NaNoWriMo Countdown: Do it

NaNoWriMO--National Novel Writing Months starts 01 November 2011.

That's 17 days away!

There is still plenty of time to think of a novel idea, outline, and plan. No worries.

Also, you can be a pantser and not have anything planned and just start writing on, or even after, 01 November.

If you wonder for a heartbeat if you should do NaNoWriMo, do it. Don't let another year go by without pursuing might end up being your dream and your purpose.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Check out my new blog

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: "What's Your Speed": A writing resource

Journaling Chronicle: What is journaling? The simplest response

Do you want to be the most productive writer you can be?

Do you want to be the most productive writer you can be as you write your novel for NaNoWriMo?

How can you be the most productive writer you can be?

The answer is simple.

PLAN.

That's it.

Have an outline. 

Have your schedule cleared and have your time writing each day listed on the same schedule. 

Tell others your plan to write and ask them to help you honor your plan.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Check out my new blog

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: What is your plan?: How much writing per day? How many days per week?

Journaling Chronicle: What is journaling? The simplest response

"What's Your Speed": A writing resource

I love finding blog posts which make the point I was trying to make in my blog later on that day or a few weeks later. It emphasizes my point and gives you another look at what I was trying to say. So, here is one of them. It's about your writing speed (and the tortoise and the hare):

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/13301b386677b949

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Check out my new blog

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: What is your plan?: How much writing per day? How many days per week?

Journaling Chronicle: What is journaling? The simplest response

What is your plan?: How much writing per day? How many days per week?

So, what's your plan?

How many words do you want to write each day?

How many days per week are you going to write?

With NanoWriMo, the goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. So, that's at least 1667 words per day if you write every day--including on Thanksgiving. If you don't want to include Thanksgiving, that's at least 1725 words per day.

If you want to write only 5 days per week, not including Thanksgiving, you need to write at least 21 days and at least 2381 words per day. 

So, what is your plan now?

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Check out my new blog

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Check out the new blog

Journaling Chronicle: What is journaling? The simplest response

NaNoWriMo and clearing your schedule

So, you want to write a novel... Have you cleared your schedule so you are able to do so?

Have you put writing on your calendar/schedule at least five days a week? 

Have you told people that you are going to be basically unavailable during the month of November--except for Thanksgiving? 

Have you set your vacation responder in your email so people know it might take you a while to get back to them? 

Just a few suggestions.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Check out my new blog

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Check out the new blog

Journaling Chronicle: What is journaling? The simplest response

Check out the new blog

The new journaling blog is now up and running. I just wanted to let you know. Click on the link listed below in this post and check it out:

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Experimenting with my writing

Journaling Chronicle: Why journal?: Reason #1

What is journaling? The simplest response

Journaling or journalkeeping is the same as keeping a personal blog about your life or a diary. 

It's writing down your memories and your thoughts--past and present.

It's also keeping track of your dreams, goals, and inspirations. 

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Experimenting with my writing

Journaling Chronicle: Why journal?: Reason #1

What is journaling? The simplest response

Journaling or journalkeeping is the same as keeping a personal blog about your life or a diary.

It's writing down your memories and your thoughts--past and present.

It's also keeping track of your dreams, goals, and inspirations.

Stacy Duplease

Why journal?: Reason #1

Reason #1:

Why should you journal?

It puts your life on the page and makes it unforgettable.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Experimenting with my writing

Why journal?: Reason #1

Reason #1:

Why should you journal?

It puts your life on the page and makes it unforgettable.

Stacy Duplease

Test

Test

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Experimenting with my writing

Experimenting with my writing

As you read in a blog post last week, I started to use Google Docs for my main writing tool. So, I can use it on my cell, on my PC, and on my Amazon Kindle Fire once I get it. Now that I've used it for over a week, I have a confession.

It's even better than I thought. 

My productivity had increased by at least double. Some days, it's been triple-fold. No exaggeration. I am getting far more done and far more quickly. 

Then, two days ago, my work doubled again (on top of the double already from using Google Docs). I couldn't figure out why. Then, yesterday, it went back to what I've been averaging over the last week. Huh. Why? What caused the jump?

Then, in the middle of the night, it hit me. I knew what caused the spike. I listened to country music. I sang at the top of my lungs, danced, and wrote. But, through all the fun, I increased my productivity yet again. Interesting. You would think it would be the opposite. Nope.

So, I tried the country music thing again. Sure enough. I had a spike in productivity again. 

Interesting. 

This is what I talked about in my last blog post. You have to constantly experiment to see what works and what doesn't work when you write... keeping in mind it can evolve and change. 

If you get more done with writing one day, why? What's the difference? If you get less done, why? What's the difference? These are questions to ask yourself. It will help you to ace NaNoWriMo and write the best novel possible. 

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: 18 days and counting until NaNoWriMo

What works and what doesn't work when writing

With the act of writing, there's lots of experimentation. It's a matter of finding out what works for you--and what doesn't.

