To Nanowrimo or not to Nanowrimo

With October knocking on our doors the time has come for writers to decide, will you Nano or not? The month of November is National Novel Writing Month where writers commit to writing a full-length novel in a month. Crazy? Insane? Probably. But this exercise does have its Pros and Cons. The truth is finding deciding if it’s right for you and if this year is the right time for you.

I participated last year and I will say that finishing such an accomplishment was really satisfying. By finishing Nano I finished my third manuscript and I felt really accomplished. However, when I went back and revised that Nano manuscript I found that it was horrible. In fact, it was a disaster

But I did learn something very valuable from my experience with last year’s National Novel Writing Month. Grammar may not flow in a hurried stream of rushing words but creativity really does. I’m currently reworking my middle grade project that I wrote during last year’s Nano. It had some plot gaps and needed a lot of work but overall it was a stronger story and had an important minor character that I originally never planned to write. This particular character has turned out to really compliment my main character. Without her the main character wouldn’t have the character arc that he now has and this all happened because of Nano.

Nano is not for perfection. It is for finding your creative muse and strengths. Unbox the creative you. Put away your excuses. I’m a writing mom so believe me excuses are easy to find! That is one reason I’m teaching Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind, a Write It Forward Workshop next month. My goal is through simple self-study techniques, to help fellow writing moms find their groove and way to meeting their writing goals while being the mom they want to be. This way anyone can participate in Nano. Click here for more information on my Writing Moms class.

Will you Nano? What benefits have your experienced or hope to experience? Share them below in a comment.

Goal List vs. To Do List

Anytime I write “versus” I hear the Rocky song in my head, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, I use to be a HUGE fan of the to do list. If it wasn’t on my list, it didn’t get done. I’m even embarrassed to say that I wrote down personal notes to call and catch up with friends (maybe I'm lucky and they aren't reading my writing blog.)

For me, the to do list method work beautifully and for some writing moms this technique may still be a fine strategy. After only a few weeks I found it terribly depressing. Part of it may have been that I wrote EVERYTHING down. I had to find a compromise and I have to give credit to NY Times Best Selling author Bob Mayer in helping me find my way back to breathing normally when all I could see were my unchecked lists growing longer like some horror movie monster! I read Bob’s book ‘Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author’ and loved it. One of the things he suggested was making two columns, a to-do list and a completed list. This way at the end of the day when you see the things you didn’t get done you still see everything you accomplished.

I loved that idea and use it but I took it a step further to help me as a writing mom, especially with a 14-month-old. Instead of a traditional "to do list" I use a goal list. This way my lists are never too long or overwhelming looking. It doesn't mean I don't get done all that other stuff that I need to get done, it just means that I use my "goals for focus" list to keep on track with what I NEED to do to keep to my personal writing plan. For example, here is my "goal for focus" list for today.

Goals for Focus:

Middle Grade (I always start on my fiction writing goal first)

Finish non-fiction outline

Revise/practice Webinar Power Point

Promote Writing Moms class/ revise lesson plans

Review column schedule for next week

That order follows and keeps my work in line with my goals that fit my strategic career goal. Those are not my only tasks for the day. I’ll fit social media in and email follow-ups around as needed but I will keep that list in front of me to stay on task.

Also, by working from a goal list vs. a to do list, especially as a working mom everything just seems more manageable. I have to admit though that I still do write EVERY little thing I accomplish whether it is following up with an email or re-posting my blog on my author Facebook page on that “completed” list. It makes me happy seeing that list grow and grow and when I’m tired after a long day with baby and writing it’s amazing how good one list can make me feel!

But how do I do all this with a toddler and manage to do normal housework and have a life? I must compliment my husband for his support and I do use a nanny for a few hours a week but I do not have her tomorrow and my husband has a demanding job of his own. I’ve simply learned through self-study tactics what works for me and my baby.

It’s simple things like how to really make the most of some of your least expecting mommy moments and knowing how to divide your goals into the best day parts for you. I’ll discuss it all during my month long Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing you mind workshop this October. There are still seats available for only $20.

Announcements:

I will be hosting a FREE live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

Listen to Nike and Just Do It- Just Write!

