NaNoWriMo: Yes, I'm doing it!

OK so if you are an author or aspiring to be one then you've probably heard of NaNoWriMo. The month of November is National Novel Writing Month. It's basically when writers both professional and amateur get behind their keyboards and write an entire novel in one month. Yes, it sounds crazy but it may be the kind of craziness that I need to get my Middle Grade sci-fi finished.

I've been so wrapped up in my baby, my move into a new house, finishing my YA fantasy and my freelance work that I've been neglecting some very annoying characters and a story that needs to be written.

A little background...I won the State Scholastic writing competition in the short story category my freshman year of high school. I has forgotten that story for years until at some point during my pregnancy I had a vivid dream of the story and it hit me that it could easily be a series. There was a whole world and universe that I was failed to see when I was in 9th grade. This story had depth and purpose and it had to get written. I took Laurie Campbell's Plot Via Motivation class and used this story for the exercise.

So now I've had this amazing story but until now it has always fallen on the back burner. I'm now changing that and hoping that with the motivation of NaNoWriMo that I can make it happen. I'm committing to this project and I guess experiment. I'm hoping for this story to be around 60K so we'll see how well I manage it and all my other projects.

But seriously I've spent a year on the YA. It's time to wrap it up in a neat package and send it off while I give this MG a chance.

Are you working on a project for NaNoWriMo? If so, what are you doing to get ready for the month of literary craziness? Do share!

Find the Energy

Being a professional writer has its pros and cons just like any vocation. One major con is that writers mostly spend their days alone, stuck in front of their computers and piles of notes. Sometimes in order to boost your writing energy a writer needs to get out and smell the roses or in my case the breakfast at La Madeleine's.

I've blogged before about the importance of surrounding yourself with successful writers. What a better way to learn about this crazy industry then spending time with those who obviously know what they're doing? But you can gain more than industry knowledge from other writers you can feed off their energy. To get energized you don't have to be in the room with New York Times bestsellers. Surround yourself with other writers of all levels and genres.

A group of writers in Houston recently launched a Houston YA/MG group. We meet once a month and discuss various related topics. The topic discussions are helpful but the best part is feeling that energy in the room. The excitement that each writer has for the craft is contagious and I love it! I'm currently on my final revision pass for my YA WIP. Ok, I know I said in my last post that I finished but I'm beginning to think that I'll never finish! I do PROMISE that this will be my last read through before send off!

Back to today's blog topic, energy. I have found that when I'm revising I lose the energy that I had when first got lost in my fantasy world, writing the WIP. After spending 3 hours in a room of energized writers how could I not feel pumped and excited to get back to my WIP? Even if I am revising, energy can make all the difference.

So yes, I should have been revising Saturday morning but after getting re-energized I was more productive in my revising. No matter what kind of deadline you are on you need ENERGY. Find a writing group or a small group of friends. Set a regular time and take a writing break. Taking the time to re-energize will boost your writing and your moral in this business. Enjoy the break! If you have had a great "energizing" experience please share in a comment below.

Keeping the Celebration Short

i just wrapped my final revision pass of my YA fantasy. Now I still have the final read through, to perfect the synopsis and send it off to agents that I still need to research. So, yes I still have some work to be a glass of wine while enjoying old episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother' with my husband couldn't possibly hurt!

This morning I'm back on the keyboard following my daily writing plan. A plan that will in time lead me to my goal of making a living as a fiction writer. Celebrate the milestones and large goals being met but don't lose sight of your overall goal. I see each goal that I check off my list as one step closer to the reaching the big picture. Use that check-off list as your ultimate motivation. I do.

Especially now since time is my enemy most days. As a writer and a new mother to an almost one-month-old I have to make the most of my time. Celebrating can be fun but it won't get me on the New York Times Bestselling list. Whether you are caring for a child, an elderly loved one, or working another job while trying to write you have a full plate. Make the most of your time, whatever your situation may be. Enjoy the small celebrations without losing sight of big picture and enjoy the road to reaching your ultimate goal.

