Tag Archives: Tips and Advice

A Few Things I Love

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There’s a few things I really love right now, so today’s going to be a little bit of show and tell.

I love Cricklers!  I know the Washington Post has them, but I’m not sure where else you can find them.  The link is over in the link section.  All they are is a crossword puzzle featuring the news.  It’s a good way to catch up on the news, and they also have vocabulary ones, and a few other random ones too.  And for the most part, it’s different puzzles every day, so there’s always something new.  I haven’t played it for a few days though, but today, I’m going to get back on the Crickler bandwagon.

I’ve been playing the sims a lot- for the longest time is the sims 2, but lately I’ve been playing the sims 3.  I usually go back and forth between the two, but I tend to play it a lot, and then leave it alone for a long time because I’m bored with it.  And then I go back to playing it, and so the cycle continues.  The only problem I’ve been having with the sims 3 is the fact that whenever my sims go on vacation, there are major problems when they get back!  It seems like its a problem they’re working on, but they’re not sure if/when it’ll be fixed.  It’s frustrating, because there are some really cool things you can get when you send them on vacation, like new skills and food…so it’s slightly annoying that when they get back from vacation, the stuff the characters get is missing or they come back as a double.  So…I can play it, but sending them on vacation is out of the question.  Despite that, the sims 3 really is fun to play.

And this is totally random, but the mini-bags of popcorn are totally amazing.  I can get my popcorn fix in a much smaller serving!  I don’t have much to add about the mini-bags of popcorn, but it’s one of my favorite things right now, so there you go.

Right now, I also love online dream dictionaries.  I had this horrible dream last night, and I’m kinda interested in what everything means. 

So those are my current favorite things, hopefully I’ll have some more to share soon!

There May Be Something To This Planning Thing…

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I’m pretty good at not planning for NaNo- I usually don’t do research, but I will admit to doing character profiles that I don’t use once November hits.  But it’s still a good way to get to know my characters, and know how they cope with things and what things they like.  It is nice to refer to it if I need to.

I’ve done quite a bit of work on my plot bunnies, just coming up with some different ideas and possibilities.  I still have no clue what to do for my historical fiction, but then again, I’ve just been reading and haven’t really given it any thought.  But for the other 2 ideas I have, I’ve been doing some serious brainstorming. 

The brainstorming’s been pretty helpful, and I like what I’ve come up with so far.  I still need to come up with something more concrete, but everything should be ready to go by September or October. 

I’m not exactly going to go out and start coming up with an outline, but I at least want a general idea of what’s going on.  But who knows?  I might actually come up with a very basic outline for something one day.  I won’t know what works until I try it.

I did do some research for Turning Point, and had a list of conflicts and questions I had, and it was the only one I didn’t have trouble with last year, so there may be something to the whole research/somewhat planning thing.  I think I’m going to do something similar for my plot bunnies, but I’m going to hold off for the moment.   

The more I use OneNote, the more I like it.  I find it pretty easy to use, and it’s pretty easy to organize it the way I want.  I could even color-code it if I wanted to, and while I don’t, it’s pretty easy to do.    

I’m pretty glad I got my writing done yesterday morning, because I had a busy couple days.  When I got home yesterday, I didn’t really want to do anything except watch tv and maybe take a nap, so I’m glad I did it first thing in the morning. 

Today’s going to be a fun-filled day, so I’m not sure how much I’ll get done.  But I’m sure I’ll do what I can.

Writing Can Be Hard

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It was a struggle to write last week.  I’m not sure why, but it happens.  I managed to work on something different almost every single day, but I had to force myself to get it done a couple times.  It was a good reminder, though, that writing isn’t always easy, and sometimes I don’t want to write.  But I usually feel better after I write, so it wasn’t a total loss.  Plus, the fact that I’m still writing 5 months after the end of November is a pretty big accomplishment.  Ususally my writing is limited to the month of November, and while my pace has considerably slowed since then (no more 5000 word days), I am still writing.   

Not taking a break helped.  The couple times I tried to work on anything NaNo-related, I always waited at least a month before going back to working on it.  And it failed.  I still have some momentum going which is keeping me going. 

I’ve had no problems researching my historical fiction, although it’s pretty much been reading about Henry VIII at this point.  It’s been helpful, because it gives me insight as to what life was like when he was king.  But it’s been slow reading, because I’m taking notes as well.  Plus, it’s a little tedious, but thankfully not as bad as when I read Wars of the Roses.  That was tedious, but I’m totally willing to read it again, mostly because I’m considering doing something related to it.  Plus, it sets up the Tudors, so it’ll be good to have that background, even if I never use it. 

I managed to write during the morning, which worked really well.  It was nice to get it done early, and know that it was out of the way.  

I think I’m going to try something different this week and write for 10 minutes 5 days this week, plus finish up my character profiles.

I’m slightly frustrated that I gained 3 pounds over the last week, but it wasn’t a surprise because I ate way more than I needed to.  It’ll be hard to not turn to food as a way of dealing with things, but at the same time, I really need to change that.  There are better ways of coping than to eat.       

To all the mother’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

Random Stuff!

