Friday

NaNoWriMo 2014 Report Card

To keep with the NaNoWriMo theme, here is a simple spreadsheet for those of you that want a handy way to track your NaNoWriMo progress.

All you do is fill in the blanks of any yellow shaded areas and then the sheet will track your daily and monthly achievements for you!  Click the photo for a larger image.  You can download a copy of the NaNoWriMo Report Card here.

Don't forget to grab you're copy of Scrivener just in time for NaNoWriMo.  Use the Scrivener Coupon Code to get 20% off today and get those creative juices flowing.


You'll be able to track

  • Daily word count
  • Monthly word count
  • Number of scenes written
  • Number of writing sessions per day
  • Words per hour
  • Words left until goal
  • Average words per day
  • Tomorrow's goal
  • And much more!
I hope you can make use of it.  Feel free to change and alter as you wish.  Only one week to go. Have fun and keep writing!



Be sure to check out Scrivener to make your life easier during NaNoWriMo Scrivener Coupon Code

NaNoWriMo 2014 Calendars

Every year I always use a calendar wallpaper as the background on my laptop.  That is where I do most of my work and it acts as a constant reminder during November.  So here are a few I've found scattered across the internet, all in one convenient location.  If you find any others feel free to add a comment and I'll try to get them added.  Clicking on the photo will take you to the image and the artists original work.  Feel free to leave them a thank you for their work.























Preparing for NaNoWriMo 2014

    It's hard to believe that NaNoWriMo 2014 is only a week away.  The one thing I learned from
participating the last three years is that NaNoWriMo is a glorious, agonizing, fun, terrifying, stimulating level of Hell.  Completing 50,000 words in 30 days in no small feat. We all write differently, but i hope some of the advice below may be helpful for the novice Nano'er. So offer Charon your coin for passage and hope you make it to December unscathed.


  • Register on NaNoWriMo.org  Say hi on the forums, you'd be surprised how much activity there is year round. It will start to get very busy next month.  Leave a post for writing buddies.  A little friendly competition/encouragement will help you make it through your thirty days.
  • If you like to outline - start now.  Decide on your genre, setting, characters, plot, sub-plots, theme, ect.  You may throw half of it out once you start, but having a rich starting point will lessen the shock if you've never written 1667+ words a day. If you write without outlining then damn you, I'm jealous!
  • Use your outline to get into a routine.  Try to write 250 (or 500 or 750) words a day for now as you jot down ideas. The hardest part is learning to make time for your writing and forcing it to become a part of your day.
  • Learn to write without editing. This one is hard.  The trick to NaNoWriMo is to keep writing, don't stop, don't edit, don't correct, don't reword...just write. You can edit when in December. 
  • Remember what Hemingway said "The first draft of anything is shit" and I guarantee your story will be. At the end of November you will have an dirty, back woods, banjo playing, red headed step child of a story that someday....just someday, might grow up and have a top 20 video on CMT, but I doubt it.
  • Start buying your supplies. What do you need for your writing, we all have our vices.
    • Coffee, soda, tea, water...whiskey?
    • Peanut M&M's, pretzels, carrot sticks, whatever will keep your ass in the chair for 1667 words/day.
    • Journal - the one I keep by my bed.  I can't tell you how many times I woke up during the night with the world's greatest story idea only to forget it when I rose that morning.  I finally bought this journal for the nightstand.  A spiral notebook would work just as well.
    • Favorite pens or pencils? If you have special kind you love buy a few extra for November.
    • What are you going to use for your word processor?
  • Dress up your desktop with some inspirational wallpaper.  I always use a few different NaNoWriMo wallpapers throughout the month depending on my mood. Here is the first NaNoWriMo Wallpaper for 2014. I will add more as I find them.
  • Decide on your writing space.  Do you write at the desktop in your office, laptop on the couch or favorite chair, or do you like the stimulation of your neighborhood Starbucks. If you can set aside the same time every day to write, let friends and family know not to bother you until you're done.

  The most important tip is have fun, enjoy the experience.  Realize that if you finish you a part of a small group of people that have ever sat down and written 50,000+ words.  It is an accomplishment to be proud of.

18 Great Sites For Fiction Writers

1. Aliventures

Whether you write novels, non-fiction or another genre, Ali Luke’s site offers practical advice for overcoming obstacles. She covers topics like how to be more productive, tips for finishing your projects, and even shares some behind-the-scenes details of her own life as a writer.
Post you’ll like: The Four Stages of Writing

2. Brain Pickings

At Brain Pickings, Maria Popova discusses the combinational force of creativity, the combination and recombination of ideas. She compares it to building with LEGOs — the more blocks, the more interesting the creations.
Post you’ll like: How Art Can Save Your Soul

3. Dani Shapiro

When it comes to blogs about writing, Dani’s blog is a breath of fresh air. This memoir author doesn’t publish on her blog as often as we’d like, but when she does, her literary voice and her insight — often about life — is beautiful. Stop here for creative inspiration.
Post you’ll like: On Vulnerability

4. Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl, created by Mignon Fogarty, is a writer’s best friend. Each episode is a fun guide into the world of grammar, punctuation, usage and fun developments in the English language.

