NaNoWriMo update – week 1

We are one week down in this massive writing challenge called NaNoWriMo, and I’m sure there are many writers out there who are wondering just what the heck they got themselves in to now that things are finally underway.

So how am I doing so far?

I’m admittedly doing so-so. 

I am supposed to average 1,667 words per day in order to reach my goal of 50,000 by the end of the month. But my first week for this challenge left me…challenged, and I wasn’t able to complete my daily word count goal. The main excuse was that I became very ill half way through the week, leaving me incapacitated for two days where I wasn’t able to complete anything that involved thought-process, sitting in a chair in front of a computer for any length of time, or anything that wouldn’t let me nap when the mood struck me.

I would be much closer or at my goal of just over 10,000 words today if it weren’t for my illness earlier this week, so instead I am currently at 6,565.  However, when I review what I was able to accomplish this week, based on what I was up against, I will say I’m pleased. Given where I am right now, my daily word count goal jumps from 1,667 words to just 1,738 words per day. That is a relatively manageable expectation.

I feel good so far with the challenge. I am pleased with the progress I’ve made with my story and with the new characters in my story. The characters are talking and I’m having fun.  For me, that’s what really counts. 

Now off to week number two!

Diligence & Discipline For Hire - 50,000 words required

It’s that time of year again…when many writers decide on whether or not they are going to take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  It can be a difficult decision to commit to and since my last go-round with NaNoWriMo was in 2014, it took me until yesterday to finally decide whether I was going to join.

So what did I decide?

I decided I’m in.

It’s a tough time of year to commit to something so time-consuming, especially when I review my schedule and know that I’ll be taking part in this challenge while working around so many other responsibilities and upcoming events scheduled throughout the month.

But then, I’m a sucker for a challenge.

Besides, each month of every year has a number of responsibilities and events that we can use as an excuse not to join.  There’s a saying that if you make an argument for your limitations, then you get to keep them.  So why not make an argument for the possibilities instead?  There is no risk in joining, other than that the coveted word count may not be reached, while the rewards gained from this challenge can last a lifetime. 

And if I’m honest with myself, it’ll be good for me. 

NaNoWriMo is great for any writer who needs to re-evaluate their time management, taken an exercise in discovery and learn to work around obstacles.  Time management is a necessary evil when you have days full of to-do lists.  An exercise in discovery is what can occur when you are quickly creating something and prevent yourself from getting in the way of your creation.  And obstacles in life are pitfalls that may give you pause and make you ponder, but they should not prevent you from finding time to be present and ready to create. 

So I’m going to work steadily with diligence and discipline as I inch my way down the page each day towards my goal.  I’ll enjoy taking part in a creative process that will inspire me as I keep a steady rhythm and gain valuable habits. 

Whether or not I reach the goal of 50,000 words, I know the exercise will still benefit me in many ways, but I’m going to do my best to earn my completion badge at the end of the month.  I’ll be posting throughout November as I take part in the NaNoWriMo challenge.

I’m excited and ready to begin!

This (storm) too shall pass…be prepared but positive.

It’s funny how Mother Nature can teach you a lesson without even trying.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the bulk of the western side of Washington was preparing for the worst…a storm of “epic” proportions, to quite possibly match that of a storm that occurred even before I was born.

Going to the store for a plain ‘ole gallon of milk became a chore, as shoppers had to swim against the horde of frenzied consumers who thought they needed enough food and water in light of the possibility that they might be stuck in their houses for…I honestly don’t know how long people thought we’d be buried under wires and trees.

If the storm were as bad as they thought it might be, we knew we’d possibly be without power for 2-3 days or maybe even a week.  It’s happened before at least a handful of times over the course of at least two decades.  Because of where I live, in a remote, rural area in a small town, we are usually the last on the list when it comes to how soon we might finally get to see those heroes we call linemen.

The predictions of weather forecasters gave us a good scare as they portrayed Mother Nature in a diabolical way and warned how much we may be assaulted by her.  So everyone hunkered down, waiting out the storm, hoping it would just pass on by.

For us, it did just that.  We were pelted with some heavy wind for a short bit, and a whole lot of rain, but hey…we live in Washington so it’s to be expected.  There are some who weren’t so lucky but we did not lose power or a single tree and we had removed danger trees away from our house years ago, for fear of what might happen if we didn’t.  But I had prepared myself for the likelihood that it might be worse than when we were suddenly, and without much warning as I recall, hit by a storm on my oldest son’s birthday almost five years ago – the amount of trees we lost during that unexpected storm was a sight to behold.

