NaNoWriMo 2022

 

Oops. I finally got here, better late than never right?

I did participate in NaNoWriMo this year (still going of course). I hit 50k already, but will keep going for the rest of the month and hopefully beyond.

The difference this year is that I participated in NaNo as a rebel - rewriting/revising a novel that was already mostly finished many years ago.

With advice from my excellent critique partner, I devised a beat sheet in the days beforehand and then got to work on November 1. I've revised the beat sheet a few times as problems cropped up - thankfully none too major.

I was a bit distracted leading up to November, because I got the sad news late in October that my high school best friend had passed away. Because of certain factors, her funeral has not happened yet - it's next week on Tuesday. So it's been quite a wait for her family as well as all of us, her friends left behind.

Anyway ... that's been on my mind since I got the news. But NaNo has been quite a nice distraction as well.

I had a week off this week which was very nice, although I'd like at least two more! Thankfully the holiday season isn't far away, and so I'll get more time off then.

In between then and now, there is a lot of stuff that needs doing at work, so no doubt I'll be exhausted again by the time the holidays roll around.

I have not been feeling particularly creative this year, due to work being full-on as usual, and my "second full time job" the animal rescue still being busy as well). But I'm glad I managed to make myself do NaNo, as it feels good to have at least achieved something creative this year.

My hope is that I'll be able to focus mostly on revising existing books into the future.

I hope everyone out there is doing well. I wish that I was still heavily involved in this wonderful writer community, but alas other stuff in life has taken over. Maybe someday I'll get back to posting here more. I might try to make that a priority.

Back for NaNoWriMo 2021

 

Wowee! I managed to make it back here for another blog post in another year. How good am I?

It's been another year of slight mayhem, partly because of COVID-19 still being a thing, and also because of work craziness still being a thing. I'm still involved in the cat rescue which is as crazy as ever as well, especially when you mostly have three people running the show and most of those three are burned out perpetually!

I have a headache right now, but that's not important. What's important is that it's November, woohoo, and I'm writing for NaNo again! Last year, one of the novels I had on my to-maybe-do list was titled HOME. Well, that's the one I'm writing this year - I didn't start on it last year at all, as I was busy enough with the other two projects I'd set myself.

I'm at 7,533 words after completing Day 3's writing, and I am just taking it easy. I only just got to over the daily word count today, and I could easily have kept going but decided to stop for the night.

I must say, I still have the same old problem I have struggled with for years - not doing enough editing, while I keep writing new stories. But at least the new ones have a decent structure behind them, meaning that in theory, when I do get to editing it shouldn't be TOO messy. Of course, that doesn't stop me getting stuck in revisions when one particular chapter proves a little too pesky for me to know how to fix.

 

Really though, the main thing that got in my way this last year and a half was:

 

1. COVID-19

2. Work being cray cray!

 

Even now, as we head for the end of the year, we are still having new projects flung at us at work, so there's really no rest for the wicked. Let's just say I can't wait for my holidays! (I have a week off next week, and three weeks off over Christmas)

Anyway ... Is anyone else out there participating in NaNo? If so, good luck and I'd love to hear about your project! If not, I hope you're having success with whatever you're working on right now!

I'm a NaNo winner for 2020

 

Tis official - I am a NaNo winner for 2020!

This has been a pretty good year NaNo-wise. I first finished one of my unfinished projects, a novella that is part of my SUNDOWN series and one that has been hanging around for years.

Next, I moved back into another unfinished project (FOLLOW) which I had been struggling with somewhat, having neared the 'saggy middle'. I got over that hurdle and moved into calmer waters, so the writing went well.

I've hit 50k, and will keep going for the rest of November (and beyond, I assume). I'd love to get this story finished as well.

I'm a little sad that I didn't get to start my new project (titled HOME), but maybe I can do my very first Camp NaNoWriMo next year and work on that story for that.

My critique partner has also had a great NaNo, and has already hit 50k as well. So we're both pretty happy with how we've gone, and no doubt we'll be helping each other in the critiquing department with what we've written sometime in the near future.

How is your writing going? I hope you're having some successes too, even if you don't do NaNoWriMo!

A FOLLOW playlist: https://www.last.fm/user/earthcrossing/playlists/11908723

Has it really been a year already?? Gosh! [NaNoWriMo 2020]

Hello all. I can't believe it's been a year since I last updated this blog. Admittedly it has been one hell of a crazy year, and not just because of the whole COVID-19 situation.

 

Here at home, I have been involved in a huge project at work which has taken up a lot of my time and concentration. As a result, my creative work has really taken a side seat and I've missed it so much. Only in the last month or so did I get back to doing some writing (mostly revision of an existing work), but for the most part it's been a quite creatively 'barren' year.

But of course I'm back to writing for NaNoWriMo 2020! No matter what situation I'm in, I just can't ever seem to miss this event.

I've got three projects I'm working on, and two of them have already been started. I'm hoping to finish at least one during NaNo this year, but time will tell. The third project is a brand new one which has been largely plotted out so should be good to go, but I'd rather finish these lingering stories first.

I hope all of you are doing really well! I haven't forgotten you, trust me - it's just been one of those years. Actually, no, it's not been like any other year that any of us have personally experienced. I'm sure you all understand.