5. Inky Girl

Inky Girl is a blog geared toward those who write and illustrate for young people, written by children’s book writer and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Content includes interviews with industry professionals, comics, publishing industry news and advice.

6. It Starts With

While we all have ideas, dreams and goals, many of us have a difficult time executing them. Sarah Peck combines her background in psychology with lessons on how to turn small actions into huge results!
Post you’ll like: Your Job is to Create

7. Marianne Elliott

Marianne believes writing can be a potent form of social action, and stories help us not only see the world in new ways, but also build the world we want to live in. She shares her own stories and others she gathers, and teaches on the courage, compassion and curiosity it takes to work with stories.
Post you’ll like: Whose Story is it to Tell?

8. Mystery Writing is Murder

If you’re looking for motivation to keep writing, this is the blog for you. Elizabeth Spann Craig covers all aspects of writing and the writing life, including character development, productivity and social media.
Post you’ll like: Tips for Writing in Short Blocks of Time

9. PickTheBrain

Led by Erin Falconer, PickTheBrain is one of the leading self-development sites. With more than 400 guest bloggers from around the world, PTB creates a global voice on all things productivity, confidence, creativity, motivation and more.

10. Positive Writer

Created by Bryan Hutchinson, Positive Writer is for writers and all creatives who struggle from time-to-time with confidence and trust in their ability to create art that matters. Bryan writes positive reinforcement articles that help fellow artists start and finish work they’re proud of by avoiding the never-ending, never-winning goal of “perfection.”
Post you’ll like: How to Unlock Your Creativity and Stop Feeling Like a Failure

11. Redhead Writing Blog

If you feel stuck with your writing, you need the Redhead Writing blog. Erika Napoletano is blunt, brazen and badass, but also hilarious! This site gives a much-needed reprieve from any ordinary writer’s block.

12. Romance University

Romance University is a group blog dedicated to helping writers advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind. Join them for free lectures on writing romance in any genre.

13. Story Bistro

Story Bistro is another site by The Word Chef Tea Silvestra, whose mission is to help solo biz owners listen more deeply to their audiences, tell better stories and build stronger businesses. She publishes blog posts with concrete advice on storytelling of all kinds.

14. The Artist’s Road

The Artist’s Road is an ongoing conversation regarding the challenges and rewards of pursuing an art-committed life. As a professional storyteller who brings readers insights gathered on creativity and writing, Patrick Ross includes lessons from all types of creatives through video interviews.
Post you’ll like: Avoiding Truthiness When Writing Your Life

15. The Other Side of the Story

Author Janice Hardy’s blog is dedicated to helping writers improve their craft through in-depth study of writing, focusing on how to use a “rule” as well as why the rule exists in the first place. She doesn’t just say to “show, don’t tell,” she explains how. She also offers examples and practical tips you can apply directly to your work-in-progress and see immediate results.

16. The Story of Telling

Bernadette Jiwa is a bestselling business author and speaker. She writes about how to reinvent your business and rethink your marketing by embracing your customer’s worldview to help you tell a better brand story.
Post you’ll like: Doing Work That Matters

17. The Writer and the Critic

The Writer and the Critic is a monthly podcast devoted to speculative fiction books, reviews and occasional gossip. Hosted by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, you’ll find a little bit of everything for your writing.
Post you’ll like: Everyday and The Woman Upstairs

18. YA Confidential

If you write for teens, this site is a must-read. The YA Confidential Operatives share everything you need to ensure your work appeals to young adults, from reviews of the newest YA fiction to undercover interviews with real teens.
Post you’ll like: From the Vault: Happy New Year!

Wednesday

Who Uses Scrivener?

Scrivener is used by all sorts of professional and amateur writers, from best-selling and aspiring novelists to Hollywood scriptwriters, from students and academics to lawyers and journalists: anyone who works on long and difficult writing projects. While many other writing project management tools impose their own workflows or limit themselves to fiction-writing, Scrivener recognizes that all writers of long-form texts often face similar problems, and provides an array of flexible tools that allow you to do things your way, no matter what kind of writing you do.


Those currently using Scrivener include:
  • Novelists
  • Short-Story Writers
  • Screenwriters
  • Playwrights
  • Comedians
  • Lawyers
  • Journalists
  • Lecturers
  • Academics
  • Students
  • Biographers and 
  • Memoirists
  • Business and Technical Writers
  • Comics and Graphic Novel Writers
  • Translators
  • And more…

Best of all they offer a free trial and if you decide to buy you can use this Scrivener Coupon for 20% off.

Tuesday

How To Prepare for NaNoWriMo


So who is up for the challenge this year? NaNoWriMo 2014 is fast approaching. With only a few weeks to go here are some links the fine folks over at NaNoWriMo.org have provided to get those creative juices flowing.

 Don't forget to grab a copy of Scrivener while it's still 20% off!


Over the years, NaNoWriMo authors have posted a wealth of information on how to plan your novel. Check out a few of their favorites:
Preparing for NaNo Success
Characters and World-Building
Plot and Conflict
Grab the Scivener coupon here so you're ready to go November 1st!

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