NaNoWriMo – A poem, by TJ Edwards.
Write, write, write.
Plan, plan, plan.
Write, write, write.
Sob.
I know, I’m a poet and had no clue huh! Just kidding, The above is more what I’ve spent the past few days doing (well, not actually crying… not real tears anyway… I was cutting onions!) but I have been stuck into actually mapping out and planning my NaNoWriMo story. This is quite odd as I am one of those Pantser-type writers who just gets in there and smashes out as many words as he can. This year, it’s beginning on a Wednesday, so I’m going in already working 4 days in a row before my next day off.
Must… do… 1667 words!
I will say this though, I feel more ready this year. No, not just the planning (but I understand why you’d think that). It’s actually my habits lately. I’m slowly marking out writing territory during my day! At the moment it’s the not ideal time between 11 & 12 at night, but I am quite creative and productive then. The problem there lies that sometimes after work I am absolutely destroyed and have naps in my reading chair (which for an IKEA chair is quite comfy) while I try to read the two dozen writing books I have. So not only am I reading and writing, but I’m also listening to podcasts, so my whole day outside of work (where at work all I do is talk about writing and think about writing) is somewhat related to writing.
It is GLORIOUS.
If you’d like to join me in what I’m doing I have a few things I’m reading (which are awesome) and I’m hooked on a few podcasts too! Here is the short list!
BOOKS
- Story Genius by Lisa Cron
- I should be writing by Mur Lafferty
- Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman
- The Scene Book, A Primer for the Fiction Writer by Sandra Scofield
PODCASTS
- So you want to be a writer – By the Australian Writer’s Center
- I Should be writing – By Mur Lafferty
- Helping writers become authors – By K.M. Weiland
I have loved reading all the various writing help books as of late not because I am finding tons of helpful information, but reaffirming that which I already know and actually do! It really helps to build your confidence when someone says it is hard to find your voice and someone who already has read your work said they could almost hear me reading it in their head. Nailed it, next!
After Christmas, I have two plans (aside from sleep for a week straight)! My New Year’s Resolution will be to attend a writer’s conference or festival as well as enrol even just in an online course to learn more and start committing harder to my target of becoming a full-time author. I need to meet an agent, someone hopefully as excited as I am about my world and story and these conferences seem to be the place to do it!
As someone with a heptalogy (or two trilogies and a prequel) planned and 1 and two half-novels written, it would be fantastic if I could focus all my energy around that. Especially since today for my day off the pups are sound asleep in my reading chair (maybe the chair has that effect on everything and not just me) and I have been able to wrap up the remainder of my planning and write this post.
All that said, tomorrow it begins! Are you ready!? Are you planning or pantsing this year? What are you writing about! Let me know in the comments and if you haven’t already added me to your NaNoWriMo buddies list, my handle is tj_edwards! Remember, if I get famous, you’ll be able to say you knew me before I was cool (you bloody hipsters)… Talk soon, good luck and may the NaNoWriMo odds be ever in your favour!