Tag: NaNoWriMo

Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo

Posted on by staceyjaine in Indie Author, NaNoWriMo, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Writing

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Yes. It’s October and you know what that means. NaNoWriMo is coming.

It’s October 15th which means there’s just over two weeks until November is upon us.

Eek! Don’t ask me what I’m writing cause I don’t know yet.

Having participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) since 2005, I like to think I’ve picked up a tip or two along the way.

So, I’ve decided to share.

Tip #1: Pace yourself. Writing 50,000 words in 30 days may seem like a massive undertaking and leave you feeling completely overwhelmed, but the truth is it doesn’t have to. 1,667 words per day is completely doable, and if you break it down into even smaller goals… say 834 words in the morning and 834 words at night it’ll be an even easier goal to smash.

Tip #2: It’s never to early to kill off a character. In NaNoWriMo… anything goes. I once killed of a main character in the first chapter. Surprisingly, it worked and pushed the other characters forward. Death scenes take up a lot of words. So, does sex.

Tip #3: Editing is for December. Turn off your inner editor. Yes, it’s hard, but completely doable.

Tip #4: Turn off distractions. Procrastinating is the worst enemy to any NaNoer. If it helps set a timer, and turn off the WiFi. Research is fun, but time consuming.

Tip #5: Have fun. Because if you’re not having fun while writing, there’s really no point.

And there it is. I hope you find these tips helpful.

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Day #19 to #25

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

sword girlI’m closing in on the finish line. I’m not sure how I feel about my story and that’s okay because the way I figure it I have all of the coming year to make it shine.

As of the end of DAY 25 I have 41,005 words and no one else has had to die. Which is nice because I don’t relish killing off my characters even if they do deserve it as Tanaquill and Madrigal did.

Dyson is heart broken but it’s a small price to pay to see those two get what they deserve.

So, here’s to the last remaining days of NaNoWriMo. I hope it’s as productive for you as its been for me.

Day #16, #17 & #18

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

And we’re past the half way point. Finally! November honestly feels like it’s dragging to me. Anyone else?

It’s weird.

But maybe it’s just me, given the struggle for words is real!

Anyhow… where am I in this marathon that is NaNoWriMo? Well… I’m catching up again.

YAY!!!

As of midnight on DAY 18 I’m sitting on 29,006!

Arianell is proving to be something of a challenge. I thought her a girl of about twelve at least in comparison to a human twelve year olds but by her speech and mannerisms alone she definitely older.

She doesn’t like labels much either. At least not when Riordan tries to reaffirm her position in the family as his younger sister. Now that she’s Queen she’s gotten snarky.

Day #13, #14 & 15

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

Yep! I’m doing things in threes now. LOL. I’ve also had this post drafted since Saturday and only now (Monday) did I find the time to post it.

For those of you keeping track. At the end of DAY 15 you should have written 25,005 words. I on the other hand have written almost 22k.

I’m rusty when it comes to pushing myself to write 1.7k a day… and it’s taking its toll. Plans to catch up are in the works even if the story suffers a little for it.

I’ll edit out what doesn’t work later.

Right now there’s a lot of drama. Two dead faeries. Arianell (Riordan’s little sister) is about to become Queen of the Winter Court and I’m still not entirely sure her feelings about the situation.

Time will tell I suppose.

Day #10, #11 & #12

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

rose garden

Well I met my minimum word count (1667 words per day) for DAY 10, 11 & 12. Of course I forgot to update the NaNoWriMo site on Monday and Tuesday so now all my stats are weird.

I’m currently sitting on 17,152 words…

As for the story, well its not how I envisioned it in my head, but it’s words on a page and we’ll see what today brings. Maybe I can wrangle my characters into something more akin to an organized story.

Meanwhile today, I’m aiming for at least 1667 words. I’d like 2k but my brain is mush just thinking about it, so I’m not going to go there.

 

Day 7 & 8

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

What can I say it’s November and I’m not perfect. DAY 7 and 8 netted me a combined total of 1800 words.

I’m currently 4,440 words behind and it’s because of that I’ve decided to switch things up and continue with NaNoWriMo as a rebel. I will continue putting words down on my novel and complete any other writing projects that crop up.

It might seem like cheating to some but I’ve proven to myself in the past I can write a 50k word novel. So, for now I’m just going to write.

50k here I come!

Day #5

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

fey wild

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later… I dropped the ball. I wrote 714 words yesterday. I have about 906 words to catch up on. I won’t be doing any massive steps to rectify that today, however but I am aiming for 1,668 words minimum. It’s still early. Fingers crossed. Trying to balance the chores and writing when November comes around is tricky.

How is everybody else going with their writing goals? NaNoWriMo or otherwise? Are you hitting your targets or flailing?