Nike got it right with their marketing slogan, Just Do It. Writer’s can learn a lot from those cushioned and sometimes air-pumped shoes. Lately I’ve felt that sometimes I spend too much time on the planning of my writing that I find it is easy to lose that overall joy of the craft. The reason of why I do this often, tortuous job that I do.

Let’s face it, the hours and many words that we write knowing that they will probably never be seen, isn’t really the most uplifting or healthy career choice. Nor is it is always profitable, especially in the early years. It is crucial. No, it is IMPERATIVE to not lose that reason as to why you are doing this. Why are you writing? Don’t let that spark vanish!

Mine has been fading so to stop myself from crashing, I’m falling back on my old PR crisis management days. I’m going into proactive mode. I’m focusing less on my long outlines and focusing more on the short ones. This means that I’m working only a few scenes out from where I am with my writing. This keeps me on the right path without letting my “control freakish” tendencies to take over. I’m relying more on my creative side and letting myself just enjoy the writing process.

I’m also making myself work further ahead on the business aspect of my writing, such as blogs and articles. By not allowing these things to pile up, it will allow more time for me to actually write and enjoy the creative process.

Sometimes too much planning can even be a bad thing, as my teaching assistant Erine demonstrates in the video below. Yes, at my house these days “Sesame Street” is frequently on. If we put all our energy into planning, then sometimes our actions are not showing our best efforts.

As Nike says, Just Do It. Go out there and Just Write. Write the story you want to write and write it well. Don’t get caught up in the feeling that you must do this and that to make it in the writing industry. The bottom line is that to make it we all have to write GREAT stories. Write it. Write it well. And submit it. Now I’m off to follow my own advice.

Happy writing!

Announcements:

I am giving away a FREE "seat" to my class to someone who leaves a comment AND tweets about my class to their Twitter following. You must 1. Leave a comment below and 2. Include me @NatalieCMarkey in your Tweet so that I will know that you sent the Tweet. I will enter you name in a drawing to win a free entry to the class. GOOD LUCK!

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

What do you look for in a writing class?

Something I love about being a writer, is I’m always learning. This is true about all fields but after working in several industries, I find that it is very strong in the writing industry. And we make it easy for ourselves.

The writing community is very supportive and quick to help one another. Through networking, associations and lists among the writing community it is easy to learn about the many writing classes out there, including inexpensive and convenient online courses. I’m preparing to teach my first online workshop the Writing Mom: How to do it all without losing your mind. As I finalize my lesson plans I’ve been thinking back over some of my favorite classes that I’ve taken. Why did I love them? What made me take some of them again? What made me recommend them to other writers?

The first online writing class I took was Plot via Motivation by best selling author and renowned instructor Laurie Schnebly Campbell. I since then have taken several of her courses and I plan to retake this same course this year with new plot idea. I loved her teaching style, worksheets and feedback. The interaction within my class was also great and I made friends there as well. One of my fellow students from that first class is now my critique partner today.

I also have taken several online courses from best selling author Bob Mayer. He also offers detailed lectures with fantastic feedback. I’ve been known to ask him questions month after a class and he has responded to me, which shows you how dedicated he is to helping upcoming fiction authors. I’m currently taking one right now that he is teaching on the kernel idea, you know that original idea that inspires you to write the story. He’s discussing some really great stuff.

Kristen Lamb, author of the best selling books, ‘We Are Not Alone: The Writers Guide to Social Media’ and ‘Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer’ is offering a two month online course in October and November that will walk writers through building their brands. Now, I’ve never taken one of her courses but I have read both of her books and they are great. This is a MUST take!

Who Dares Wins Publishing offers great writing workshops. Coming up in November, we have author Jennifer Talty discussing the different publishing options, which is a very hot topic right now.

Tell me about some of you favorite writing workshops. What do you like in a writing class? Is it a great lecture? A useful worksheet? A great discussion among the class?

Announcements:

I am giving away a FREE "seat" to my class to someone who leaves a comment AND tweets about my class to their Twitter following. You must 1. Leave a comment below and 2. Include me @NatalieCMarkey in your Tweet so that I will know that you sent the Tweet. I will enter you name in a drawing to win a free entry to the class. GOOD LUCK!

