Pep Talk Week #4: Do Something Brave For JuNoWriMo!

When was the last time you did something brave? Something that terrified you and made you wonder who the bleep you thought you were, doing a thing like that as though you have every right to do this brave thing you’re doing?

Make no mistake – if you’re reading this and doing JuNoWriMo, you are doing something brave this month. That’s true whether this is your first time or you’re a veteran JuNoer.

As a writer, you’ve done a lot of brave things. Even just claiming the “writer” label is an act of bravery. You may not have shared it with anyone else, and kept it your own secret, but it’s still brave. Every word you write is an act of bravery, even if you pretended it wasn’t terrifying while you were doing it.

I’m willing to bet that at some point this month, you looked your Imposter Syndrome in the green eyes, and told it to step back and let you do this thing it was trying to tell you you aren’t good enough for or have no business doing.

Have you taken the time to congratulate yourself on that?

If not, please stop reading and do that right now, because you deserve recognition! Yes, you – whether you’re already done for the month, or so far behind you know you aren’t going to get anywhere near 50,000 words for the month.

Why?

Because you showed up and did something brave. Because you wrote words, and each and every one was an act of bravery and a tiny step closer to your writing dreams. 

And, by trying, you gave yourself information on what worked and what didn’t. You can use that going forward.

Did you celebrate? Really stop, and look at where you started and where you are right now, and take credit for every single word you have now that you didn’t have on May 31?

If so, go you! You just honored your own bravery!

And if not – why not? Are you letting the Imposter Syndrome get the best of you and tell you nothing less than a 50,000 word month “counts?”

If your JuNoWriMo so far hasn’t been a rousing success, that silly Imposter Syndrome is probably right back in your face now, squealing, “I told you so!” and doing a ridiculous little dance.

But don’t believe it for a second, because it’s wrong.

The real challenge was looking it in the eye in the first place. And since you did that once, you can do it again. Just give that monster a level stare and inform it, “I hear and see you. You can go now – I have better things to do.”

It’s important to let that monster know it doesn’t have power over you.

So, please, if you haven’t celebrated, take five minutes and do that now. Step outside and breathe deeply for a minute or two. Listen to the sounds around you. Get a cup of coffee or tea or some treat. Look at what you’ve already accomplished. 

And then…. Take the next tiny step, and the one after that. One word at a time. Let’s see how many words you can end up with. Let’s count each one as a tiny step toward your writing dreams and celebrate them all!

Shan Jeniah Burton is a content creation expert by day; a writer of fiction, poetry, and essays by night; and a mom, Trekkie, and pit bull’s Emotional Support Human always!

Pep Talk Week #3: Get Out Of That Slump!

Hello, everyone! Are you ready for Week 3? You’re all doing an excellent job and have officially conquered the halfway point of JuNoWriMo! 

I don’t know about you, but Week 3 usually presents me with either a rush of writing adrenaline or a slump. If you’re in the adrenaline group, congratulations and may your words pile up well. If you’re in a slump, I can commiserate and want to offer a few ideas…

My advice is centered around one basic idea. When in a slump, change it up. Creative boredom can’t stand a chance against change, so here are some ways that you can alter how you’re approaching your project and get those ideas (and words) flowing again. 

Location: Maybe you’re becoming tired of writing in the same place every day, staring at the same scenery when you look up from your keyboard. For many of us who are participating, it’s summer. Get outside and write in the warmth of the sun. Go to an Internet cafe if one is available. If other options are limited, switch rooms. Put on some music. Burn a candle or spray a fragrance in the air. Engaging your other senses can do wonders for your thought processes. 

Method: Some writers prefer to write outlines by hand, and a few brave souls like to write their entire manuscript in longhand. If you’re like me and not ready to commit to 50,000 words of handwriting, you can still have the hands-on advantage by writing out some notecards, outlines or character sketches. Or, if you’re accustomed to writing these things on paper, change your approach by putting them in your word processor of choice. Just break out of the mold. 

Timeline: This is a slump generator for me. You’ve been going along well for two weeks on your preferred timeline but then the ideas slow to a trickle. Why not jump in time, either forward or backward, and write out of sequence? Where will your MC be in five years? What were they like as a child? What would their lives look like if their fondest wishes came true! Or their worst nightmare? These time jump scenes might come into an earlier or later part of your plot, but it’s also okay if you don’t use them at all. Consider it time well spent in getting to know your character even better, which will allow you more avenues of creativity as you continue. 