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I have a general idea of when I want to work on everything- Monday/Wednesday/Friday for already written novels, Tuesday/Thursday for planning/writing prompts and Saturday/Sunday, I’ll either take a break or work on whatever I feel like working on.  I need some kind of structure, and I figure it’ll be easier to focus my attention on each project if I have specific days to work on everything.  It really makes me glad I have my binder, because it’ll be a great way to keep everything organized. 

My writing “schedule” isn’t etched in stone or anything, so I’ll change it when I feel like I need to but I definitely need to get working on everything because I feel weird not working on my NaNo novels and my long-forgotten fanfics. 

Part of it is definitely my inner editor.  It’s like there’s this voice telling me that my projects aren’t worth working on (even though they are!) because they’re crap.  I’ve never finished anything I’ve started, but I am determined this time, because I like some of what I’m written, and I really want to see these projects to the end of the 1st draft.

I do have another fanfic idea.  It’s really more of an inkling, than an actual idea, so I might work on it, I might not.  At the rate I’m racking up these plot bunnies, I might have to do my own version of NaNo in some other month.  Or…I could use script frenzy as my way of getting started on these ideas.  But instead of doing a script, I could write a novel or two.

Food!

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Don’t worry, I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth.  

Food is really important to writing, at least for me.  Last month, I averaged 5033 words a day, which only took about 4 hours or so.  Food’s pretty important, since I don’t write well when I’m hungry.  Every year, I tell myself that I’m going to cook ahead, and make enough food for the month.  I never do, but I imagine it would be helpful because then I’d just need to heat everything up, and wouldn’t actually have to cook anything.  And since I’m the only one who’ll actually eat what I make (it’s the byproduct of being vegetarian/fairly healthy eater- no one will go near it with a 10-foot pole), food tends to last me for a while, especially since I tend to make everything exactly as is stated in the recipe. 

November, though, is when I want to bake and cook, interestingly enough.  Cookies and any other baked goods make excellent snacks for several hours of writing. 

Snacks of any kind are essential.  I tend to go for stuff like crackers (Cheez-its and wheat thins are especially yummy!), fruit snacks and other finger foods, since I can type with one hand while eating with my other hand.  It’s pretty hard to write when both hands aren’t free, in which case, it would be a most excellent time to take a break.  Nothing too greasy of course, because it’ll get all over my keyboard, and grease all over my keyboard bugs the heck out of me. 

As for as actual meals, though, it depends on my mood.  Cereal is the best, because it takes no effort, and I could eat cereal all day.  TV dinners/hot pockets/microwave burritos/veggie burgers are also something I rely a lot on, since they don’t require a lot of effort, and if I can put it on a napkin or in something I can throw away, it means more time for writing, because I don’t have to clean anything up. 

Maybe next year will be the year that I make enough food for the month.  I’ve been on stumble upon a lot the last few days, and I’ve definitely found a bunch that look good, so I’ll have to try them out.  Maybe I’ll end up putting a list together, and leave a couple of things to make during November as a nice break from writing.

The End Is Near

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I thought today I’d talk about writing during thanksgiving weekend.  Usually I’m catching up on thanksgiving, which has always been the one day that saves me every year.  I normally don’t do much on thanksgiving.  I have an aunt who likes to do most everything as far as thanksgiving goes, and everyone usually brings something.  And of course, the fact that I barely have to do anything means plenty of time to write.  This will be the first year that I’m not catching up.  While I might not finish early, thanksgiving will be a good time to get some extra writing in.

Secret Service: 40,182; I’m hoping to get ahead tonight, but if I don’t, there’s always tomorrow.

Harry Potter: 40,018; all kinds of things are happening!  Hermione has plans to take the potion with fred, george, ginny and luna, and everyone’s getting suspicious.

2006 Sequel: 40,123; I’m hoping to get ahead on this one as well, but like I said with my secret service one, if I don’t there’s always tomorrow.

Grand total: 120,323; I’m just under 30,000 words to 150k!  It’s gone by so fast, and the last 10,000 words are some of the easiest words to write.

Every Story Needs A Giant Prehistoric Chicken

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I’m pretty impressed with myself this year.  I’ve managed to write over 100k with contractions, not splitting up words like however, or using any other word padding techniques.  In the past, I’ve used song lyrics, not used contractions, and I’ve split words like however and nonetheless into multiple words. 

Every year I’ve had a character mention or do NaNoWriMo, and this year is no different.  I still need to work it into my secret service novel, but that should be soon.  It did get me thinking about other things I need to include in my novel this year.

  • The giant prehistoric chicken naturally needs to make an appearance.
  • mr ian woon also needs to make an appearance.  No NaNo is complete without him.
  • the traveling shovel of death
  • a bunny.  The only reason i’m writing 3 novels is because of too many plot bunnies.
  • ninjas!  (or ninkas as I like to call them).  pirates.  vikings.  Some kind of ninja, pirate, viking war!

Secret Service Novel: 35,152; still need to write today, but if I don’t, I have no doubt I’ll be able to catch up.

