NaNoWriMo 2013

OK people, this is the year, I WILL COMPLETE NANOWRIMO! Sorry for the yelling :), but I need a bit of fanfare, something to get me motivated...to put it simple, something to put my butt in gear.  I have known about NaNoWriMo for probably about 5-6 years and with it commencing on my birthday, November 1st, I thought for sure this was a sign....the universe was telling me to finally write my novel and NaNoWriMo was to be the vehicle to drive my novel out of my mind and onto the page.  Well, 6 years and 0 Novels later I am remiss to say the Universe may have given me the sign, but I clearly ignored it, until now.  

Having registered for NaNoWriMo yet again, I am looking for a few good buddies, "won't you be my Buddy?' I am going to need the proverbial "kick in the keester" every now and then, so if you have a brand new pair of steel-toe boots that you are dying to break in, follow my blog and my Facebook Page where I will be posting my daily word count...OK, maybe not daily, but at least 2-3x a week.  I will make every effort to post daily, even it is just a picture of me about to throw my laptop through a plate glass window! 

What tools do you use to assist you with NaNoWriMo?  Do you have a book? A teleportation device to take you back to November 1st? Anything? Please someone, anyone, throw me a bone! :) I intend on using the following book that I have had for many moons, but have yet to utilize, First Draft in 30 DaysBy Karen Wiesner.  I am praying that this book, prayer and a lot of caffeine I will come out of the month of November the author of a Novel. 

OMG! I just can't get with it today!

It is 11:14pm and I am gonna do a short post about my day.  I wrote my 250 words, so I am on point with my 250 word a day challenge.  And while 250 words may not sound like a lot; try coming up with 25 words when you have nothing to say! It's difficult, trust me.  I am presently in a Master Degree program for Psychology and finals week is next week and I am no where near ready.  I still have a paper to write, can that count towards my daily word count? Anyway, I am going to have to get on point and finish this work and end this semester on a good note; although due to finances; I don't think I will be going back next semester; but I still want to get decent grades in case I go back or transfer to another more affordable school.  Well, I am tired and will blog about more important stuff tomorrow.  Always leave them wanting more! LOL! 

250 Words a Day Challenge - My New Inspiration

I will use this as an additional source of inspiration, because let's me honest. I have had "How-to" books forever, but they are fun to read and (if they are good) very informative. And don't get me wrong I will be utilizing the books that I have named in previous posts and other books; but I want something a little more interactive, so when I can across this 250 word a Day challenge; I thought it was perfect.  The website has other challenges 500 & 1000 words a day, but right now those word counts seem somewhat daunting. So I will start at the bottom and work my way up.  In the website it states that you can count blogging, even twittering towards your word count, but that seems to be "cheating", so I will only use twitter & my blogging on low word count days (LOL).  My internal goal will be to write 250 words towards my Novel daily, starting tommorrow. Ok, OK...I'll start today.  If you would like to take the challenge too, check out Inky Girl's 250 Word a Day Challenge. Happy Writing & see you in 250 words. 

What will I do Today to further my writing journey

Some of the ideas given in The Writer Mama include looking at your current roles in life and drawing inspiration and writing material from those roles.  For some reason I have always had a negative connotation with "roles" because I equate them with stereotypical roles that are placed on us, unwilling, due to or circumstances, situations or merely by birth.  As a single African American mother, I am bombarded daily with sting of the stereotypic welfare mother, 4 kids by 5 different men, a leach on society; sucking up resources so that I can stay at home all day watching Soap Opera's and eating Bon Bon's purchased with my food stamps, of course.  Well, while I cannot say that  have never been on assistance, I can say that I have utilized it as a crutch, to get me over a bad point and not as a way of life.  Although I am presently unemployed (through no fault of my own) I am collecting unemployment and I am working on controlling my own destiny by following my passion and writing and living a creatively authentic life that will allow me to support myself and my children.  So while I have to overcoming my own issues with wording and stereotypes.  I am happy to feel as if I am making progress, even by writing this blog I am working towards my ultimate goal.

I have also been wondering, can you start on the current day, when you start reading the Simple Abundance book? Looking through my bookcase I found this book and while looking through it I got to todays date it talks about your home and The Personality of Your Home and as I look around the blank walls in my dining room & living room I can say that my home does not reflect the warmth that I desire. This house is drab and boring (am I drab and boring? I hope not) but the underlying message of this entry and the book is gratitude, being grateful for what you have, in the now.  I can honestly say that even with it's drabness and boring color I am grateful for every wall (boring color and all).  So today I am going to look at my home as my haven and incubating cocoon, protecting and nurturing me until I am ready to blossom into my full potential.
As for my writing exercise; I am going to do as Ms. Katz recommends and look for magazines that are in my  target audience and also scour the newspapers for inspiration.  Until tomorrow and another day of writing ensues.

Day 1 on Day 3 - Writing: The Beginning...Again

I am starting at the beginning again.  I have always been told and now truly believe that it does not matter how many times you get knocked down, it only matter how many times you get back up. So this is the 1100th time I have gotten back up :) I am trying to start once again at word 1, in my quest to become a published author.  And since I like most people need a little help from those who have gone before me, am turning to the "who's who of the how-to. Namely, Christina Katz, SARK  & Julia Cameron just to get started.  This list will grow as this blog grows and if you have any books that you would like to to review, please feel free to contact me.  So this is my 1st book that will help me with this blog and my publication mission:

and as you can see by the page markers, I have read this book, more than once, but have never but into practice the exercises that are suggested.  But that will change today!
What I like about this book, is that it breaks the writing process down into bit sized pieces; able to be digested slowly and at your own pace.  Writing can be a daunting process; and thinking about completing a book with thousands of words can seem insurmountable.  Especially when you haven't even put word one to paper; much like when you attempt to lose weight (something else I have been unsuccessful at) it's hard to swallow attempting to lose 100lbs; but 10lb increments sounds and is much more manageable.   What I also like about this book is the "Mommy angle", as a Mommy, this is the reason I brought the book because  I am or aspire to be a "Writer Mama".  In the 1st chapter of the "Preparation section of the book, it gives many tips which include; journaling and starting a blog, so I feel that I am killing 2 birds with 1 stone by journaling about my experience in this blog.