Tag: writing

Taking it Easy in April

Usually, April is filled with a frenzy to get words and complete another writing challenge for NaNoWriMo. Camp NaNoWriMo takes place every April and July, but after the recent events around NaNoWriMo, just the thought of it makes me feel icky.

I held strong through November as one of the Municipal Liaisons, but as soon as December and January hit, I started to feel the disgust and shame in my body. The organization I once loved, the organization I put all my faith and trust and creativity into, no longer exists.

Usually, in April, I do Camp NaNoWriMo and attempt to work on a project. This month, perhaps even this whole year, I want nothing to do with NaNoWriMo.

I’ve put in my resignation as the ML for my region. The local chapter has moved onto being its own writing and critique group. I honestly feel so free after nearly a decade of being an ML and carrying the weight and stress.

What does that have to do with writing and my goals for this month? Well, first off, I won’t be doing Camp NaNo, as I said. Second, I’m going to be kind to myself this month and not overextend my time or creativity.

That means taking my time on projects. While I will attempt to meet the self imposed deadlines of posting here on the blog every week (along with substack and medium), I am fully aware and open to the chance it might not happen. April is a harsh month with birthdays and death anniversaries and a lot of other emotional junk.

I have a goal to finish edits this month, and I do intend to stick to that. I’m going to do my best to post and build here on the blog, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m going to take it easy on myself.

 

March Results and April Goals

March was a month of ups and downs. There were a lot of successes this month, but also a lot of losses and hardships. There were several events that were more important than writing and creating and that was ok. My goals this month were hit and miss in several ways, but I did what I could and I’m pleased with that.

March Results

Writing

Finish Edits on MAC

I had a plan this month. A new chapter edited every 3 days to get through the 9 chapters (or so) I needed to get done. The first chapter was a breeze. The next few weren’t so easy, with chapters splitting and new chapters being written. I have reached the part of the book that need the most rewrites. This section is a lot more work than I had originally expected. I was able to keep up a pretty decent pace for most of the month, but the edits were more extensive than I realized.I still have about 4 chapters or so to go, but I’m going to work on them in April and pace myself to prevent burnout or worse.

Outline a Project (or Two)

Outlining has been quite fun this month. I’ve been pulling out older projects to repurpose them (possibly for publishing). I’m planning on expanding a few of my old short stories that need more plot, and so this month I’ve taken a few and worked them out to be longer pieces (or at least novellas). So far, one was easy and quick and the other requires more thought. Yet another is a novel that needs an extra 30-50K to be truly novel length. There are several short stories and projects that are pulling at my brain to be written and rewritten and created, which created a little bit of overwhelm, but I’m getting it under control. I’m excited to start planning and working on something new.

Attend a Writing Conference

Yet again, for the third year in a row, I missed attending the conference in person. Thankfully, this conference records the seminars and makes them available for quite a while after the conference is over. Now, I have an excuse to watch all the recordings and take what I need from them. I really enjoy writing in the digital era where I can access conferences from the comfort of my own home (or even on the go) anytime that works for me.

I’ve started to watch a few of the recordings and taking things from them I feel I need. Taking notes is a must, and so far, I have yet to be disappointed by a speaker.

Finish a Book

This month was not quite the reading month I had wanted. I had good intentions to finish reading a book, but edits, other projects, and my mental health took a higher priority. I did not get to read as much as I wanted. Hopefully in the next month or two I can get back on the reading train and start finishing more books.

Personal Goals

Yoga 2-3x a week

For the first few weeks of the month, there was no exercise. The construction is still going on on the sidewalk and street, I was helping my husband recover from surgery, and everything was just busy, busy, busy. Finally around mid month, I did get back into doing yoga at least once. It wasn’t as often as I would have liked, but I did put forth a solid attempt, so I’m happy with that. There have been a lot of changes this month, but hopefully next month will be better.

Drink more water

Drinking more water this month was a little bit easier. I often forgot to track my water intake, but I do know I did make a solid attempt to drink more and keep drinking water once I started. Thankfully, I’m becoming more mindful of it now and attempting to drink more water when I really feel I need it.

Other

The month of March was interesting. The first few weeks I was helping my husband recover from surgery and working and attempting all my creative goals.

I started exploring new places to publish and ways to increase traffic to the blog and other ways to hopefully start making money from my writing.

On the same day, I got accepted into an MFA Program and found out my grandfather passed away.

So far 2024 has been a brutal year of heartache and pain with several family members and family friends passing away.

On top of that, April has arrived, and April is a month of hard anniversaries for both my husband and me.

Word Count: 20,415

Still, here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in April.

April Goals

Finish Edits on MAC

I have a goal and a plan to finish MAC this month. I’m hoping I can get it done by working on one chapter a week. Editing is quite different than writing, it’s more chaotic and wild, and yet structured in a way I don’t like. Still, I’m pushing through and improving my craft. Not all growth has to be comfortable. The edits will get done whether it’s this month or the next.

Gain Consistency with Online Posting

I’ve been really trying to find the consistency I had in November and December to work on posting in several places online. I’m attempting to make a schedule that would work best for me and work toward more consistency and then ultimately gaining readers. Writing and a full time job (and school starting soon) do not make a consistent schedule, but I am attempting to get myself organized to better create and distribute.

Outline More Projects and Make a plan for 2024

I had a lot of fun outlining the few projects I did in March. I’m excited to go through and outline more so I can eventually finish more projects and hopefully publish them.

So far, 2024 has been a horrible year for business growth and writing growth. I’m hoping the second quarter and beyond are better. I would like to make a plan of what I want to be working on, when I want to post it and how to have the most impact. To start, I’ll make a quarterly plan of things I want to have finished by the time July rolls around.

Finish reading a book

March was not good for reading. March was not good for much of anything active in the writing or reading hobbies I have. I would like to pick up reading again and start balancing the reading and writing and creating aspects of my life again. I have a book in mind I’d like to finish so I can move on to the rest of the series, so I plan to focus on that this month.

Personal Goals

Yoga or Exercise 2-3x a week

This is one of my yearly goals, to exercise and take better care of myself. March wasn’t the month to do that. Hopefully April will be with the weather getting warmer and the sun staying up longer. I hope the roadwork near my house on my normal walk also improves, but I have a plan in place if it doesn’t.

Drink more water

This month, I really have to focus on my water intake. With some recent health changes, I’ve noticed I have more dry mouth. I’ve also noticed if I keep my water bottle close by and filled with nice cold ice water it’s much easier to drink. Here’s hoping I can get more water intake in April.

Here’s to hoping April is a better month!

 

February Results and March Goals

February is over and gone (with an extra day even!). Thankfully, February was better than January as far as writing and creating and getting back into a routine, but not by much.

There were still family and friend health issues and the usual distractions and set backs, but overall, I think February went pretty well.

Here’s how I did in February:

February Results

Writing Goals

Choose and make progress on an editing project for the month

So I set this goal and in my brain that meant wanting to write a new aspect of the fantasy series I’d been working on for nearly 10 years, but finished a few years ago. I migrated everything from one writing platform to another and formatting was a pain in the butt, so I spent the first week of February doing admin stuff like reorganizing works and writing posts for the blog, Medium and Substack (I’m learning and trying new things!)

After that, I outlined edits for one of the projects where I’m about 10 or so chapters away from completing edits. I’ve started to work on that, and once I started that, the other book in the series (from 2022 that I still haven’t finished) decided it wanted to be picked back up again this year.

Even better, the novel I just finished in 2023 has a great scene I wanted to use for a writing sample into an MFA program, so I edited the living daylights out of that too.

The editing mojo has returned!