Character: Explore new ground by having a background character tell what’s happening through their eyes. They might have an entirely different story to tell than your MC! What if your protagonist becomes the antagonist or vice-versa? Are any of your characters connected in different ways that you haven’t considered before, such as relation, old friends, anyone who shares a history together? Just like in the case of the timeline, these variations may show up in your novel or may create an opportunity for character growth, but you’ll see your project through fresh eyes. 

Break Time: Last but not least, it pays to take breaks from your project. It may seem counterintuitive in the last two weeks of JuNoWriMo, especially if you’re still in need of writing a lot of words, to take more frequent short breaks, but it can be the word-saving recharge you need. After writing or reading for a long period of time, my brain can turn to mush and my productivity takes a nosedive. There’s nothing as mentally rejuvenating than getting away from it for some movement or an unrelated task. Just stretching can help so much! It’s time well spent when you return to your project with a new burst of energy. 

I wish you all the best as you continue the JuNoWriMo challenge, no matter what week you’re on. Remember, if this project has creatively challenged you in any way, you’re already a winner because you’re finishing the month with so much growth and experience. Happy writing to all of you! 

Elizabeth Conrad writes short stories and novel-length works in mainstream, fantasy, and science fiction genres and also enjoys singing and design.

Pep Talk Week #2: Why You Always Think Your Projects Suck (And How To Get Past It)

Hello, fellow writers! I hope everyone has had a creatively fulfilling first week of JuNoWriMo. By now you’re getting into the thick of the project, moving past those first-page questions and becoming familiar with what is working well and what might be areas of opportunity for you this year.

If you’re in need of inspiration, you need only watch this video to find it! Artist and animator Lucas Fisher discusses that all-too-familiar feeling that all creatives endure at one or more points in our journeys: wondering whether or not your project sucks. We’ve all been there, and his video gives insightful help to anyone asking themselves that question. Happy viewing, and may you have renewed vigor going into a new week! 

Here is the video!

Lucas Fisher is a freelance 3D artist and animator who is fascinated by all things 3D and its potential for creative expression.

Pep Talk #1: A Fresh Start (And That Enticing New Crayon Smell)

Do you remember the smell of a fresh, unopened box of crayons that signaled the beginning of a new school year when you were a child? The box was figuratively brimming with possibilities for exciting new adventures. JuNoWriMo is that fresh start with its lovely crayon smell for you as a writer! 

This year, you will either start a new project or continue an existing work in progress (WIP). Both situations present you with a unique opportunity to kick your writing into high gear via a fresh start. 

If you’re starting a new writing project, I encourage you to look at the options in front of you for making this your best, most inspiring project ever! Have you thought about writing in a completely new-to-you genre? Give it a try! All your words count, so be encouraged to step out into a new creative zone. How about writing from a different point of view than you usually use? Your settings and timeline could be different, too. JuNoWriMo is a wonderful time to experiment and see what feels right for you. Using the same format that has brought you creative fulfillment is a great thing, too… above all, this month is about exploring your own unique kind of creativity. 

For those of you who are continuing a WIP, June also signals a new beginning for you because you can take this opportunity to not only dedicate more focused time to your project but also to look at it in a different light. A few quick yet highly effective changes to try include introducing new characters, varying the setting or adding to the plot, giving things an unexpected twist! Whatever works for you is the name of the game. 

A few thoughts as you break open that new box of writing crayons: JuNoWriMo is fun. I know that 50,000 words might seem like a lot to write, but the biggest goal that I hope everyone reaches is to enjoy the creative process. Be patient with yourself. It’s okay to not know all the details yet. Everything about what you are doing is part of the progression. It will come together in due time. Don’t look back and don’t second guess yourself. Moving onward is a great tactic to use to squash your inner editor. It wants to pull you back to focus on what you have already done and what you “should” change, but the best way to initiate and sustain momentum is to keep going forward without question. Once the month is over, you’ll edit. But this is the time to let your creativity and ideas flow; just let go and have fun with it! 

