50,000 Words in 30 Days

It's finally here... National Novel Writing Month. November is always a good month to get your good writing habits back on track. As you can see from the lack of blogs over the last few years, I have fallen way off the track.

I am writing again, but today's one of those days that I just want to do everything but write. So what am I doing? I am blogging to you my friends. At least it is writing and it may clear my head to get me back into my story. These words count toward my 50,000, right?

Well anyway, I consider it writing, whether the powers that be at NaNo headquarters do or not. I have reach 10,000 words in my current work in progress. Notice how I did not abbreviate that? It's how I cheat when I write during this month only. Since my NaNo is only a rough first draft, it will have to be re-written. It especially needs re-writing since I began in 3rd person, but something felt off... So, I switched to 1st person. The story is flowing much better and I think with more show and less tell.

If your writing habits need re-vamping, perhaps this month and its friendly contest is the way to get your writing skills on track. Some of us really do need deadlines and meeting a deadline is particularly good skill to develop. I know some people say it stifles their creativity, but I don't find that to be the case. It helps me focus, instead of finding a million other things to do. Today is tough for me, because my mind won't focus on any one thing. This little pre-writing is helping already. 

I am using it in place of free-writing, which is another exercise to get past hurdles in your writing. It is basically writing whatever comes into your mind. With the hope that as you write your story will begin to spill out.

I am a pantser... Which means I just sit down and begin typing. It works well for me in the beginning and with my shorter pieces. Sometimes after I have been working on a story, I can go back and start forming an outline of sorts. Once I do this then I can use the outline to keep me on track. I guess that people who can outline in the beginning are luckier than pantsers, because they have their outlined to fall back on. But if you do outline try not to be so rigid that you let go of where the story wants to take you. I think you will find there is a happy balance in being a bit of both.

If all else fails, you can find writing prompts on https://nanowrimo.org, most writing sites online and you can make up one on the spur of the moment.

What tricks do you use to get you writing or past stumbling blocks? Let me know, I'd really love to hear from you.

Good Writing!

Rita L Trushaw



P.S. Yes, you read that write, I was married in February. See, I told you it's been awhile since I've blogged. My groom broke his leg and ankle before Christmas, so he was in a wheelchair for the wedding. He no longer needs a wheelchair and is getting faster everyday.