One Last Petal

Good morning all! NaNoWriMo started on Tuesday and I've been doing pretty well so far. I wrote double my word count goal on the first day to get myself a running start, as it were, and I've managed to make word goal everyday so far. And I'm rather impressed with the way I've worked in some Firefly references, and I even have a character named "Simon". That being said, I'm not really feeling the story. It almost seems like there's a discontent to my writing at the moment. Maybe it's just because I haven't written in so long and once I get going, it will settle into a better rhythm. Things just seem choppy and unnatural at the moment. However, I won't let it discourage me. After all, this is merely a rough draft to get the story down and we can work on more poetical writing in the revision months.  Here's a short excerpt from what I've written so far: What happened next about the little transport ship is probably best left to ...

Let's talk about scheduling. I know, I know, it sounds terrifying. But remember that massive goal of 50,000 words you set yourself? You're going to need help. If you don't have a job or school, then awesome, maybe you will have time to sit and write all day, but a lot of us don't. And are you being efficient, sitting there all day? How much time are you wasting on social media and "research"? Let's face it - having a schedule is going to help. Trust me. Set yourself a specific time to do nothing but write. No chores, no phone calls, no Facebook, no research. Just write. Every time you think of something else that needs doing, make a note of it and do those after. Make lovely big notes to yourself in your writing about things you want to edit or research later. But keep writing. Your time is precious, make it count. Why? Because we all know how easy it is to put things off. "Oh, I just need to do one more load of laundry before I write." ...

October basically serves one purpose - preparation for NaNoWriMo . There are a lot of different theories out there for what needs to be done before one delves body, mind, and soul into November. Planners, those who like to have detailed outlines at hand before they start writing, spend October working on those. Pansters, writers who fly by the seat of their pants, allowing their plot to be tossed about by every wind of virtue, spend October catching up on sleep and TV shows. Plantsers, those like myself who are a mix of both, do some pre-planning, but allow for the story to wend where it will. Whatever category you are in, it's always good to take care of a few things before November strikes and you have no time for anything else. Here are a few things I like to do: Tell family and friends that I'm doing NaNo . This has a two-fold purpose: Accountability, and they already expect it when I say "no" to the countless invites as the holidays approach. Speaking of...

Hello all!  First of all, I'd like to apologize for my unannounced hiatus. Life suddenly got very busy, and instead of trying to fit in a few scattered posts, I opted to just take the summer off and enjoy the adventures. (Hint: they involved princes, fancy dresses, friends, cuddly things, and even a trip across an ocean!) I'll fill you in more about that all later, but for now, we need to address that most important events that is already breathing down our necks: NaNoWriMo.  If you don't know what that is, go check it out  here . Basically, it's a world-wide challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November. It's all about getting your  story out, without fear or inhibitions. I encourage you to try. Even if you only get 5000 words or 5, it's still a start. And I believe in you.  This year's theme is Space, and as soon as I saw that I got a brilliant idea: Why not write a space-themed story? I've been playing around with my usual cast of cha...

Finding Raven *drumroll please* Ta-da! Here's the big reveal of my CampNaNo April 2016 project!! Characters from all sorts of genres find themselves dropped into a tiny corner of the world. There, a young girl, the raven spirit bearer, and a military test pilot find themselves falling in love. There is a place, that is neither very far nor very near, in which worlds meet without any of the usual unfortunate happenings that generally accompany such things. It should also be known that, other than a few rare exceptions, such as poor cellular service or the atmosphere not quite agreeing with one, one can generally expect that whatever abilities one has in one’s own world will work exactly the same here. Money isn’t required here: there is nothing to buy. Nor are phones or any other such commodities of any use. What is needed here, is found here; or it is found that it isn’t needed here. Known as “The Corner”, because it lies at the corner of all the worlds, it...

If you don't know about National Novel Writing Month, then you need to head  here  right now. Yes, forget about me, and go get lost in the wonder that is NaNoWriMo, writing 50,000 words during the month of November. It's a fun challenge to leave your inner editor behind and just let your story out. It's a race against yourself  to finally  write that book you've always said you would (or at least get a good head start on it!). But mostly, it's a world-wide community of like-minded people who are just as introverted, crazy, and obsessed about their own characters as you are. Camp NaNoWriMo is also run by the same people, but just as summer camp was a time to relax and play in the mud, so is Camp NaNo a less formal version of the November challenge. Personally, as much as I enjoy NaNo, I love  Camp. You get to pick your own goal, so if you aren't ready to tackle 50,000 words in one month, this is a great place to start. Not only that, but there's a stronger...