Remember to Breathe.

(Actual representation of me last week.)

I’ve reached the stage of NaNo where I hate words. I’m convinced I could happily burn my WIP. And I’m definitely questioning my sanity.

I’m tired.

In 2017, I wrote approximately 140k across several short stories and three novels.

This year, I’ve written a 90k novella trilogy, a 52k novel, and I’m on track to wrapping up another 65k – 70k novel. Plus a handful of flash fictions. So if all goes well, I’ll end 2018 having written over 200k words in total.

For me? That’s a lot.

In all honesty, this year, it was too much. I didn’t allow myself enough time to rest. I didn’t set enough boundaries around my time.

Being a pantser (and not much of a plotter), my brain works best with breaks. I don’t really know where my ideas come from. I tend to just…sit and write, whatever comes out–comes out. Burning myself can be worse than writer’s block. More like writer’s too fucking tired to remember what words are.

I’ve promised myself to do better next year by taking breaks between my projects next year.

In part, my drive to do more and more comes from being autistic. I’ve an inner need to do and be more because of a less than healthy desire to make up for other areas where I can’t quite do what others do. (It’s hard to explain if you don’t experience it.)

On my list for December?

Relax, read through my massive TBR list, watch my favourite holidays movies, and wrap up this fun Urban Fantasy.

I’m not kicking myself if I don’t quite hit the NaNo deadline.

Writing should be fun, and if I add too much stress, I’m not doing myself any favours.

To NaNo or Not to NaNo.

The above gif is an accurate demonstration of how I’m feeling–and National Novel Writing Month hasn’t even started yet. The last five years I’ve successfully taken part in NaNoWriMo, though I think one year I didn’t quite hit 50k, but I didn’t finish the story so I consider it a win.

Ivy, Alicia, After the Scrum, The Caretaker, and One Last Heist all started life as NaNoWriMo stories.

Now, I’ll be honest. NaNo makes me lose my mind. At no other time of the year would I even attempt 50k in a month, but it’s a challenge I always find impossible to refuse.

When I started thinking about this year, I’d initially decided not to participate. My deadlines have gotten all messed up and I didn’t know if I’d have a book to work on in November. My year has been fairly busy with writing a novella trilogy and writing a novel. But for all the chaos, I do genuinely love particpating in NaNo.

I’ll be cheating this year. My novel is going to wind up being around 80 or 90k, so my goal for November is 50k. That’s my NaNo goal, even though technically the story won’t be finished quite yet.

If I hit 50k, I’m considering it a win.

I’ll be exhausted, but a winner.

Are you taking part in NaNo this year?

I survived.

So, I had the brilliant idea to do National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) once again last month.

And, I won!

I’d dance like Meryl, but I’m so damn tired. My brain melted into a pile of goo the second I’d typed out The End. December will hopefully be a quieter month, even though I have two novels to edit. Editing is slightly easier than writing, but I still I loathe it.

My NaNoWriMo novel, One Last Heist, turned out brilliantly. It had all the twists and turns I’d hoped for, and some I never expected. It’s now in the hands of my capable betas, and I won’t worry about it for a little while.

My relationships with friends and family appear to have survived the madness. I did have to bribe my dog with many treats to forgive me for being chained to my desk. =) NaNo can be a trying adventure with words.

This year the words flowed far better than they have any other year. I’ve participated in the November madness several times. Each one feels a bit different. One Last Heist definitely had my muse’s full attention, and I didn’t necessarily struggle with my daily goals with the exception of one day early in the month.

I can’t wait to share Mack & Toshiro’s story with everyone next year.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned through NaNo is I can’ only manage it once a year. I’m never going to be an 8k word a day author. I barely manage 800 to 1000 words on an average day. It’s more about keeping myself steadily making progress.

But once a year in November, I indulge in a bit of insanity, and some of my best work has come from it. (After the Scrum, The Caretaker, and now One Last Heist.)

