NaNoWriMo Tips

Last week I shared in my monthly newsletter that my plan for next month is to participate in National Novel Writing Month. If you haven't heard of it before, you sign up and accept the challenge of writing 50,000 words over the course of November (roughly 1,666 words per day). I've won three times (which simply means I hit the word count goal) and while I haven't done much with any of those novels since, I've enjoyed the process and the practice it's given me. 

I thought I would share some tips and tidbits I've learned over the years that have helped me break down NaNoWriMo to make it seem more manageable. It's a little late in the game for tips on preparing for the challenge, so I'll share things that help me get through the month. If you're looking for prep tips, they're just a google search away :) 

• Tell your friends and loved ones you're taking part in the challenge. Not only will it help with accountability, but it will also help them to understand why maybe you aren't as fully present as you usually are! 
• Ask for help with things you usually do. For me, it's the household stuff, cooking dinners and laundry, things I like to stay on top of to make life easier in general. Those things tend to slide in November, and I care less when my family knows it's going to happen, and they're willing to help.
• Find a group! Whether it's in person or online, NaNoWriMo works better if you have a community of writers who are doing the same crazy challenge that you are, helping you feel less alone. The NaNo site is a great place to find local meet ups, and search by #nanowrimo2018 on social media to find other people online so you can cheer on each other. 
• Get ahead early on in the month. While the daily word count goal is around 1,600 words, aim for 2,000 a day in the first week. Bank any extra words so that you are ahead of the game if you get sick, have to cook a big Thanksgiving spread, emergencies pop up, or you just want a day off.
• Writing sprints. Whether on your own or with others, set the time for a certain amount of time (ten or fifteen minutes) and see how many words you can write. A few of those in an hour can get you to your daily word count goal. 
• Write first thing in the morning. Or in the evening. Or in little bits and pieces throughout the day. Mostly, write in whatever way fits with your lifestyle, and works best for YOU. 
• Get out of the house and write at a cafe. Or the library. A change in space can do a wonder for your mood, especially midway through the month when it feels like things are stalling and you feel like you can't go on any more. 
• Take a break. If you've banked some words, take advantage of that and take a day off. It'll be okay.
• Just keep writing. Don't edit. Don't judge your words. Just write. The main goal of NaNoWriMo is simply to write 50,000 words. Hopefully of a story, but mostly just words. They're not supposed to be perfect. They're not supposed to be polished. They're not supposed to be linear. They're not even supposed to be coherent! They are supposed to be words typed on a page. That's it. 
• Don't judge your first draft. Whether it's written in a month or longer, it doesn't matter. 50,000 words isn't a full fledged novel in general, so regardless of what gets written, you'll need to finish the story and edit after November anyway. 
• Make small goals, and reward yourself when you achieve them. Maybe it's at every 10,000 words, or only the halfway point. I like to buy myself a few treats, like nice chocolate bars or boxes of tea, and save them for meeting various goals. For someone who is goal oriented like myself, it works well!
• Have FUN. Remind yourself that writing can be fun. Challenges like this are just that, challenges, but the goal is to have fun at the same time. 

The best part of NaNoWriMo is at the end when you see what you've created. Whether you meet the big goal of 50,000 words or not, you created something out of nothing. 

NaNoWriMo is a magical thing. While often it's something people check off of their bucket list, for others it's a starting point. The first novel I ever wrote was during NaNoWriMo back in 2013, and it gave me the confidence I needed to move forward knowing that I could write a story (bare bones as it was) that had a beginning, middle, and an ending. 

I can guarantee you that if it weren't for my early novels, I wouldn't be trying to find a home for Farm Girl today. 

So have fun, write on, and let me know if you're participating or not! Head over to the NaNoWriMo site and find me, my username is crnnoel, I'd love to be a buddy and cheer on your adventure.

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I also want to note really quickly that I turned off the comments for my blog posts. This isn't because I don't want to hear from you, quite the opposite actually. I find it difficult to respond to blog comments because I'm unsure if I should respond via email, or via this space, where people will see the response... and sometimes the blog comments come in without an email attached to it and that leaves out that option, but the comment warrants a personal response I may not want to share here. 

So what I've done is opened up a permanent contact submission form that you can find at the bottom of the website. Feel free to email any time! I love having conversations about my blog posts and your experiences and all the things, but most often I prefer to have them one on one. There are so many ways for us to be in touch via social media, that another space to have public conversations is wearing on me. I hope you'll understand! 

20 ways to jump start your creativity

~take a walk

~leave your phone at home

~go screen free for an hour, a day, a week...

~bake something, maybe a loaf or two of pumpkin bread

~try a new medium of art. Paint, draw, knit, crochet, collage, calligraphy.

