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

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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!

NaNoWriMo: Day 9

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Perseverance.

November is often the worst month for month for me to write. Family obligations and family -related stress are at a maximum during the last two months of the year. And for three years running, I’ve tortured myself with NaNoWriMo on top of everything else.

It’s my masochistic streak showing.

All that being said, I’m in love with my NaNo story this year. I’m way behind in where I’d like to be, though I’m not drowning in lake of unused words just yet. Here’s hoping I can get myself back on track though.

For all those others taking part in the madness this year. How goes your NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo – Day One

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I started yesterday, feeling slightly nervous. All my plans, after all, had been tossed in the rubbish bin. I had so many questions about how I would I do with a new idea? A new idea with characters whose names I hadn’t decided on until the minute I started writing on day one.

There was no outline to fall back on. I’d barely had time to put together a new focus board, never mind working out all the details.

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So…I did good for day one–1,725 words. All handwritten.

The story. The characters. It felt like sinking into a favourite comfie chair. I can tell I’m going to love delving in this world.

There’s a life to Francis and Caddock, my main characters.

If the Blackbird series was dark chocolate, bitter, moody and rich. These two men are a light, sweet milk chocolate with a hint of caramel and sea salt. Tasty, fun and delicious. I’m liking day one, and day two, even though it’s just started.

How’s everyone else doing with NaNoWriMo so far this year?