Get back to posting regularly on the blog, Medium and Subtack

As much as I wanted this goal to happen, I couldn’t get into the rhythm of posting regularly. However, I do have a lot of ideas brewing and a backlog of posts to work on, so hopefully, over the next few weeks of March and possibly into April I’ll find the mojo again. Or perhaps I’ll simply take a little break and see how far I can get into editing and getting a few projects to the next steps in the creative process.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

Once again, exercise did not happen. February has been busy with everything else but exercise. I want to get back to it, I’m itching to get back to it, but time has not been my friend this month. Soon enough I will return to exercise and my proper routine (and hopefully all the roadwork on my usual walking path will be done soon too!)

Drink Enough Water daily

I’ve definitely been attempting to drink more water, but it doesn’t always end up making it into the app. Some days, I drink a lot, and other days it’s an “Oops! Did I drink any water today?”

Other

February has been an interesting month with even more family and friend health issues, but there was writing and editing included.

I submitted a personal statement and writing sample for an MFA program and I’m working on getting things ready for that coming up in May. I also finished a piece of fan fiction in 10 days on the last day of the month.

Things are moving in the right direction and I couldn’t be more excited.

I also applied for a writing job (as a side gig to nursing) and I’m excited to see where that takes me.

Word Count: 25,408

Here’s what I hope to accomplish in March:

March Goals

Writing

Finish Edits on MAC

I’m on the last stretch of edits and so far through February, the edits are going well. I would like to finish them this month (and hopefully not get too much in my head that I freak myself out). Then, once again, it’s ready to sit and stew for a bit. If I finish the first round of edits, I plan on moving on to another project and start editing that.

It’s time to start working on the backlog.

Outline a Project (or Two)

Being a writer and having a full-time job (and life) means starting to plan projects more efficiently. I have several plans for upcoming projects, including editing, publishing, marketing and a lot of other things that will go into the publishing process. While I have several projects on the back burner for editing, I also have several half finished ideas and other plans for some finished works.

Attend a Writing Conference

Every year in March, the Women in Publishing Conference takes place online. This will be my third year attending, and hopefully I can actually attend a few live sessions rather than enjoying the recorded sessions later. I’m looking forward to spending more time doing events and conferences centered around writing and learning and enjoying all I can.

Finish a Book

I read two books in January and then promptly fell into a reading slump in February. I’m hoping to finish a book (possibly two) in March, depending on if I don’t get too distracted. I would like to finish the book I’m currently in the middle of and get back to the series and finish that over the next few months. Just like a backlog of writing projects, I also have a backlog of books to read.

Personal Goals

Yoga 2-3x a week

Part of the issue with exercise and not doing it was the construction on my usual walking path. To remedy that, I would like to do yoga (from apple fitness) 2-3 times a week. My husband will be recovering from surgery for the first part of the month, hence the 2-3x a week. Hopefully it will get me exercising more this month.

Drink more water

I’ve been starting to drink more water, which has been great and makes me feel so much better, but now it’s time to keep better track of it and make it more consistent. What worked really well back in October/November was some of the challenges from WaterMinder. So starting today, I’m going to do the 21 day hydration challenge once again.

March will be a busy month, but I’m looking forward to getting back into the routine of writing and editing and kicking butt on projects.

January Result and February Goals

Finally! January is over and gone. This January was simultaneously the longest month ever and gone in a flash. Between unexpected family health issues, a crazy busy month at the day job and being creatively spent, I’m so glad we’re heading into February. I’m ready for a new month and new goals.

Here’s how I did in January.

January Results

Writing Goals

FOREWARNING: I did not complete any of the goals I wanted to complete this month. Family obligations and creative burnout hit me like a train.

Outline Open Projects

I did not outline any open projects like I wanted this month. It wasn’t the month for it and I was creatively spent.

Update Blog and other Platforms

I did not update the blog or any other platforms. This month was BUSY and any extra time I had was put toward relaxing. Eventually I will update the blog and other platforms but this was not the month for that.

Publish consistently on the Blog, Medium and Substack

I did not publish consistently throughout the month like I had planned to do. Creative burnout and January simultaneously being very very short and so impossibly long feeling did not help with deadlines or due dates.

Submit a Short Story to a magazine

I did not submit a short story to a magazine like I wanted to do. I got in my own head and let imposter syndrome swallow me and chew me up.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

Exercise did not happen at all this month and I’m really not happy about it. Between cold weather, poor time management and a whole host of other things, it didn’t happen.

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

I don’t think I drank enough water at all, all month. This month was crazy busy and hectic and I was not the best at taking care of myself.

Other

I started my Invisalign treatment after having brace for 5 1/2 months. The transition was not the easiest, but nearly 3 weeks in I’m starting to get the hang of what I can and cannot eat.

I was supposed to submit a work for NYC Midnight’s Short Story Challenge this month, but I was just so creatively drained, I didn’t even make the effort.

January was definitely a “Refill the Creative Well” month. I hopped back on the fan fiction train and focused on writing some fan fiction while I wait for a few works to be ready for edits. I also read two books this month and watched a lot of Star Trek with my husband. Now that January is winding down, I’m starting to feel the threads of creativity again.

Word Count: 32,953

I hope February is a better creative month for me.

February Goals

Writing Goals

Choose and make progress on an editing project for the month

I have several editing projects I would like to get through this year, some in the middle of edits and others abandoned for years. I would like to start chipping away at my massive pile of works to be edited and start/finish one this month. I have one project needing only a few more chapters to get through the first round of edits, but I also have a whole mostly finished series begging to be drudged up again. We’ll see how it goes!

Get back to posting regularly on the blog, Medium and Subtack

When I was posting consistently in November and December, I really enjoyed it. I would like to pick up the momentum again and keep it up throughout the rest of the year as I’m able.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

I would like to exercise more this month (wouldn’t we all?). I hope between writing projects I can remind myself to get outside and go for a walk or at least get some yoga in. 

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

I’ve been trying to be better with drinking water, but it’s not always the easiest. Hopefully this month I can make some positive steps in the right direction. 

What about you? What are your goals for the upcoming month?

 

Tools I’ve used to Write a Novel in 60 Days

I wrote a near 130K novel in 60 days from November 1st to December 30th. While it was a wild adventure and a wonderful flurry of words, I’m so happy I documented my progress day by day and took notice of what worked and what didn’t.

It was a great experience and I would definitely love to do it again (once the book hangover wears off!)

Timers

What Worked: When I started in November, I set out to find out why November is always such a good writing month and what makes it feel so magical to me. I started documenting my time, and for that, I used timers. Little bits of time, ranging from 5 to 30 minutes worked wonders. I could see how long it took me to write as many words as I needed for the day and could account for that time. I could easily tally up my writing minutes for the day and find out how long it took me to reach a goal.

What Didn’t Work: Stopwatch. The few times I used a stopwatch, usually for long periods of time during writing meeting groups, I did not like it. Something about the timer counting down pushed me to write faster. The stopwatch, I forgot about for 2 days (yes, the stopwatch on Apple Watch can run for quite a while in the background).

Verdict: I will definitely keep using timers while writing, but not a stopwatch.

Outline

What Worked: I wrote an outline before November started. The last time I wrote an outline was around 2012 or 2013 and I struggled to follow it. This is the first project I’ve outlined all the way through and didn’t go too far off the outline. The outline kept me accountable and helped me when I was interested in adding or changing things.

What didn’t Work: My outline was loose (It works better for me that way), but not written in the best order. I was pulling plot points from halfway through the outline into the first few chapters because it made sense to put it there. The plot points were not fleshed out enough in the outline, so when it got closer to the time to consult it at the end, I had to do a lot of fudgery to make sure the plot points worked and in my mind certain scenes were too long or too rushed. Easily fixable in the next drafts, but in some places the outline felt too rigid.

