I actually wasn’t planning on doing NaNo this year. I figured after three years it would be okay for me to take a break – besides, I had so much work to get done that I didn’t think I could even fit it in. But at the last minute I decided to do it anyway, because that writing bug bit me, just like it does every October. So I started a week ago, but was still worried that I would end up dropping out due to my schedule. The crazy thing, though, is that I think my schedule – which…

Yep, it still feels weird to post about writing on this blog. But a little weird is fine, right? I’m actually ahead in my word count – right now I’m at exactly 5,700, which I’m pretty sure is farther than I’ve ever gotten on the first and second days. Part of the reason I wanted to get ahead was because on Sundays I pretty much just want to sleep and watch movies after church. So tomorrow is taken care of! I’ve done way more outlining for this book than I’ve ever done for any of my writing. I took two…

I did and won NaNoWriMo three years in a row, and I can’t say enough about it and the people who organize it every year! It is the biggest thing that has helped me in my own writing. Being forced to sit down and write so much in just one month, getting and reading all the pep talks, and interacting with other people in the forums has grown me each year and I can see that I’ve grown through it! I thought this year that I’d sit this one out, though, considering the size of my workload and the fact…

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” I love that quote from Ernest Hemmingway – it’s true. And I’ve felt that more than ever this year during NaNoWriMo, having to juggle so many things but still write. And then, of course, there have been those annoying moments when I can’t get my characters to act like they should – they decide they’re going to be little goody-goodies and I just can’t stop them from it. So yes, I’ve been bleeding all week, but still loving it. I’ve been so motivated to…