Writer's Write, Right?

I didn't do NaNoWriMo this year.

I've done it every year.

I don't always finish. I know for a fact the first year with Kyra I didn't finish that story until much much later. But I did at least sign up and for the first few days or weeks I would write.

I didn't do it this year.

I didn't read the emails.

I didn't prep in October.

I didn't get that happy butterfly feeling on Halloween that at midnight I would start and write at least the very first sentence like I do every year.

At Midnight on Halloween I was awake but not writing. I was giving Ty a bottle and watching an old rerun of Chopped with the volume all the way down praying that he would go to sleep soon so that I could crawl back into bed and hopefully sleep for an hour or two before he woke up again.

I actually forgot about NaNoWriMo until someone on Instagram posted their daily word count Friday.

"Oh. I guess it is November." I said this and put the phone down and got back to folding the laundry.

I've wanted to be a writer since I was 10. I just knew I had stories in me and I just knew that someday my name would be on a book as the author. I knew it was going to happen. It hasn't...yet.

But writer's write. They sit down and they write. They think about writing. The worry about writing. Then they actually put words down.

I haven't been doing the word part.

I dream about writing. I make mental notes about characters and scenes and possible plot twists. I read books and re-imagine the scenes telling them my way.

But I don't write.

My time is divided now with being a mom to a 5 month old and a 5 year old. With being a wife. With being in charge of the household because let's face it most wives are whether you work or stay at home you are the force that keeps the other humans around you running and surviving. Still it feels like an excuse.

Writer's write.

But I haven't been.

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November Goals

1. Complete NaNoWriMo- I am on track for the moment. I just want to keep the momentum going!

2. 10,000 steps per day- I slacked off a lot in September/October. I need to step it up again! 

3. Christmas Shopping Lists done- I like to have these taken care of by the 1st of December. That way I can actually enjoy the holiday season!

4. Make at least 1 homemade gift- I want to make more but I know I have one that I really want to get done in time!

5. No more than 3 fast food meals this month- Because Budget.

6. At least 4 crock pot meals- Planning, Easy, Yummy.

7.  Go to the Y at least 3 times- I have the membership. I should go more often.

8.  Bullet Journal- I just started this. I'm kind of in love.

9. Blog at least 5 days a week- Consistency.

10. Spend time with friends- One of my college friends is planning on coming into town and I am so excited! I haven't seen her in months and I miss her face! 


What are some of your goals this month? Are you writing as well? I feel like I am always writing but NaNoWriMo gives me the excuse to really push myself and up my coffee intake!

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Gearing Up for NaNoWriMo

So NaNoWriMo is about to begin this weekend and I will be participating again this year. Honestly I really do love the challenge even though halfway through the month I usually regret my decision. However if you are like me and you are gearing up for a month of non stop writing then you might enjoy this past post of mine!

 

So lately I've been having a little trouble thinking of things to write. I cannot tell you how many minutes have passed me by while I stare at the blank page or blank screen. It is so frustrating to know that you SHOULD be writing but there is just nothing that wants to be written. I always feel so guilty if I close the laptop or the journal without writing anything down or meeting my word count for the day. Writers Write!!! They do not give up! 

So I decided that I would put together a post of things that I do in order to get back to writing again! 

1) Get Musical. Find a playlist or spend some time creating one. I like to find classical styles normally for more intense or thoughtful scenes and songs with lyrics that I really like for scenes with more dialogue. Either way music can really help get the ideas flowing! 

My Favorites: 

Lindsey Sterling

Apocolyptica

Halestorm

The Piano Guys

2) Go for a Walk. Sometimes you just have to get out of the house and get some outside stimuli. It helps me clear my head and start to let my mind wander away from all the other things that I am worried about and before I know it I am daydreaming. Daydreaming always helps me come up with new ideas!

3) Check out Pinterest "Writing Prompts". There are so many prompts for both blogs and just writing in general! Sometimes you just have to write something different from your current project to shake things up a bit!

4) Read!  I believe the only way to be a good writer is to be a good reader! So pick up a book, something that you enjoy, something that made you want to write in the first place! Books inspire great thoughts, let them inspire you!

I tend to gravitate toward books about writing when I am having a case of writer's block. My favorites are these: 

Stephen King's---- On Writing

I love this book. Part Memoir and part Writer's Tool box, it really helps me get focused on my work. I love Stephen King's honesty in this book. His approach to writing resonates with me and I am always returning to this book for good advice! Also I love hearing about how he struggled before he became famous, helps remind me that it never comes easy, only with hard work! Also I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version of this. Stephen King narrates it himself and it is truly brilliant to hear live!

Barbara Demarco- Barret's----- Pen on Fire

I got this book a LONG time ago when I thought I was too busy for writing and wanted to find ways to fit it into my schedule. Little did I know that I had NO CLUE as to what having no time was like! Now that I am a Mom and a Wife, I realize what it is like when you are trying to meet word counts and still maintain the balance of daily life. This book has some really great tips and tricks for fitting writing into your daily life without feeling guilty! (Mommy guilt...ugh)

5) Free Writing. I know you have heard this before, but it really does help. Sometimes all you need to get started is to just start typing or writing. It doesn't matter what you are writing about. It could be the weather, the items on your desk, how frustrated you are that you can't seem to write anything....just write! Even if you don't get anything brilliant written, you still "exercised"  your writing ability and the next time it will come easier and you will break through your block! 

