Quote of the Week

Quote of the week: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” - Toni Morrison



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

NaNoWriMo Alternative Challenge: A Month in Reflection

Today marks the last day of November and the last day of my NaNoWriMo alternative challenge. My original goal was to complete 15,000 words on a work in progress novella called Fahrenheit, as well as to keep up with my two blogs and other writing. I also had a side challenge to write everyday and read everyday, something I had not been doing like I should the last several months. Did I reach my goals? Did I reach my goal of 15,000 words. Yes and No.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Are Deadlines Hurtful or Helpful to the Writing Process?


I have always been in the belief that goals are important, keeping a person focused on what needs to be done and usually giving a time-frame for when said project needs to be completed. It keeps us from running around in circles and gives us purpose. In a sense deadlines are the same, but on a smaller scale. Deadlines are usually for very specific projects and have a definite timeline. It’s a strict date to work towards and a feeling of doom if said project is not completed by the expected date. Deadlines too can be helpful in motivating a procrastinating body (such as myself) to keep moving forward and having a sense of accomplishment from completed deadlines, but what if this strict process creates a pressure that stifles the creative spark?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Books Anonymous: Are You Hooked on Books?


Are you an addict? I’m an addict and a big one, a book addict. It seems I have no self control when it comes to books. I pick one up and start reading. I reach a certain point (usually the 2nd to 4th chapter) when I can’t stop reading. The house could be burning down around my ears and my eyes wouldn’t move from the page. It’s sad but simple fact. 

I have tried to restrain myself, but my efforts always end with failure. So what's my solution? I stopped reading, which then affected my writing. It's a proven fact (I’ve tested the theory myself) that if you want to be better at the craft of writing then you need to read every day. This made my so-called solution no solution at all. Is there a real solution to the problem?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

NaNoWriMo Challenge Success!

It's a week into November and the NaNoWriMo contest, or in my case the NaNoWriMo alternative challenge. Last week I was all ready to start writing and get the ball rolling, except when I actually sat down to write, I couldn't come up with two coherent words to put together. This puzzled me for a bit, because I had done NaNo (the official contest) and other unofficial NaNo challenges with no problem. After a few hours of no progress, I hung up my spurs and decided to get something out of the day and spent a much needed time with the Hubbie. The rest of the week I reflected on why I had trouble and came to the conclusion that I had been so focused on other things that I was incapable of doing the challenge, so I had to make the decision of whether I would bail on the contest or continue.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

NaNoWriMo Alternative Challenge Fumble

It's November 1st are you ready to write? Apparently, I'm not. My big kick off has yielded a big fat ZERO. I sat down this morning to start writing on a story that I set aside the beginning of the Summer and realized why I set it aside in the first place. It has great characters, inner conflicts, but the setting is off and I can't seem to nail it down. So what does that mean for my story Fahrenheit, and the November challenge? Well, it has taught me I shouldn't wait to the day of a challenge to tackle a shelved story. I should have dusted it off last week or even a few days ago.