Verdict: I will keep using outlines, and will outline projects before I start them, especially since my next few projects (if timing works out) will be a bit more complicated.

Ulysses

What Worked: I’ve been using Ulysses for over 3 years now. I really enjoy the program (and the app) now that I’ve created a routine. I enjoy that I can create projects (a new feature I used for this novel which REALLY helped), I enjoy that I can organize a group and page however I want. I started using a page per day during NaNoWriMo 2020 and it worked really well to keep myself accountable and not get freaked out by such a large number and the WHOLE document in one place. I kept it up for the last few years and it’s nice to start with a blank page every day.

What Didn’t Work: I write a lot on my phone, and while this isn’t a bad thing, the new feature in Ulysses where it autocorrects to what it thinks you’re wanting to write was annoying as hell. The program struggles between to and so a lot, and it and to for some reason. Autocorrect would pick the stupidest replacements, even changing my main character’s name to Sandwich once. It did not help my word count, especially as I was speeding toward the end and yelling at my phone (and occasionally the computer) “NOT THAT ONE! UGH!” and going back to edit.

Verdict: Despite the obvious autocorrect issues, I like Ulysses. It’s been a great writing tool for quite a while. While I don’t agree with all the updates (looking at you predictive text), I will continue to use it for multiple projects and posts, and I am going to attempt to start a blank page every day in the next projects I’m working on this year.

Notebook with Daily Tally and Brief Summary of Writing Day

What Worked: I liked handwriting my tally down and breaking it down into minutes. It was nice to write about how writing went that day and what I wanted get done, did get done, or didn’t get done. It was nice to decompress after writing and assess patterns in my daily routine of where I could improve or where I could pull back.

What Didn’t Work: A lot of the days, I would finish my daily quota right before I fell asleep in bed and wouldn’t write in the notebook until a day or two (or 15) later. December was notorious for this, and so a lot of the little notes about how writing went weren’t entirely genuine, but the daily tallys were.

Verdict: I think I will continue this idea for big projects, like novels and maybe edits when I get there, but not for every project I write. It was fun to use a notebook and print out my cover to make the notebook fancy, but I doubt I’ll do it for every project.

60 days is the fastest I’ve ever written a first draft of a novel. I think the tools helped, but I also think if I had only had a pen and paper and the drive to tell a story, I would have still been able to write a successful story, it just would have taken me longer.

A writer’s tools can help or hinder, but I truly believe the best tool a writer can have is the determination and motivation to continue the work even when it gets hard and push through to the end.

 

2024 Goals

Here we are in 2024! A new year, with 366 (Leap Year!) new days to make things happen and reach some goals.

2023 was super productive and very successful. I hope to repeat the trend in 2024, only better because I’m taking what I learned in 2023 and refining it to better hit my goals.

Writing Goals

Write 1.5K-2K (Or 1 hour of time) daily one project at a time until Completed

Over the last few months of 2023, I changed my writing practices in an effort to be more efficient and not over do it. I overdid it, with massive word counts, but I did learn how to make my writing more efficient. I found I could consistently get anywhere between 1.5-2K words in about an hour, so I would like to make that a daily practice so I can finish some projects this year.

Finish 5-6 Writing Projects

This goal is a huge goal, but I have done that on purpose. If I continue at the pace I did at the end of last year (and with consistency rather than a crazy race to the finish), I can finish several projects. I’m leaving the projects open, not setting anything crazy, seeing what come along when it comes along.

Finish 2 Editing Projects

There are two projects I want to get through edits this year. The first is the edits from last year I didn’t quite get finished and the second is the novel I finished in December. I can’t quite edit as fast as I write (yet), but I’m hoping to improve this year.

Read 15 Books

Reading is one of the goals I definitely overshot last year. I started with 6 and then increased to 12, but read 19. This year, I want to split the difference and read 15 books. I have a few books left over from 2023, but I’ve been itching to get reading and improve my craft.

Publish Consistently Online

Over the last few months, I’ve upped my online publishing game and I’ve seen the results. I want to publish online consistently and get more exposure. I’ve got three places I publish and I want to stay as consistent as possible throughout this new year.

Publish a Long Work

This year, I would like to publish a novel. I’ve been saying that for years, but with years of practice behind me and the hope of more consistency this year, 2024 will be my year to publish. Whether indie published or traditional, I hope to have something published in the next 366 days.

Personal Goals

Exercise/Get in Better Shape

I make this goal every year, and every year I get fed up and give up somewhere in the first few months. I want to exercise (or at least walk) four times a week. I have a very important big party in September and I want to be my best physically for that and continue the habit for the rest of my life. I haven’t always been the healthiest, but now it’s time to change that.

Hydrate

In November, I started a water drinking challenge and it worked very well. I felt better, I wasn’t as fatigued and I didn’t have as many little aches and pains. I didn’t do the greatest in December (still drinking way too much coffee), but I want to continue tracking my water and hydration goals throughout the year.

January Goals

Writing Goals

Outline Open Projects

I have a lot of open projects from the last few years. I’ve learned I do better with an outline, so I want to outline the open projects I have and decide if they are worth continuing or if they should be put on hiatus so I can work on other things. From there, I will pick the project I want to work on for the next few months or so (depending on how long it takes to finish).

Update Blog and other Platforms

I’ve had the blog for a while and I’m branching out into other platforms. I want to create a cohesive experience where all my bios are inter-connected and easier to navigate. I want to update some things here on the blog and make the navigation more user friendly. Stay tuned for updates!

Publish consistently on the Blog, Medium and Substack

Publishing online has been a positive experience for me so far, now that I have been able to make a consistent publishing schedule. I want to continue to publish and build a routine and challenge myself to improve.

Submit a Short Story to a magazine

This goal, I’ve been thinking about for a few months now. I want to attempt to publish something through a magazine and when I last looked submissions weren’t open yet. They open this month, so I’m going to do something scary and submit.

Personal Goals

Exercise 4x/week

I want to walk and get outside for at least 30 minutes a day four times a week. It shouldn’t be too difficult if I stick to a schedule and make it happen consistently. Part of the battle is motivating myself to get it done. I’m hoping with a decent audiobook, podcast or album to listen to, I’ll be able to be more consistent.

Drink Enough Water daily (with the help of Waterminder)

Drinking water and staying hydrated has helped me feel so much better in the long run. I want to keep it up and drink more water consistently and improve my body from the inside out. Waterminder, an app I’ve had since 2020, is very helpful in tracking my water, and it’s really nice to see the pretty colors of all the different liquids I drink.

Overall, I’m excited for 2024 and all the new opportunities it will bring!

 

December Writing Update: Race to the Finish

Writing in December usually goes one of two ways for me. I either continue on the productivity train from November, or I peter out and don’t write much at all. I’m very glad to say this year, I am still writing my project from November and making EXCELLENT progress.

I want to finish this novel by December 31st and write THE END. I’m getting quite close, and I have almost 90,000 words total (nearly 30K added so far in December), which is almost a novel, but there’s so much plot left to go!

post it note outlines

Thankfully, writing is going well and I’ve been able to get some fantastic writing days in. I hope the trend continues over the few weeks we have left. To reach my goal of 110K, I’ll need to do 2100 words a day, but I’m hoping to double that as many days as I can, especially since I’m thinking the novel will finish somewhere around 120-125K with as far as I am now.

Still, I push forward and hope I can finish another project this year!

 

What I’ve Learned: Creating a Character Sketch

For the longest time, I have been a discovery writer. I’ll have a vague idea of a plot and a vague idea of a character, sometimes a name and sometimes not, and then I will discovery write. At least that’s how I used to write.

For several years, my writing process was that way. It has been that way for several projects as well, where the characters show me who they are as I write their story.