Harry Potter: 35,126; I still need to write for this one as well.  Watching Deathly Hallows Part 1 certainly gave me a couple ideas, so all in all the distraction was well worth it!

2006 Sequel: 38,413; I’m surprisingly ahead with this one, so it’s doubtful I’ll add to this one tonight.  But since I’m a couple days ahead, I’m not too worried about missing a day.

Grandtotal: 108,691; a lot of words, and hopefully I won’t have to resort to nefarious means to get 150k.  However, nefarious means are certainly in my bag of tricks if I need them.

Sleep is Important

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Lack of sleep makes for an interesting day writing wise.  I’d say I got maybe an hour of sleep.  While I did get a lot of writing done, as I might as well be productive if I’m just going to sit and wait to be tired, when it comes to writing later in the day, I write even stranger things than normal.  I’m honestly surprised I didn’t fall asleep at the Living Room this morning.  Here’s a few tidbits from sleep-deprived writing:

  • “I am never reading barry potter.”  (who’s barry potter?)
  • “I’m hpping you don’t forget the.”  (forget what?  that you never ended the sentence?)
  • “Do you think he was in on it?” kiora saidked.  (don’t say or ask when you can saidked)
  • ancoient rines (what’s ancoient rines?  is it like ancient runes?)

Note to self: never write when I’ve only gotten an hour’s sleep.

Secret Service Novel: 33,522; I’m rather amazed I stayed awake long enough to write anything for this one.  Things have a taken an interesting, unexpected (and possibly illegal if it keeps up) turn.

Harry Potter Fanfic: 32,373; My attempt to write this one today hasn’t gone well, mostly because I felt like I was going to fall asleep.  Hopefully my nap will give me enough energy to finish today’s quota. 

2006 sequel: 35,674; at least something productive came out of my inability to sleeep.  I also realized that I’ve given up on trying to figure out a plot for the second half, and instead am going to complain about everything.  Chloe’s been complaining most of the last 6,000 words or so, and since complaining is good for my word count, I might as well run with it.  It is fictionalized complaining, as it’s Chloe who’s complaining about everything.  I’ll see where it goes.

Grand total: 101,569; I’m relieved that I’ve passed the 100k mark!  150k is firmly within reach now!

Writing Elsewhere Can Be A Big Help

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Today was certainly different in terms of writing.  After writing a whopping 7689 words, today’s writing was a tad difficult, because I didn’t want to get anything done.  I was also way too distracted at home, so I decided to go to Starbucks in a Barnes and Noble.  Given that there were no power outlets, and given that my battery sucks (and needs to be replaced I might add), I knew I had to work fast.  I didn’t need to write too much today, since I wrote around an extra 1800 words yesterday.  I’ll admit to being distracted by the shiny, new books, but I did manage to find a copy of a book I’ve been looking for and flipped through.  I didn’t expect there to be so many kids, but then again, the mall is down the street from a couple high schools, and it’s friday, so it shouldn’t be that surprising.  I was pretty productive regardless, so the trip was well worth it.

Secret Service Novel: 30,826; I’m still around 847 words short of my goal, but after my trip to B & N, I feel oddly inspired and productive.

Harry Potter fanfic: 31,749; the roughly 667 words I managed to write at home were a struggle, but once I got to B & N, my struggles were gone.  It’s amazing what focus can do.

2006 Sequel: 32,359; I’m thankful I’m all caught up; however, I’m still not sure what direction I should go, so the 1200 words I wrote today were a struggle.

Grand total: 94394; there’s not much to add to what I’ve already said.  there’s no doubt I’ll get to the 150,000 I aspire to write, even though I’m struggling a little right now.

I Tried To Take A Break…

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I’m a big advocate of writing every day during NaNo, because catching up the last week can be stressful, especially with more than one novel.  Given the fact that I’ve always had to play catch up the last week, I’d know.  It’s weird knowing that I probably won’t spend thanksgiving weekend catching up.   

Today, or at least this morning anyway, I wasn’t feeling my whole writing…magic…mojo…whatever.  I’m feeling confident in my ability to catch up on my secret service novel and the harry potter fanfic if I actually take a day off from writing this month.  However, I’m at a huge crossroads with my 2006 sequel.  Do I want to do the whole chloe’s-having-trouble-writing-and-her-life-is-an-absolute-mess thing or do I want to focus more on her family troubles and trying to find her dad?  I seriously have no idea what direction to go in.  So I just leave it alone for a day or two and I hope I can catch up.  Or I can just have chloe rant about something, she’s better at it then I give her credit for.

Secret Service Novel: 27,821; this novel is easily my favorite of  the 3.  Then again, it’s the one that I’ve been planning the longest, so it’s no wonder that I’ve become rather attached to it. 

Harry Potter Fanfic: 28,373; I’m glad I got the Week 2 struggles over with during week 1.  This one is probably my second favorite.  Harry Potter does have a special place in my heart, so it’s definitely a sentimental favorite.

2006 Sequel: 27,018; I’m hoping that I can figure out where to go with this one.  A day of writing this one, or at least a day where I do little writing for this one may help out. 

Grand total: 83,212; that’s a lot of words!  I’m slowly getting there.  I can do this.