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For years, those of us in the writer community have participated in NaNoWriMo, of which I know many of you have heard or seen me discuss. I believe even my last blog post had quite a bit of information regarding my plans for Nano for 2023 and TAFAR, etc. However, we sometimes learn things about our heroes which irrevocably changes our perspective.
There have been allegations regarding abuses made against minors through the forums on Nano, specifically regarding one mod in particular, in which those who were immediately in charge minimized and brushed under the rug. It wasn't until their board was finally made aware that the forums were locked down, however users were then being purged and subsequent complaints apparently were being removed. All in all, the handling of this was utterly disastrous and I never want to knowingly partner with any company who doesn't take allegations seriously - regardless of their intention. << I posted more about this in my IG stories, which you can check out here >> That being said, I have parted ways with Nanowrimo and apart from this blog and the story linked above, I will not be mentioning any affiliations with them going forward. For those who've decided to stay with the program, I urge you to be diligent in your work and advocacy for those who may be vulnerable and unable to advocate for themselves. Many are saddened by the ending of the NanoWriMo era, which is not unlike many nostalgic things we encounter in our lives, but the spirit of Nano is still alive in all the writers who've made it possible throughout the years. Want to write a novel in 30 days? Write 1670 words a day! Want the nifty badges of accomplishment? Make some cute stickers and reward yourself each time you complete your daily goal. Want to find a community? Head to a local library, search Facebook for groups, reach out using hashtags on IG or Twitter. You are in control of this new beginning and I believe in you!! Let's go kick December in the ass, shall we? Lisa xoxoxo
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For those who've noticed my absence over the past year or so...I apologize! Life has gotten stressful, to say the least. Priorities have shifted, responsibilities have grown, and I have been pretty tired, to say the least. Life has a funny way of doing that sometimes and there really isn't a good way to get through it other than getting through it.
Or in the words of Dory, "Just keep swimming!" A lot has changed for me in the past year, but I had never intended on abandoning my goal of finally finishing the rewrite and other stories which I'd planned to publish. But things happen, you know? It wasn't intentional, but in order for me to move forward, I have to be intentional now. That being said, I'm ready to kick this book in the ass! How might I do that, you ask? Well, just in time for Nanowrimo, of course! In case you didn't know, November is National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo for short) and this is a time where authors are challenged to write 50,000 words in one month. Why 50,000? The standard length of a novel is 50,000 words (where for me, that's about 10 chapters!) That roughly calculates to about 1670 words per day, or 2000 if you want to buy yourself a few days over Thanksgiving (but really you're probably fine to write after the weird 2:00 pm dinner, am I right?) Ultimately, achieving this goal also instills the habit of writing every day, which for many writers is actually pretty difficult. We're the kings/queens of procrastination. Last year during Nano, I wrote about 15 chapters worth of words, however I came to realize that I had made a huge boo-boo and left out a major plot point of my book. I've since been combing through the chapters to make the corrections because otherwise this book will be a giant dumpster fire and I've worked far too hard and too long on it to allow that to happen. So, for Nano, I'll be picking up after these changes and writing the remaining chapters. That also means that I'll be extending Nano for myself into December, because there's no way in hell I'll finish this book by adding only 50,000 more words. (She's gonna be thiccc) So, if you haven't already been following me, head over to my socials and click the things. I'll be providing updates (starting next week!) It's been about five years since I've published and I'm ready to hop back into the bookish world with all the horror and glory it will bring! Are you ready? (I'm not sure I'm ready, but I'm gonna do it anyway!) See ya on the flip side Lisa xoxoxo ...to set this world ablaze!
