Here we are in November already! October was full of fun, including concerts, travels, fun experiences at a writing conference and different experiences at work. I hope November is a little more steady as far as schedules and routines go, but here’s how I did in October.
October Results
Writing
Finish Edits on Book 1
I did not finish edits on book one. I will not have a completely clean slate in November like I wanted, but I will get a decent break for the month of November. During the hustle of edits, I forgot to actually enjoy the story and what’s being built up in the story. I lost the love of it, for the technical aspects of style. So I’m going to take a little break and come back to it fresh in December or January.
Finish as many chapters/ sections as possible
This goal did not go as well as I planned either. With the travel and the upheaval of my usual schedule at the beginning of the month, it was quite difficult to get back to “normal”. I really started to push and get a few things finished in the last week of the month, and I’m glad to say I finished a few things. Which means a little less stress when I focus mostly on one project in November. There are still some projects to finish, but they can wait until December, or more likely, January.
Preptober for NaNoWriMo
This goal has been the most fun and most successful this month. I have managed to turn the notes I’ve been collecting over the last few months into a somewhat successful outline. I have been able to create mood boards and ramp up the excitement for myself. I have even played around with the idea of a spin-off from the first book. When November starts, it’s off to the races!
Inktober
Once again, I let the fear or not being perfect step in the way of trying something new. Not only that, but I always forget how much time I never seem to have in October. This month could have been such a good creative month but instead, I was more focused on other important things. I did attempt a few drawings, so perhaps I’ll post those sooner rather than later. It’s always a possibility!
Personal
Exercise
This month has been better for exercise. I’ve been more aware of it. The first few weeks of the month went really well and my exercise trend is back up. We’ll see how I do once the time change hits, but I hope to keep pushing forward.
Journal
Morning pages this month did not go as well as I had hoped. Digital pages, while they do help in a pinch, are not the way to do journaling. There were several days where I simply didn’t do my pages at all, because there was either too much or too little going on. I can only write so much about my desire to write and motivate myself before I realize I’m overdoing it. There have been a few weekends/days off that I did miss 2 days in a row, but I am still trying to do my best, even if that doesn’t mean every day or letting myself miss more than a day.
Hydrate
Once again, hydrating did not come easy. While I did not log things as much as I wanted to in my water tracking app, I do know I attempted to hydrate more. It’s getting to be fall, which means I’ll be drinking more hot liquids like green teas and non-caffeinated teas, so I am very excited to add those into my goals. Coffee is still a main staple, and caffeinated teas, but I have attempted to add more water, especially when I feel I need it. I hope to continue the practice in November.
Other
October was full of fun. I traveled a lot between 4 different state for a wedding, a concert and a mini-honeymoon with my husband. I went to a local writing conference and found my inspiration for creation again. I finished another book, which puts me way ahead of my goal for reading, so now it’s time to write more!
I started a few substacks, that should be going live sooner rather than later. You can read the start of them here. I hope to maintain them and update regularly, even during the hectic months at the end of the year.
Word Count: 12,269
November Goals
Writing
NaNoWriMo
This year, as with every year in November, I want to write 50,000 words in November. I will be participating with several writers from all over the world in this international challenge in hopes of having the start of a story. This year, I want to get as close to finishing this novel as I can. I’m excited to get started.
Post more writing online
I want to keep up with the blog schedule more regularly than I have. I also want to post more in other places. Keep an eye out for more posts here on the blog and other links to explore!
Personal
Exercise
This month is no different from any other months of the year, even though I am attempting to write a novel (or most of it) during November. I still want to exercise and try to stay motivated and take control of my health. Plus, exercise usually helps me find more awesome songs for my playlists or awesome ideas for the current story.
Journal
This month, I still plan to journal, but I’m going to do something a little different. Instead of my normal morning pages of just brain-dump, I am going to focus more on the novel writing process and what works and what doesn’t. November often flies by in a haze of “I have no idea how I did that”, but I want to explore the process a bit more this year. What better way to do that than in a journal?
Hydrate
Drinking water is important. Staying hydrated, especially in the throws of creativity is even more important. I have a better system of tracking my water intake that makes each attempt feel like a small reward, so hopefully I will make more progress this month and start to notice more positive changes.
If you would like to join me and write a novel in November, you can sign up here.
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