IWSG December and NaNo Blog Hop

Welcome fellow NaNoWriMo participants. It was a tough year for many of us, but we made it though November - hopefully with a pile of words that we're still adding to or starting to edit. I'm still adding and have a long way to go. I'm also editing, because I had multiple projects. High fives to all you NaNo rebels out there.

Having done NaNo for eleven years, and 'won' ten of those, I like to keep things interesting each November. I know (as long as I'm not building a house) that I can pound out 50K in thirty days or less. That means I need to further challenge myself. Sometimes that means writing a different genre, changing up my usual method of POV, experimenting with plot or structure, or just going outside the box with short stories or a combo of any of the above. If you've done NaNo for a few years, what do you do to keep yourself challenged? 


And we're back to the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.

This month's question: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

I would like to have at least five more books out there, some self-published and some with my current publisher. I'd like to aim for one a year to keep some forward momentum. Currently, the first three books of The Narvan series are under contract, so there's three of my five taken care of - barring any unforeseen publishing issues. Which means, I have two other novels out of the pile of languishing WIPs on my computer to finish, edit, polish and publish. Oh, the choices!

As to why I'd like to continue the self-published/published route, I like not having all my projects tied up in one place. I like the freedom to market in both directions - my efforts and theirs. A good deal of my writing doesn't fit in simple genre categories either, which makes self-publishing a good option for those odd projects.

My plan to get there? Well, that involves spending my mornings in this chair, a lot of typing, probably a large amount of chocolate consumption and hours of frowning at what I've written along with a lot of hours of editing and rewriting. But I'll get there.

November in the blink of an eye

I woke up this morning and took a long shower to wash the NaNo off. Wow, I got lost in November, and boom, its suddenly December!

We held an early TGIO party for our region so my NaNo obligations are over a week earlier than ever before. It feels really weird, but it's a good kind of weird. I'm not as burnt out as usual, so that early party thing? We're definitely doing that again. Though, hopefully without pulling a muscle in my back next time, because that was NOT good. Thankfully, it's nearly recovered now after a week of taking it easy.

NaNoWriMo 2016 yielded one short that's already out in submission, a proposed epilogue and prologue for A Broken Race that readers have ben asking for, a little progress on Interface - which was supposed to be my main project, and a third of the first draft for The Last God, a sci-fi novel that I've been toying with in my head for the past six months or so. All those words got my to my tenth 50K 'win'.

I also read five books because I managed to catch a nasty cold and was good for nothing than blowing my nose and coughing up lungs...and curling up under a blanket with a book (or five). All were by Sherrilyn Kenyon, each in a day, because they're quick, easy reads for my tired brain. I also watched the entire second season of Dark Matter - a must watch for sci-fi fans if you haven't already, and Glitch - an Australian paranormal series that may live to see a second season. If you liked Resurrection, give it a try.

December is looking like editing and revision as well as catching up on all my blog visits month.

NaNoWriMo 2016 Progress

I set out this month with every intention of buckling down and finishing the initial draft of Interface. I'd spent well over a month going over what I had so far from last year's effort when my attention went awry. I'd made notes. I was all set to go. Aaaand about 5k in I decided to take a morning to write a short story for a submission window that closes at the end of the month. That poured out pretty quickly and was done by the end of the day. Then it was back to Interface. For a whole day. Oh look another sparkly short story idea to play with. A couple days later, I wrapped that up. Ok, ok, back to Interface. But then there was this sci-fi story idea I've been kicking around for a few months. Somehow a new document opened and words started to pour out. It was the weirdest thing, I swear. This story is racing right along so I'm going to run with it and see where it goes and how long it takes to get there. Not sure if this is more of a novella or a full novel yet. We'll have to wait and see. Yes, Interface is still open in my document list. It's cursor is blinking angrily at me. I haven't told my daughter yet that I've veered off from finishing the novel she wants me to be working on. Shhhh. It's NaNo. I go where the words are flowing. While I'm busy writing, it's also a busy month for interviews. Here's one I did with Motown Writers.

November IWSG

It's day two of NaNoWriMo, which means I'm busy writing and probably not wandering around blogs very much. Sorry about that. I have words that need to be written! It's also the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.

What am I working so madly on this November? Several things, which will (hopefully) add up to 50K. My primary project is wrapping up Interface, a YA Sci-fi story that has plagued me for several years now. Or maybe it's the annoyed look by my daughter that has plagued me...because I haven't finished the book she wants to read. In addition (or if that project goes sideways yet again), I have a proposed possible epilogue for A Broken Race that I might toy with, a short story that's due by the end of the month and possibly the beginning of book 4 of The Narvan. Projects are not something I lack. Motivation and time are my enemies. Thank goodness have an entire region of guilt monkeys to keep me on track during NaNo.

So this months ISWG question is: What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?
Getting lost in my own world. Not during the first draft, because really, I'm figuring out that world as I spew words onto the page. I mean during edits, when I start fleshing things out, connecting the dots, and really digging into my characters. The hard part of figuring out what the story is is behind me and at that point I can sink into the subplots and make things deeper, darker and more meaningful. At this point the story is for me, and that is my favorite part.

NaNo Eve

On the eve of NaNoWriMo, known as Halloween to some, it seems quite appropriate that on Authors Answer, we share the best writing advice we've received. And that sentence really felt like it should rhyme, but it's early and my brain isn't up for that task just yet. All of this advice seems to directly relate to the challenges of NaNo, so if you're participating, do take a look and be fortified for the task set before you.

Still on the fence about writing a novel in a month? If you haven't given it a try, why not this year? Writing starts tomorrow. There's plenty of time to sign up. 50,000 words in 30 days. It's totally doable. NaNoWriMo, go on, try it.

I'm looking forward to diving headfirst into of writing a pile of new words. It's my writing guilt-free month. People know I'm writing and I'll be in and out in the coming weeks, rushing dinners before write-ins and sitting there distracted while I'm plotting the next scene in my head.

And today is my last day of planning, so I guess I better get back to doing that. Tomorrow, I write.