Writing: 3 Reasons Why I’m in Camp For April

 

April is generally a busy month for writers with NaJoWriMo, NaPoWriMo and CampNaNoWriMo.  In the past, I participated mainly in NaPoWriMo; but this year I decided to do CampNaNoWriMo.

Why?

I have mainly three reasons:

1.  Being a stay-at-home Mom, I have lots of difficulty with set writing schedules; however,   I found that setting an overall monthly goal works better for me, and CampNaNoWriMo fits that agenda perfectly.
2.  I discovered writing serial fiction was much more enjoyable than writing novels (I can explain my reasons in another post if you’re interested-just let me know! 🙂 ).  A current serial I began back in December stalled due to busyness that goes with family-life.  I’m looking to Camp to help jump-start it.  I’ve set a word-count goal for the month at 10,000 which should give me the spark I need.
3.  Community.  I crave connection with other writers, and Camp gives it to me.  Each participant is assigned to a cabin with other fellow Campers where we announce our goals; from there, our cabin mates encourage and support one another as we each  try to achieve those goals.

What about you?  Are you participating in any of these mentioned above?

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NaNoWriMo: Why Do It?

 

Why do I take part in NaNoWriMo each year?

1. Gets my butt in gear (er, in the chair) and fingers moving
2. By announcing to the world (aka twitter-verse or Facebook-world or even on my blog) that I’m doing this thing actually makes me feel liable to my followers/subscribers to at least ATTEMPT to reach the end-goal
3. If I don’t WIN,  heck I’d at least feel productive that I’ve done something with an idea
4. It’s not about the quality, but physically PUTTING the words down  (many famous writers have said that the first draft will always be crappy, but you won’t have a draft if you don’t do anything about a story that relentlessly keeps you up at nights)
5. Mainly I do it because I’m a crazy writer who likes to torture herself with an insane deadline (for instance, 50,000 words in 30 days or less)

 

What about you?  Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?  If so, why do you do it?

 

 

 

 

 

Writerly Stuff (and a video too!)

Like many of my fellow writers, I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) all this month so the postings here may be a bit erratic.  I’d like to apologize ahead of time.

As some of you may already know, I’ve been writing a serial fiction, Tomorrow Falls, for the past year.  Part one initially posted as a novella with Juke Pop Serials (and was selected to be one of the top 25 Summer Writing Projects), and is now currently running in a serialized format with Piker Press.  I intend to use NaNo to write Part two.

Instead of describing what this story is about, I created a short trailer:

 

 

 

2016 National Novel Writing Month (Poll)

 

If you are participating, what will your novel be about?

 

 

How Do You Jump Start Your Muse? (Poll)

 

 

April is Camp NaNoWriMo and NaPoWriMo!  Are you participating in either or both?

Have a productive weekend!

How Many Wrimos Actually Get Published?

For those who have participated (or have considered but never did) in the November’s National Novel Writing Month, some must have wondered if it’s even worth doing.  Do Wrimos really get their novels published?

Can it even be done?

According to Nanowrimo.org (Published Wrimos)many have actually done it.

In fact, since 2006, over 230 NaNo books have been traditionally published.  Included in this list are publishing houses such as Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Scholastic Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ballantine Books, and others.

Additionally, over 150 Wrimos have self-published their novels.

With hard work and courage, it is possible to have that crazy thing called a “novel” published.

 

“Write while the heat is in you. … The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with.”
—Henry David Thoreau

Now That NaNoWriMo Is Over… (Poll)

Finally…

 

 

Finally…my first NaNo win since 2008  🙂  As mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted to work on The Sparrow Watcher (in memory of my daddy) plus a serial fiction; however, I shelved the Watcher one since I wasn’t ready to write it and wrote the serial one instead.  At this point, it is untitled, and needs serious revision and editing; but, I plan to publish it at some point next year.

Stay tuned.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

 

2015 National Novel Writing Month

I’ve decided to use National Novel Writing Month to write the first draft of this book that I’ve re-committed myself to.  It would be a way to keep myself accountable and focused to getting the story down on paper.  Here is that story:

The Sparrow Watcher

by Carrie Ann Golden

Supernatural, SciFi, Faith

Her idyllic childhood shattered by one event sending her on a journey that could decide the fate of mankind.

Anyone else planning on participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

Three Reasons To Write Short Fiction

To be an apprentice to the craft of writing is a life-long endeavor.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  I discovered writing at the age of eleven; since then I’ve continued to learn new things about it, and about myself.  Even at my age, I’m still trying to figure out what kind of a writer I am.

There are writers out there who know exactly who they are, and what they’re meant to write.  There are others though that are still searching for their true calling as writers.  I’m one of them.  The only thing I’m certain of is that I want to help others through the written word.

I’m currently struggling to write anything longer than short fiction.  I’ve tried to write novel-length stories for the past several years, and so far, I’ve only managed to complete a draft of one book (thanks to NaNoWriMo).  That was back in 2008.  I find it easier to finish shorter works whether they be fiction, essay, or a poem.  So, does that mean I’m meant to be a short fiction writer (or an essayist, or even a poet) rather than a novelist?

Who knows!

Right now, I’m going to concentrate on writing short fiction (for 2015 especially) and see where it takes me.  Here are my reasons for doing so:

1. My current lifestyle makes it difficult to focus on anything longer

2. I need to further hone my writing skills

3. I’m still figuring out which “niche” I should write in

2015 is looking to be a year full of changes for me.  I will elaborate on them in later posts.  These changes could be what will finally help me as a writer to get to that next level; whatever that may be.

Stay tuned!

Not This Year…

Well, I won’t “win” NaNoWriMo this year since I’m still sitting at 10,013 words.  That’s fine.  I have a good start on a story that I hope to finish (at least the first draft anyway) in the next few months.