Be sure to get involved in JuNoWriMo’s wonderfully supportive community on both Facebook and Twitter. For me, this is what made JuNoWriMo stand out from any other writing challenge when I was first introduced to it years ago. The support of a smaller group means much more personal interaction with other writers. Our Facebook group is a haven for all kinds of comments and questions. We’ve undoubtedly covered it all at one time or another. Stop in and share your good days, challenging days, accomplishments and questions. We are there for each other.

Another tremendous advantage of which I want you to be aware is how helpful word sprints are when you’re striving for a high word count. Follow our Twitter account, @JuNoWriMo, and join in on our word sprints all month long. Just like in the Facebook group, everyone is so encouraging. You can’t beat the rush that comes from friendly competition with each other and yourselves. There are many days in past years that I was sure I’d wouldn’t make my daily word count goal, but once I participated in some sprints, I’d actually written more than planned. Our dedicated team of sprint leaders are there to help you pile up those words! 

Happy writing to everyone! Have an enjoyable month with JuNoWriMo! 

Elizabeth Conrad writes short stories and novel-length works in mainstream, fantasy, and science fiction genres and also enjoys singing and design.

Pep Talk Week #4: The Curse of Writer’s Block

It’s week four of JuNoWriMo, one of the most challenging weeks. By now you may be worn thin, your story may have lost its shine, or you may have run out of ideas. It’s common for me to hit a wall somewhere beyond the middle of my novels. But what do you do when you just feel stuck?

In On Writing, Stephen King provides a chest full of gold nuggets – encouragement, inspiration, solutions to problems every writer faces. These tips may be the vital pieces you need to break through and finish JuNoWriMo. Just in case you don’t have time to read it right now, I’m going to share one of the ways King’s wisdom has helped me.

The Curse of Writer’s Block

What is writer’s block? It depends on who you ask. The causes are even more varied, especially because it can attack all writers differently.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that writer’s block often is this: the excuse not to write. That may sound harsh, but I’m speaking for myself here. Sure, we all get stuck sometimes. I’ve had my share of big, gaping plot holes to hurdle. I’ve also experienced times of creative funk when I had absolutely no motivation to work. It’s miserable. But often what we call “writer’s block” is nothing more than a lack of tenacity – not being willing to stick with it and write through the block.

If you can figure out what’s blocking you, it makes it easier to push past it. Personally, when I get stuck, it’s usually because I don’t know what happens next in the story.

Fighting Bad with Worse

In On Writing, King made an excellent point about his own experiences with writer’s block. He said often the best solution is to add a new problem. In other words, let tragedy strike your poor, unsuspecting characters. The moment I heard that, I began analyzing periods in my work when writing was a struggle. I found that most of them were indeed at a point in the story where there was more apathy than disaster, more dull tranquility than teeth-gritting struggle.

But when I throw adversity at my characters, I instantly have something to write about. A little more self-analysis, and I determined that the times I had beaten writer’s block often happened because I initiated a new dilemma in the plot.

If King hadn’t so plainly stated his solution to writer’s block, I don’t think I would have had the conscious realization on my own. When I got stuck with my story, my gut response was for a solution to get my characters out. It’s the same thing I do in life – looking for the bright side, trying to patch up the bad with the good. But my natural optimism didn’t do my stories any favors. Actually, I’ve come to believe that seeing all the things that can go wrong is an ideal vantage point for a writer. Pessimists rejoice!

So I suppose I’ve switched sides. At least when it comes to writing fiction. I’ve finally learned that the best way to fight writer’s block is to let the plot take a turn for the worse.

Maybe you’re in the same boat?

Double bonus: if your story is nearing the end, it’s the right time for the tension to ramp up anyway. So here’s my final challenge to you for these last few days:

Focus on building in all the bad stuff you can as your characters ride up that coaster’s final, steep hill.

Let’s race to the end!

An author and dabbler in all things creative, Becca J. Campbell loves thinking up stories about supernatural abilities, experimenting with painting techniques, drawing in her sketchbook, and recycling stuff into cool products for her Etsy shop UpCycled Chic By Becca.

Pep Talk Week #3: I’m Talking to US

Week 3: I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to US.

By: Jessica Dragon Cheramie

What?!?! It’s week 3.

Are you kidding me? Time disappears way faster than this stupid coronavirus.

How are your words looking?

