the inner critic and just write.

Write. Sit down and just write.

If you are an author (published or still working toward being published) then this is what it is all about - writing. The main goal of NaNoWriMo is to get people, young and old, writing. Turn off your inner critic, that annoying naysayer in your head, tune out the distractions and pound out your 1,667 words per day. Then, at the end of November you will have a first draft to a novel. Of course it may very well end up being longer than 50,000 words and that is perfectly acceptable. The point is to challenge yourself to write that first draft of your book.

I've been participating in NaNoWriMo since 2009 and it is amazing. The first couple of years I didn't love what I wrote but was happy with my accomplishment. Since then I have become a progressively better writer and I am happy about that. My book from last November is currently in its third revision and has been requested by four publishing houses. So yes, the process takes time but it is so very worth it in the end. Have you ever considered trying NaNoWriMo? Maybe this is your year to do it!

National Blog Posting Month 2014

What is National Blog Posting Month, you ask? Well, quite simply, it's committing to create a blog post everyday during November. I know it seems insane that I would take this on in addition to doing NaNoWriMo but really, what's one more challenge? I'm already in a hyper writing mode so I may as well add to my blog as well. Plus, I've had a lot of ideas running through my head for blog posts - things I want to share, things I want to ask about? And of course, there will probably be the posts that sound slightly sleep deprived and rambling. That's me in November, though. Since I've already written these first few days of the month I am committing to NaBloPoMo. Is anyone else doing this? Have you done it before? I've written posts for an entire month before but never during Novemeber while pounding away at NaNoWriMo at the same time. This should be an interesting month writing-wise and in blog land. I'll just thank you for reading right now.

Writing Space

I will admit it - I was not the most ambitious writer this summer.  I had spurts of inspiration and writing time but nothing overly solid came of it.  I could say I was busy and that would be true but it's also an excuse because I'm always busy.  I have a husband and we have kids and jobs and extended family and friends.  Yeah, everyone, everywhere is busy.  And yet a lot of people still manage to pursue their creative dreams and goals.  Why was I slacking on that for myself?

I don't know the answer.  I don't mean for this to be an overly introspective post, either.  What I want to share is that I finally made the decision to take back my writing space both figuratively and literally.  In the middle of August I was on Twitter (a place I was hit and miss about before but now totally in love with) and discovered a seriously cool and amazing group @FriNightWrites.  We (yes I had to join in on this movement) are a group of writers from all over the U.S. and the U.K. who use the hours on Friday night to write together in thirty minute sprints.  It's actually a twelve hour period (11 a.m. to 11 p.m. PT). 

If you haven't done anything like this before you may be thinking something along the lines of, So what? I know this because that's sort of what I thought for about five seconds in the beginning.  I was wrong, oh so wrong, to think that way, though.  The people involved in this group (3,402 Followers at time of writing this post) are so nice and so inspiring and incredibly supportive of one another! It humbles me to be a small part of it.  This group has really helped me to focus on my writing again for which I am enormously thankful.  It has also given me a sense of community with other writers which I sorely needed.  The hashtag is #writeclub if you're interested in checking it out on Twitter.  It's so worth it.  In the six-and-a-half weeks I've been involved I've written nearly all of a manuscript and one short story.  That's really fast output for me.  Just check it out - I guarantee you'll love it!

As for literal writing space, I took over a corner at home.  No one is allowed to leave any of their stuff here! This entire corner is mine and I will guard it with a vengeance (especially during NaNoWriMo but that's a post for another day)!

Personal Writing Challenge

April is the month that the same people who put on NaNoWriMo do an event called Script Frenzy.  The idea is to write a 100 page script during the 30 days of April.  I've known about this April creative endeavor for three years and each year I've contemplated doing it.  I have also decided against it (chickened out) each year. This year is no exception and really, I don't want to write a script at this point in my life.  I feel that I may want to someday but not right now.

What I am going to do is challenge myself to a half NaNoWriMo.  In November (and this year during June and August) the goal is to write 50,000 words over a one month period of time.  So, during April, I'm giving myself a writing kick in the butt and going for at least 25,000 words.  If I write more than that, great, but I'm aiming for at least the 25,000.  I need to do this because I've been in a major writing rut.

A bonus for me is that I had a great idea for a new story today and have already started it.  I have 1,076 words completed toward my goal.  I feel I'm off to a nice beginning and hope very much to stick with it this month.  Is anyone else participating in Script Frenzy this month? Or are you perhaps challenging yourself to another writing goal?

NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up

The chaos that was my Novemeber is complete - thank goodness.  Anyone who pays even the slightest attention to my blog knows I am a writer and that I love (practically need) to write.  And also knows how much I adore and look forward to the writing challenge that is National Novel Writing Month.  This year the insanity felt tenfold though as we also moved our family at the beginning of the month.  So, in addition to all the regualr day-to-day activities, there was moving, unpacking, a field trip (of course!), oh and 1,667 words per day.  I felt like I must be an insane person for even trying to take it on.  And yet, I did - and I won! Not only did I win but for the first time in my short NaNo history - I have a complete first draft.  AND I am really happy with it.  Believe me - that is a complete shock to me.  Now, December (and realistically into January) I will edit this first draft.  My goal is to have it complete and heading out into the world looking for a publishing home by February.

In the meantime, I fully intend to enjoy my holidays with my family and friends in our new home.  I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, as well!

NaNoWriMo Has Begun

Here we are, at the end of day two of National Novel Writing Month and I am doing pretty well.  I'm at 3,700 words and should have had 3,333.  I'm happy that I am slightly ahead but honestly, i was hoping for more.  It's all right though.  I am happy to be a little ahead.  I just know that the next several days are going to be insane as we are moving and was hoping to have a bigger chunk done.  Oh well, it'll be all right and if need be - I'll play catch up once we're in our new place.  I had to do plenty of that last year and still managed to get just over the required 50,000 words.

As a bonus, I am happy with my story so far.  And oh yeah, two hours before NaNo was to start, i had a completely new idea and decided to go with it.  So my previous planning is not being put to use for this novel.  How is everyone else doing with their novels so far? Great, I hope!