Why #NaNoWriMo and #CampNaNoWriMo are Perfect for Me

This month I am a very happy writer. After what feels like a ridiculously long absence, my Muse has returned, and she is raring to go. I signed up for #CampNaNoWriMo last year and my enthusiasm fizzled out very quickly. There were a lot of distractions within the family due to babies and accident-induced illness. I had to reluctantly accept that my writing would not flow while my mind and heart were consumed with other affairs. And it put me into something of a depression, I will admit.

Anyway, that was last year. This year, I am back on track. I never gave up with my writing, and it was always there, ticking over in the background, buzzing like a machine on standby just waiting to be switched on. Perhaps I needed the time to recharge my batteries. Maybe I was simply focusing my attention on my young children, conscious that they are growing fast and that my writing will still be there when they leave home as adults. Whatever the reason, I feel like I didn’t achieve very much on the writing front in 2014. I did, however, keep both of my blogs updated regularly, so I was still writing something, even it was largely what I call ‘disposable babble.’

Now, back to the present. When I began #CampNaNoWriMo this year, I wasn’t entirely certain that I could achieve my goal. I set a word count target of 25,000. That way it is not as much as the full 50,000 required for #NaNoWriMo, but it is still a good enough chunk of words to constitute a fairly decent novel. I had to start somewhere. I need new material to publish. My last novel was published in 2013, and now I am itching to get something else out there, although my methods and plans are a whole other story. And I am happy to report that my novel is growing steadily, and I am well on my way to achieving the word count goal.

I find that #NaNoWriMo and #CampNaNoWriMo are perfect writing challenges for me. I am one of those people that works better to deadlines, and I believe that the reason I have not necessarily reaped the benefits of being a freelance writer so far, is that I have not been putting myself in positions where I have tight deadlines and people to answer to. It was quite nerve-wracking, I suppose, taking on such a responsibility, and what with the distractions of preschool children, I didn’t trust myself to do the work. Doing #NaNoWriMo is a fantastic compromise. I get to write my novels, in the way that I choose, and there is nobody to criticize. Indeed, I receive a whole lot of praise, encouragement and support from my virtual cabin mates on #CampNaNoWriMo, and there is always someone to talk to online when you need a pick-me-up. You get a whole month of writing abandon, and afterwards you have a solid piece of work that you can mould into a finished novel. Perfect!

Writing is Essential to my Daily Routine

I write every day. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, and for several months now, I have been mentally beating myself up because I have no new short stories to publish, and all my novels in progress are awaiting further improvement and editing. I have been getting very irate with myself for not beginning any new projects. I mean, I have several notebooks full of story ideas, snippets of conversation, character descriptions, and more, and yet I fail to implement or utilize those ideas. Even my blogs are falling behind. I typically write two or three new blog posts each week on this blog, and on my personal blog site, SpookyMrsGreen. Again, I have plenty of ideas. My diary is filling up with titles and descriptions. I have rough blog posts saved on my computer.

And yet, somehow, I feel like I am not writing. Perhaps it is because I spend too much time comparing myself to other authors, who all seem to have their writing planned and in action. Everyone else is firing out their new novels and story anthologies. Why can’t I do the same? The answer is simple: I am writing. I am always writing, whether it is a plan formulating in my mind as I wash the dishes, hastily scribbled notes in my diary or notebook, or more serious sessions on my computer. It is just a little more scattered at present. But it will all come together eventually. I hope.

*Image found via WordzNerd Debz

A Not So Triumphant #NaNoWriMo

This is quite difficult to admit, but I am not going to win the #NaNoWriMo challenge this year. I didn't honestly believe I would get very far with the project, since I have a 3 month-old baby and a 3 year-old toddler to contend with. But somewhere in the back of my mind was the little voice  that said 'we can do this!' Well, actually, I am not superwoman. There, I said it! And I'm OK with that.

Yes, we still have a few days left of our precious National Novel Writing Month. But I have no chance of writing upwards of 30,000 words in that time. Not unless I were to completely abandon my family and not sleep for a week while I furiously bashed the keys of my computer. No, that would just end up in a scenario reminiscent of The Shining, and we really don't want that to happen. Instead I will take pride in what I have achieved and take it from there.

You see, for me #NaNoWriMo is about motivation. Without the contest I would still be talking about writing my fourth Redcliffe novel, but I wouldn't have actually written any of it. I am too busy being distracted by my family, and the upcoming Christmas festivities, and ooh, was that something shiny over there... Ha ha! No, I used #NaNoWriMo as a method to get me started and to call out my Muse from wherever she has been hiding these past six months. She seemed to disappear when I was pregnant, and now I have an abandoned manuscript for a separate novel that will be revisited in 2014.

