Showing posts with label writing a book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing a book. Show all posts

Tuesday 6 November 2012

NaNoWriMo and Crazy November

We are just into day 7 of NaNoWriMo and the month is already crazy busy! I was set back on the first day by a last-minute excursion to a local theme park. We had free tickets, they had a special Halloween theme, I couldn't say no! Anyway, I got back on track with my NaNoWriMo project by hitting the keys for two days of furious writing. My novel is still very vague, and this is the first time I have sat down with absolutely no idea of what I am writing. It is quite exhilarating really, when I transform a blank page into a work of prose.


Well, after that mad dash to get started, I was hit by a sickness bug which wiped me out for 2 days. I was so not impressed! Actually I really needed some rest, so I took the opportunity and tried not to let the little NaNoWriMo demon shout too loud. Today I got back on track, wrote another 4000 words, and am almost up to speed. According to the official website stats I will now finish my NaNoWriMo project on Dec 5th. That is not good enough. I must do better. I will do better tomorrow, after I have slept!


So, away from the crazy month of writing, there are several other things demanding my attention in November. I have already done a live author interview on a local internet radio station, 6 Towns Radio. I have scheduled a live interview with a community internet radio station, KTPF, later in November. This has yet to be confirmed but I am already looking forward to it. And all of a sudden I have several author interviews to prepare for various websites. I hadn't even consciously planned them, they just sort of happened. Don't you just love events like that? It's all excellent fodder for the pre-Christmas sales promotion.

Ho Ho Ho!

Friday 2 November 2012

NaNoWriMo 2012 - Here We Go!

It is finally here! NaNoWriMo, that magical month of writing abandon that has haunted and taunted me, always lingering somewhere in the back of my conscious mind, always whispering that it would be here soon and I had better get my affairs in order. Well, November is here, and I missed the first day. Oh dear!

It wasn't my fault, honest. My best friend procured free tickets to a local theme park, and the season closes this weekend. They had a special Halloween entertainment package, and I hadn't experienced it since I worked there several years ago. We had to participate. So, I allowed myself one more day off, and today I intend to get stuck in. I will write double the daily quota of words for NaNoWriMo. I will. I definitely will...

So, I have sat down in front of the computer with my daughter safely in bed where she will (hopefully) sleep for another hour. The dog is curled up on the sofa and won't demand his walk until later in the day. I am distraction-free. The moment has come. I stare at a blank page. The unwritten words taunt me. They whisper to me, but I can't hear them. Where do I begin? How do I start? I am about to write yet another masterpiece, but I cannot form even the first sentence. This is not looking good.

I will not give up. I will not be defeated. I succeeded in NaNoWriMo 2011, and I will damn sure do the same with NaNoWriMo 2012. At least I have a story. Now all I need to do is call on my Muse, tempt her out of hiding, and let my fingers do the talking... See you on the other side folks!

Friday 12 October 2012

Make Time to Write your Book with NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo to its regular participants. NaNoWriMo is a great idea. I joined the organisation in 2011 for my first time, and it was brilliant for me because I got the opportunity to write the sequel to my first Redcliffe novel. Up until that point I was distracted with the arrival of my first child, the upheaval of being a new parent, and the associated confusion and planning about whether or not I should return to work and how our family system should operate.

Anyway, I heard about NaNoWriMo and decided to give it a go. It is called a competition, but there are no financial prizes or rewards. It is free to join, free to attend, and all that is required is that you attempt to write 50,000 words during the month of November. 50,000 words in 30 days. Wow! It seemed like an impossible task, especially since I don’t usually find the time to write every day. In fact at the time I was lucky to write once a week. Now I realise its potential.

NaNoWriMo gave me the opportunity to test myself, and to learn that actually I can write every day when I put my mind to it. I didn’t have to stay up every night writing until the early hours (although I did on the occasions when my Muse took over), and my daughter was not neglected. I still managed to run a household and do all my usual chores and required tasks. Many people are in awe of my achievement. My fellow NaNoWriMo winners simply smile indulgently and we bask in our shared glory.

Some people might say it’s all well and good to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but where do you get your inspiration? For most natural writers, the words are already there just waiting to spill out. Once we set out a quiet time, a personal space, and an open invitation to our Muse, we can write a whole book within a short space of time.  The good people at NaNoWriMo have set up forums and chat rooms where writers can encourage each other. We can share ideas, assist with queries, and generally offer support based on our individual experiences.

There are also regional groups that physically meet up in pubs and cafes, to swap updates and continue the push to succeed in the NaNoWriMo challenge. My local group meets in Chester, and while I was unable to make any of their meetings in 2011, I might have a little more freedom this year, depending on circumstances of course. It doesn’t matter either way, because the option is still there, and we are all connected via email and forums on the website.

Are you a NaNoWriMo winner? Have you participated in the past but not quite reached the golden 50,000 word challenge? Or have you never attempted it? I suggest you go for it. Try it out. Even if you don’t complete the challenge, you will end the month with a fresh new manuscript underway, and you will be in the practice of finding time to write. It might give you the push that you need to shut out all the other hundreds of daily distractions in life, and to write your masterpiece of a bestseller. If you want to know more, their website is http://www.nanowrimo.org/. See you at NaNo!