Back when I was in school for my Bachelor’s, I was asked to create a character sketch before I even wrote the work the character was going to be in. I’ve tried it a few more times since then, for a few new projects.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned from that experience:

A Character Sketch can show you a character’s past.

Part of the character sketch I had to make for the class I was in involved making up a past for the character. While the story was loosely based off an idea I had, I didn’t have a main character for a while, so I had no idea what her past would be. It was interesting to figure out the MC’s motives of why she became who she was and what led her down the path to being the main character.

A Character Sketch can help map out the plot.

Originally, the plot was way different for the short story. The main character was meaner, bribing people to make herself feel better, a little sweet and sour action. In the character sketch, I realized the turning point in the story would be when the main character faced something she had never faced before. That helped me both build the character and build the plot.

A Character Sketch can make a character feel more real

Usually about half of the sketch doesn’t really end up in the written work explicitly.

While most of the sketch doesn’t appear, it does help to know what makes your character tick and by extension, how they would react to the world around them. An example is in the piece I wrote for my short story class. My main character is in the job she’s in because her grandmother passed away and it affected her.

The whole character sketch may not be helpful for the reader, but it does help the writer get a more concrete feel for the people they create.

I’m not sure if I’ll keep the process of creating a character sketch first. I like to write my first drafts by discovery, with loose enough outlines so my characters can surprise me. Maybe in second drafts, or on a deadline for shorter works, I might, but we shall see.

Every project is different, but I do enjoy trying new things.

 

November Results and December Goals

Just like finishing a chapter in a novel and moving on to the next, November has come and gone. Each day was filled with a flurry of words, with each day being a new adventure.

Here’s how I did on my goals in November:

November Results

Writing

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo went well for me this year, despite the hullabaloo going on with HQ and all the vitriol on the internet. I still don’t feel totally good about supporting something that has such serious obligations. Despite all that, I did finish the month out with more words than I started, I did attend write-ins and hopefully helped grow the love of writing in some of the new participants in my area this year. I managed to write 59,033 and dedicated 25.5 hours to my novel this year. I hope to continue the trend and finish the novel in December, or at least set up some habits for 2024.

Post more writing online

This month, I wanted to hold myself accountable and post at least weekly in several different places. Here on the blog, over on medium and also on Substack. This month, despite it being busy with NaNoWriMo, I managed to post every week in each of those places. It was hard work some days, but overall it was enjoyable. It was really freeing to sit down and write things and post them because it needed to be done. No overthinking this time. Post it and on to the next.

Personal

Exercise

There were a few days in November that I did attempt to start an exercise routine. I did not get as much exercise as I wanted, but I did make a solid attempt. For that, I’m proud. I’m excited to continue my attempts to exercise, especially since I found a way I can get exercise inside no matter the weather. I hope to try again in December and hopefully see some better results.

Journal

Journaling this month was almost exclusively related to writing and NaNoWriMo. It was nice to journal how the day went writing wise and what I was looking forward to and what I was struggling with. It was very helpful to keep track of my writing time and how many words I could get out in just a few minutes. It’s been surreal keeping track of my writing time down to the minute, but it’s also been very eye opening.

Hydrate

This month, to stay hydrated, I really started focusing on drinking water. I have an app that I’ve had for quite a while, but have only just started using again. I didn’t track very well at the beginning of the month, but in the last week of November I joined a 21 day hydration challenge. I love a challenge, so hopefully this will help me stay more hydrated and feel better inside and out.

Word Count: 66,725

Other

In November, I pretty much exclusively focused on writing as much as I could. Thankfully I’m done with school for the time being, and I could really take the time to focus on writing a novel. Fortunately, my area is full of other writers and we were able to get together weekly to help each other reach our writing goals. I also celebrated my Grandmother-In-Law’s 90th birthday and had a great Thanksgiving with my family. This has been one of the best Novembers yet.

December Goals

Finish To Have A Heart

I would like to keep up the pace and finish To Have a Heart by the end of December. I would like to get anywhere between 1500 and 2000 words a day (or about 40-45 minutes a day) of writing done. Depending on how far I really am in my outline and how far it takes me to get to the end, I might have to finish the novel in January, but I am going to do my best in December, despite the craziness of the holidays.

Publish more online

Over the past month, I have been fortunate to be able to publish many places online. I would like to keep up that pace and update at least weekly. It worked quite well last month, so once again, I would like to keep up that pace. Stay tuned for more content.

Publish something

This year, one of my goals was to publish something. Technically, I do have something published (a poetry book that never took off), but I would like to publish some work by the end of the year. That means I have some work to do in December.

Stay tuned for updates!

 

 

Week Four Updates and Monthly Insights

Here we are in the last week (and last few days!) of November. This month has been quite the creative and productive month with writing and posting on the blog (and other places). I’ve made it through approximately 25% of my novel (I started the plot a little early- more on that later) and I technically won NaNoWriMo with 50,000 words on the 26th.

In these last few days of November, filled with attempting to continue writing my novel, finishing up some blog posts and coming up with plans for December and beyond, I’ve been fortunate to have time and drive to create.

Here’s how I did in the last week:

Day 22: 2055 in 55 minutes

Day 23: 1688 in 42 minutes

Day 24: 1676 in 45 minutes

Day 25:1720 in 40 minutes

Day 26: 1940 in 50 minutes

Day 27: 1774 in 45 minutes

Day 28:1747 in 45 minutes

Monthly Total: 55,281

Here’s what the last week (and the whole month) has taught me:

Focusing on one big project (and one smaller one) boosts word count

In previous months, I’ve attempted to focus on multiple projects at the same time and attempt to get them finished in a timely manner. When I started documenting my time this month, attempting to find the magic, I focused on one project and a few little smaller projects (such as this blog, substack and medium posts). I’ve realized focusing on one big project (like a novel) and one non-creative project, like blogging really is the key to getting things done. In the past Novembers, I’ve mainly focused on one project and done really well on that project. As November comes to a close, I hope I can continue through this novel until the first draft is complete (and of course keep posting updates and other noteworthy items on the blog!)

The first 1000 words of the day is always the hardest

I’ve come to this realization several times over my tenure as a NaNoWriMo participant. From the years that I struggled to make word counts, to the years I doubled my word count and overshot the 50K by double, one thing has stayed the same: The first 1000 words of the day are the most difficult. I’m not sure exactly why, maybe because it’s a big number to attempt to reach, or perhaps it’s all in my head, but to write for a while and only see three digits is frustrating. Everything after the 1K mark for the day comes easy.

Small sprints make big leaps

This month, I’ve tried something new and tracked my writing time religiously. I’ve only written when I have a timer going (usually 5, 10 or 15 minutes) and I don’t let anything distract me during that stretch of time (unless I’m at work and something comes up). I’ve been tracking how long it takes me to get the required word count for the day and I’ve noticed even the smallest amount of time (between 2 and 5 minutes) can make a big difference in word count. 5 minutes for me is around 250 words, which is a decent dent in the day’s count. Even when I feel like I don’t have a full 45 minutes to an hour to sit down and write, several 5 minute sprints can help reach the goal.

Writing takes a community

This realization has come to me once again post-pandemic after it was “safe” to go out in public again. I feel like growing up writing I was always doing it by myself, in the dark of my room after I was supposed to go to bed, or between classes, or on breaks at work. While there is some controversy with NaNoWriMo currently, they do have one aspect right: Writing takes a community. I’m very fortunate to have found my community in my area. I’ve been able to attend write-ins every week and find inspiration with my fellow writers, even if it’s not always in person.

See you in December for more writing updates!

 

What I’ve Learned and Week Three Updates

This November has been a whirlwind of emotions and words. This is not the best November I’ve ever done (I have done crazy word counts in previous years somewhere between 90K and 100K), but it is the most consistent.

