NaNoWriMo: Wrap-up; Drained Ambition, Renewed Effort to Come

And as swiftly as it arrived, it was over. National Novel Writing Month of 2016 concluded with a small whooshing sound, as it passed me by while I juggled too many projects to keep up. 

In the end, I reached nearly 25k words, half of what I set out to do. The fighter/winner in me is ashamed to admit I did not slay the NaNo beast. But the sensible/insightful in me is proud that I put myself out there. It was important for me to take a step forward, to take a chance. I may not have finished as I intended, but I still tried. Sometimes trying is more important than achieving. 

It doesn’t matter what kept me from achieving my goal. What is important is that I learned a lot about my writing process, and I allowed my mind to fully immerse in a world again. It has been a long time, and it felt like I was returning home after a long absence.

And now I know I owe it to myself and my world to continue on, and get the story out. So that’s what I’ll continue to do – just on a different schedule!

So congrats fellow writers that beat NaNo, you are awesome! And congrats fellow writers who tried, you are awesome too! Regardless of how many steps we took during the crazy month of November, they were all advancements towards a goal, and that itself is important to be proud of.

NaNoWriMo: Tips for Thought

As NaNoWriMo 2016 is winding down, I found myself reflecting on what I’ve learned during the last month. I wanted to take a moment to share it with anyone thinking of attempting NaNo, or just writing for that matter. I’m not a pro, and this may or not be helpful to you, but here are a few things I’ve taken away from the experience of trying to write a novel in 30 days.

Boxes on a Beak

I know, I’m reaching on this one. Boxes on a beak? What in the world is she talking about? Well, you see, the Inktober topic is “box” for today, and I was set on drawing a raven since it’s the time of year and all.. so there you go, boxes on a beak! 

When I was in elementary school, there was an aged, dilapidated house right next door to our building. A cliche, grumpy, old man lived in the house that was surrounded by a wall of pine trees. The story was that the old man hated people, and never talked to anyone; but he talked to the animals. 

3 Quotations in 3 Days – Day 3

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

– Carl Jung

Thanks again to Charles French for the nomination, be sure to check out his blog and recently released novel if you haven’t done so!

3 Quotations in 3 Days – Day 2

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

– Albert Einstein

Day 2 of the 3 Quotations in 3 Days Challenge. If you are interested in joining, please refer to my previous post and feel free to add a link in the comments.

Thanks again to Charles French for the nomination, be sure to check out his blog and recently released novel if you haven’t done so!

3 Quotations in 3 Days Challenge

Charles French Words Reading and Writing https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com has nominated me to participate in the 3 Quotations in 3 Days Challenge. Thank you for thinking of me!

But I now find myself feeling like the worst choice for team captain – I have wonderful followers, but I honestly have no clue if they are interested in participating in this event. So I’m going to break the rules a little and leave it open for anyone to participate. If you decide to join, please leave a link to your post in the comments. I will also include a link to your blog for my next 2 posts. 

That’s right, rule breaker here. Hopefully spreading the clicks and the visits to all blogs around.

The Rules for the Challenge:

1. Three quotations for three days.
2. Three nominees each day (no repetition).
3. Thank the person who nominated you.
4. Inform the nominees.
   

My Quotation for Day 1:

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Thank you once again to Charles! Be sure to check out his wonderful blog and recently released novel.