NaNoWriMo Prep: Story Idea and Account Settings

Hello Fellow NaNoWriMo-ers!

It’s NaNoWriMo prep-time!

This weekend was a great transitional one for me. I am in the process of closing out two projects, and have an additional full manuscript in the hands of an editor.

My family is already used to me writing at break-neck speed. This means November might be less traumatic than it has for the past few years.

Work has become far less hectic than ever. I’m also transitioning from my career to becoming a full-time writer. Before the nay-sayers have a go, let me just say…this isn’t because I want to do it now but because I have to…and that’s all I’ll say about it.

This weekend is tying up loose ends and preparation for NaNo. I’ve dropped by the site and registered for this year’s challenge. I changed my region and forum topic subscriptions. I popped in to see if there were any local groups, made a few contacts, and scoped out the site’s new design (verra nice, btw). Then came the part of writing my novel information.

There are so many possibilities. Plot bunnies fought with old stories I’d never got around to rewriting. Quite the conundrum. It wasn’t until I was combing through the archives of images on my dawnmontgomery.com site that I came across this little jewel:

There it was…a lightning strike of inspiration. Feral Intent was a story I’d planned a couple of years ago, but the plot never went anywhere. I kept the image, however, because I was pretty proud of how it turned out. Glad I did! Feral Intent is now the second book in the Sheon Wars series (Primal Heat was first). I was searching for a title, and there it was. How exciting!

NaNo Prep 2011:

1. NaNo Prep 1: Story Ideas and NaNoWriMo site account settings
2. NaNo Prep 2: Word Tracking and Outline Creation
3. NaNo Prep 3: Word Sprints, IM, Chats, and More

What a Month!

First the awesome news! A full was requested on Primal Heat, my 67K novel. I turned it in on the 20th. Let the nail-biting and compulsive refresh on my email begin.

Do you know what amazing writing event happens in November? Not American Thanksgiving (though that is DELICIOUS and wonderful!). It’s also not Veteran’s Day (an amazing and wonderful day to thank those who fight for the same freedom of speech that allows erotic romance to be read in the first place!). No…for writers far and wide it’s NaNoWriMo season. That’s right! National Novel Writing Month is upon us! I am a willing slave participant this year! NaNo will not defeat me! Expect updates-a-plenty via my twitter feed and facebook! If you are also participating, give me a shoutout via my NaNoWriMo profile.

I’ve had some interesting changes to my available titles. Anything published with Aspen Mountain Press is no longer available. The grumbles of author and staff discontent dating back as early as 2009 have finally erupted in a volatile situation that resulted in Aspen closing its doors. My heart goes out to everyone involved in this, and I’m deeply saddened. It was Sandra Hicks who gave me my first break. The same woman who encouraged me to chase my dream despite the hurdles in my path. I will always be thankful for that. I wish her well. To my fellow Aspen authors…I wish you all the best in your new endeavors, and will be keeping up on how things go.

Her plight is a cautionary tale to me and all writers out there. It is easy to get overwhelmed and takes only moments to be buried under the weight of too many projects. Make sure you keep yourself grounded, and look at your projects with an objective eye. I encourage you to keep track of your (honest) wordcount in a month. Type it in excel, or keep a notebook by your computer.

Keep track of the zero days as well as the explosive wordcount days. Take a good, hard look. You have days where you are brilliant, and the words pour onto the page, but how many days does that happen? Not every day. Don’t base your capabilities on the best days…base them on your average for the month. Armed with that data you can safely look at your writing schedule and plan accordingly. You can’t keep a stressful break-neck pace without suffering the consequences of burnout and perhaps even health problems.

Aside from a looming move, there’s not much going on in the Montgomery household. Alaska is so stunning. Pictures will never do it justice. You need to experience the full immersion of the senses. I’ll be switching careers very soon, and that’s a scary thought. I’m trading places with my husband so I can follow my dream. Full-time Writer…can you believe it???

Keep writing!

Dawn