This year, I set out to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’m not a stranger to it. A few years ago, I even succeeded in writing a 50 thousand word novel in a month. It was utter crap, as NaNoWriMo projects often are.
And this year, I stopped after about 7 thousand words.
Category / Writing
I’ve been attending writing critique groups for a few years now, and while this by no means makes me an expert in critiquing, I am an expert in my own personal experiences while attending these groups.
I’ve written some of my thoughts in this post.
Just passed 50k words in my NanoWrimo Novel Syrtis Minor. It’s a murder mystery/adventure set on Mars in 2050. Bunch of scientists, engineers, and the like. Of course they’re gonna kill each other off. I’m a NanoWrimo Winnder!
Been somewhat quiet this last month as I’ve been heads down in NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. Why write blog posts, given a deadline of 50k words in a month on a single new story. Well, I didn’t quite make it. 37,924 words. Still, that 37,924 f*ing words. Wow. Towards the end, I was […]
Well, NaNoWriMo is only a week away, and it’s time to start preparations. I stumbled a bit on my current project as I didn’t properly do my homework before starting. The big thing, well, I didn’t sufficiently flesh out some of the characters. I did an outline and wrote most of the novel with a rather […]
NaNoWriMo is right around the corner, ready to jump me and beat me into a pulp. This’ll be my first time, and I’m gonna do my best. It’ll be tough, as I’ll be vacationing in New Orleans for the first week. I’m hoping that I can get an hour or two in per day when […]
Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts My rating: 4 of 5 stars I picked up this book after I sat in on a norwescon session on gender in speculative fiction. J.A. Pitts was the sole male representative on that panel, and after hearing the discussion on the challenges of stepping outside ones gender in writing […]
I read a lot of urban fantasy. Almost exclusively. I read it on the bus. I read it at lunch. I read it in the bathtub. And I’m now writing it… How about that. Let’s be honest. Most urban fantasy isn’t thought-provoking or world-changing. Many wouldn’t even consider it literature. Plots aren’t complex. The prose […]
I don’t know what it is about writing in coffee shops. I’ve seen many writers recommend finding a quiet corner at home, away from distractions. Turn off the internet, grab a spot of tea, shut out the world. I don’t know about you, but I need more stimulation to get the mental juices flowing. I need music. I’ve put together a soundtrack that works for the mood of my current project. Music I’m familiar with. I suspect new music might really distract me, but no music at all simply wouldn’t put me in the emotional space I need to write. Caffein helps. I need my mocha, iced or hot. It’s comforting yet energizing. And strangely enough, I like having people around me when I write. I don’t want the distraction of socializing with friends or acquaintances, but having people around helps me write about people. I’ve always enjoyed people-watching, you learn so much. The challenge, balance the distraction of people-watching with the hard work of writi…