I made myself a promise this year to hit the minimum of 1,667 words every day and update every day to make sure I get all the badges on the website. With all of the allegations and drama over on the website now, it seems a little less important now, but I still want that success for myself.

In the meantime, for the rest of November, I’m going to keep writing and forming my own habits. That’s what this month is about first and foremost, finding the magic of a new novel and documenting how long it takes me to get words down and write a book with minimal distractions.

Here’s how I did in week 3:

Day 15: 2311 in 1 hour and 10 minutes

Day 16: 1885 in 45 minutes

Day 17: 1767 in 45 minutes

Day 18: 1704 in 37 minutes

Day 19: 1730 in 45 minutes

Day 20: 1869 in 45 minutes

Day 21 1724 in 40 minutes

Monthly Total: 42,681

Here’s a few takeaways I’ve picked up over the last week.

An outline is crucial

Before the month started, I wrote an outline for the novel. My writing journey has grown and evolved from when I first started at 13 and each project is different, but for the last few years (especially since I’ve been working on an ever evolving series or two), I haven’t been using outlines, I’ve been letting the work surprise me.

For this year, working on a brand new project (for the first time in almost two years), I decided I needed an outline, so from start to finish I wrote down an outline of what I wanted to happen and loosely when.

So far this month, I’ve gone off outline a few times with the first time being super uncomfortable and the next few times feeling more comfortable. My outline is not in the best order, but it helps to know that I can play around with where things are.

For example, my main character wasn’t supposed to interact with her best friend until the 10th plot point in my outline, but there was the perfect place to introduce her earlier so I did. Another example, as I’ve been writing, I’ve realized my main character was too passive, so I added in a scene where she wasn’t so passive.

That’s probably why it took me 18 days to get through the first page (landscape) of my outline.

Also, post-its have been the perfect tool to get through the day and list a few plot points I want to hit, but not be too overwhelmed by the whole outline.

It is entirely possible to write when you think you don’t have time.

There was almost a day this week that I didn’t write at all. I had a busy day with social things and a hectic morning, so I figured I simply wouldn’t write. The timing was weird, I couldn’t sneak away and put a few words down, I was drained and exhausted. I could and did make every excuse, but ultimately, before I went to bed that night, reason kicked in and kicked my butt.

I almost lost a near 300 day streak of writing because I “didn’t feel like it”. I would have lost par of 1,667 daily and my motivation if I had a zero day. It would have been harder to get back into the story that the interest was already flagging on because I’m getting into the muddy middle.

I wrote that night, I snuck in 45 minutes right before midnight and while it was hard to get started, I made it happen. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

There have been several days where starting to write has been difficult, but by the time I reach my daily goal I don’t want to stop.

Getting started has been the hardest part.

Self made deadlines are the best ones to break

One of my other goals this month, outside of writing a novel, has been to blog regularly and post over on Medium and Substack. I have a weekly schedule of when and where I want to post, but similar to the story above, the day was not conducive to any kind of creative work and it just so happened to be when a post was due.

Thankfully, the post was mostly complete, it just needed a few last minute edits. I beat myself up over having a “late post”, but overall the more I thought about it, the more I accepted that sometimes posts will be late or off by a day. The important thing is that I did post and I did keep up my streak. The important thing is I’m getting content out there.

November is for words, December (and beyond) is for editing

This year, my typing skills aren’t quite up to snuff. Currently, I have acrylic nails that are beautiful, but quite dangerous when typing. Autocorrect and acrylic nails are a great combination when it comes to writing a novel, so there are several instances where at the beginning of the month I was erasing and cursing and annoyed, but now I just roll with it.

Now, for ease of time and storytelling, I simply put the offending word (or the word I wanted) in parentheses and keep moving forward. I can edit later, now I’m telling myself the story and getting through my outline.

See you next week!

 

NaNoWriMo 2023 Week Two Update and Current Thoughts

Week two was a struggle. I feel like I built up all this momentum in week one, all this excitement for the story and then somewhere around the beginning of week 2 (most likely when my outline went off the rails), I started to lose interest.

Thankfully, I got it back and finally I’m now back up to my usual enjoyment of my novel. Other aspects involving the monthly challenge I’m not so enthused about currently, but we’ll get to that here shortly.

Day 8: 2,574 words in 1 hour and 10 minutes

Day 9: 1,772 words in 40 minutes

Day 10: 1,696 words in 52 minutes

Day 11: 1,715 words in 45 minutes

Day 12: 1,917 words in45 minutes

Day 13: 1,892 words in 45 minutes

Day 14: 1,716 words in 40 minutes

Monthly Total: 29,691

Overall, I’m proud of my progress over week two, especially with the lack of motivation I was feeling and everything else going on with the website and certain allegations.

What most of you don’t know is I am a Municipal Liaison (ML) for my county. I’ve been an ML and working with participants since 2015. I started to volunteer for NaNoWriMo because I believed in what they stood for: There’s a novel in everyone, creativity rules, and increased literacy across the globe. I have donated to them, bought merch from them and supported their cause pretty much since I started participating in 2009.

The current allegations are sickening. In fact, the way the company has been trending for the last few years has been sickening. I do not condone what has happened with NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo used to be a place for creatives, a place for the artists and likeminded people to get together and enjoy suffering through writing a novel in a month. It was a place where people who were usually on the outskirts (introverts, book nerds, geeks and anyone else) could be included.

Now, after the recent website changes in 2019, the staff changes throughout the years, the pandemic and these sickening accusations of child endangerment among other things have made it ugly. When complaints surfaced, instead of being heard, users were silenced, banned, blocked and suspended, effectively giving NaNoWriMo a culture of fear and intimidation. That is not what NaNoWriMo should be, but that is what it became.

The forums shut down on November 11th when the board of NaNoWriMo stepped in to investigate. I’ve been reading what should be updates from the board and instead, the forum post is filled with hate, with vitriol toward other users and all around yucky meanness. Users in the forums are throwing anyone and everyone under the bus, including MLs, Staff, HQ and other users. Even TikTok has gotten ahold of the news and has made it a big over conflated mess.

That is not what NaNoWriMo should be. We shouldn’t be fighting with our fellow novelists, discounting the experiences of those vulnerable YWPers who have chosen to share their insights.

I DO NOT CONDONE WHAT NANOWRIMO HAS BECOME.

Currently, I can’t step down from my ML position. I have too many new participants this year that thankfully don’t seem to be on the forums as much. I would love for them to have as good of an experience during their first year as I did. I would love for them to find the good in NaNoWriMo, but I’m not sure how that can happen this year.

After November, and hopefully after the investigations, NaNoWriMo can be better than it was. I’m not sure I’ll be as much of a part of it, if at all.

We’ll see.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep writing and keep creating.

See you next week for another writing update!

 

NaNoWriMo 2023 Week One Update

Usually for NaNoWriMo, I go all out and just write with abandon (which is part of their motto), in a frantic race toward the end. This year, I’m doing something a little different.

I want to try and find out what makes November so successful for me. Is it the high of starting a new project? Is it the time spent focusing on writing and not social media or other distractions on my phone? Is it simply the magic of November?

This year, I’ve decided to track my minutes and hours written and my word count for the day. I want to know how long it takes me to reach par (1667 words) a day and how to continue something like that into 2024 and hopefully much longer than that.

Lately, writing and editing and working on every project has felt like a chore and I’m hoping to take what I learn this month in November and find the joy of writing again.

Here’s how I’ve done in the first week of NaNoWriMo and the first 16,409/50,000 of To Have a Heart.