I hope you are doing great and words are pouring out of you like a spewing volcano destroying any distractions that dare to brave your path. If this is the case:

STOP RIGHT HERE.

I’m not talking to you. Go write more words. Hehe

I’m talking to you who are still reading because the words aren’t pouring out of you or you are stuck or feel like this challenge is impossible. Actually, no, I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to us.

Can I be honest?

It looks so glamorous on social media, but writing is HARD.

I’m always so pumped and ready on week 1 with my plan I worked on the month before or not, if I’m just winging it. I’ve been doing WriMos for years.

The first two weeks, I sit down to write, listen to my curated playlist to inspire me, and I just write the movie that’s playing in my head.

I’ve been the ones we aren’t talking to right now whose story magically unfolds and words flow like the Mighty Mississippi River. I’ve finished WriMos in crazy fast times. But this isn’t what usually happens. OH NO!

Typically, I’m writing for a while until…WHAM! Brick wall.  This just got real.

Whatever the reason—cruelties of life decide to vomit all over my perfect plans or time just isn’t being kind to me or I can’t figure out why I’m writing this story to begin with and have no idea where to go with it—it happens.

I know this too well. I’m in the trenches with you.

Now, it’s week 3.

Where did that time go? How can I meet my goals now? There’s no point to keep going. I FAILED.

Does this sound familiar? Are you with me?

This happens to me, and I see it happening to others too often. Participation in sprints and in the group ebbs about this time, and it’s time to make a change.

We need to do better. We can do better.

We are NOT quitters. We are finishers.

We are NOT procrastinators. We are time-managing experts. (I’m trying to convince myself on this one.)

We are NOT perfect. We are perfectly imperfect, and we will do this.

We’ll do this by remembering why we want to do this.

We aren’t doing this because we feel like writing 50k words this month. We’re doing this because we want to write a book, and we want to write it in a month.

But let’s be honest again. When the month ends, we’ll still have what we’ve written, and we can still finish this month.

So why do you want to finish this book in this month? What does it mean to you? Make a list and post somewhere as a daily reminder. (Seriously, I’m not going anywhere. You can finish this after.)

I want to finish this book in this month, so I can get to editing next month. Sure, I can continue writing it next month if I don’t finish, but I’m choosing not to make that an option. It’s now or I move on.

Here’s the thing: I’m giving you a deadline. You have 2 weeks.

Two weeks to finish your 50k words.

I’m holding you to this, and I’m holding myself to this. We’re in this together remember.

I trust you that you can do this with me. Can I trust you? (I know we’ve only just met, so I’m banking a lot on you. Don’t let me down.)

But two weeks from now, what do you want to say? That you gave up or that you did it?

Don’t look back on this in a month or a year from now and wish you would have. Do it now.

We aren’t promised tomorrow. If this virus teaches you anything, let it be to spend more time with loved ones and to stop putting your dreams on hold.

Even if you don’t reach the goals, giving up now only gives you what you had. But if you go for this, what can you do?

There’s only one way to find out.

Why do you want this? Will you be a finisher with me?

Two weeks. Just write. NOW.

Jessica Dragon Cheramie is a Young Adult Fantasy author with a love of all things magical, dragons, and her crazy holistic ways.

Pep Talk Week #2: Padding Your Word Count – The Good Way

I hope your writing is right on track, but if you’re a little behind, don’t lose hope yet! There’s still time to pick up that word count and make up whatever ground you still have to cover.

Let’s face it, there are ways to increase your word count that are not so healthy to have as writerly habits. Included in the list of Worst Ways to Pad Word Count are: copying and pasting a block of text multiple times, adding needless obscenities as adjectives before every noun, omitting hyphens, etc.