January 2012, what was left after a storm of "epic" proportions

We tried to stay positive, but it’s always good to be prepared.  We had hoped for the best, but we braced for the worst.

There is something to be learned from Mother Nature – maybe she is like any woman who doesn’t like being told what she’s going to do and she’ll go about doing just the opposite.  Maybe, but it’s also how we can all go about living our lives with optimism, courage and confidence, even in light of the possibility that epic storms may occur.  It never hurts to be prepared…that’s a given, but I let the words and predictions of others keep me in a state of mind that left me anxious.  I’m mad at myself for watching the news as much as I did while they kept going on and on about the epic storm we might be up against – those are wasted minutes I can never get back.  We can all act like Chicken Little and claim the sky is falling, but why live in a constant state of panic and pessimism?  If you’re familiar with the fable, not the Disney version, you know most versions of the story don’t commonly end well.  Besides, if the sky were to actually fall, all the time we spent fearing the worst takes away from time better spent in the present. 

This may be well beyond what you got out of this storm or any other, but for me, it just reminds me that we should all do our best to make a habit of being optimistic and expect the best, while remaining confident that if the worst actually happens, we’ll have enough courage in order to handle it.  

Have a great week!

Note to Self...and a Note to Create

I found this note I wrote to myself one evening when I was...in a mood.

Reading it over, I think it resonates with something inside me that others can relate to as well, so I decided I'd like to share it with you...

Note to Self:

To be creative, to stay passionate about what you create, you need to stay true to yourself.  

You need to answer the deepest and darkest questions within yourself.  Sometimes more questions will arise – but that just means more opportunities to write, to create, to find those answers.  

The characters want to speak. 

They want to be a part of your life, to share, to surrender themselves to the scrutiny of others, which means you must also do the same, in some fashion.  

You cannot expect others to understand what you are trying to share, unless you share what others might actually respond to, relate to, and react to, in some way.  

Listen to the characters.  

Listen to your gut.  

Create.  

Find that passion in yourself, in your work, your story.  

Keep it real and remember, no one has all the answers…we can only stay on the path meant for us and we can either give up, admit defeat and sit on the shoulder as others who create move past us, or we can answer the call and follow the path we’ve begun.

And always remember: follow your chosen path bravely and without reservation or regret.

What’s good about a drought? The growth we see afterwards.

You might not think September is synonymous with drought, or even growth, as the rain has already visited us and the trees outside are losing their leaves as I write this. But when it involves creativity, I will think of September as the end to my drought.

I recently attended a writers’ conference and while I may not have attended with any actual thought of what I wanted, the conference provided me with exactly what I needed. With a great lineup of speakers and a full day of learning, I was able to connect with like minds, find new inspiration, learn helpful tips and tricks relating to writing and marketing and most importantly, add a good amount of nourishment to my creative soul in order to fuel my passion for writing.

What did I learn throughout my day at the conference?

Here’s an overview:

• Useful approaches to great book cover designs – you really can’t deny that readers usually judge by the cover.
• Artistic Perseverance – remembering why I want to write and committing to that; consistently putting in the work while also reading, studying, and connecting with others; building my life around the necessity to write; and remembering that we’re not all perfect, it can take time and sometimes you have to surrender and move on to something else but to always remember my reason for writing and to never give up.
• Developing characters and crafting conflict – since my characters and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship for awhile, this class was well worth my time as it made me think about questions I should be asking while the characters navigate through the story and interact with each other. 
• Social media strategies – the presenter provided many useful tips and so many ideas about different tools to use that I have to find some time to check them all out, but I’m excited about utilizing many of them.  I feel like I’m starting over again, in a way, when it comes to my online presence and many of her ideas will really help me as I complete and publish my next book.
• Marketing strategies – this has always been the subject I dislike the most…selling yourself is not an easy thing to do for many.  But this presenter was excellent.  From creating a plan, to creating systems, investing in yourself, networking with others, creating newsletters, promotions and sales…and everything in between, she was excited about her work and she made me excited about it too.  She provided useful ways to tackle this difficult part of the business and even more surprising, she made me believe I can succeed, and possibly have fun at it, as well. 