The fire under my ass must be massive to propel it anywhere and I'm reaching out to share it with those who care to partake. I mean, what good is motivation if you don't use it to help someone else every now and again? Of course, I'm not motivating you in the same way a personal trainer might, but I'm going to motivate you in the sense that I'm going to share all the dirt we writers don't often talk about while also reaching my goals because #goals is a thing and we should all be striving for success. Here's what's on the menu: Thea's Reawakening releases October 31st! Originally, I had planned on releasing Blood Promise, but it was just not in the cards this month. I don't want to rush the story, so instead I'm bringing you a BRAND NEW story! You can preorder it now for $.99 and it will also be available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited! NaNoWriMo kicks off November 1st. I might go live on IG here and there to discuss my "process" (which is code for procrastinating because I'm regretting actually sitting down to write). I have no idea if I'm going to write something new or just finish the next book. One way or another, I'll jump in and try to win it this year. Falling Undercover releases November 23rd! That's right, another release!! This book is (currently) a stand-alone romantic suspense novel. The first contemporary romance type of genre I've written, but it's been fun! I'll be putting on the finishing touches and getting it out for those cozy nights when you need a good book to hold you tight. ;) Blood Promise looks like it might drop for a Christmas release, so be on the look out for that update. Legacy of Secrets is so near and dear to me, I just can't rush the release. The last night I'd ever want is to skimp on the story for the sake of a deadline. Stay tuned -- it's coming! Print copies of all my books are in the works. I'm working on formatting and cover art for all the books and plan to start releasing some after the first of the year. This will put these books in the hands of customers who still enjoy the scent and feel of prints (and who could really deny that?) and I'm pretty excited about it! I might end up shipping out some signed copies so stay tuned for that, too! Legacy of Stories has been a work in progress, but I'm working on it! I've been sick off and on the last few weeks which has made it increasingly hard to record unless you want to listen to my coughing the entire way through. I don't even want to listen to that if I'm being honest. I do have some guest friends planned to come on the show in the coming months so that's pretty exciting, too. Please be patient while I try to get well enough to record and I look forward to bringing you more chapters and friends! I think that's all I've got tonight. Until next time!! Lisa xoxoxo  NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which takes place in November each year. NaNoWriMo is basically a massive movement, and non-profit, to get authors like me off our asses to complete a work in 30 days as well as help creative communities to keep this art form alive. We have to reach 50 thousand words (or more, but not less) in order to win NaNo for that year. Of course, winning is basically just bragging rights and obviously a mostly finished noved.
Camp NaNoWriMo is a bit different. Camp occurs in April and July. There isn't a hard cap on the amount of words you need to complete - you set your goals for what you're needing to complete. The good thing about Camp Nano is that you can finish something you've been working on and get the extra help from the community and other authors in and around you and your genre. Not to mention you can network and also it helps you to prepare yourself for NaNoWriMo in November. Why participate in any of these? Well, the easiest answer is because sometimes we just need a little extra push to get to where we want to go. I have work that I've needed to finish for quite some time that I will finally be able to get done because I am choosing to coming to Camp Nano. Does it always work? No, but as with anything else, it's a choice you make. I also am looking for other authors or writers to network and befriend as well as potentially find someone to co-write with in the future. The thing I love about the self-publishing community is that for the most part, the people you run into are supportive and want to see you succeed. Does it suck when someone else gets picked up or has more success than you? Sure, it can. But, you can't measure your day one against someone else's day one hundred. You have no idea what has happened in their journey to get them to where they are, but instead of feeling slighted, ask their advice and get feedback for what you could do in the future. Learn from your peers and be happy for them. We all share the same dream! So maybe you're a budding writer and you have no idea where to start. Maybe you need a push to get that idea out of your head and onto paper. Maybe you have something written, but it's not quite finished or you want some feedback. Maybe you just want to meet some other writers to see if you really can do this (newsflash: YOU CAN!). Whatever your reason, Camp NaNoWriMo is open to you and I recommend you join! Open your mind to the experience and see how much you grown in only 30 days! Whether you're a newbie or a veteran, you can find me here and I'd love to camp with you! Happy reading/writing! xoxoxo -Lisa I feel the need...the need to...write? Well, it started out sounding right! I'm going to attempt NaNoWriMo again this year. I didn't win last year, but as I haven't written much this year, I am determined. I always have a hard time figuring out whether I want to start something new or continue an existing project. I've heard many people say that you're most likely to finish if you work on something brand new, but I'm not sure if that's true for everyone.
I've got two stories I'm working on: Falling Undercover and the next Legacy of Secrets novella. I have about ten other story ideas and no idea where I want to start. That would be one of the many cons of my writer-life. Dialogue and story outlines are a constant through my mind, as are the million other things I have going on each day. Which would you choose? Something fresh and new? Or something that is waiting to be finished? I want to know!!! ~Lisa |
AuthorI'm a writer, a mother, a wife, a friend, a sister, and a daughter. My journey as a published author is in full swing and I'm inviting all my friends along for the ride! Archives
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