Category: Nanowrimo

NaNowrimo Week One

ErykaLeave a comment

Hey Y’all,

The first week of  NaNoWriMo is over and let’s just say my progress has not been great. I’ve been working hard to finanowrimonish this creative nonfiction piece called “Salvage” while battling an upper respiratory infection.

However, I have worked on my novel. I’ve added maybe 50 words to it. Yikes! Even calling it a “novel” is daunting for me. Makes it feel so massive and unwieldy. I feel like getting my mind around it and developing each scene into the full and robust images in my head is damn near impossible.

Okay so now we’ve got that little freak out out-of-the-way, it’s time to get down to business. In truth, I am not as concerned about hitting 50,000 words this month as  I am with developing better, more productive writing habits and learning to use writing tools like Dragon and Scriveners.

By far the most important thing for me is to develop and maintain a writing schedule. I don’t have a dedicated writing time: I squeeze it in between work and other “important things” I have to do.  That needs to change.

So I will get up an hour earlier ( then two) to write in the mornings before I do anything else, except make a cup of tea of course.

As I said finishing Salvage is the top priority, but I will make more progress on the novel.  It’s really time for it to take center stage anyway.

Eryka

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Nanowrimo 2017 Prep

ErykaLeave a comment

Note: I wrote this last week, but held it back it because I didn’t consider it good enough to post. I do that a lot with my writing. So one of my goals is to get out as much content as possible and let it speak for its self.

Hey Y’all,

It’s just a week away now. Nanowrimo. I’ve registered on the site and am gearing up to finish this really long fiction story that is so dear to my heart. I’ve cleared a few things off my plate in anticipation of the commitment needed to write 1500+ words per day.  I’ve let go of a part-time job and I am wrapping up a personal essay I started last year but put aside because of the emotional strain of it.

In fact, I should be working on said essay right now but I am at one of the sticky parts so I’m about Nanowrimo instead. Is that simply a redirection of energies or procrastination?  Not sure, but I wanted to talk about procrastination anyway, so segue…

I procrastinate. I decide either a task will take too long and must be done later or won’t take much time at all and well…I can do it later. Perhaps it is a function of our multitasking society. Or maybe I just have commitment issues—I don’t want to stick with one task too long for fear I won’t get to something more important.

So I was quite grateful for the email this morning from Novel Now about how to stay focused and in procrastination. Novel Now is one of my favorite writing sites and lots of great writing tips and insight on how to push forward with this long-term project that I’m working on.

Eryka