~take yourself on a date to someplace you've always wanted to go

~play tourist in your town or city

~read outside your usual genre

~write outside of your usual genre

~make a list of things you love

~make a list of words that start with a specific letter

~make a list of lists you want to make

~give yourself permission to daydream

~think about what you used to love as a child

~watch a favorite movie with the intent of noticing something new

~look for patterns, in nature, in your daily activities, in your thought patterns

~go outside and sit with your eyes closed for ten minutes

~follow a butterfly

~journal. Write without stopping, even if you only write one word over and over and over again... see what comes up

~move with the intent of exploration and a sense of curiosity, always

*next week we will be traveling, so there will not be a blog post and the monthly newsletter will go out the second Thursday of the month instead of the first. Take care!*

Currently...

I'm writing this on July 3rd, and it's beyond hot. My brain is fuzzy with the heat and humidity, and so for this weeks blog posts I'm turning to a tried and true journal prompt...

Currently I'm...

Reading... Enough as She is, by Rachel Simmons (it's for a book club on raising girls, but let me tell you... I'm getting just as much out of this book for myself as I am for Paige), and Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Miranda Dickinson. 

Playing... endless games of Exploding Kittens with the kids.

Watching... Nailed It on Netflix (if you need a good laugh, be sure to start with Season One!), and Death in Paradise, also on Netflix ;)

Listening to... Frank Turner, non stop since Lucas and I saw him play in Boston on Sunday. His new album, Be More Kind, is brilliant, especially his song of the same title, "In a world that has decided it's going to lose it's mind, be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind..." and his song The Way I Tend To Be, from an older album, has these lines which I simply adore: "Love is about the changes you make and not just three small words." 

Working on... reminding myself that only I can find my own internal motivation, self confidence, and self belief, no one can do it for me.

Eating... all things grilled. We made these Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs over the weekend, and they were a huge hit! 

Wanting... a new tattoo... 

Needing... to speak kindly to my body, and to drink more water.

Loving... summer evenings on our porch. We've embraced eating alfresco, and have been lingering after dinner. I'm loving the connections and conversations this time affords for the four of us nightly. 

Thinking... about the second rejection I received for my manuscript, and how the first one gained high fives, but the second one I kept to myself for a few days. It stung. Not because I expected to hear anything positive at this point, but because the reality of the long road ahead sunk in on an already difficult day. I let self doubt creep in, and I talked myself out of how much I wanted to be on this journey very quickly. Luckily, after a few days I found myself again... thanks to a husband who listens until I answer my own questions, some inner searching, and loads of journaling... and I'm in this for the long haul. {Editing to add... the universe is definitely testing me, almost as soon as I typed the words "long haul" another rejection letter came in! I'm handling it much better this week... so that's something!}

Feeling... hot. 

Celebrating... the patriotic act of dissent. 

Grateful for... beach days, live music, iced tea, summer dresses, and hope.

{The newsletter will be going out on Thursday, per usual, though it may be later on the day depending on if I have a chance to pull it all together on the 4th or not! If you haven't signed up and would like to, click here. My mailing list is, at this point, simply one email on the first Thursday of the month. I write a bit of a personal letter, share links that I've found interesting, and the most recent blog posts all in one place.}

Top 10 Books on Writing

Over the past few weeks, several people have asked about my favorite books on writing, and I figured perhaps a few of you might be interested in my top books on writing as well. Below are my favorite books about writing and creativity...

