Last Minute Panic

Days until Camp NaNoWriMo: 10

The last minute panic has set in. Will I be able to do it this time or am I just fooling myself? I'll have guests over the next few weeks, which means my writing time during the crucial first week will be interrupted and shortened. With what happened in November, it has me worried. Of course, in November, I didn't have my phone to go to when pen and paper weren't working.

Other questions plague me, too. I'm getting ready for a performance with my dance class, and that'll be the third week of the month. How will rehearsals effect my writing? My dancing is always going to come first, even when I really prefer to be writing.

The biggest question of the week is a doozy. Will my plot stand the test of marathon writing? I don't know. I have to keep hoping, praying, that it will work. Otherwise, I'll be working on several projects this month instead of just one...

My NaNoWriMo Survival Kit

Days until Camp NaNoWriMo: 12

Everyone approaches insanity with different outlook. Writing a novel in a month is certainly nothing short of insanity. However, I never do it alone. Here are a few things that help me through the next month.

-Phone: As I broke my laptop, my phone is currently the only way I can write. I should be getting a tablet or new laptop eventually, but until my parents and I can come to some sort of arrangement, my iPhone is my best friend.

-Soda/tea/hot chocolate: Caffeine and chocolate are an author's best friend. Being able to stay hydrated while writing is also very important.

-Pinterest: Believe it or not, I do a lot of planning on Pinterest. Location building, wardrobes, the little details of everything, it's all on a board.

-Flash drive: Even though I'm writing one phone, I still have to save my work somewhere, in a single document. I'm not willing to lose my work again.

-Pandora/iHeart Radio/playlists: What's a girl without her music?

-Notebooks and sketchbook: Notes, everywhere. They come in so many forms, and it's up to me to keep them all straight for the next month as my novel takes shape.

-Allergy medication: It's spring, the weather is fantastic, and I honestly want to write outside. How can I do that if I have a sneezing attack every time I leave the house?

-Camera: I need to capture certain moments for later, as well as for inspiration. It's the best part of being me. Writing and photography go hand in hand.

-Emergency chocolate: Sometimes, emotions run high, and chocolate is the only fix.

-Quick meals (ramen, hot dogs, anything microwaveable): It's NaNoWriMo. I don't have time to cook. A novel is calling!

NaNoing Mobile

Days until Camp NaNoWriMo: 16

Stuff happens and that means we can't always have access to a computer. However, almost everyone has a phone. Believe it or not, there are actually ways to NaNo on your phone.

Part of the reason I discovered how to do this is because I managed to kill my laptop, thanks to a soup incident. However, I know that many people take trips during the spring and summer. For a NaNo, that can be the end of the world. You have a word count you're trying to reach and a car trip can stop you from being able to write.

If you have a smartphone, like I do, there are word processing apps, like Werdsmith (which is what I use), that allow you to write on the go. I can keep track of my word count using it, email the chapters to myself, then put them in an actual document later. It doesn't take much for me to be able to sit down and write now.

Have any of you found ways to NaNo without a laptop? Let me know!

Playing Catch-Up (NaNoWriMo: Day 13)

Well, with access to my writing again and some free time to focus, I'm finally playing catch-up.  Whoo!  Only thirteen thousand words left to go.  So far, I'm incredibly behind my goal.  I was trying to hit 20k this weekend, only I didn't write... anything.  Instead, I worked a little on this new video for my YouTube channel.  The script is kicking my rear, but that's okay.  It'll be fun.

Novel writing is something I've done for awhile.  With everything that's going on this year, I'm starting to think that next year, I need to plan things out better.  Hopefully, it'll mean I can stick to my plot better than I have so far.  There's a lot of fluff and not a lot of substance.

Ah, well, back to writing.  Here's a widget so you can track my progress by day.  Green means I've hit my goal for the day. ;)

Soul Searching (NaNoWriMo Day 6)

Well, I'm behind yet again.  I've somehow fallen behind a good seven thousand words.  Playing catch-up sucks, but it's something I've got to do.  I will manage to do this, even if it takes a few late nights and lots of tea.

Today, though, I really wanted to focus on me time.  I need to find my muse again, get in touch with him/her, and shake them until they start giving me a decent plot...  I'm already starting chapter three and nothing has really happened.  I don't know why, but this whole thing is frustrating me.  Beyond that, I'm still on vacation.  I can't escape enough to write anything worth reading.

So there you have it... My complaints for the day.  Now for me to actually do something productive!

NaNoWriMo: Day 1

Well, it's official.  I've well and truly lost my mind.  Today marks day one of National Novel Writing Month.  For those of you who don't know, it's when all of us who think we can write attempt to write 50k words in thirty days.  Fun stuff.

So, what did I do today on the writing front?  Well... I posted a vlog about doing this, and now I'm writing a blog post...  Fun stuff.  I've also spent the last hour avoiding looking at the pile of laundry and brainstorming for my novel this month.  I'm starting a new project, so this should be interesting.

Hopefully, I'll have more to write later, but I highly doubt it.  If you all are doing NaNoWriMo, feel free to add me as a writing buddy.  My username is SiriusGirl1996.  Happy writing!


Check out my word count!