Writing this manuscript for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2021 was one of the most challenging writing tasks I've undertaken yet. It was the most amount of writing I've done in the shortest amount of time and I'm still reeling from everything that was dredged up from it. Like the setting of my book, stirring... Continue Reading →
NaNoWriMo 2021 Week 5
Day 29: 0 words. I knew when I sat down with my computer and the words didn't come, that I wasn't going to finish the 10,000 I needed to complete this manuscript by the 30th. That's ok though. I don't want to force words when they don't want to be written as much as I... Continue Reading →
A Word on the Journey to Publication
The week before last I hit a huge milestone in completing a revision on one of my manuscripts and it was a really important goal of mine to achieve. That success is a step in the direction of publication, but nowhere near the finish line. I’ll preface this to say that what I am working... Continue Reading →
Completing the Story
The final sentence has been written and the completed story has been printed. The emotions I have looking at this manuscript are hard to describe, but the one that rises to the top is pride. I finished this story and I am so damn proud of how it came out. The holes that existed in... Continue Reading →
Pondering the Timing of Feedback
Three more chapters are all that stand between me and finishing this story. I am so excited to see it come to the end and have found my mind wandering to reflections on the process. I couldn't help but spend a lot of time reflecting on the timing of feedback on drafts of stories last... Continue Reading →
A Word to Lean Into, Quarter 2 Reflections
Honestly, I didn't even realize that this quarter of my writing goals was coming to a close with the arrival of September. I've been so deep in life things these past three months that my writing has taken a spot in the backseat and has, more or less, waited quietly for me to invite it... Continue Reading →
Setting up for September
Summer is officially over as both of my girls head to school this week and that means we’re entering another phase of life. This phase promises to be exciting, challenging, and full of things I’m sure I don’t see coming. The summer ended the way a lot of things are in the world right now,... Continue Reading →
What is my Revision Process? Step 4
Feedback was collected, a plan was made, and the revisions were completed! I always print this revision and have it bound so I can hold a physical copy of the work I've completed in my hands. Then I contemplate the very last step in this process. The very last step is to go back and... Continue Reading →
Making Space
It felt really good to get writing done last week, both in the form of new words and the revision of existing ones. It felt equally good to swipe my calendar for August clean and make space for all of the non-writing things to come during that month. Last week I was able to revise... Continue Reading →
Drafts Are Meant to be Chopped
I had a moment last week where I had to confront a kind of ugly truth. I was being precious with my draft. I was being precious with my draft, and it was stalling my progress. Last week I was struggling through a chapter. I had finally finished the chapter I had been struggling through... Continue Reading →