Time to Prep For Nano (A Couple Helpful Tips!)

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We’re less than a month away from the beginning of NANOWRIMO! What does that stand for? National Novel Writing Month.

November is the month for writers! It is when we crawl out of our writing caves, put our butt in chairs, stuff our faces with caffeine and TYPE!

If you don’t know, Nanowrimo stands for National Writing Month where writers around the world try to write a novel (or 50K words) within a month. This is the time to finally get out that novel idea you’ve been thinking about for months. New writers tackle their first attempt at noveling (that is a word now!) while experienced veterans look upon the blank page with grim determination.

Even though we’re still in October, it isn’t too late to start preparing for 30 days of constant writing, plotting, and racking up the word count.

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Rejections and Moving Forward

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Welcome back, everyone! I’ve returned from an exhausting but amazing trip to Japan. For this trip, I made the conscious decision not to bring my laptop. It was painful and I probably won’t be doing that again, but it also allowed me to disconnect from my current WIPs and come back with fresh eyes.

But while I was disconnected I still received emails on my phone.   I’m still waiting for that day when I get a little ‘Ping’ and an email that requests a full manuscript. Unfortunately, all I received was another rejection and news that I did not make the finals for a contest I entered.

I won’t lie, it was a bummer.

But it means I can keep moving forward.

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The Importance of Picking the Right POV

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I’ve seen a lot of writers asking the question, “What POV should I write my story in?”

It is a great question to ask yourself before starting a new project, so let’s dive in!

There used to be a time when I didn’t worry about POV. I wrote the story the way I saw it in my mind. Sometimes it was like a movie I was watching (third person) and sometimes it was a story the character was telling me (first person.) All that mattered was getting the story out, I realized a little too late that how you told the story matters just as much as the writing.

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Maintain Passion For Your Passion Project

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After starring at the same words for months, maybe years it is easy to feel lost in your project. The passion is just gone. Maybe there are other plot bunnies floating by your head, tempting you with their ideas and characters and they look so appealing.

I turned to advise on how to keep passion in romantic relationships and tried applying it to the  relationship between writer / WIP.  You two started out this relationship great- it was an instant connection. The words were flowing and you were having an amazing time exploring this new concept. Then something happens. The dreaded middle, writer’s block, maybe things just aren’t going the way you planned. Maybe you’ve edited the thing so many times you are sick of it!

Fear not. Everyone has these moments of doubt. It isn’t anything new and it will pass. That is the most important part, so let’s repeat it. It will pass.  But if you need an extra boost to rekindle that passion and love you once had for this special project, below are a few good places to start.

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Live Your Best Writer Life Without Breaking The Bank

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Being a writer is relatively cheap. At least the actual writing part is. All you need is a computer, time, and an idea. But if you want to take your writing career to the next level you start to see the money stack up; Writing Conferences, Websites, Copyedits.

And if you are a self-publishing author the money stacks up even more: Book covers, book formatting, marketing, proofreaders, more copy edits.

I was surprised by how much some of these things added up if I wanted to be considered a professional writer. Indulging is good, but you need to make sure your money is being spent on the right thing. Budgeting is key, but so is knowing exactly what to splurge on and where you can cut some costs.

Here are some of the tips and tricks I’ve discovered that will help you make the most of your Writing Career without breaking the bank.  Because…

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Fear Is the Writing Killer

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We have a lot to be fearful of this year. Democracy seems to be crumbling around us, the stories women share in the #metoo movement have me shivering, and I’ve finally decided to complete my Masters degree. SCARY!

In recent months all of these things have resulted in my anxiety and depression hitting new peaks. But, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, this year is all about facing my fears!

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