So ultimately I feel that my #NaNoWriMo was a success, and will be a success, because I got started. Now my story is in progress, my Muse knows that she is wanted again, and the ideas are beginning to flow. The story must be written, and it will be written. I also intend to have the first draft finished by 1st January 2014, with the intention to use the early months of next year as a time for editing and submitting three manuscripts for publication. I have a plan. Thank you #NaNoWriMo!

Why do I Write?

I am currently experiencing a lot of changes in my life, and yet outwardly everything appears very normal and unspectacular. My big change is that of becoming a parent and subsequently a 'responsible' adult. Several years ago my then fiance (now husband) and I bought our first house together. We got a dog. We acquired several baby turtles (and now have 2 surviving). Then we got pregnant. Well, I did. The husband did his bit, but we won't go into detail...

Anyway, I now have one daughter aged 2 years and 10 months, and one newborn daughter aged 9 weeks. I tried to keep up with my writing schedule all through my second pregnancy, although since the birth of my first daughter I haven't really kept a writing schedule. It is more a case of write what I can when I find time and energy. It didn't help when my Muse packed up and left town. She just disappeared about six months into my pregnancy. I was devastated!

I now have an abandoned manuscript that will be reassessed at some point in the future. I recently released my fourth novel, The Darkness of Love, which I wrote while my first daughter was a young baby. I plan to participate in NaNoWriMo 2013 as a method to reinvigorate my novel writing enthusiasm. So far my Muse has begun to make small noises and offer tantalizing snippets of dialogue, the occasional new idea, and some very vague plot fillers for book 4 in my Redcliffe series. I am hoping that my children will miraculously settle down during November and allow me to indulge my passion.

Which brings me to my point. Why do I write? Why do any of us write? The simple answer is because we have to. The urge is so strong, our characters are so forceful, and the stories simply have to be written or we would go insane. Recently I have lost some of that insanity, although I gained a whole new version as a mother and wife. I now eagerly await the return of my 'writer eccentricity' so that I can reconnect with myself in the best way possible. We all have our vices. Mine are reading, writing and chocolate.

#amwriting Update and the #15KinMay Challenge

We are reaching the end of yet another month and 2013 is flying by at an alarming rate. After my rather disastrous (non) participation in Camp NaNoWriMo, I found another writing challenge that was being run via Twitter. I decided to join the #15KinMay challenge, thinking that I could easily achieve that goal. It was not to be. I think I have managed about 5k words, maybe just over. Oh well, better than nothing I suppose!

My mood is up and down at the moment. I am veering between the romantic notion of the tormented writer wallowing in self-pity, and the practical modern woman who says "I can do this, I just need to be organised." Of course, it is not easy to wallow in self pity when I have a demanding toddler to attend to, and a baby growing ever-larger in my womb. Perhaps I can allow myself a little rest time while I embrace motherhood. My novel will still be there when I can return to it, and in the meantime I have plenty of other writing projects to keep me occupied...

How is your month progressing? Are you pressing on with your work, struggling with writers'  block, or finding challenges along the way? I am eager to hear from fellow writers and their experiences.

Camp NaNoWriMo Was Not as Planned #amwriting

Well, I did not succeed with my endeavours in Camp NaNoWriMo this year. Oops! I am not upset about it. This was my first attempt in the camp, and I chose to do it at a time when I was busy with other commitments. They included the April A-Z blogging challenge (which I completed successfully), and the fact that I am currently 6 months pregnant with my second child and I have a toddler at home.

The manuscript that is causing me so much stress and has sent my Muse into exile is still only progressing very slowly, but it is at least progressing. Yes, I only managed to write about 6000 words on it last month, but I still wrote around 1000 words per day keeping up with my blogs and other projects. I am happy enough with that.

I also have some excellent news to share! My editor at Mirador just confirmed she will publish my spin-off Redcliffe novel The Darkness of Love. This is a Victorian vampire story telling the tale of Marcus Scott who appears in my Redcliffe Novels series. I am very fond of Marcus, and he was insistent on me telling his story.  Now I just have to do some more edits on the manuscript and get it proofed for publication. Watch this space for a release date...

NaNoWriMo - Half Way There

As I write this post I am feeling very happy. After a somewhat stilted and disjointed start to the month I managed to get my ass into gear and am now officially half way through my NaNoWriMo project. Hooray! Who knew I could magically find the time to write 25,011 words in just 14 days, complete with a demanding toddler in tow? Apparently I could, I did, and I am on track to succeed!

The novel is shaping up nicely, although my inner editor is already screaming that it is not good enough, we need to re-read what we have written, and we need to tear it to pieces and rebuild. Nope, not during November! This month is all about the writing. I am in my stride. I sit at the computer, stare at the screen, place my fingers on the keys and allow my Muse to take control. The demon editor can wait until after NaNoWriMo. I will not return to the manuscript until some time in December, once I have come down from the elation of succeeding at my second year of the challenge.

