Look what I just got in the mail!
Today I got my Certificate in Fiction from Gotham Writers’ Workshop!
It’s because of these classes that I kept on writing which got me to where I am today, so thank you GWW!
GWW
I’m Thankful For NaNoWriMo!
I’M BAAACK!!!
Before I start blogging about why I’m thankful for NaNoWriMo, I’d like to take a minute to thank my faithful readers, friends, and family for being patient with me for not posting a blog the entire month of November. Without your support, I don’t think that I would have made it as sane as I did (well, maybe). I will be continuing to blog throughout the rest of the year. As for next year, I will be reviewing more books, and interviewing more writers, (YAY)!
When one thinks of November, most will think of Thanksgiving, and about how soon it will be until Christmas is coming. Well, when I decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month, I knew it would be something that would be difficult, but I thought why not add one more thing to my plate (two Gotham Writers’ Workshop classes, a girl’s only weekend with my sister, and working on edits for my first book, and Thanksgiving with seventeen of members of my family), but I was ready to take the challenge. (I will explain my whole experience in Monday’s blog, but I wanted to first explain why I’m thankful for NaNoWriMo being in November).
Here is why I’m thankful for NaNoWriMo:
- Day after day I learned what it would be like to be a “real” writer.
- NaNo taught me to focus on what’s important in the story, and to pay attention to the plot
- I think that NaNo cured me of wanting to continually correct my grammar and punctuation, but since I had a thirty-day deadline I couldn’t which was so hard to not do
- Most of all I’m thankful for the lesson of “just write,” which will teach me to be a better writer
Anyway, I survived National Novel Writing Month – and I won! Writing my second book consumed me. It was all I knew, and all that I thought about.
Love y’all!
Writing Backwards
I have two Booth reviews in my Gotham Writers’ Workshop mystery class, each consisting of at least 3,750 words. My first Booth submission isn’t due until the middle of November but since I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month, I thought that it would be a good idea to get ahead on some projects that might conflict with NaNoWriMo. Anyway after a sudden thought of a story, I jotted down some notes and thought I really had something. After completing a few other items on my To Do list, it was time to start my murder mystery!
I finished the night with over 1,300 words and love what I’ve written so far. After closing my laptop off for the night I thought of the next few events, but don’t know how to write from A to Z, but rather from Z to A. Have you ever wanted to write the story backwards? I’m seriously considering this! BUT HOW? Do I write line by line, from ending to beginning, or Scene Z to Scene A? Have any of you done this before, or even thought about doing this? I know it sounds crazy, right, but for you writers, is it really that insane? You know how it is, Mr./Mrs. Writer’s Block comes for a visit and won’t go back home until you’ve had some time to mull and stress over until it hits you, and you beginning writing like a mad woman or man.
As I write this I’m beginning to think I’ve lost my mind and have too many things on my plate, but really it’s not that bad. (See THIS blog for what I have coming up during the month of November).
Any backwards writing comments or advice are much welcomed!
Thoughts For Tuesday
I spent a lot of time this weekend trying to come up with a type of outline for my book during National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo. I jotted ideas down in my phone, but whenever I opened Word, ready to start typing, I had nothing! I must have opened and closed the document three or four times the entire weekend, each time excited that this would be it and I’d have an outline. No luck!
While I’m not exactly stressed about this, I am wondering if I should even be participating in NaNoWriMo, but something tells me that I can do this, so at least my confidence isn’t completely busted. I know that it will come to me eventually, hopefully before November 1st, and when it does I’ll be ready!
For now I will be focusing on what I know I need to do to help me write a book in a month:
- Work on creating a conflict and go from there
- Create strong characters; a Hero and a Heroine and their character description
- What do I want the message to the reader to be?
- Do I need to do any research for my work? (A destination perhaps?)
- Make a schedule that ables me to at least write 1,633 words a day, along with two GWW classes, a girl’s only weekend with my sister, and Thanksgiving all in my favorite month!
- De-stress!
**Any help, tips or thoughts are greatly appreciated**
And The Week Begins
This week will start off busy, but that’s okay.
By the end of today I will (hopefully) have turned in another batch of edits to my editor and have written tomorrow’s blog. I will have started on the loads of laundry that have been piling up, along with the other piles of clothes that we have (finally) unpacked this weekend.
Oh, Monday here you are to greet me with your glory.
(Yes readers, I’m STRESSED out).
This week consists of the following:
- Blogging, editing, starting my Nonfiction class from Gotham Writers’ Workshop, working on the assignments and preparing for my other GWW Mystery class which starts a week from Tuesday, writing an outline of some sort for NaNoWriMo, and of course the day-to-day wifely duties (laundry, dishes, shopping, this list never ends)!