Day One

Day one is usually always the best day of NaNoWriMo. I’ve spent the last few weeks pumping myself up to get some writing started and when midnight hits, I go without a care in the world. This year, I’m doing something different and tracking my words and the time spent writing.

I started at midnight, despite the exhaustion and got about 200 words. I kept pushing throughout the day (with timers ranging between 5 and 15 minutes). I also went to a write-in for my region.

4,549 Words in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Day Two

Day two was a lot of world building and struggling with names. I felt like I needed to research, but pushed through and kept writing. Research is something I can do in December or when the full story is completed (which I am also hoping is in December.

1,694 words in 40 minutes

Day Three

Day three was the first day I went back to work after NaNoWriMo had started. I was fortunate to get the first two days off without asking for them and it was a great jumpstart to the novel. Day three was not the best writing day, especially with distractions from work, but it could have been worse.

2,200 words in 50 minutes.

Day Four

Day four was the first day I had off together with my husband and the writing was a bit slow to start with more distractions of spending time together and catching up after our week of work. It wasn’t the best writing day, but I did still manage to reach par (1,667). Day four was when I decided I am going to strive for par every single day of the month and get ALL the badges on the NaNoWriMo site.

1,897 words in 40 minutes.

Day Five

Day Five was a busy day and not because of writing. There was a lot of running around, thankfully all of it fun on a day off with Wine Tasting and delicious food. This was the first day I feared I wouldn’t make par, but thankfully long car trips and small breaks in between really saved the day.

1,882 in 1 hour and 12 minutes.

Day Six

Day Six was another day back at work. I always try to get started with the daily count in the morning (especially since the first few hundred words are the hardest on a new day). On day six it was a struggle. Still, I persevered and made writing a priority even though distractions were calling my name. I also started to go off outline a little because for some reason I put a crucial scene and character way down in the outline and realized I could introduce her way earlier.

2,008 words in 47 minutes

Day Seven

Day Seven was another work day, a little busier, but also a little more freedom to get writing done in a strange way. The novel is really starting to get interesting, even though I feel like I started it too early before the real plot kicks in, but world building and a day in the life of a main character still counts for words, so that will be an editing problem once draft one is finished.

2,179 words in 45 minutes.

Overall Breakdown

I timed myself for every writing session I completed for this week in order to decode the magic of November and how I fare so well when writing during NaNoWriMo. I used both my computer and my phone because I rarely sit in one place when I write.

Overall, both computer and phone time were pretty close to equal with only about an hour and a half more on the computer, which surprised me with how much time I felt like I was writing on my phone .

4.5 hours average on my computer for the week and just under 3 hours on the phone.

In just over 7.5 hours, I wrote 16,409 words, which is 33% of the goal toward 50,000.

So far, November is going really well.

I have another write-in tonight, which should be a great boost for my word count, but I think Wednesdays this month will probably be my best days. I’ve learned a lot over this week analyzing my writing habits.

Tune in next week!

 

What I’m Writing: NaNoWriMo 2023

Here were are in November once again and here I am once again writing a new novel in November.

This year will be my 15th year writing a novel during November. Each year I find something new and exciting to write about. For this year, I’m writing a dark fantasy novel with elements of magic, war and a little romance.

It’s an idea I’ve been playing with for a few months now and one I’ve been building over time. The project is based off of one of my favorite books/movies and one that I spent a few months decoding to try and figure out why I enjoy it so much.

TW: Blood in the next image

Here’s my project for November:

To Have A Heart

Summary

Sa’Leigh, as a middle child, has always hoped to get married and find her true name. After an interaction with the Willow Witch, Sa’Leigh is forced to run away from everything and everyone she loves to prevent her untimely disfigurement and death, either by her affection or someone else’s.

Constantly on the run from the witch himself, Hale, a necromancer during the gruesome war spanning 500 years, has never enjoyed the abilities forced upon him. Despite his forced isolation, and constant work due to the war, he reluctantly opens his home to Sa’Leigh. He can’t break the curse of the Willow Witch, but perhaps together the two outcasts can make something of their tragedies.

Fun fact: This is the first novel in a long time that I have fully outlined before I’ve started.

Wish me luck!

If you would like to join me and write a novel in 30 days, you can join NaNoWriMo here.

 

October Results and November Goals

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.

 

August Results and September Goals

August has been a whirlwind of great things. My writing mojo is back, I’m finishing projects and chapters of projects through hard work and dedication (even if it is 5 paragraphs at a time). August has been very productive and I couldn’t be happier.

August Results

Writing

NYC Midnight’s 500 word Microfiction Challenge

As excited as I was for this challenge, once again, everything outside of writing got in the way. Somehow, I lost a day and when I remembered to do it, it was already past due. I did not give the challenge the time, nor the mental energy it deserved. I suppose there’s always next year. I was really looking forward to it too, but sometimes things aren’t meant to work out. I still have a pretty cool prompt to write though, so there is one positive.

Edits on Book 1

This month, I made decent progress on edits. I got through 4 chapters, but the most important part is that I have a detailed plan to reach the end by October 31st. I have a direction, and I have time to put into it so I’m going to make it happen.

Edit One Short Story

For this month, I had the plan to edit a short story, but more than that, I wanted to get the story ready for publication. That meant breaking the goal up into even smaller goals.

Writing the first draft:

This story is an idea I’ve had for a while, and the same idea I used to write a play for my playwriting course. New developments appeared when I wrote it as a play, so I adapted it back to a short story. I was able to get this goal done in a little over a week. Completed 8/9

Creating a Cover:

This is something I’ve been playing around with for the last few months. I’ve really had a fun time creating covers for my works. It worked out perfectly that a few days to create the cover was enough to let the first draft sit. Completed 8/31

Editing the draft:

This month was the fastest I have ever written something and immediately edited it (except the NYC Midnight challenges). Giving it a little time was exactly what was needed and it really helped to come at the piece from multiple angles before this “final” draft. Completed 8/31

Coming up with keywords and writing the back summary:

This is something I’m not used to doing. It’s a whole new ballpark when trying to find the niche the story will fit best, but it’s also exciting too, because that means I’m growing and learning as an author. To be completed in September

Stay tuned next month for the full results.

Finish my last class of my Bachelor’s Program

After just over 2 years of school, I submitted my last essay and discussion board. It took a while, I liked every class or at least a part of a class, but this one I just couldn’t get into or enjoy. I expected it to be something it wasn’t, and with everything else crazy, I honestly got a little senioritis in the last class. Now all that’s left is to find out my grades and get my diploma and definitely take a break from any schoolwork for a few months. Hopefully, I’ll start my MFA next year.

Personal

Exercise

This month, exercise was definitely great stress relief. With everything else more organized, and building a routine, I started the month off strong and started exercising at least a few days a week. It really helped my mental health to take a break between writing projects and go for a walk or do some stretches. As the month wound down, I didn’t exercise as much as I wanted, but slowly, I’m getting back into it.

Journal

Journaling was very effective this month. I added a few more journals and techniques to my routine, and they seem to be helping. It helps to start my morning with journaling and reading and avoiding my screens for the first hour of my morning. I only missed one day this month, which was unfortunate, but does occasionally happen.

Hydrate

This month, I wasn’t the best at staying hydrated. I did pay more attention to my water bottle and how full it was, but I still drank mostly coffee and tea. Still, I’m making small attempts to be better and doing my best to find more ways to stay hydrated.

Other

In August, I finished my last class in my Creative Writing Bachelor’s Program. I’m currently waiting on my diploma, so not officially graduated yet, but patiently waiting. In addition to finishing my last class, I was quite productive and finished 23 chapters or parts of open projects. A little bit of writing every day helped to get chapters finished, projects finished and new parts started. I’ve also picked up a few other habits outside of writing that I’m not quite ready to share yet, but they are quite relaxing.