Padding Your Word Count The Good Way

Last week, Jessica Dragon Cheramie gave some great JuNoWriMo tips. Here are my own strategies to make your JuNoWriMo as wordy as possible (in a good way!):

  1. Outline – Did you neglect to prewrite before June? Has your story arc changed since then? If your story’s began to slide down a slope to who-knows-where, now might be a great time to regain some focus. Type your outline in your novel, and suddenly you’ve added both words and direction.
  2. Add character descriptions – By now you probably know more about your characters than before you began: what they like, what they don’t, and who they want to kill at the moment. Writing a character description will help both your clarity of background info and your word count. If you want to keep things organized, do it in a separate document – remember, you can still count the words since you’re writing them during June.
  1. Write deleted scenes – You know the scenes that won’t make it into the final draft because they don’t advance the plot? How about the ones that happen before your story begins? Just because they don’t happen in the book doesn’t mean writing them won’t help your story. Sometimes allowing yourself the chance to really explore backstory will help to enrich your main story. Remember, you can always delete them (or move them to another file) after JuNoWriMo.
  2. Write another point of view – The story is all about your protagonist, which is where most (if not all) of your points of view should be focused. But writing (or re-writing) a scene from another point of view might be incredibly eye-opening. You may even spark an idea of something you want to change.
  3. Say it another way – Don’t like the last sentence you wrote? Try it again. And again. But don’t erase the previous attempts. They’ll count for you and also give you options when you go back to edit later. You don’t even have to decide which way you want to say it – JuNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity for indecision! Let the words spew forth and reap a boost in your wordcount.
  4. Add sub-plots and tangents – When editing your story later, you’ll whittle away the fluff and the unnecessary plots that muddle up your main story arc. But right now it’s JuNoWriMo! This is the time to get out all your excess ideas. Let your characters roam where they want or navel-gaze for five pages. It’ll only help you get to 50,000 faster.

Remember, write now—edit later.

I hope these ideas help you get past Week Two. Now get back to it. Happy writing!

An author and dabbler in all things creative, Becca J. Campbell loves thinking up stories about supernatural abilities, experimenting with painting techniques, drawing in her sketchbook, and recycling stuff into cool products for her Etsy shop UpCycled Chic By Becca.

Pep Talk Week #1: It’s a New Dawn, and It’s Calling You

Before you read this: For your safety, please wear a face mask and wash your hands. Ha ha. That’s probably getting old, but I had to.

♫ It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Can you hear what I hear?

The rambling of your muse itching to come out to play though you locked her in a box, waiting for June 1st.

Can you feel it?

The excitement bubbling inside, mixing with determination to finally do something normal again.

Most importantly, how are you?

What a crazy few months this has been! Although I told myself at first that I was going to use all that time to write and edit undisturbed, it just wasn’t in me.

I was preoccupied with numbers and the health and well-being of my loved ones. Trying my best to not crumble at times from fear or loss, I turned to different outlets.

My writing goals were replaced with fun family time I wouldn’t have changed for anything, such as “glamping” in the backyard.

But, now that we’ve established some sort of normalcy, my old goals are creeping in, and I’m ready to write and take on a new WriMo challenge.

IT’S JUNOWRIMO TIME!

So, this WriMo might look a little different for you whether your state is still under lockdown or venturing to a new normal, and that’s okay. But here are some ideas on how I’m tackling this JuNoWriMo. Hopefully, it can help you too.

The New Dawn JuNoWriMo:

Here’s how to tackle JuNoWriMo during these crazy times.

  1. Wash your hands. Like we say in the South, “I don’t know what those hands have been touching. Wash your hands.” And don’t forget to sing a 20 second song clip while you do it.
  • Set a timer for 10 minutes. Yeah, this is an old, tried and true WriMo tip that works, but this one has a twist.

The twist: The 1st timer you set for the day, make yourself sit in front of the computer with your word-processor of choice.

If you feel the writing/editing inspiration, go with it. Keep writing. Join a writing sprint.

If after 10 minutes nothing comes, give yourself permission to try again later.

  • Wash your hands.
  • Write bad and be proud of it. There are so many tricks that suggest ways to get more words in, such as write out your character’s whole name in place of he/she/they/I/you.

This is not what I mean. Those tricks make editing extremely tedious, trust me.

When I say write bad, I mean don’t correct your mistakes. Any of them. For example, if you have a new idea for a scene, don’t delete what you’ve written. Rewrite by writing it as an addendum to what you’ve previously written. You may end up liking the other better or be able to use it in another piece or writing.

The twist: Use this the next day as what you read during the 1st timer you write. You can edit it if you wish at this time or just use it to coax your Muse out of hibernation.

