To NaNo or not to NaNo, that is the question....

I've been going back and forth over the last few weeks on this decision.

NaNoWriMo is huge in the writing community. It's a rough challenge; writing 50k words in 30 days. That's about 1667 words a day.

Many have taken up the mantle and many will accomplish this goal. I applaud all of you who are attempting this!

I would love to say that I can do it. I'm sure I could if given the time. Ah but there's the rub.

Time.

I just don't see myself having the time to devote to writing that many words. I work a 40hr week and have a family who demands much of my free time. Most of my writing tends to happen late at night, if at all. (Some weeks it's rough to get a free moment at the computer.)

So, rather than just opting out completely, I've decided to do my own *modified* version.

I've got lots of little projects bouncing around in my head, and some completed works that I need to edit.


The underlying message of NaNo, in my humble opinion, is "write." Like the Nike ad, Just do it! Butt in seat and fingers on keyboard.


So with that in mind, here is my *modified* NaNoWriMo challenge...

During the month of November. (every day)

The daily writing word goal will be set to 500 words.
They can be in ANY story I am working on. (this give me freedom to work when the muse is being stubborn.)

Or

A daily goal of one chapter edited. (My chapters run about 3-4k words)
The idea here is, if I don't write I should be working to polish what I have written.

And, I will post weekly updates on the blog, mainly to keep myself honest.

So how about you, blogger land? Are you doing NaNo or a modified version for November? I'd love to hear what kind of challenge you are setting for yourself during National Novel Writing Month.

Awww, you shouldn't have!



Ronni aka Fiction Groupie , was sweet enough to send me an award. I love it. Thank you so much!

Awards are such a fun thing. Not only do they brighten your day (and trust me they do!), but they help you interact more with your community.


Ok, so I have to select 5 people, that's how this thing works, right?

Alas, the hard part. Time for the old, random name draw.

I'd love to pick everyone, because you are all great bloggers and a wealth of information and support.

...but (there is always a but, isn't there?) since I can only pick 5 here, they are, in no particular order.


Kristen Torres-Toro - Write in the Way

Jenna - One Mystake at a Tyme

Melanie - Chasing the Dream - Thanks for being a new follower!

Corey Schwartz - Thing 1 and Thing 2

JM Diaz - An Ulterior Motive

Names have been changed to protect the innocent!

Ok not really, but I've been having issues with names lately. Like a mother preparing to give birth, I agonize over names.

I want my characters names to be something good. Something that won't get them beaten up on the play ground. Know what I mean?

But... (there is always a but, isn't there?)

I'm a pantser and as such, I don't plot and plan, I just write when the story hits me. I have to get it out of my head quickly and on to the paper before I lose it.

With that in mind I generally use filler names so I have something to call my little characters.

They usually start out with generic (common) names; Mike, Bob, George, Jennifer (Jen), Amy, etc..

There is only one problem with this. Sometimes, I get about halfway through a story and decide I hate the name and it stalls me in my writing.

Well, I did that this weekend.

I'm 6k words into, what eventually will be, a novella and I found I hated my main characters name. I hated every time I had to type it and it was preventing me from moving forward. She wasn't an, Amy. The name didn't fit the personality I had given her. I just couldn't see her with that name. She needed something better, something stronger, something... different.

So, I popped open the find feature and started replacing with all kinds of random names. She went from; Mina to Natasha to Giselle and finally landed on Kendra. I'm still not happy with it, but I can't spend all day on find and replace. I do still have a story to write. Kendra should do for now, it feels unique enough to go with the personalty and look I have given her.

Just a quick aside, ever met a person and thought to yourself, "Yep, she looks like a Jennifer." That's kind of the vibe I have with my characters. They need to look and feel right, matching with their names.

Ok, question time for you, blogger land. Do you agonize over character names like this? Have they ever prevented you from writing because you just don't see the character by the name you gave it?

Just keep writing. Just keep writing. Just keep writing.


Photo Credit


That's my mantra.

I'm not giving in. I'm not throwing in the towel. I can do this!

I haven't blogged in a bit. I took some time to give myself a mental break. When that didn't work, I found myself as always, sitting in front of my keyboard typing.

I can't say no to the urge to write.

I love it.

I love creating characters. I love seeing where a story takes me. I am a pantser so I never know until I sit down, where a story wants me to go. That's part of the fun.

I am a writer.

The path to publishing is fraught with so much rejection it can feel crushing, almost overwhelming, like it will never happen.

But you know what...

I still think it's worth it.

Immortalis is still out there. I'm still subbing and looking for representation. And I am still pushing myself to finish the sequel, Hunters & Prey. Which, by the way is coming along quite nicely. I had a nice little chat with my character, Santino and he's decided to play nice in this book. ;p He'd been giving me trouble with my ending, that bad boy!

Just wanted to let you all know I'm still here, hard at work on my novels... and a few short stories as well.

I'll be a bit sporadic on the blog while I finish up this novel, but please don't think I am gone for good. Just giving myself enough space to create.

Question for you. Who out there is going to do NaNoWriMo? (did I spell that right?) I think I might try my hand at it this year.

About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.