In the meantime, I just finished writing a first draft of a short story that I intend to submit to a contest (deadline is December 21st).  This should give me enough time to do the needed revision/editing.

I have so many writing projects that I’ve started (as well as hope to start), but I feel I don’t have enough time or space to work on them.  I wonder if I could plan a few writing retreats to take in 2015 to help, hmm…

Anyway, time for that third cup of coffee 🙂

A Slow Journey

I’m currently sitting at 10,013 words and it’s already more than halfway through the month.  I’ve only managed to write a few words each day, but  I’m writing.  No, I may not get to that magic number by the 30th; however, my goal is now to complete this draft by no later than Christmas.  A reasonable goal I believe and at least the journey for Snow Blood continues.

How are you doing with your writing?

Synopsis for Blood Snow

Since it’s NaNoWriMo, and this book, Blood Snow, is still in its infancy stage,  what I wrote as the synopsis is subject to change.

Fourteen-year old Drew Scott lived alone in a world full of the walking dead he once knew as friends and family members.  Then a strange old man who claimed to be the real Santa came and rescued him.   Living in his new home he soon learned all was not what they appeared to be.  

 

Now, back to writing!

The Journey Continues…

It’s day seven of NaNoWriMo, and I’m currently sitting at about 5,300 words.  Am I feeling discouraged?  Nah.  I’m on a journey.  A journey to complete a draft of this new book whether it be done during November, or December.  I’m just using this event (NaNoWriMo) to motivate myself to write as much as I can in one month.

Crazy, huh?

Nah, it is what writers do and if going crazy is one of them, so be it!  Besides, it’s better to be slightly off your rocker rather than act normal, right?

As I write this new story, Blood Snow, I will also try my hand at writing up a synopsis for it.  Once I do, I will post here.

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

Progress Belongs To Those With Perseverance

By the end of the fourth day, I’m at over 4,600 words.  It’s not the greatest, but hey it’s progress.  I try not to get too discouraged especially when reading how many words other writers have garnished thus far (5k, 10k, even 12k at this point).  What’s been helping me is this particular quote:

“In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm…in the real world all rests on perseverance.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In other words, don’t give up!

Yeah, I’m behind but there are still 25 more days to get the word count up.

Persevere, dear writers.  Don’t stop because you’re discouraged.  The book needs its writer in order to live.  Don’t allow it to die without fighting for it.  If you don’t persevere,  how can you truly know progress or even success?

Think about it.

Blood Snow (an excerpt)

The first breaths of Blood Snow:

 

Drew stared at the ceiling. He was cold, and hungry.   He was miserable. What do you expect? He lied huddled in a tub, hugging on to a bat, in a house with no heat in the heart of winter. He was alone. No, that’s not true. Outside the walls of the house he lived in was a world ruled by the dead. The walking dead. Eons of them. So no, he wasn’t alone. He just wished he was.

The Book’s First Day

 

November 1st.   The day a book is born.  Its first breaths taken through those few precious words.   Every step of this book will be chronicled in its pages as it embarks on a wondrous journey only books can take.

Know this: the writer doesn’t choose the book; but the book chooses the writer.

I’m the writer chosen to tell its story.

The book’s name is…Blood Snow.

To Finish or Not To Finish (A writer’s dilemna)

As a writer, I struggle with many things; but my biggest challenge is finishing something.  The shorter the story, the better I am at completing it; however, if I try to start on a book idea, I get about a quarter of the way through and then I stall out.   Usually life gets me side-tracked and I never go back to it.

I even attempted a long fiction project by writing it one chapter at a time (aka web fiction or serial fiction).   So far, three serial stories are now defunct.

I’m hopeless!

Or, maybe not entirely so.

In the past, the only thing that have worked for me is by participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where I’ve been successful more than 50% of the time (hey, that’s better than zero!).  So, this year I’ve decided (after a four-year hiatus) to try again.

 

What about you?  What are you currently struggling with?

 

NaNoWriMo-Decision Time

I keep teetering back and forth on “yes! I will  do NaNo this year” and “eh, nah, not this year.”   So, I’ve decided to turn to listing the pros and cons of participating.

 

Cons

1. Time-consuming (when I have a family plus I’m the only one who’s currently working full-time, plus Thanksgiving is coming)

2. Energy-consuming (see above)

3. Would need to “write” while everyone’s sleeping (not sure if I can muster this with my eye-condition)

4. Not sure if I have enough motivation/determination to follow through with the commitment (I would cough this up to not having enough energy or eye-power for an entire month)

5. Lacking family support (namely my husband)

 

Pros

1. Have this strong desire to complete a draft of something

2. My son wants me to (this translates to that yes, I have a story in mind and that he wants to read it!)

3. I need to write!

4. To help me feel better as a writer (to end the year on a high note with having worked on a large project)

5. I would like to have a work-in-progress manuscript on hand when I apply for an opportunity at a writer’s residency (never been to one)

 

I’m looking over these items I’ve listed above and I still can’t decide.  Okay, I’m going to grab another cup of coffee and think some more.

 

 

To Nano Or Not (Poll)

The year started off awesome in regards to writing; but, it now have fizzled to barely a trickle of words on paper.  Frustration grows daily as this drought continues to drag on.  With November not too far away my thoughts have turned to “should I try NaNo this year?”  I haven’t done it since at least 2010 I believe.  I have vague ideas in mind but nothing really concrete yet.  Would my schedule (and family) allow me to even try this endeavor?  Again, doubts and frustration are all I’m greeted with.

The only thing I’m certain of is that if I don’t start writing again soon, I just may go off the deep end!

 

What about you?

 

P.S. There will be “five” weeks this year instead of the usual four.  Hmm…