In addition to writing like crazy, I read five books in August, in two series I read concurrently. Three I’ve read before (a few times, but have never finished the series) and a new series I haven’t read yet, but that I have enjoyed so far. Keep an eye out for more book reviews hopefully, and more fun content on the blog.

Word Count: 68,627

September Goals

Writing

Edits on Book 1

The deadline is set for October 31st and I plan to get as much done as I can in the time I have left. It means getting a lot of edits done, and spending a lot of time in the world of story, but I am so excited to keep pushing forward.

Publish Something

This month, I would like to put something out into the world for publishing. I’ve been playing around with several avenues over the last few months and I’m getting closer to making things happen. With any luck, it will be this month.

Finish Chapters and Sections of Open Works

In August, I started working a little bit in each project, a big reason why my word count was so high in August and how I got several parts of projects finished. I would like to keep that up in September, and hopefully for the rest of the year. This has been my best writing year yet, and I want to keep it that way and keep pushing forward. Perhaps I’ll even finish more projects than I intended. We’ll see!

Personal

Exercise

As for the rest of this year, I would like to build an exercise routine. I’ve been attempting for several months, and making positive changes in the right direction, but this month I would like to get out and exercise at least 2-3 times a week. It won’t always be possible, but that’s the goal I am going to attempt this month.

Journal

Journaling has been a big help over the last few months. I want to keep it up and expand it even further than I have. There’s something about putting my thoughts on paper and writing through several gel pens that helps me sort my priorities for the day. Hopefully I’ll look back and laugh as I have with previous journals, or find more ideas, as I have in the past when I read them in the future.

Hydrate

Last month, I tried to hydrate more, and wasn’t the most successful. I am more aware of my water intake, which helps, but I would like to keep it up and drink more than coffee, tea and soda. I want to at least try to drink one of my water bottles (22 oz) a day of just water, if not more. It doesn’t seem like much, but it is a start.

I’m looking forward to a lot of things in September, creative and otherwise.

 

What I’ve Learned…

Since 2023 started, I have written something every single day. As of August 1st, I have almost 240K to show for it. This is not the longest streak of writing I’ve ever had, but I will say I have learned a lot.

Here are some of my biggest takeaways.

Have Multiple Projects…

In the past, I’ve liked to work on one project at a time. In the past few months however, I have learned multiple projects means multiple places to jump around and put words if I feel like working on something else. I usually have a few “main” projects I try and hit every day, and then a few “side” projects that I can hit every day, or I can go back to whenever I feel like it. A few sentences in each every day yields a larger word count than you expect. On the flip side, having too many projects can be tough too.

…But Not too many that it feels overwhelming

Over the last few years that I’ve been taking writing seriously, there have been a lot of projects that languish and grow dull and lose their spark. Some days, I feel like writing a little bit in everything. Other days, I feel like throwing the project in the garbage. On those days, I move past that project and hope I feel more inclined to work on it in a few days. There are so many new sparks of ideas that come to me, many of which are those projects that have languished. So I have learned that the idea can be as fun as it wants, but that doesn’t mean I have to start it right away. Adding more projects to the massive list I have (oh and homework for my bachelor’s too), would be too overwhelming.

A few sentences a day go a long way…

There have been several days when a few sentences in a few projects will give me anywhere between 500 and 1500 words. If I have a short amount of time (hello, busy work and school life), I’ll write a few sentences where I can in a few projects. I’ll usually keep that streak up for a few days, then get busy and focus on a large project (like editing), but it helps to keep the momentum going by coming back to a project every day or even ever other day.

…But Sometimes momentum feels stilted.

Sometimes, when I give myself what I have been calling “5 Sentences and a thought” (Cute, right? 😂), the action of the scene can feel stilted, or worse, it takes me a month to write one scene. Depending on the day, sometimes 5:AT feels like slogging through mud. “I want to say this, but that is 6 sentences!” Or I don’t know where I want to go so I spend 5 sentences describing something mundane or describing a character’s inner thoughts badly. It can get comical, and at least I’m making progress, but most days after those sentences I tend to berate myself. “Really me?! No direction for today?”

Overall, the most important thing for me, since so many of these projects are first drafts, is getting the words down on the page and working through the story. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to get done. These are things that I’ve learned over the last 180+ days, and maybe in the next 180, I’ll throw it all out the window.

I’m learning, and I am growing. Most importantly, I’m writing every day.

 

July Results and August Goals

July has been hectic for all the wrong reasons. From a class in school I do not like at all, to a whole host of medical and dental distractions, July has not been the month I hoped it would be. Still, I did what I could when I could. I did not hit the goals I truly wanted for Camp NaNoWriMo or editing, but I do have more progress than I had when the month started.

It’s not quite the win I wanted, but it is better than what I had at the beginning of the month.

July Results

Writing

Camp NaNoWriMo

Nothing seemed to go the way I intended this month writing wise. Camp NaNoWriMo gave way to school essays and work and anything else but getting words on a page. I did manage a few things, but this month definitely wasn’t my best writing month.

Edit 500 words of Book 1 Daily

Similar to my goals for Camp NaNoWriMo, my goals of editing didn’t seem to go well either. A little here and there daily, with only a few days of actually reaching my goal. As much as I would have liked to be successful (wouldn’t we all?), July simply wasn’t the month to be successful. I do have more words and did make progress, but it wasn’t every day this month as I had hoped.

Edit One Short Story

Editing a short story came at a surprising time at the end of the month in connection with the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction second round. While it wasn’t exactly the short story I had hoped to edit, it did get done. This month, I’m taking the wins where I can.

NYC Flash Fiction Round 2

This challenge is always fun for me despite the looming feeling of a deadline. This year, this challenge actually helped save my word count for the month. Between not feeling well due to multiple health issues that popped up, work being hectic and busy, and navigating negotiations for time off, not to mention how many project I’ve stalled on in the middle, this challenge helped renew my excitement in writing. While I struggled to get started, I did manage to write something decent and submit it before the deadline.

Personal

Exercise

The health issues (temporary, thankfully) did not help my will to exercise. There were a few days, mostly lake days where I exercised without issue, but while at home, I simply couldn’t find the motivation to exercise. Plus when you have all over body aches and just a general yucky feeling, exercise is the last thing on your mind. I hope the next few months are better, especially now that I know what the culprit is.

Journal

Journaling has been my saving grace this month. Sitting down every morning and getting my morning pages down before I truly start my day has helped me make plans and strive for goals. Journaling has helped me get my stresses and successes down on the page and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I started my 4th journal of 2023 and more will follow.

OTHER NEWS

In July, temporary health issues sidelined a lot of what I wanted to get done. Still, I did what I could when I could and while it wasn’t the perfect month, I did make progress. I got the start or orthodontic work, with braces on 6 teeth for a few months and man are the headaches with those intense sometimes!

I went to two amazing concerts: Train and Tori Amos and neither disappointed. I love live music and the concerts were a much needed mental and emotional reset.

I also made it through the halfway point of my LAST CLASS in my bachelor’s degree. A few more weeks to go and then I work through the graduation process. I am so excited to be done, but I am more excited for what is to come next!

Word Count: 23,175

August Goals

Writing

NYC Midnight’s 500 word Microfiction Challenge

I’m always really excited for these short challenges that inspire me to work on something new and finish it all in one go. This will be the first year I do the 500 word Microfiction because this is the inaugural challenge. The 100 and 250 word challenges are fun, so I can’t wait to see how the 500 word challenge goes.

Edits on Book 1

I need to make progress on book one, that has been dragging on for most of the year. I have a true deadline for the end of October and I’m going to stick to it. Even if it means that’s the only project I work on for a few weeks.

