One of the most important pieces of preparing for NaNoWriMo is to gather my resources. Now, not all resources can be gathered in the same way. My resources are not just tangible things, like the books I love to reference or the word count stickers I use in my planner that bring me joy. My... Continue Reading →
Getting Ready: Same Goal, Different Circumstances
Preparing for the NaNoWriMo challenge is, like most annual events happening in 2020, familiar and very different. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is the challenge that writers take on to complete a 50,000 word manuscript in the month of November. The writing only takes place in the month of November which breaks down the word... Continue Reading →
Have Patience, It’s ALL a Phase and a Process
Last week I needed to remind myself of this each and every day. I needed to remind myself to have patience with myself and with the pace at which I will need to work toward my goals. At the beginning of this year, like everyone, I set my goals with a different kind of world... Continue Reading →
Managing Expectations, Goals, and Writing
August 2020 is done and we are into September. Still 2020, but a new month, so I’ll take it. Ending August was rough. We left summer vacation mode and jumped into full remote learning for our daughters. That meant we had to fully deal with the reality that the fall was going to be a... Continue Reading →
What is the Writing Process? Step 4
Step one, step two, and step three are complete. Step four is the most important, the longest piece of, and the most difficult part of the process. Step four of the writing process is to write. To write your story for the next day, week, month, year. To write for as long as it takes... Continue Reading →
What is the Writing Process? Step 2
Once the writing process has begun and step one is complete (check out What is the Writing Process? Step 1) it’s time to move to tackling the second step. The second step to the writing process is all about beginning to figure out the details of the world, characters, relationships, and scenes in the story.... Continue Reading →
What is the Writing Process? Step 1
First, a very important disclaimer. This answer is going to be vastly different from writer to writer, and sometimes project to project. The steps in this series are not meant to be followed exactly and precisely each and every time a writer takes on a project. I’m describing the steps and the process I loosely... Continue Reading →
Revising, A Story of Process and Tools
Last week I started the work of revising MS:SB. I had already cleared my plot board and knew I really wanted to utilize it during this revision. As I dug into the manuscript and began evaluating my chapters, I made notes as I had before on small pieces of paper. I wrote one for each... Continue Reading →
Struggling with Process
Last week, I really struggled with process. So much of me wants to do this revision differently, to create a process where my approach is wide-angled in view and scope. I want to know at the outset that what I'm doing will be different and more effective than what I’ve done before. But every time... Continue Reading →
Revisions, Process, and Creativity
I decided to do a revision and addition to MS:SB. If I’m diving back into this story, I’m going to complete both at the same time. It’s going to be quite the undertaking and last week I was able to mark where my chapters are for easy reference and I made some general notes about... Continue Reading →