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

Finding writing advice in life: What my sniffling baby taught me

Every mother knows that a sick baby is not an easy baby and makes for a very unhappy mommy. Now, make that mommy a working mom that is trying to juggle a job in addition to caring for her sniffling child. That is where I’ve been this past week. My baby girl has been battling a nasty case of a runny nose. At times she has found it difficult to breath and nothing could make her remotely happy but me holding her and rocking her. And to make matters worse, this was her first cold. I’ve hated seeing her go through this but I always try to learn from every situation. Even as my daughter is sick, I found some “writerly” wisdom out of those sniffles!

For writer’s, our manuscripts are like our babies. We give them life, we spend so much time with them and put our heart, souls and yes, even tears into them. Just like our real babies, our manuscripts also get sick. We must care for scenes that just don’t fit. We have to rework missing plot points and fix character arcs.

And just like I was proactive with my sniffly little one by keep her inside, away from other germs while her resistance was down. I also am proactive with my manuscripts by outlining and catching plot holes before they become a gaping hole that can destroy the book entirely.
Like a sick baby, writing takes care and patience. Nothing is better when we can release a sigh of relief when our baby is well or when that scene is fixed. It amazes me how much “writerly” advice can be found from everyday life, all around us. What have you learned lately?


Announcements:

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

Why September 11 inspired me to work harder everyday

I was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. Now that I have a daughter, one of my favorite things in her baby book is a letter that I wrote on that day in my homeroom leadership class. I remember one of my teachers saying that watching the images on the television were more important then anything he could teach that day.

He was right.

I took out a piece of notebook paper and wrote a letter to my future child. I told him/her what I thought it meant to be an American. I talked about the American Dream, how thankful I was for my education, family, safety and then I stopped. I realized that no one really knows how safe they are. The American’s in New York City and Washington and all those that boarded those planes that day, thought they were going to work for a normal day. They thought they were safe.

Now we all hope and pray terrorism is the extreme. But our lives can change in a second. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been personally affected by cancer or heart disease. There are so many risks and dangers out there. But the thing that I took away the most from September 11, was the bravery and heroism. The first responders, some of them ordinary people running to help others just so someone could have a chance to live another day. To have just one more ordinary day.

To live on.

Because of that day and that moment when we were all attacked, I never waste one second. That is why now every time I’m exhausted from caring for my beautiful 14-month-old daughter and I want to take a nap when she does, I don’t. I write. I wake up at 5 a.m. so I can get some good productive hours of writing in because I want to live my dream. I don’t want to wait.

It would be easier to write when she’s older and less dependant on me. But I’m not going to do that. I’m constantly moving forward. All those that lost their lives on September 11, 2011 never had a September 12 or the next week, month and so on after that to move forward towards their dreams. The fact is, you just never know. And that is just what I told my future child in that letter I wrote 10 years ago on September 11. I told her to never wait for anything she wants.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I won the National Scholastic Writing Competition for a short story in high school. I’ve always kept moving forward with my craft and that is because of how that day affected me personally.

I’ve met some goals. I’m an accomplished freelanced journalist of ten years (yes, I started volunteering for local publications in 2001.) I’m published in non-fiction and working on my second non-fiction book. I’m teaching webinars and online writing courses and everyday striving closer to my goal of being published in fiction.

I will get there.

Are you working on living your dream? Are you moving forward? How did September 11, 2001 change you?

I had the great privilege of interning in New York City with Rubenstein Public Relations firm. It was an incredible experience and I still use what I learned everyday. This past summer I returned to New York City for the annual Romance Writers of America Conference. It was great to be back in the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple but I loved seeing the progress of the World Trade Center Memorial site (pictured here.)

Out of respect of honoring the memory of September 11, I’m not posting announcements this Friday. For purchase information on my book, workshop and upcoming events please visit www.NatalieCMarkey.com

Constructing an influential writing space

This weekend during a writing break I tackled the very needed task of cleaning my office. I know some of us (writers) don’t have an actual office but wherever you work, you should take it as seriously as you take your writing.

Before I had a spare bedroom I use to write from our kitchen table. For the record, I DO NOT recommend this! Every time we ate all of my notes had to be moved and things always got out of order. I spent the most of my time trying to make sense of my stuff. You really need to have a space of your own to devote to your craft.