The fun part (I say sarcastically) is knowing that what works today might not work tomorrow. It's a process of continual experimentation and adaptability. The more adaptable you are, the better your writing will be. 

Stop. Re-read that last sentence once more.

If you are worried about getting blocked, or not knowing what to write when you need to, keep everything I just said in mind. Adapt. Transform. Grow. Experiment.  

How do you want to write your novel for NaNoWriMo? Do you want to hand write, use a typewriter, cell phone, or a computer? If you're using a computer, what program?

Where do you plan on writing?

Experiment with different things. See how it transforms your writing.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: 18 days and counting until NaNoWriMo

18 days and counting until NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is 18 short days from now.

Are you ready?

I am taking the next few hours today to work on my preparation (planning) of "Jamestown Passage" and Vol. 1 of the Jamestown Mail-Order Brides Series. then, tomorrow, I am meeting with two NaNoWriMo buddies to do more preparation.

~ Stacy Duplease
A timeless kind of love...

Writing Resource

"30 sorry reasons you may never finish writing your book" article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?30-Sorry-Reasons-You-May-Never-Finish-Writing-Your-Book&id=6613221

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Check out this writing resource: "So Start Your Book Already and Write Like the Wind" article

Check out this writing resource: "So Start Your Book Already and Write Like the Wind" article

Hah! Look what I just got in my inbox. Great minds think alike. This about writing your book--and writing like the wind. That's what I wrote about earlier. Gotta love it. 

http://ezinearticles.com/?So-Start-Your-Book-Already,-and-Write-Like-the-Wind&id=6616550

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Obstacles and "Yorktown's Dawning": Part 1 of 2

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Regarding NaNoWriMo, are you the turtle or the hare--or maybe haunted house in style?

Regarding NaNoWriMo, are you the turtle or the hare--or maybe haunted house in style?

Regarding NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), are you the turtle the hare, or the haunted house style? Or are you a river in Egypt?

Are you working at your preparations fast and furious like the hare?

Are you working steadily like the turtle?

Are you running from it, screaming--like you are exiting a haunted house?

Or, are you the river in Egypt? And are living in de-Nile (denial)?

Why are you choosing that style? Is it working for you?

It frankly doesn't matter which style you are using at the moment.

Just let the ideas come. Sit back. Breathe. You have time to write your dream novel. You've got time to prepare. Don't drive yourself crazy. Don't stress. Just write. That's all you ever need to do. Just write. Sit in your chair and write. Let it come. Don't force it. Write.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Writing historical fiction: The Siege of Yorktown

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Obstacles when writing

Obstacles when writing

Have you ever noticed how many obstacles are placed in your way when you want to sit down and get serious about writing?

There is a reason for this phenomena. It's because you are supposed to be writing that. (Whatever 'that' writing piece is.) You were meant to write your novel, or your blog post, and that's why the obstacles have been thrown in your direction. It's to keep you from doing what you are meant to be doing. It's meant to keep you form your life purpose. It's meant to distract you and keep your focus on something else.

Expect the obstacles.

The question is, what are you going to do about them?

The obstacles are far worse, by the way, when you have a deadline and are writing the novel you are most excited about. The obstacles are worse during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)--and during your preparation for it.

Have you experienced this in your writing life?

If not, just wait. You will. It's inevitable. 

Take a look at my historical blog. I'm going to write about my own obstacles regarding "Yorktown's Dawning" and the journey of that novel. It will be called, "Obstacles and Yorktown's Dawning." I will have it posted shortly. (Provided that there aren't even more obstacles.) 

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Writing historical fiction: The Siege of Yorktown

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: When writing, remain open

When writing, remain open

With NaNoWriMo only 19 hours away, it's important to allow the story to come to you. Don't force it. Even if you have no idea whatsoever what you want to write at this point. Allow the ideas to come to you. Remain open for this to happen. If you stress, worry, or want to give up, you close off the free flow of ideas.

Remember this as you write your novel as well.

If you ever feel as though you are forcing the writing, stop. Take a step back. Take an hour break and so something drastically different to keep your mind off of your book. Clean the house. Exercise. Run an errand. Call a friend or family member. 

Writing must never be forced. When it is, the writing is not up to par. It's put into a mold and isn't allowed to breathe. 

Allow your novel to write itself. Allow the free association of ideas to go down onto the page. This is true whether you are at the beginning stages of coming up with an idea for the novel, if you are outlining, if you are writing the guts, or even when you are editing the completed work. 

Don't force it. Allow your novel to breathe and have a life of its own. 

It will happen on its own--if you allow it and get out of the way. Don't force it.

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Writing historical fiction: The Siege of Yorktown

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: 20 days and counting!

20 days and counting!

NaNoWriMo is in 20 days.

Oh, boy. That's less than three weeks away... 

It's getting exciting!

Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Author, Journalkeeper, & Blogger 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Writing historical fiction: The Siege of Yorktown

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: NaNoWriMo Countdown