Encouragement Plus a Thank You

Whether or not you are a writer participating in NaNoWriMo this month, you can do something very significant to help those who are. And this goes for people who are also participating in NaNo.

Encouragement.

Yep, it's as simple as that. A few of my amazing writing friends and Twitter followers are commenting on my progress and letting me know they are supporting me with NaNo this month and are commending me on the word counts I am reaching daily. And I just want to thank those of you who are doing so. It really means a lot and it's helping me keep up the writing. Just so you know, I'm hugging my computer right now because I can't actually hug you all. But if I could, I would.

(I tried taking a picture of myself hugging my laptop as proof, but it just looked ridiculous, so here's a very procrastinate-y drawing. As you can tell, I'm quite the artist, and since my skills are so grand, I have labelled things that your mortal eyes would not be able to identify... Yeah, that's the story we're going with here.)

Because believe it or not, a simple 'Good luck on your sprint!' or a 'Congrats on your sprint' or a 'You're doing great!' goes so far. It brings on a smile and helps up the motivation, which as many of you know, is so easy to lose.

So keep on encouraging each other and keep on meeting those daily goals! Remember 2k a day brings a total of 60k. If you do some very successful sprints, that's just an hour or two of writing each day!

Keep up the great work, everyone!

Add me on NaNoWriMo: Courtney Shawnmarr. Or post your username below and I can add you.
You can also follow my progress on Twitter @Courtvents or on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyShawnmarr

Happy writing, everyone!

NaNoWriMo: The Preparation

This year I am participating in National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo.

I tried to do this a few years ago when I was not as serious about writing as I am now, and failed. I do not remember how many words I managed to get done, but I was in high school and I think I just gave up part-way through.

That will not happen this time!

This time I am prepared. This time I am ready. This time I am anxious to begin.

There are a few things I think are necessary to have prepared before one begins something as big as NaNoWriMo. I mean, you are aiming to write fifty thousand words in a month. That is thirty days of writing at least two thousand words in order to achieve this. This might not be true for most people, but I know that for me, who is hoping to accomplish writing the 50k and finish most of a novel (because I really feel this one is going to be at least 70k - my last WIP's first draft reached over 80k), there are some things I need to have done before November 1st.

Number one is time. Let's face it. No one has time. School, work, family, and other responsibilities are big time-suckers. But we are all going to have to make some in order to get this done. Two thousand words a day can be done in two hours or less. I would suggest participating in #1k1hr sprints on Twitter (or doing them yourself if you are not a part of the Twitterverse). You aim to write one thousand words in an hour. And it's totally doable. If you keep writing for that entire hour, you can even hit two thousand if you have the scene you're writing plotted out. Which brings me to the second thing...

Number two is an outline. Or at least a solid idea of what you will be writing. I used to never write with an outline, but as I began to write my first WIP (working title: Dragon Legends), I found that an outline was very helpful. This time my outline is not as detailed as I would like it to be, but it's good enough that I know where the story is going and I know each scene I'll need to write. I'm sure mid-way through November I'll find myself re-outlining, but I have a start of something, and that's what is important. There's nothing worse than starting of NaNo without having any idea what you want to write. You write nothing the first day. Then the second. And the third. And by then you're already six thousand words behind. Have an outline or at least an idea of what you want to write. Hey - I know outlines don't work for everyone, but if they do, use one.

Number three is motivation. Motivation never comes when we need it, but if we're going to write 50k words in thirty days... well, is that not motivation enough? Again, this is where #1k1hr sprints are helpful. Click on the hashtag, find a fellow writer who's about to do one and hop in. Join them on the hour and write your 1k. Writing with someone really helps getting the motivation going because, for me at least, you cannot blow it off. You are not the only one participating in the 1k. It feels really crappy to end the hour by replying to someone's tweet saying "Congrats on the 1k you wrote. I didn't write anything." Now, life gets in the way sometimes, but don't be making excuses for yourself. That won't get you any closer to the 50k.

So far I am the only one of my writer friends (that I know of - I kind of decided to do this only a few days ago) who is participating in NaNo this year, so let me know in the comments or @reply me on Twitter if you are. I'd love to do some sprints with you all. There is more information on how to contact me on my Contact Me page up in the menu bar, but you can find me on Twitter @courtvents.

Also let me know some of the ways you are preparing for NaNo. Anyone take time off work to get some writing done? (I wish I could have, but I just started a new job and I kind of really want to keep this one for a while, so... Haha.)

Happy writing, everyone! And best of luck hitting that 50k!

This Is Not a Review: Writing = Metaphorical Ecstasy

   Seriously.

   I have been writing a LOT more lately, and I've been in SUCH a good mood.

Even if what I write does not turn out to be the best (which happens a lot more than I'd like it to, but hey, it's a first draft. Editing comes later), I'm instantly in a better mood if I write a decent amount daily.

   Lately I've been introduced to #1k1hr sprints on Twitter, where some fellow writers aim to write non-stop for an hour with a goal of writing at least 1 000 words. No matter how cringe-worthy the end product product it. The point? To make some progress on your WIP. Again, there is room to edit later. For now the point is to get the story out of your head, which is the most difficult part for some of us.

   I myself have struggled in the past with finishing (or even coming close to finishing or even halfway) WIPs. These sprints help. I try to do one at least once a day, which has been working out fantastically. I have yet to write less than 1 000 words a day on the days I write (which is most, though there are some days where I sit here at my computer like a brain-dead log). The writing sprint really gives me a kick in the butt. So THANK YOU to Allie B who was the one to first introduce me to the sprints (you can view her amazing blog here for some great writing tips and book reviews). My WIP would not be where it is now without them.

   If there are any writers out there who have not heard of #1k1hr sprints, now you have and I suggest you try them. I have introduced them to a few people, and have heard no negative feedback about it. So try it, spread the word, and enjoy making progress in your work. I surely have, hence the title of this post. The more I write, the better I feel.

Happy writing! xx