But this space should not be just about writing. While cleaning this week, I noticed and smiled at the picture of on my desk of my daughter playing on the beach of Lake Michigan. I laughed at the picture of snowflakes on my dog, Oscar’s nose on the very picture that was published in my first book. Now yes, the last picture ended up being career related. I have no intentions of writing about my daughter and the fun we had at Lake Michigan but whenever I hit a snag in a scene it makes me smile and takes some of the stress away when I see her trying to figure out how that sand toy works.

I also incorporate quotes around my office to inspire me like, “I’m convinced fear is at the root of most bad writing,” said by Stephen King. New York Times bestselling author Bob Mayer recently mentioned that quote on his Write It Forward Blog and I loved it.

We are so easily influenced by our surrounding so construct an influential and inspirational workspace for your writing. Incorporate craft, humor and family. What do you have around your writing space that keeps you going during a rough day?

Announcements:

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

Writers: How do you view Labor Day? Work or Play?

I typically blog on Wednesdays and Fridays, but I feel strongly on this topic so this is a special blog post. I hope that you will share your opinions in comment.

Writing is not a job it’s a vocation. It’s a passion. It’s a way of life and who someone is. That is why writers don’t take off holidays like Labor Day. I see and recognize the value. I’ve even worked ahead on my work so that I can devote some extra time to my family today, but I can assure you that today, I will still write. Even if it’s not the normal daily word count, I keep moving forwards.

Bob Mayer says in his book ‘Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author’ (formally titled ‘Warrior Writer.’) that writing is a marathon, not a sprint and he couldn’t be closer to the truth. I have to constantly keep reminding myself of this. In fact, I keep this quote in bold type taped to my white erase board in my office. I’m not a patient person but I love to write—it’s part of who I am and I will stick with it. I’ve already beaten the odds. I’ve finished two fiction manuscripts and published one non-fiction book with another in the works.

So, to me Labor Day doesn’t mean to take a day off and recognize the hard work that I’ve done, it means to take a little time off and recharge before diving into more hard word on the very holiday.

Today, my husband and I are taking our daughter to an indoor water activity park in the morning. She loves the water and it’s just too hot to play outside. This will be fun and successfully tire her out for a great afternoon of naptime. Then my husband can do yard work while I work. See what a planner I am? J

What are you doing on this Labor Day? Are you writing today?

Announcements:

My new website is up and running www.NatalieCMarkey.com I recently added some new speaking engagements and courses. I invite you to take a look around.

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

How family meddling can help your writing

Being a writer doesn’t just have to be about you. Get your family involved. Your family should be your best supporters. They should respect your time but they need to know why. Let them know how important this is to you. Discuss your ideas with them and let them read your work.

My husband is a geologist. I had him read my YA fantasy thinking that he would only be able to catch typos and whatnot. Oh no. He found that I went against the laws of physics at one point. In my book, my heroine floods an underwater palace but the way she does could never happen in real life. I love it. I real life! It is a fantasy! However, all fiction should maintain a level of realism and my husband was right to point out such an era. So now, in this particular scene the palace floods exactly how an underwater palace would flood if one would today.

You never know in what way you family may help you. Personally, nothing makes me more proud or more turned on when my husband reads my work. I love how much he supports me and then to have him praise my writing and really enjoy reading it—it doesn’t get much better then that.

So, include your family in your writing process. As a writer this is a huge part of your life. Don’t shut out those you love. Let them join this journey with you and let them enjoy your success along the way. How do you include your family in your writing process?

Announcements:

My new website is up and running www.NatalieCMarkey.com I recently added some new speaking engagements and courses. I invite you to take a look around.

I will be hosting a live webinar on September 26 6:30-8 PDT with Farm Dogs USA titled ‘Caring for Special Needs Dogs.’ My lecture will be based off my book, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog’ along with new research. Click here for more information.

I’m teaching a Write It Forward Workshop titled, ‘Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind’ online in October. Click here for more information and to sign-up.

If you are a writing mom I encourage you to visit the #WriteMom community of Twitter. Share your joys, successes and stress with others writing moms. Learn more here.

Blog Mash-up:

By author Kristen Lamb ‘The Secret to Selling Books Part 1- Let’s Get Sticky’

By author Jennifer Hale ‘Behold the Power of a Nap’

By author P.W Creighton ‘Narrative Arcology’