  • Wash your hands.
  • Set small goals and hold yourself accountable. It’s not about the 50k words in one month. It’s about the small goals you achieve to get there. How does Miley Cyrus say it? “It’s the Climb.” Managing to get 200 words in 10 minutes is an awesome attainable goal, but once you hit it, set another. 400 words in 10 minutes. Challenging yourself this way builds your word count to that 1667 before you know it. And of course, hold yourself accountable. For instance, report your word count every day on our Twitter feed or FB group.

The twist: Instead of rewards for goals, make consequences. When you don’t have new words to report, what is something you have to do since you didn’t? Maybe yours will be not watching the next episode of Outlander until you hit a goal or not reading another chapter in Sarah J. Maas’s latest book.

For me, knowing I’d have to write ‘I will not talk to my friends during class.’ a hundred times was a much bigger motivator for me not to talk during class than if I got an ice cream for not talking during class.

  • Wash your hands. By now, you’ve probably washed them down to the bone, so go clean the dirt outside.

Then, come back and let’s write, because it’s a new dawn. It’s JUNOWRIMO!

What goals or consequences are you setting for JuNoWriMo?

Stay Happy and Healthy out there.

Jessica Dragon Cheramie is a Young Adult Fantasy author with a love of all things magical, dragons, and her crazy holistic ways.

Pep Talk Week #4: The JuNoWriMo World Series

It’s week 4. Like the World Series of Baseball. Did you know there is a Poker World Series? It came up when I googled World Series for this. Crazy. But that’s not what I’m talking about so back to baseball.

This week, you have 7 playoff days before you can grab that championship ring. It’s shiny. It’s purdy. It Can Be Yours. Do you have what it takes?

You might have given up already. Hopefully, not. But even if you did, you can still win this. Maybe you did already win this thing, you can add another 50k. Even if you are at 0 words. You can still win this thing. And let’s face it. Sometimes we just need that win.

7 ways for 7 days to win the World Series of JuNoWriMo (Yep, made that a thing.)

  1. Set your goal. So 50k words turns out to be roughly 7143 words per day. It’s a lot. I won’t lie. But, it’s doable. In fact, I’m going to go one step further and say. Shoot for 10k a day. Why? If you get that 10k, first, you get the 10k in a day badge. Wowza. A bonus perk. Second, it puts you ahead of schedule. It gives you time to reward yourself or take a breather later. You’re amped when you first set your sight for this, so use the motivation. It would’ve been better to do this week 1, but procrastination is just more fun sometimes. Extra challenging, right?
  2. Order out for the week. Unfortunately, as living things, you have to eat. Grumbling bellies and parched lips only distract us from our championship ring. You need words. Let those take-out apps or your own personal butlers (AKA significant others or awesome friends) be your chefs for the week. You need to write.
  3. Ignore the world around you. Say no to any and everything. Even to your boss. Okay, if you must do the work thing to pay those bills. Go ahead. Nah, I’m talking about the other 16 hours in your day. Turn off the TV. Turn off your phone, or at least, put it on silent. Crank up the music. Focus on one thing. That blank, white screen in front of you with the blinking cursor. Oh, and don’t sleep unless you fall asleep at your computer.
  4. Forget good hygiene. Don’t clean your messy house. Don’t do laundry. Don’t shower. Don’t brush your teeth. Don’t brush your hair. If you’re really gunning for this, you can even keep a urinal by your computer and cut that part out too. Hehe. These are precious minutes, people. Okay, sometimes, showering or a bath can help me work out my plot. For some, it’s washing dishes. So, these are tools for writing that sometimes must be used out of necessity. **Please note: This is not really something you have to do, except for not cleaning your house or laundry.
  5. Writing in sprints. Most people write more words sprinting against the timer. If you don’t know this already, with JuNoWriMo, you have the awesome word sprints going on throughout the day on Twitter at #JuNoWriMo. Take advantage of that. It helps you to stay focused for a set amount of time. Imagine. You write 200 words in 20 minutes against the clock. Well, 60 minutes later, you have 600 words. The more you do it, the faster you get. Before you know it, you’re doing 1k words in 30 minutes. Five hours of that gives you 10k words. It’s tough to do, but with our community on Twitter, you’ll be amazed at what you will do. Use it.
  6. Set rewards. Rewards are a very powerful thing, but they have to be used correctly. They must mean something. Sure, doing small rewards for small goals works short term. For major goals that require so much sacrifice requires a substantial reward. For instance, just saying you’ll get to binge watch a show doesn’t hold clout if you’ll do it anyway. It should be something that you’d never get or do or have unless you read the finish line. Your championship ring. What would that be?
  7. Just Write. Write anything and everything. Some internal dialogue you have with yourself could spark ideas for things later. There are no such thing as wasted words. Everything can be turned into something. During editing, I’ve come across lines like ‘I’m not sure where this story was going.’ I wrote what was in my head until something clicked, and I picked back up with the story or changed it into something else entirely. The rest can easily be erased or fixed later. Don’t stop to edit. Don’t correct mistakes. Keep Going. The important thing is to not stop. Just write. Some people will write out every character’s first and last name, no contractions, and other tricks like this. While they will help you up your word count, it will make the editing process later even more tedious, but they do work.

