 Short Stories: November 16, 2022 Issue [#11655] |
This week: In the thick of it! Edited by: Lilith đ Christmas Cheer  
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"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
~ W. Somerset Maugham
"[Writing] is like wrestling; you are wrestling with ideas and with the story. There is a lot of energy required. At the same time, it is exciting. So it is both difficult and easy. What you must accept is that your life is not going to be the same while you are writing. I have said in the kind of exaggerated manner of writers and prophets that writing, for me, is like receiving a term of imprisonment â you know thatâs what youâre in for, for whatever time it takes."
~ Chinua Achebe, âThe Art of Fiction, No. 139,â The Paris Review
"Find your best time of the day for writing and write. Donât let anything else interfere. Afterward, it wonât matter to you that the kitchen is a mess."
~ Esther Freud |
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Here are a few tips to help get you over the mid-month NaNo hump!
 A new perspective...
50,000 words is really just 500 words written 100 times!
Just the idea of writing 50K words can make us feel exhausted. I'm sure we've all done the math and understand that we need 1,667 words a day for thirty days to reach that goal. Ok, wait, don't stop reading yet. How about if you break that up into 500-word chunks? Dealing with a smaller word count a couple of times a day can help you smash your daily goal.
Give this a try for a bit of encouragement: "NaNoWriMo Sprint Writers Forum" by Brandiwynđ¶ 
Don't underestimate the power of those  writing sprints!
If you need a little extra push - give it a try! Set a timer for 15 minutes, for example, and see just how many words you can write before the time is up.
Note: I recommend doing your sprints in a separate document from your NaNo project. 
Inspiration is everywhere!
Carry a notepad with you everywhere! A note-taking app for your phone will work just as well. You never know when you'll see something that clicks with you, something you don't want to forget - jot it down! Things to look for: street names, bits of conversations, aromas, people watching, etc.
Resist the editing urge.
I know, I know - that's a tough one! But if you start editing before you complete the document, you could get side-tracked and end up sabotaging yourself. Try these ideas instead:
 Change the font color of the words you want to change/delete. This will help you locate those problem areas faster when NaNo is over. Here's another thought - make a working copy to do all your editing so that you don't lose anything you might want to reinject later.
Create a âjunkâ section. Cut/paste the words you want to delete and put them in a separate section of your document or project file. That way you can still count them toward your total goal but donât have to look at them.
Strike through the words and/or phrases that you are thinking about changing.
Don't forget some healthy beverages and snacks.
Ok, this is one of those times where "do what I say, not what I do" comes to mind, lol. Most of you already know how much I love coffee, but a daily diet of 'just' coffee will cause some of you to crash! So, take the time to stock up on some healthy snacks and beverages. I like those little packs of crackers with either cheese or peanut butter, fruits, beef jerky, and yes, I do enjoy a nice muffin or cupcake.
Instead of caffeinated beverages, try Gatorade or flavored water, for example.
Reward thyself!!!
What motivates you? As silly as it sounds, I give myself a cute sticker each day that I reach the daily goal. Seeing them add up on my November calendar keeps me going. Find what works for you. Perhaps a piece of candy for every 1000 words, or an item off your wishlist for every 10K words written? Give yourself something to look forward to that will keep you motivated.
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Comments received from my last Short Story Newsletter, "Let's Get Writing!" :
brom21  wrote:
In my opinion, reading is the most important writing aid. I once heard someone say "Reading is the life-juice to writing." The second cardinal rule is research. There are lots of cool, informative stuff on the net and you can always find pertinent subjects and content matter to glean from. But that is my opinion. Some would argue writing every day is the top tenant to adhere to. Thanks for the NL!
đGeminiGemđ  wrote:
Research rabbit holes are the best! A lot of my research is simple fact-checking. When I decide to dive into a new subject that has caught my attention, you might as well leave me some snacks and a glass of water and leave me to it. I will surface, eventually, and I'll be in better shape for the snacks and water.
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