My Top Ten Books on Writing

1. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard. This tiny book packs a punch. Not only is it full of solid advice ("Appealing workplaces are to be avoided. One wants a room with no view, so imagination can meet memory in the dark.") but Dillard also finds a way to breath exquisite prose into a book that is about so much more than just writing. One of my favorite passages reads, "The feeling that the work is magnificent, and the feeling that it is abominable, are both mosquitoes to be repelled, ignored, or killed, but not indulged."
2. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. My copy (which is actually Lucas's copy... shhh...) is dogeared and filled with markings, highlighted passages. It is a classic title which most who have studied writing in some way or another have heard about. Goldberg champions mindfulness, having a (flexible) practice, and a healthy view of writing and relationships between the self and the world around. She writes, "I want someone to know me. We walk through so many myths of each other and ourselves, we are so thankful when someone sees us for who we are and accepts us." and later in the same chapter, Artistic Stability, "If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you." Yes, yes, yes.
3. The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes. This is a recent favorite of mine. It's the kind of book that takes you to a little coffee shop with a trusted mentor, someone who tells it like it is, doesn't let you get away with anything, but who smiles kindly and pats you on the shoulder and tells you that it'll all be okay, you just need to work hard and be persistent. In this day and age of social media and likes and followers, Keyes words strike me as timely: "Popularity is a serious brake on artistic expression of any kind. If people like you - and you expect them to like you - the risk of doing anything controversial, or saying anything revealing, is profound." 
4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Yet another classic, I have yet to meet anyone who dislikes this book! I've read this book several times, cover to cover and also in sections when needed. I read it first at a pivotal point in my life, at a time when I was reading anything and everything by Lamott. I'm not the first person to say it, but through her books she held my hand and walked me through the tender early days of sobriety, but also the early days as a writer when I wasn't quite ready to take myself seriously. In reading this book, it felt like I had someone in my corner cheering for me. 
5. Stop Worrying, Start Writing: How to Overcome Fear, Self-Doubt and Procrastination by Sarah Painter. I have long loved Sarah Painter's podcast, The Worried Writer, and was thrilled when she put out this non-fiction title. It's full of helpful tips, advice for showing up for your work, and focuses on writing as a practice. I love this gem from Painter: "At some point, if I ever wanted to be free of this continual self-doubt and second-guessing and terrible neediness, I was going to have to decide that I was good enough. That I deserved to be a writer. Not that I was instantly amazing and deserved success, not that I deserved to be universally adored, but that my words, my writing, my voice, my stories were worth creating. For myself."
6. the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. This quick and easy read is a treasure to keep on hand for when you feel resistance lurking around your work space. It's a title that doesn't necessarily focus on writing, per say, but on creativity and the resistance that keeps us from getting to, and doing the work. This is perhaps my favorite section of the book: "Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it's the easiest to rationalize. We don't tell ourselves, 'I'm never going to write my symphony.' Instead we say, 'I'm going to write my symphony; I'm just going to start tomorrow.'" So true!
7. Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See. Carolyn See gives you a step by step guide to changing your life in the most literary way, from suggestion writing to authors you admire, to writing a thousand words five days a week for the rest of your life. Her suggestions are spot on and her humor is what kept me turning the pages. She tells you flat out you might not like her advice, but you'll love the results. The final words in her book read, "If you love this world and this craft, they will lift you to a place you can't begin to imagine." I've done more for less... so I'll take her advice any day of the week.
8. Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro. Honest, personal, and to the point, Still Writing is broken into three parts: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends. Each section contains mini essays pertaining to each of those three writing processes. Middles helped me through some daunting moments mid novel, and made buying the book a second time (because my first copy accidentally got donated...) totally worthwhile! A favorite quote of mine is, "I've learned to be wary of those times when I think I know what I'm doing. I've discovered that my best work comes from the uncomfortable but fruitful feeling of not having a clue - of being worried, secretly afraid, even convinced that I'm on the wrong track." Completely reassuring to hear this one from one of my favorite authors.
9. Outlining Your Novel by K.M.Weiland. I used this book, and the workbook companion, to plot out my current novel. I didn't use every question or technique, but it helped me in key ways to create complex characters in ways that I haven't been able to achieve in my other works of fiction. There's something to be said about reading a book at the exact time you need it, and that was the case with this book. 
10. If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. This may be my favorite book on writing, ever. Ueland is kind and generous in her writing, and encourages writers to be playful and experiment and to find joy in the work. She writes, "Everyone is talented, because everybody who is human has something to express." and “Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his *true* self and not from the self he thinks he *should* be. ” and “No writing is a waste of time – no creative work where the feelings, the imagination, the intelligence must work. With every sentence you write, you have learned something. It has done you good.” There is no better book to curl up with if you want a reminder of the benefits of writing, for yourself, from your heart.

There are so many books on writing out there, and so many I haven't read yet! Story Genius, Wired for Story, The Plot Whisperer, and Steven King's classic On Writing, are all on to-be-read list. I hope I've introduced you to a few titles you may not have heard about... what are your favorite books on writing and creativity?

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Getting unstuck

Ever since returning from our road trip, we've been in a funk. Well, more or less, the adults in this family have been in a funk. It's the time of year, the way we came home (via friends and a tow truck...), and probably a million little things that seem to add up when winter seems never ending and all the ways of being a grown up confront you at once. It can make you feel... stuck. 

It happens. But, sometimes you have to do the work of getting yourself out of feeling bogged down by it all. 

Tuesday is blog post writing day, and then I schedule these posts for Wednesday morning. This week I woke up dreading writing a blog post, I didn't have anything positive to say about anything, I've been having major difficulty getting back into my morning routine, and life just felt slow and hard and heavy. So I asked the folks over on Instagram stories for ideas - what did they want to hear about? And then after connecting with a few lovely people, I answered my own question, and got myself unstuck. 

