Tuesday, June 28, 2011

July Novel Writing Challenge

Yes, there is another month long challenge and I am taking part in this one too.

JulNoWriMo



This is a challenge very much like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) though not quite as globally epic yet. It's a month long challenge with the goal of ending the month having written 50,000 words. Except, the July challenge doesn't have to be a new story and it doesn't even have to be done on a single story. If someone wants to work on 3 already started novels *cough*ME*cough* then that is perfectly acceptable. (Yes. I have even more than three novels started, but I only plan to work on 3 for July.)

I learned about this event back about oh, June 11th. Yeah, not a lot of time to prepare but one of my group members on WDC in a group I run called NaNoWriMo Plus asked if we were going to do anything. After a few hours research I figured why not. Course that was when I had one minimal job instead of two with lots of hours but oh well.

I decided to run an event in my group and set it up. And at least 10 people on Writing.com have expressed interest, which is cool. So, despite short notice and new jobs I'm leading a group in writing 50,000 words during July. Can't wait to get writing.

Web site: http://julnowrimo.com/


Anyone else taking part in JulNoWriMo?
Did you know about it before?
What are your writing goals for July?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Life Lesson #1 Patience


What I learned while catching baby possums in the house and how it relates to writing:

Patience


Yes, many people will say that patience is useful in this writing industry and I am one of them. There is always something that will make writers (and others) wait. And it's not easy, but we have to face the existence of nerves and the battle where patience is the weapon.

What does that have to do with baby possums (or opossums since it's spelled that way but I like using possum as the spelling) one might ask. Here is the story part:

We have little possums running around our house. At first we thought it was one that had gotten in from a little spot that hadn't quite been closed up yet. I caught it and let it go outside the house and the next day, there it is again. So, I did that three times; the third time was at 4 am, then that afternoon there was a baby possum in the house. I've caught two and used a carrier to drive them miles away from the house to let them go but we still have at least one little one in the house that I'm trying to catch. They are sneaky little things and quick to hide. I catch them with my hands, which isn't always easy and the real trick is... patience.

In order to catch the little creatures, I've had to spend time waiting, not making too much noise, for them to come out of hiding. A few times I would almost catch one so that I had to sit back and wait even longer for it to get the courage to come out again. Waiting is a part of patience that many writers face.




Writing often means waiting. Waiting for the idea to strike. Waiting for certain details like names and titles to become just write. And the big ones: waiting for responses after submissions. Distractions help a little but one can't completely forget as the submission out is always on the mind's screen, even when tucked away. 


I haven't submitted any novels yet, but I have submitted a few stories and poems. Waiting to see what the editor/publisher/etc have to say and if the letter will be a rejection or acceptance isn't easy. This is where being a multi-tasking writer helps a little. There are always projects that are waiting to be finished, so when I have a novel submission out I'll still be focused more on the other 10 projects wanting my attention instead of waiting anxiously by the inbox. I like to think I will be patient when I'm submitting novels, but only time will tell.


Part of what makes the waiting easier when it comes to catching little possums is the result. It makes my mom happy because she doesn't like having those types of animals in the house and it keeps the animals alive since the other option involves stepdad and a gun. I like that I can at least let them go into some place that could be a better home for them. Results are key because they make the effort worth it.




What about you?
Are you patient?
Caught anything interesting lately? (lol)

Monday, June 13, 2011

Without Internet

Does more writing get done when the Internet access is limited? Is the Internet too distracting to get writing done?


I've heard many people say that it is best to go without Internet or to turn it off in order to get some writing done but I was never one that could turn it off. Even during NaNoWriMo, I keep the Internet on and use twitter to do word dashes. So, it's very unusual for me to not have Internet. Except for right now.

I'm spending a lot of time over at my Grandmother's house and she doesn't have Internet anymore. So, when I am there, I don't have Internet to distract me from writing. But have I written?

Not really. I'm spending time with Grandma and by the time I go downstairs, I am tired. I know I need to make time to write and I think I'm going to do that tonight but so far, not having Internet doesn't always mean the writing will be easier. It comes down to priorities and putting the time into getting novels done.


Does it help you to not have access to Internet?