Wish me luck!
It’s That Time Again
In just over a month National Novel Writing Month starts and I’m ready…I think! While I was interested in it last year, I was more focused on finishing my first book. Since I finished it in March and am in the editing process, I’m itching to get back to writing! While some of you know I have started writing another book “Somewhere Down In Texas,” I have another story that I want to write even more. That’s why I plan on participating in NaNoWriMo in November, 100%! I’m very excited about it because it serve me new challenges! In the beginning of October I will be taking a six-week Memoir class from Gotham Writers’ Workshop. A week later starts my Mystery class also to be taken from GWW, though this course is ten weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m horribly nervous and anxious about these challenges, but I’m also very excited! I can’t remember when I’ve had so much going on at one time! (Not to forget that birthdays, a girl weekend and Thanksgiving will be somewhere in between…imagine me pulling my hair out right now).
I hope to get through this with flying colors thanks to green tea, visits to the library, support from friends and family and of course wine! Please know that if you don’t see me blogging as much don’t worry, I will be back once November is over with.
So, who’s going to join me during the National Novel Writing Month?
Mystery Chick Lit! Do I Dare?
As some of you might know I’ve been thinking about taking a Gotham Writers’ Workshop class on writing mysteries! Now some might think that this is way out of my league, even I think that. As I evaluated my DVR today, I realized that more than half of them are crime and mystery shows like CSI: Las Vegas, The Mentalist, NCSI: Los Angeles and at the extreme, Dexter, just to name a few.
I have only read one mystery and loved it, though I forgot the name of it or who it’s written by, but I was so intrigued and loved every minute of it. I recall finishing it in two days. That was ten years plus years ago and ever since then, I have been plotting a mystery in my head, but haven’t put any of it on paper. Since I have had a lot of luck with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, last night I decided to sign up for the class that begins in early October. To get myself started I began looking online for helpful mystery tips. THIS was the best one that I found. Since I am a Chick Lit writer in the making, I want to incorporate mystery into one my next books. If you don’t know what that means, HERE’S the definition. Now HERE is the best guide I could find how to write Mystery-Lit. After reading this I am now even more exciting about beginning the mystery writing class. Wish me luck!
Adding Spark To Your Writing and/or Editing?
First of all, I apologize to all my faithful subscribers for not posting in quite a long time — I’ve been on vacation, reading for my reviews and editing my own book…oh, and I started another class at Gotham Writers’ Workshop, my last to receive my Fiction Certificate.
For my GWW assignment this week, it was challenging enough to where I was way out of my genre, yet not way too off to where it wasn’t enjoyable. The piece I wrote wasn’t really dark, but more grey. After I wrote the piece I read it over and over, not believing that I had written something that was so mysterious and showing, with a rare amount of telling — if any at all, like the assignment I was given. I found this inspiring! My passion for writing came more alive, though it never really left, it was just on hiatus.
With these wonderful and creative assignments, it has taught me to open my mind to another kind of writing, not just the happy-go-lucky stuff that I normally write. While I wasn’t quite sure about this class being the right time for me, I can see now that I was clearly wrong. It’s motivated me to be a better writer and editor. You might question the word “editor,” but since I’m in the process of editing, I think that it might be a great idea to incorporate new ideas with what I have already written.
I highly advise anyone who is in a slump with their writing to give taking a writing class a try. It can definitely be the spark that you need.
Two At A Time? I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!
So, on Saturday morning, I wrote and finished my prologue to Book #2, which doesn’t have a title yet. Afterwords, I eagerly began and finished the first scene, in the first chapter. Today, I wrote for almost nine hours on still untitled, Book #1, completing twenty pages, bringing me closer to The End.
I can happily say that I’m working on two projects.
Project #1: I started this book, thanks to a Creative Writing class, I was taking with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, in March of 2010. For almost a year now, I have lived with this storyline and these characters, and I can honestly say that I think this is some of the best work I’ve done…up to this point. I am still improving my writing, by at least trying to write a page or two, a day. For now, my main focus is to finish this Book #1 and have it published, no matter what or how long it takes. I want this story to be read.
Project #2: Live I’ve said, I’m not that far into Book #2, but so far I am loving it! Reason number one: It’s very different from Book #1. In Book #2, I knew right away what my main conflict was going to be, how my characters would act, what jobs they have, and where the setting takes place. Reason number two: I feel that I am more prepared to write it, than I was, when I started the first book. Reason number three: Book #2 is not a Chick-Lit, but I’m hoping to venture out, and still keep my main genre of Romance. My goal date for Book #2 is February 12, 2012! Wish me luck!
Happy Writing!