I’ll have another update, for Day #6 later.

Day #4

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

Well it’s 9pm on DAY 4 and I was skeptical that I’d actually make it but 2,050 words later and I’m all caught up. Sitting at 6,715 words which means I can ease off on the nano words at least until tomorrow.

Story wise… well unexpected things are starting to crop up. People I presumed were dead this morning are now alive and well and in hiding. If you’ve ever watched Reign or Lost Girl, you’ll get the vibe I’m going for with my story. It’s the Royal drama and romance from Reign melding with the fey shenanigans from Lost Girl.

It’s actually starting to get just a little bit exciting. I have no idea if this story will go the distance or not but I’m starting to see an overarching plot emerge, which is great.

There will be at least two more people dead by the week’s end I think.

I don’t relish killing off characters but these two deserve it.

Well, until tomorrow and for those of you doing NaNoWriMo or just working on other writing projects… happy writing!

Day #3

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

And it’s DAY 3!!!

I finished at 3,358 words yesterday. Hit the target but was 200 words shy of reaching 1,667 words for the day. I’m currently at 4,472. With 34 minutes remaining…

I miss my buffer.

This morning I learnt not to fall asleep mid thought. I’ve completely blanked and had to write around whatever it is I was trying to say, which was interesting to say the least.

Today’s words are coming slower than yesterday, probably because I slept in. But the aim is to see out today with at least 5,001 words if not a few more.

I jumped ahead a bit in the story and the plan is to fill in the gaps tomorrow.

Suffice to say it’s been an interesting three days so far. My characters have been misbehaving and are taking me along for the ride.

Day #2

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

And DAY 2 has arrived. It’s 3pm and I’m currently sitting on 2,800 words all up and I’m just 500 words shy of today’s minimum word count. I finished out yesterday with 2,001.

The story has a working title. It’s Gilded Roses. It will likely change before November is through.

Other things I know so far…

Riordan has a sister. Nameless at the moment. So if anyone wants to throw Irish names my way that could suit a raven haired girl by all means place them in the comments.

Saoirse is a bit of a mystery still. I mean I know what’s going to happen in the next few thousand words but beyond that nope. Drawing a complete blank.

Here’s hoping i can make this story go the distance. I haven’t written a novel from scratch in so long when it comes to NaNoWriMo and I’m feeling the pressure a little.

I haven’t yet managed to turn of my inner editor and as such the beginning has changed. For the better, I think.

So, here goes… this is the opening to this years novel.

I awoke slowly, drowsy and disoriented. The last thing I remembered was packing my suitcases.

My parents were dead. The reality hit me again, like a punch to the stomach and I sucked in a breath to keep from crying.

But after that there was nothing. I tried to fight the fog but it was impenetrable.

Had I been drugged?

Looking around, it was clear I was on a plane. Possibly thousands of feet up in the air, but as to who had put me here, or where I was headed. That was a mystery.

I wracked my brain, but only pieces of information came back to me. My parents’ death. Their funeral. And then being given two hours to pack my most prized possessions into a few suitcases. My entire life summed up in a few bags.

Tragic.

I’m not sure how I did it, but I did, because I was here now. Seated on this plane, albeit slightly sleepy and horribly confused, but here nonetheless. It wasn’t a commercial airline I was travelling on, because I was the only passenger and the aircraft itself was small. Maybe a dozen seats all told. Somebody had gone to great lengths to get me away from my home. The question I asked myself was why?

In my pocket I found my cellphone. Turning it on I spied one new text message, sent from a number unknown to me. It read:

Don’t scream. You’re safe. Friends will meet you at the end of your journey.

Day #1

Posted on by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh

Well it’s DAY 1 of NaNoWriMo… and it’s going well and my daily target has been met. I’m considering hitting research mode in a little bit because I went into this story knowing virtually nothing but the basic plot and names of the main characters.

Saoirse and Riordan… in case you’re wondering.

In typical me fashion… there’s faeries involved, but it’s totally cut off from anything I’ve written to date. New world and a whole new cast of characters. New slants on faerie courts as well… to a degree. I’m… still figuring it all out, suffice to say scenes are unfolding disjointedly in my head faster than I can type. Which is always fun.

For now though, I’m leaving you with the opening line… which isn’t the greatest, but it’s words on paper and that’s all I’m concerning myself with for now. It’s November after all. My rough draft is rough.

I awoke, drowsy and sluggish, on a plane, one hundred thousand feet in the air with no idea how I had gotten to be on the plane or where I was headed.

Intrigued?

Yeah me too.

Happy first day of NaNoWriMo for those of you who have started… and good luck to those of you who are yet to start.

For those of you who may be keen to follow my progress over the next month, I’m going to try and update this blog once a day.