I hope these tips were helpful to you! Happy Writing Everyone!

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Camp NaNoWriMo: Tips

Good Morning Everyone, 

So I've done NaNoWriMo a couple times. I've only missed my goal one time and that was the first time when I let the idea of 50,000 words get to my head. I just didn't think that was even possible. However I've since done it multiple times with great success and this year I thought I would take the plunge and do Camp NaNo this year. It's going pretty well and I thought I would share with you my five tips for NaNo success! 

1. No editing- Seriously. Just write. Don't worry about spelling or grammar. Just write and write and write. 

2. Go slow- You might think that going full throttle at the beginning is going to give you a nice head start and put you in a good place toward the middle of the month with the slump hits. However this is a really good way to burn yourself out. Take your time. 

3. Time- Find the time that works for you and commit to writing during that time. I usually write in the early mornings before Kyra is up or if she had a bad night and I don't get my morning time I write late at night. Either way, when I sit down to write I am there for writing and nothing else. 

4. Jump Around- You do not have to go in a linear pattern. I usually begin with a scene that started in my head. It might be in the middle. It might be the ending. It might just be some random scene that will take place a quarter through the book. Just write what you are feeling and don't worry about the order. NaNo is not the time for edits remember! 

5. Be Equipped- Carry around notebooks, note pads, pens, etc. Use these items to help you get to word count by being observant and having them ready for when an idea strikes and you are nowhere near your computer! This has helped me SO MANY TIMES. 

So there you have my top 5 tips. There are tons more out there and I hope these help you if you decide to embark on this journey. Still you must remember that these are just tips and you need to do you! Just Write!

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Tuesday Tunes: Writing Music

Good Morning Everyone, 

So if you are like me you are currently fretting about word counts, dialogue, and character traits. 

Yep NaNoWriMo is upon us and for some of us that means we are desperately trying to keep motivated and keep plugging along at our word counts. 

For some of us that is a harder task than you can even imagine. 

Let's face it, sometimes inspiration just doesn't fall from the heavens and more often than not we are left staring at a blank page. 

So what to do? 

Yep Music. For some reason music inspires writing. It can be any kind of music, whatever makes you tingle. Anything from T. Swift to Metallica....there is no limit to what can spark a little story in you. 

Here's what I like: 

  I prefer a lot of instrumental so that words don't get me distracted:

Something hard and rocking to make me wanna fight for a character. Or get them to fight for themselves. 

Moody stuff...because you know, sometimes you just gotta brood. 

 

And occasionally the hidden gem from a movie soundtrack. 

So go ahead and take a break from your writing and hit up your music device of choice. Sometimes even just letting the random playlists from Pandora or Spotify can spark something awesome, however I am WAY to controlling for those so I just make my own playlists! 

What music do you listen to while writing? 

Ever had a song inspire an entire story? 

Does anyone else make up music videos to go along with a song they are listening to? Just me? 

Happy Writing Everyone! 

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NaNoWriMo: Day 1

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween last night and got lots and lots of treats! 

It is strange that October is already over and now it is November...this year has gone so quickly and now with only two months left....it is very strange that 2015 is right around the corner! 

Last month I did #Blogtober and having only missed three days out of 31 I felt pretty awesome! It was great to have so many published posts on the blog, I got to find A LOT more blogs to follow and it is super awesome that some of you even chose to follow along with me.

Now today begins a new challenge. 

Today marks Day 1 of NaNoWriMo. 

For those that might not know that is National Novel Writing Month. You have the next thirty days to write 50,000 words, the length of most novels. (For those that must know that is about 1667 words per day)  It is an intense exercise in writing and it takes some serious dedication and determination to make your word count. 

This will be my third time competing. The first time I completed the challenge I was elated. Nothing came of the story except some really good ideas....which I had hoped to implement into my next story in my second NaNoWriMo challenge. However I found out at that time that I was expecting Kyra so writing took a back burner to my general excitement at being a new mom. Last year I didn't even attempt it because I had a five month old and being a new mom was a major change in my life. It took a while before I got into any kind of rhythm that let me have a little time to blog let alone work on actual writing. 

However this year I am ready again. Kyra is able to sit and play on her own for at least fifteen minutes at a time and I plan to make use of those fifteen minutes and nap times for my writing. 

That means that a few chores will go undone during the day and I will have to make up for them later but...this is worth it. 

If you are new to the challenge I want you to chant this to yourself the entire month: 

IT IS WORTH IT. 

I know it seems crazy. It seems like a massive amount of words for one month, but you can do this. You can write an entire novel in a month. It will be messy, it won't make complete sense, there will be plot holes and contradictions, but it will be written. That is the thing you must remember. Writers write...it's not perfect all the time....but if you are a writer...you write. 

So cheers to you all that are taking on the challenge and know I am going to be right there along with you; Fueled with WAY too many cups of coffee, staying up all hours of the night working in the dark, and fretting over characters that I love. 

Ready? Let's do this.

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