It does take sacrifices to do a 50k week, but it is possible. On the plus side, you likely have some words written, so yours may not be as extreme. Don’t let excuses and negativity weigh you down. You can do this. How badly do you want this win?

Besides, even if you give the best week ever and it doesn’t get you to that 50k, think of how far you’ve come. You’re still that much closer to finishing your book. Overall, that’s the goal we all want to achieve. That’s the ultimate reward. How badly do you want it? If you’ve already hit 50k, are you striving to double that this week?

So, grab your bat and leave a comment on how badly you want to win JuNoWrimo and how you’ll make it happen this week. Batter’s up.

Jessica Dragon Cheramie is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy author with real Dragon blood. Seriously. It was her surname from birth until the day she said, “I do.” This has inspired every aspect of her writing. As a girl with dragon blood, she has a love for shiny things, coffee, painting, knitting, and wine. Her website scribblingdragon.com will be premiering soon.

Pep Talk Week #3: When You Feel Like a Fraud

This week’s pep talk comes from Fallon Brown. Enjoy!

When I was asked to write this pep talk, I may have frozen up a bit. What am I supposed to say? What kind of advice can I give? Who is even going to listen to me?

Confession time: Sometimes I feel like a fraud. And by sometimes, I mean sometimes at least once a day. Sometimes it’s just that little whisper in the back of your head, but sometimes it’s up to a shout. And I’ll admit, there are times when it’s hard to keep writing through that voice. But, I’ve gone the way of not writing, and I know where that leaves me. Hint: It’s not pretty. There are too many characters in my head to leave them to their own devices.

So, I write anyway. Sometimes that’s all you can do to shut that voice out. Because if I don’t, those stories won’t get told. And while I know my stories won’t change the world, that doesn’t mean they can’t be important to someone. But, that won’t happen if I don’t get words down on the page.

And writing is self-care for me. As I said above, it’s not pretty when I don’t write. There’s a quote by Franz Kafka I’ve seen around, “A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity” that I relate to quite well. Even when that voice tells me that no one cares what I have to say, that I don’t know what I’m doing, that I should just stop; I can’t.

Words have always been important to me, been points of discovery. Whether it was discovering a new passion or discovering a part of myself that I hadn’t known was even a possibility. Words I’ve read lit the spark of that discovery, and my own words have made it burn even brighter.

So who am I to let a voice in my head tell me to stop, when maybe my words can be that spark for someone else? Yours could be as well. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as gagging that voice in your head, but here are some things to do that might help:

  • Blast music: Sometimes that can be enough to distract the voice and let your own words come out. It doesn’t matter what kind of music, I have different playlists for different projects. Whatever works.
  • Writer friends: And sometimes you need someone else to help you push that voice back. I probably would have given up by now if it wasn’t for some of those friends I’ve made.
  • Remind yourself: Your words are important. There is someone out there who needs to read it, and you’re the only one who can tell it in your way.
  • Write anyway: And sometimes all you can do is shove everything else away and write to prove that voice wrong.

You’re not a fraud. You are a writer. Don’t let anyone, even that mean little voice in your head, tell you otherwise. So, write!

Fallon Brown was born and raised in a tiny town in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. At one time, she dreamed of having a cabin in the woods or mountains where she could be left alone to write. Instead she spent three years studying psychology before realizing that wasn’t for her. She now lives outside of a slightly larger small town in the same corner of her home state with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a cat.

Website: fallonbrown.com
Twitter: @ frbrown906
Patreon: 
https://www.patreon.com/fallonrb