Brainstorming
Well today is the day -- November 1st. What does that mean? For those of you participating in NaNoWriMo 2011, you know exactly what that means. It is time to get cracking on your attempt at writing a whole novel in just one month! I love NaNoWriMo (She Writer GRETCHEN RUBIN was the first to tell me about it, years ago, and I'm pretty sure her experience made it into The Happiness Project) mostly because of the energy, optimism and support it generates for writers. I do feel, however, that NaNo is not for everyone, and that what's best about it is not the notion that you will write a whole novel in a month (a draft, perhaps?), but the structure and goal-setting it encourages.
TAYARI JONES, in fact, expressed my feelings about NaNo beautifully last year in one of her Countdown To Publication posts for Silver Sparrow:
I like the idea of the month of November being devoted to novel writing. I love thinking of thousands of people sitting at their computers and notebooks thinking hard. What worries me is the idea that a novel should be finished at the end of that month. Let us devote November to novel writing, but let us focus more on trying to structure the month in such a way to be nurturing to our artist-selves. Maybe you will spend the month just daydreaming. Or someone else will hire a babysitter one afternoon a week to get some quiet time. Someone else will spend the month reading novels in translation. Yet another person may volunteer her month to reading friends' drafts. You get the idea. There is more to writing than just word count. Spend November being a more dedicated artist, whatever that looks like.
But while I love Tayari's idea of nurturing my artist-self in a variety of ways, I have to admit that for me, devoting November to writing every day seems like the best possible way to do it. So this month, I plan to push myself hard to make progress on the novel I'm working on. I certainly won't feel like I've failed if the whole book isn't done on November 30th, but I will feel like I've let myself down if I don't meet my personal goal of writing at least 1000 words (or more!) every day of the week.
With this in mind, I'd like to invite ALL She Writers, whether you are doing NaNoWriMo or writing fiction, nonfiction, blogposts, plays, screenplays, or poetry -- or even if you are working hard on your dissertation, like one academic I met yesterday -- to join me in what I'm calling SheWriMo, or the She Writes November Writing Challenge.
Every day, I will log on and share my writing goals for the day. At the end of the day, I will log back on and report on how I did. It's that simple. But when it comes to something as hard as writing, simple is good.
I hope you will join me today!
I haven't checked in for a few days, but I am keeping up with my NaNo goal of 3,000 a day, blog posts. The problem? End of the day, I'm fried wire. Robin
That worked quite well. 2 hours = 2500 (painless) words. Love it!
Way to go Jeannette! Go Go Go!
Did 3042 words on the WIP today, the goal was 2000 but it just seemed to take off on its own. Which is grand when measured against the days when getting the 2000 done is painfully slow! Could have continued but don't have the time, and want it to still be in a place where I had ideas in order to jump-start it tomorrow.
Now need to do some editing (the stuff that keeps the roof over my head) then off to get the car inspected. Going to see Puss In Boots at the movies tonight!
Starting my 2 hours now...
Ten pages today, makes up for the poor showing yesterday!
I was able to get started on my 2nd short story on Friday and to finish the first! I'm travelling this week so things are going to be crazy. I'm still going to do my best to sit down every day and write a bit and take notes of ideas for more short stories for kids in my travels. So much to see in Washington, DC and New York!
7584 so far!
Only managed abo 1700 words yesterday. Getting a late start today so I guess that means I'll be up all night writing!
I was off the grid yesterday, which meant I didn't check-in, but I did get some writing done, woo-hoo! Today wasn't as successful, because most of the writing was commenting on blogs and connecting in other ways, but I don't feel too bad about that. Tomorrow is another day!
Not such a good day. I made the NaNoWriMo commitment to distract me from thinking about a dear writer friend who is in the final stages of breast cancer. Didn't work today. It's her birthday but she's slowly slipping away and isn't aware of that. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
I managed to read one of the seven chapters I have to study for class and then looked over my notes and realized why trying to study when you have a fever is never a good idea. My fever has finally broken but I need to sleep more than anything else so I'm hoping tomorrow I will feel stronger, better, healthier, and ready to figure out what my notes from today mean because right now I swear they're meaningless. As for writing . . . I'm trying not to think about my goals right now. My health is more important.
A lot of writing today but almost all of it was for a volunteer position. I guess writing practice is writing practice? Looking forward to the weekend when I have more time for "me" writing.
Another agent I'd queried requested the proposal. Yay!
I'm on track, even with working full time! I also talked my son into submitting his short story rework of THE SCARLET LETTER into the story of a veteran who's come home to the surprise of his wife having had a baby by another man.
Things are going well. I'm enjoying SheWriMo! Helps keep me on track!!
I was able to meet my goals yesterday to record myself reading several pages of my picture book and finish a review I'm writing for my blog. I worked on the first short story for my new book but I didn't finish. Hope to do that today and to write a little bit of my second story.
New plan..I like the idea of using a time allotment instead of a task or word #. Normally I love writing and do it most days, but since I've been setting these goals I find myself getting stuck and frustrated when things don't flow. So, I'm going to commit to writing for 2 hours every week day (weekends are my recharge time which might include writing or not). That way I can work on the piece that does flow rather than sitting staring at a piece that refuses to surface. Yay :)
Got the 2k words written but nothing on the PSAs I have due next week. Think that will have to be my goal tomorrow. Although it's hard to resist the lure of a piece/novel/story that's going well.
Everyone is doing so well (and so many different things)! I finished my book proposal and began querying agents--one request for the full proposal so far.
Only wrote 160 words today. But I wrote what I had to say on that subject, so even though it was few words it was enough for today...perhaps I will come up with some more in my sleep? Goal for tomorrow is to write for 1 hour.
It is so exciting right!? My goal is to write at least 2 hours a day. Sometimes it so hard with everyday life to find that time. But this November sparks a change in me. I vow to write for myself everyday for the rest of my life!! yay! Im so excited..
Goals met. Third day of 3,000. Post about vomiting.
I met yesterday's goal to jot down some notes on a new short story and I actually wrote my blog post! So, now for today... I plan to record myself reading several pages of my picture book so I can upload a short video to my website. I also hope to finish a review I'm writing for my blog and finish the first short story for my new book. Wish me luck! Good luck to the rest of you ladies!!
My morning was gobbled up by unexpected events so time is feeling very precious right now. My goal today is to finish yesterday's guest blog. That's it...I would like to do more, but that's all I can commit to.
Today's goal to edit / redraft another five pages at least!
Two pages done, but stymied by a major reference source having been moved to the library's storage facility. Say what??? I had to page seven volumes, but at least I can pick them up tomorrow. Sigh