With everything I learned from each presenter, what I really gained from the conference was this:  excitement. It is addicting. And I refuse to let that feeling go. 

The creative nourishment I gained at this conference has already caused me to lose sleep because I can’t wait to completely dig back the layers of noise in my head that have kept my characters muted for so long. I know this will sound weird, and if you’re not a writer you might not understand, but I feel awful about shutting out my characters for so long. 

The drought I’ve been in is over. 

Period. 

I’ve had a rough go for long enough, with a wild roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs that has been difficult to maneuver through. The control freak in me has definitely felt out of control.  But it’s time for me to take back control of what I am passionate about, remember why I’m passionate about it, and make a conscious and constant effort to stick to the path I started a few years ago.

So long drought – hello creativity.

Have a great week!

Hello? It’s me…back up and running.

Summer is over, school has begun and we’re about to move into another season of weather and the parade of upcoming holidays this time of year brings on.  It is probably my most favorite time of year, the change from summer to fall, fall colors, crisp mornings, seasonal drinks and fun Halloween decorations in stores I can’t resist checking out (and playing with).

As we literally move from one season to the next, I am personally moving from one season to another, with more change and the shift into another new normal, yet again, that the past few months have brought me.  It’s been two months since my last blog post, but it was a much-needed break, considering the fact that I had to focus on serious matters involving family illness and the loss of two parents to cancer.

I have definitely had some struggles the past year and a half or so, since my dad passed away in early 2015, and while I attempted to find a way to get through my grief.  Writing should have given me some comfort, and sometimes it did, but my focus was difficult to keep under control.  This year started out a bit better but mid-way through we lost my stepmom to cancer and just last month, my husband’s mom also lost her battle to cancer (we already lost his dad to cancer, six years ago on today’s date).

Seriously, all I can say about cancer is that is sucks.  If you’ve never had a scare yourself or watched a loved one battle cancer, consider yourself very fortunate and pray you never have to watch a loved one suffer through this awful illness.

But this post is not about cancer or death or grief – instead, it is about moving on, moving through seasons, even the toughest ones, and coming out stronger.  I’m here to say that I am back and ready to move on with my writing, with connecting, learning, researching, creating and enjoying all there is about writing.  Life may continue to have its ups and downs, but if the past year and a half has taught me anything, it is that I may falter, or even fall, but each time I will get back up and continue on, stronger, even, due to what I have been through.  Another lesson is that we cannot really enjoy the life we have unless we live in and enjoy each moment, enjoy time spent with those who are still here with us, look forward to the future with optimism and resist the urge to live in the past.

“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present.” ~Marianne Williamson

To honor the memories of lost loved ones, I’m focusing less on the past, the what-if’s, and the could-have-been’s, and I will fully enjoy life by living in the present and spending time doing what I am passionate about.  Each morning when I wake up, I will have the attitude that I can make each day ridiculously amazing. 

The effort to succeed in life has a much better chance if the attitude is attentive, positive and motivating.  With this attitude, a person can do great things; and in the end, will leave them with less regret. 

So let the change in seasons begin, both literally and figuratively…because I’m ready!

It’s time to take a blogging break…

If you haven’t noticed, it’s been awhile since I last posted.  It’s been just over a month, when I was overcome with nostalgia with the onset of my youngest son graduating from high school.  I wrote about beginning a new phase in life, one that I was excited for even though I really had no idea what I was in store for.  I’m still getting used to the idea of not having kids under the age of 18, but more than that, I’ve been reflecting so much more about my life and what I expect from it. 

With this reflection comes change: a change in mindset; a change in habits; and a change in expectations for myself in order to find a good balance as I focus on personal and family matters while I also continue to work towards my goals.

My youngest is technically on his last summer break as a “kid” before he starts college and I’ve decided I need my own summer break, as well.  In order to stay on track with the process I’ve begun, I made the decision to take a break when it comes to blogging.  I may check in during the month of August, but realistically, as far as regular posting goes, I’ve decided to take blogging off my to-do list until September. 

This is not blogger burnout; it’s just a blogging break - which could help avoid burnout.  Sometimes you have to make the decision to step away from some things in order to focus on others. 

Whatever your plans or goals may be the next few months, I hope you enjoy yourself and have a wonderful summer.  

Take care and see you in the fall!