Oh yes, I will succeed! I am actually away this weekend for a short family holiday. Fortunately I can use it to my advantage. My very understanding husband and parents in-law have agreed that I may take my laptop and shut myself away in the library at the farm in which we are staying. I can indulge in some pure, uninterrupted writing time in a setting that promises to be both romantic, isolated and inspiring.

I will emerge from my writer's cave at some point during the weekend. I do intend to be sociable, to enjoy some long walks in the Yorkshire countryside with my family, and to enjoy a hearty meal or two. But always at the back of my mind will lurk the manuscript, the NaNoWriMo challenge, and my desperate need to succeed in the competition once again. It is a wonderful tool for motivation!

Make Time to Write your Book with NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo to its regular participants. NaNoWriMo is a great idea. I joined the organisation in 2011 for my first time, and it was brilliant for me because I got the opportunity to write the sequel to my first Redcliffe novel. Up until that point I was distracted with the arrival of my first child, the upheaval of being a new parent, and the associated confusion and planning about whether or not I should return to work and how our family system should operate.

Anyway, I heard about NaNoWriMo and decided to give it a go. It is called a competition, but there are no financial prizes or rewards. It is free to join, free to attend, and all that is required is that you attempt to write 50,000 words during the month of November. 50,000 words in 30 days. Wow! It seemed like an impossible task, especially since I don’t usually find the time to write every day. In fact at the time I was lucky to write once a week. Now I realise its potential.

NaNoWriMo gave me the opportunity to test myself, and to learn that actually I can write every day when I put my mind to it. I didn’t have to stay up every night writing until the early hours (although I did on the occasions when my Muse took over), and my daughter was not neglected. I still managed to run a household and do all my usual chores and required tasks. Many people are in awe of my achievement. My fellow NaNoWriMo winners simply smile indulgently and we bask in our shared glory.

Some people might say it’s all well and good to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but where do you get your inspiration? For most natural writers, the words are already there just waiting to spill out. Once we set out a quiet time, a personal space, and an open invitation to our Muse, we can write a whole book within a short space of time.  The good people at NaNoWriMo have set up forums and chat rooms where writers can encourage each other. We can share ideas, assist with queries, and generally offer support based on our individual experiences.

There are also regional groups that physically meet up in pubs and cafes, to swap updates and continue the push to succeed in the NaNoWriMo challenge. My local group meets in Chester, and while I was unable to make any of their meetings in 2011, I might have a little more freedom this year, depending on circumstances of course. It doesn’t matter either way, because the option is still there, and we are all connected via email and forums on the website.

Are you a NaNoWriMo winner? Have you participated in the past but not quite reached the golden 50,000 word challenge? Or have you never attempted it? I suggest you go for it. Try it out. Even if you don’t complete the challenge, you will end the month with a fresh new manuscript underway, and you will be in the practice of finding time to write. It might give you the push that you need to shut out all the other hundreds of daily distractions in life, and to write your masterpiece of a bestseller. If you want to know more, their website is http://www.nanowrimo.org/. See you at NaNo!

Moving away from the Redcliffe Novels

I have finished writing the third novel in my Redcliffe series.  Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is complete and has been edited, but I am hanging on to it for just a little longer before I send it to my publisher.  At just under 90,000 words, this novel is longer than the first two.  It is certainly more fantastical than Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), and I am interested to see what sort of response it gets from readers. 

Therein lies part of the problem. I am anxious about letting go of a story that has haunted me for ten years. It is finally written, and the first two sections are already in print and being consumed by readers the world over. Of course, that is what I want, otherwise I would never have submitted my work to a publisher. I want my Redcliffe novels to be enjoyed and celebrated, and I want to be a best selling, popular author in my genre. I even want to see a film or a television series about my stories one day.

But what happens next? Where do I go from here? The Redcliffe novels will definitely continue. My heroine, Jessica Stone, has made that perfectly clear. She has lots more stories to tell about her complicated relationship with two vampires and a werewolf, and about her personal journey into the world of magic and mystery as a witch. Book 4 in the Redcliffe series will be something very different to book 1 I am certain, and I feel that the witches will play a far more prominent role than they have so far. I also don't know what will happen, because my original plans have been changed after I rewrote the ending to Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).

There is yet more news. Today I received inspiration from my muse for a completely new novel. This one tells the story of a female vampire hunter in the UK. I won't give too many details at present, indeed I don't even know very much myself. So far I have written the first chapter and become acquainted with my new heroine, Dr Jennifer Worthington, and her protagonists. The story came to me while I was out for an early morning walk with my family, and I spent all afternoon in a daydream until I could find the time to sit down and write properly. Now it is out of my head, on the computer, and I am very excited about what will arise.

Happy days, my friends!