The Downside of NaNoWriMo

I enjoy doing NaNoWriMo, the few times I've done it.  I think I've tried 3 times and completed it twice.  It's a grind, but the push helps get stories out and onto "paper".  At the end, if you've managed to finish the story, there's a real feeling of accomplishment.  However...

After writing hard for all of November, you don't feel like writing anything in December.  You're simply exhausted.  That's how my December has gone, very little accomplished as far as actual writing.

That said, I did manage to work on my office, cleaning it up, putting up pictures and a cork board.  I've also tried doing some work in the new version of Photoshop I got a week ago, to familiarize myself in preparation for creating new covers.  So December hasn't been a total loss, but I haven't completed as much as I would have liked.  Now, to refocus for January...

NaNoWriMo success - 2019

I managed to complete the first draft of Gifted before National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), just barely.  Then I planned on working on a book about a demon for November, but after several days, it failed to get going.  So...

A quick switch up and I started a different book, a fantasy book involving mages, humans, elves, and other things.  On the final day, at about 8PM, I managed to accomplish the 50,000 word goal.  The first draft done, I started on a second book.  Only the second time I've managed to complete NaNoWriMo, so I'm pretty happy.

The Return?

It's been a long time since I posted on here.  I became distant from my writing, only touching it briefly here and there.  Overall, I had both a lack of faith in myself, and a shortage of motivation.  If I don't feel the stories coming to me, I can't force them.  But, something has changed.

I've re-motivated, and decided I don't care who likes my stories.  If nobody ever reads them, I don't care.  They entertain me, so I will write.  I will also publish, in case anyone else finds them enjoyable.  I'm comfortable with all of that now.  And so I press on.

As for this blog, I've failed to be consistent with it, and perhaps it's time to put an end to it.  I'll leave it for a little bit, to see if I can consistently post or find value in it.  The links contained within, I will probably leave regardless.  I'll review them to ensure they all still work, and remove any that don't.  I think they're useful, at least for myself.

Well, that's it for now.  I'm working on Gifted, and trying to prepare Anger for NaNoWriMo in November.  To anyone that actually reads this, I wish you well in your writing endeavors. 

I'm still here

Okay, I haven't posted much, and I don't think anyone is reading this anyway.  I think this has become more of a reminder to myself of what I'm working on, what I want to accomplish this year, and what I've accomplished so far.  To that end, I will pretend someone reads this and continue to post.

The story I mentioned before (now titled Gifted), which I hoped to get in a rhythm with, I have.  I'm over 30k words and actively going.  I've got the story plotted out through the end, and hopefully I'll finish before the end of August.

Once that's finished, I plan to finish edits on Crimson Sea, then go back and finish off Gabriel Rising.  Violet is still awaiting review.  With any luck, I'll have 3 books ready for review by the end of the year, and a fourth I just need to finish edits on and publish.  That would put me at eleven completed books. Never thought I'd even do one.

Okay, okay...

So I'm a little late posting again.  It's only been, what, four months?  RL got in the way.  I got a new job, 6-month contract, so that's kept me busy.  That's only part of it though.  I've also struggled getting traction on the stories I had been working on.

I'm trying to get something going again though.  A fresh start on an idea I've been working on, so hopefully I'll get into a rhythm and make some good progress.  Needless to say, I'm behind on everything.  I've got edits to complete so I can publish one book, I've got one or two others ready to be edited, and others that are done with the first draft and need edits.  As I get used to my new schedule, I should be able to get it going.  If anyone has been waiting for my next release, I apologize for the delay and will work hard at making progress.  Thanks for your support!

Tools for Writers

I've updated the Tools tab, adding entries to Tips and Ideas, and a new section: Marketing Tips.  This section will continue to be updated, typically when I have a number of items to add.

Also, I'm looking at adding another section or possibly a link to a list.  This will be for Public Domain characters.  For anyone that doesn't know, Public Domain means they are no longer copyright protected, so you can use them all you want.  Typically this applies to older characters, such as Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, etc.

If anyone has ideas for additional content, or suggestions in general, don't hesitate to provide feedback.

Were Comes the Wolf

Ok, so I'm about 30k words in, and I'm just now realizing this story has been a drama instead of action/adventure, like I usually strive for.  So now that presents me with a few questions...

Without the action, is this story still entertaining?

Do I need to try and rewrite and create more action?

Or, do I abandon this story completely?

I intend for a number of action sequences to come up, but is that too little, too late?  Typically my stories have been 40-50k words.  Based on what I have planned, this one may be as much as 60k.  That means I have half a story and it's mostly a drama, so I can have an action packed second half, but will it be enough?  Questions, questions, and a lack of answers.  Perhaps this is one I should have mapped out, and I would have seen this issue sooner.  Hindsight and all that.