Seriously?

As they commonly say on Gray's Anatomy, "seriously?" applies to everything you do in your life or it should in my opinion. With exception of getting out and having some fun every now and then I take everything I do seriously and this includes my writing.

As a freelance writer I keep a schedule (yes, that means I get up really early!) just as if this were a "typical" job. To be successful as writers we must take it seriously or their can be no success. If you don't take your career seriously then who will?

I just had my baby and now working from home has some more challenges! My advice to any writer with children is to ensure that your spouse and/or family take your writing career just as seriously as you do. When I'm on a deadline my husband takes it seriously and does what he can to help me when he gets home from work and on the weekends.

He accepts my career. Does your family accept yours? Seriously, they should. Sorry it's been a while since my last post but the last few weeks have been crazy getting ready for and having a baby. Any spare time that I had was devoted to writing and not blogging.

More advice and experiences to come from the life of this freelance/fiction writer.

Just Write it Down!

Freelancing and fiction writing comes with some crazy weeks. For me this coming week is one of them. So how do I handle it? I just do what I aim to do best...write. I write everything down that needs to happen. This includes what I need to do and when to achieve any deadlines, interview schedules and of course my personal goals for my YA and MG.

By writing it down it makes it easier to follow and I won't get overwhelmed with the whole. Also, it is such a great feeling when I can check something off my list and this is a safe way to ensure that nothing will get overlooked.

So yes, it's an extra step but trust me it is worth it. When juggling multiple projects write it all down. I also, plan out my daily goals every Sunday so that I have a plan.

Make a plan, follow it and you'll get through the stress of deadlines and goals!

Exciting news!

So I'm still in the revision process for my YA so unfortunately my exciting news is not about that. However, I am still really excited to announce that I will soon be a National writer for Examiner.com. For the past year I have been writing as the Houston Budget Events Examiner and this will not change. Beginning in a few weeks I will be The Mortal Instruments Examiner. If you don't know what that is then I predict that you soon will. The Mortal Instruments is a popular young adult series by Cassandra Clare. This series has been optioned and the first movie is in development. According to IMDB the release date of movie one will be in 2012. Many blogs, articles, etc. have claimed that this series has the potential to be the next "Twilight" capitalizing on the vastly popular young adult genre.

As a young adult writer myself I'm thrilled to combine my freelance writing with a genre and a series that I truly enjoy. As my column goes live I will post more information on this. And hopefully I'll be able to write about good news involving my YA or MG series. For now though I'm working through revisions, taking care of my health (thank you challenging pregnancy) and making sure that everything is done right. Now I'm back to more writing and those revisions!

Knowing when to slow down

The past few weeks I've been stuck in a frantic frenzy trying to get my manuscript off to agents before I deliver my baby. Yes, I'm still trying to wrap up revisions but it hit me over the weekend that maybe I was rushing too much and sacrificing quality. I decided that I'd rather wait a month or two to send it off then send of a rushed draft only to be rejected and agree with it!

My new plan is to take it step by step and make the manuscript be the final version that I want before sending it off. The end result will be the same, to get my fiction writing published.

Unfortunately, fiction is not all that I write. I do have to work significantly on my freelance contracts.Especially now since I need to be working ahead on everything. It is always smart to have deadlines even if they are self assigned. But when those deadlines begin to impact the quality of your work it is time to take a step back and rethink your strategy.

In other news I've been posting a lot lately to my Examiner.com page. You can view the articles here http://www.examiner.com/x-13982-Houston-Budget-Events-Examiner

I'm the Houston Budget Events Examiner which means if you are looking for summer fun at budget rates then I'm your girl. Even if you don't live in the Houston area some of the advice that I give is useful to everyone. Like picnics. Bring back an old classic family outing and out a modern twist to it. I think you can see where I'm going with this. Well, I'm back to work and please leave comments below if you have budget-friendly summer ideas!