The following is the list of things I did that helped me to feel lighter, less frustrated, and all around in a better mood...

• Talk to someone. Even if it's not about the thing you're grumpy about. Connect. Laugh. In whatever manner is best for you. Today for me it was Instagram messages and a phone conversation with my mom. 
• Yoga. It ALWAYS helps. And not just yoga (though that's my exercise of choice) but movement of any kind. Today I did a quick 16 minute stretch with Yoga with Adriene, and it ticked all the boxes. 
• Play some hip swaying, spin inducing, dancing music. Right now we're all loving Meghan Trainer radio on Pandora... 
• Bake something that smells and tastes like spring and hope. The kids and I whipped up a batch of Mini Meyer Lemon Bundt Cakes. With the following substitutions: regular lemons, gluten free flour, earth balance 'butter' and coconut yogurt. 
• Create. Collage. Write. Paint. Knit. Make something from nothing and marvel at the magic that lies at  your fingertips. 

It didn't take much, even though lying in bed this morning it all seemed impossible, but all of the above helped tremendously. Once I got my butt in gear, it all flowed and one good thing led to the next. Maybe something small could help you today? What do you do when you feel stuck, when getting out of bed in the morning feels tedious, depression is knocking at your door, or you just have a case of the early spring - where's the warmth! - blues? 

One of these days I'll write about writing again, though from where I'm sitting with my editing hat on it doesn't feel like I have much to share... are there any topics you, my dear reader, would like me to write about in regards to writing, or anything else? I'd love to know as I'm having a tough time finding my footing in this blogging space this go around...

In defense of February

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are firmly planted in winter. And I've got a confession to make: I love February. 

Hear me out!

I know it's an unpopular position, but I adore February, and I wholeheartedly love winter. I get it, SAD and the cold and heating bills and ice and germs... I've heard it a million times, and I understand. I do. There are specific hardships that occur in the winter months, no doubt. 

But I still think February is a gorgeous month that doesn't get nearly enough credit. And so, without further adieu, here is my list of ten reasons why I love February:

• The way the light plays on either end of the day. Wisps of pink and orange dance across the sky, and spread more and more every morning and evening.

• There is no escape, no between seasons, no temperatures faking us out and tempting us to put away one set of clothes for another. We are neither at the beginning nor the tale end. We are in it. And there's a beauty to that, I think. Whether it's being planted in the middle of a season, or in the middle of deep soul work, or in the depths of a project where you can't really see how it's possible to give up, but there's also just a hint at the end. Deep work. That's what February is.

• Frost pictures on the windows. Delicate designs appear in the morning as if out of nowhere, each design as different and unique as snowflakes.

• Valentine's Day. And not for the reasons you may think, as my husband and I rarely celebrate each other on this day, but for the children. How excited they get, and how they don't know that it's a Hallmark holiday. There's an innocence to the holiday that's been long forgotten. The care that goes into hand drawn hearts and homemade cookies is priceless.

• The beach in winter. Walks along the beach in February are heaven. It's quiet and still, and if you're lucky there's a snowbank to crawl over and frozen seaweed to navigate and a plethora of beach treasures to find. The beach during winter is a reminder that our planet is bigger than us, and it ebbs and flows with not only the tide, but the seasons. We'd be lucky to remember that on a regular basis. 

• Snow. As of right now, we're lacking in the snow department (I know many of you are knee and hip deep in it though!), and I've got two children who are desperate to use their snowshoes and sleds... honestly? I'm right there with them. There's an absolute and utter joy that comes from sledding, and a peace unlike any other transcends when you walk through quiet, snowy woods. 

• Hot tea, hot cocoa, endless baked goods, and hearty winter meals. 

• Cancelled plans. This time of year they happen for many reasons, and the only thing I've found to manage disappointment is simply embracing cancellations. And as an introvert who would be happy in a Hobbit hole with a stack of books... cancelled plans sometimes feel like a gift. 

• No creepy crawlers. No ticks. No ants (though I did spot two the other day... hardy suckers...). No mosquitoes. 

• My children's laughter as they sled down hills, helpful hands for shoveling, rosy cheeks just in from the cold, chilled noses, cold hands searching for warmth, and snuggles. In February there is an endless supply of winter snuggles. 

I remember years where winter seemed to slog on, it was endless. What's changed? My perspective. Also... finally outfitting myself in some solid winter gear (eBay has made that much more affordable... and buying second hand is not only good for our wallets, but the environment!) so that being outdoors is comfortable, no matter the temperature. But really, it's acceptance. We can't rush mother nature, we can't change the weather, and just as there's beauty in each of the other seasons, there's much beauty to be found in the depths of winter. You just need to know where to look.