And now, I can take a nap…several naps.

Did you take part in the NaNo madness? How did you do?

Oh, A Squirrel.

Or, the biggest distractions to my writing–and how I attempt to combat them.

Note I said attempt. I’m not always successful. Okay. Fine. I admit that I’m rarely if ever successful, but maybe you can learn from my mistakes.

My biggest distractions are…

1. My Dog – I mean. Could you deny this face?

How do I combat it? I don’t. Look at her face?

2. The internet.

You could combat it by turning off the computer. Do I? No lol. The best way I’ve found to avoid internet distractions is to get away from my computer and write by hand for a while.

3. Hot men on the internet.

I suppose technically this is part of #2, but I thought it deserved its own point.

4. Video Games.

I LOVE video games. LOVE. I’ve owned just about every type of gaming console from an Atari to an Xbox. The easiest way I combat the distraction is to use them as a reward–if I reach my writing goal for the day, I can play the game.

5. My husband.

This is actually not a distraction but an interruption. My beloved husband LOVES to stand in the doorway to my office to chat with me. He talks…and talks…and talks. I love him, but sometimes:

What are your distractions and how do you combat them?

A Prayer for the Lost.

Or, as I like to call it, National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) fever strikes again.

I’ve taken part in NaNoWriMo for several years. The insane task of writing a 50k novel in 30 days calls to me like a siren. I’ve won it all but one of the times I’ve taken part. You definitely run the risk of completely losing your mind when you try it.

I’ll also admit that not every author works well under the pressure of it. I certainly couldn’t do it every month–once a year is more than enough. All my other novels have taken anywhere from two to six months to write.

So, in honour of the impending doom, here’s a prayer for the battered muses of all who suffer through November madness.

Dear Goddess of NaNoWriMo,

May you keep our pens moving, our coffee cups full, and our ideas flowing.

Keep our foreheads safe from hard surfaces.

Allow our commas to wind up in the correct places.

May they’re, their, and there cease to torment us.

May our loved ones not give up on us.

Help our word counts to grow.

And when the clock strikes midnight on November 30th–let our novels have hit at least 50,000 words.

Ever yours,

Your thankful and fearful novelist.

Are you taking part in NaNo this year? Have you plotted out your ideas or are you pantsing it? I’m going for a mix of pantsing and plotting. I wish you all luck.

*I may have played a little too much Assassin’s Creed: Origins this weekend and gotten a bit caught up in the prayers to Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. lol

Five Reasons I’m Inflicting NaNoWriMo on Myself.

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It’s that time of year again–when the brave dare to attempt to cram a 50k novel into the month of November. I’ve successfully accomplished it a number of times now. After the Scrum started life as a #NaNoWriMo novel.

So here’s five reasons I’m inflicting this on myself yet again:

I am insane.
Probably. Definitely.
The challenge of writing a novel in thirty days is too hard to resist.
Winning means I’ll have a novel ready to submit/publish in 2017.
Oh, and did I mention I’ve lost my mind?

Are you taking part in National Novel Writing Month? Have you done it in the past?

Day 30 – NaNoWriMo

Nano

I intended to blog about my NaNo experience on the first of December. My brain broke though. And its rather difficult to chunter on about writing when your mind will only go ‘blah, blah. blah.’ Does anyone else feel like they’ve been in a haze after November? It can’t just be me.

So…NaNo.

November itself turned out to be a bit hellishly stressful without even considering the 50,000 word novel. I’m glad to see the back of it. My original goal of finishing both my NaNo story and Elaine’s story went to shit rapidly. I may have been overly optimistic with what I could have achieved.

At the end of the month, I did managed to scrape together a win. My lovely rugby m/m romance, After the Scrum, stand proudly completed. I’m quite pleased with the story. I look forward to sharing it with everyone.

But for now…coffee…and time to get to work on other things–like editing.

Happy December, everyone!