Edit One Short Story

I have a story I wanted to edit in July, but it simply didn’t happen. I hope to make progress on the story and hopefully finish it for the next step.

Finish my last class of my Bachelor’s Program

3 more weeks to go and I am already looking forward to the end of this class. It has not been my favorite, but it is the last, so after that I am going to relax and feel waaaay less stressed.

Personal

Exercise

I would really like to get back into exercising in August if my body will let me. Pain more days than not kept me from exercising, but I desperately want to get back into it, so I can feel healthier again and hopefully less stressed.

Journal

Journaling has been very helpful this year. Some days it feels monotonous, especially on the days I simply wake up and go to work for most of the day. Still, journaling helps me realize my goals and put them on paper.

Hydrate

I’ve been really bad at staying hydrated, especially as the months get hotter. I would like to drink more water and hydrating drinks than just coffee throughout the day with a sip of water here or there. With the headaches I’ve been getting from the braces and the fun of relearning how to eat certain foods, it’s been a goal to hydrate more.

Here’s to kicking butt in August!

 

June Results, Halfway Check-In, and July Goals

And just like that, we have now reached the halfway point of the year. Where has the time gone?! June was a month of ups and downs, but thankfully mostly ups. Here’s how I did.

Writing

Edit One Arc of Book 1

I didn’t quite edit a whole arc of book 1 like I wanted, but I did make some decent progress. I managed to finish 2 chapters this month and I have a solid plan for next month to keep the edits moving. Editing is different from writing, and I am giving the project the time it needs to be the best version of itself.

1000 Words of Summer

I wanted 1000 Words of Summer to be successful for the whole two weeks, but I fell off the productivity wagon toward the last few days. I did manage to finish one project I’ve been working on for the last 8 or so years, so that was a win. Attempting to get 1000 words a day in another project after finishing the other project was like pulling teeth. I do still plan on shooting for 1000 words a day in July. I guess it wasn’t a complete failure.

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge

The NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge, the challenge that started it all in 2020, went well this year. I worked on a brand new project of 1000 words or less in a genre I don’t normally write in. I got to flex my writing muscles and get used to putting more work out there. I had fun doing it, especially because I got to subvert a fairytale in the best ways. Results come out at the end of next month, and I am already excited for round 2.

BONUS: NYC Midnight’s 100 Word Microfiction Contest

This goal is one I totally forgot about. The results came out for round 1 and I placed 1st!!! I went onto the next round, which was difficult with so few words, but I made a solid attempt. I’m not entirely sure when results come out for this round, but hopefully I will be more prepared if I go for the next round.

Personal

Exercise

Exercise in June has been hit or miss. Some weeks I’ve been on it and kicking butt. Others I barely exercised at all. I need to get back to it and be more consistent, if not to look better than to feel better mentally. I started an exercise regimen that I thought would be nice, but it was unorganized and messy. Hopefully I’ll get back into Yoga and walking again.

Journal

Journaling in June was fantastic. There was a day where I almost didn’t make it, because I left my journal at home. Instead of letting the habit go, I journaled on my computer. It wasn’t totally ideal, and I want to keep it all on paper if I can, but it works in a pinch. I hope to keep up the habit for as long as I can.

Word Count: 41,959

Whoa! Halfway Point Check-In!

Write Every Day of 2023

January: 100%

February: 100%

March: 100%

April: 100%

May: 100%

June: 100%

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep up the progress and keep writing something every day.

Edit Three Novels

Slowly making my way through edits on Book 1. At this point, I might not make 3 novels by the end of the year, but I am going to do the best I can.

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep editing and moving forward.

Edit Six short stories

  • Congratulations- Written Jan 2015; Edited Jan 2023
  • H-E- Double Hockey Sticks- Written and Edited Jan 2023
  • Samson- Written 2014; Edited Feb 2023
  • Thanks For the Hand- Written and Edited April 2023
  • Mad With The Moon-written Feb 2021; edited June 2023
  • Love Lines- written Jan 2014; edited June 2023
  • The Way Out- Written August 2022; edited June 2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Goal update to 12 short stories this year. 5 to go!

Read Twelve Books

  • Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olsen- finished January 2023
  • All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban- Finished January 2023
  • The Will and The Wild by Charlie N. Holmberg- Finished February 2023
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas- Finished March 2023
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Mass- finished March 2023
  • Queen of Ruin by K.F. Breene- finished June 2023
  • Daisy Jones and the Six -finished June 2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep Reading. 4 to go!

Publish Something (Either Traditional or Indie)

EXCITING THINGS ARE COMING!

Participate in Most (If not all) NYC Midnight Writing Contests.

Short Story Challenge

Round 1: 5th place. Moved to round 2.

Round 2: Did not place in round 2.

Screenwriting Challenge

SKIPPED

Microfiction (100 words)

Round 1: Placed 1st! 🎉 Moved on to second round.

Round 2: Results pending

Flash Fiction

Round 1: Results pending

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Keep participating and enjoying the process.

Finished Projects

  • Little Earthquakes 2016-2023
  • Short Stories
    Rocketman 2022-2023
    Luka 2022-2023
  • Various Fanfictions
    Names That Bind 2023
    You Don’t Need to Love Me 2023
    Hidge Week 2018-2023
  • Futures– 2015-2023

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR: Finish more projects as able.

Word Count: 217,132

July Goals

Camp NaNoWriMo

Once again it is time for Camp NaNoWriMo. This month, I hope to finish a project or two that have been languishing in my folders. For my goal, I would like to hit 40K. Realistically, I would like to get around 1000 words a day to keep the momentum up, in this project and a few odds and ends in other projects.

Edit 500 words of Book 1 Daily

For the last few weeks of June, with the 1000 word goal a fay, I attempted to get 500 words of edits. For the few days I was successful, it really helped move the novel along, especially through the boring middle bits. I hope with luck and practice and dedication, I can get through the edits with a bit more speed.

Edit One Short Story

I’ve had a lot of good luck editing short stories in June. I would like to keep the momentum up in July and keep getting short stories ready for the world.

NYC Flash Fiction Round 2

I enjoy this challenge as much as I do because there is an automatic second round. I’m excited to see how I do in round 1, and I’m excited to see the new prompt for round 2. 1000 words is the perfect amount to play with to write a short piece. I do enjoy long pieces, but a short piece now and then really helps me build my writing muscles.

Personal

Exercise

Exercising has been one of my wishy-washy habits over the last few months. I would like to make it a more steady habit and feel better about doing it. One of the first things that disappears when I’m stressed is exercise, as counterintuitive as that sounds. I would like to make it more permanent in July.

Journal

Journaling has really helped me over the last 6 months and I hope it continues to help me over the rest of the year and far beyond that. I’ve had to get creative with how I journal a few times over the last few months, with some days feeling like pulling teeth, but I still continue to make progress.

What about you? Any fun goals planned?

 

Wednesday Writing Tip: Finish Your First Draft

If you’re a writer first starting out, writing tips can be overwhelming. So many writers overthink the writing tips all over the internet.

I was fortunate to write my first few novels without the overwhelming “help” of the internet. I was fortunate to be able to find my own way of writing and creating.

I’m not saying writing advice on the internet doesn’t have its place, I’m sure it does, but not in the first draft. The first draft is for the writer to tell themselves the story. That story, that voice becomes muddled in between the “you should do blah” and “you shouldn’t do blah.” It can be overwhelming while working on a first draft

The first writing tip I have for anyone, brand new or experienced is Finish Your First Draft without writing advice.

Finish your first draft however you want to finish it. Finish your first draft and let the story tell you how it goes. Finish your first draft and find the way without anyone telling you how or why you should do it. Finish your first draft and then let the internet in when it’s time for subsequent drafts.

Happy Writing!