1 day

Ahhhh! Hours from now, NaNo starts! I'm ready!

I have 30 days of frozen lunch/dinners, easy mac and ramen, and lunchmeat. I have collected all my supplies, double and triple checked the list. Everyone knows what's about to happen. Half my friends and family think I'm nuts, the rest just keep muttering "here we go again" and something about vacationing until after the New Year.
Whatever, I'm ready. I have a schedule and goals. I've been popping in and out on the forums.

I have a couple things to do today. 1^st of all, I have to clean my house. Like, manically clean. Especially the bedroom and bathroom, where I will be spending most of my time. If I can't see the rest of the house, it really isn't dirty right? I purposely got up early today so that I would be able to fall into bed sometime around 2pm this afternoon. Yeah, I'm one of those folks that starts writing at 12:01am on November 1^st. I'll sleep from 2pm until 10pm (that's the 2nd thing to do today), get a (very) late dinner, and cuddle the cat for good measure.

It all starts in just a few hours folks. Hold onto your pants because the NaNo is one hell of a ride. Let's go make some magic!


Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

2 days

2 more days and I am on pins and needles. Inventory your supplies (including prepared food and snacks) one last time. Pens have a habit of walking away in the middle of the night. My supply of gold fish suspiciously disappears when left alone in the cabinet too long. Have a t.v. tray or small side table? Move it within reaching distance of your work station to set up extra supplies. Pile the snacks in cubby holes on your desk. Keep your workspace clear so you don't feel crowded. The only thing on my actual desk during NaNo is the keyboard, monitor, mouse, and my coffee cup. Everything else gets shunted to the printer stand. It makes for interesting clean up in December.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

3 days

With 3 days left to go, it would be a good idea to remind those you interact with frequently that you will be participating in the NaNo next month. Your time is valuable and sometimes, you have to make sacrifices for your art. That weekly night out with the girls? Cancel at least half of those. The four hours of television you watch each night? Um, no. Blow the damn set up already, a la Stephen King, and spend your time constructively procrastinating. Make sure your family understands what you will be doing and WHY you are doing it so no one gets hurt feelings. Set the kids down and let them know that you love them but you will be very busy next month. Better yet, get your kids involved in NaNo too. The YWP is great for the youngins.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

4 days

We're getting down into the final days now. 4 more to go. Today is a great time to plan out a writing schedule that is realistic and livable. Obviously, most folks cannot quit their job just for the month of November. I'm pretty sure they can't loan out their kids either. What commitments do you have daily? When are you going to fit your writing time in?

During my first NaNo, I had just finished college and was in the first half of my first year on the job. I spent nearly 12 hours a day at work learning the ropes that I didn't learn in school, doing paperwork, and dealing with being an adult. Thankfully, my commitments ended there. No kids. No spouse. I spent an extraordinary amount of time at work during October and made every minute count during "work" hours in November so I could cut back to 9 hours a day on the job during NaNo. It didn't always work but I was able to focus more on my novel in November because I planned ahead. I reached 60,000 words come the 31^st.

NaNo 2010 found me unemployed so I had a whole lot more time to write than I did the year prior. I reached 60,000 words after 11 days. Unfortunately, I got cocky after that and only managed to eke out about another 4,000 words for the rest of the month. I look back on all that wasted time from last year and cringe. I should have been much further along than 60,000 words last year. Make a time commitment for every day. I'll be working on this too.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

5 days

I have a desktop computer, a netbook, and 2 notebooks all ready for NaNo. I finished doing all the updates and virus scans on the computers. My go-to software is downloaded and updated. I have files created for all things 2011 NaNo. Files have been created for my Word .docs. A yWriter project has been created and I have uploaded all my background information already. I set up a default of 25 chapters with 3 scenes per chapter just so I don't have to do it later. I can add and subtract from those totals as I go. I'm tempted to use Liquid Story Binder this year... 30 day free trial! But if I want to use it for the duration of NaNo, I'll have to wait until the month starts to download it, learn how to use it, figure out all the cool gizmos, and set it up. My time would be better spent writing. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What are you using to write during NaNo? If you don't have Microsoft Office, my post on writing technology might be useful for you. 5 more days!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

6 days

Where are you going to write? My "home office" changes locations every few months. It has been in my spare bedroom, my living room, my kitchen, and my bedroom a dozen times over in different locations. The nature of my household requires that I be flexible in where my computer is set up. Right now, since I have moved, my computer is in my living room directly under the television (yuck), with a sliding door to my left. Will that work during NaNo? Highly unlikely. It is a lot like when the computer was in the kitchen and in the living room in my previous residence during the 2009 NaNo. I wish I could close the door when set up in here. I have *no* privacy from the cats and people coming and going from here. Sabriel comes and goes from the outside and she will sit in the window of the sliding door and cry. That blows. When I just cannot get the privacy I need while writing, I dig out my netbook (she hates me) and retreat to the bathroom where I used to live. I had a ½ bath that others could use so Heaven help someone that came beating on the door when I was lying in the tub. Yay for doors that lock. I really wish I had somewhere to hide with my computer in this dang house. Looks like I will be spending a lot of time at Starbucks this year. Pumpkin Spice Latte and Peppermint Mochas ftw. 6 days to go. Are you ready?

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

7 days

Remember a while back when I wrote about the rules of NaNo and I said that some rules were meant to be broken? I didn't forget about it.

• Do you plan to write a series of unrelated short stories or essays? 
• The only thing you want to write is a memoir or a non-fiction piece? 
• Already wrote a novel and continuing to follow that story in a 2^nd novel? 
• Planning to write *gasp* more than 1 novel in November? 

If you answered yes to any of those, you may be a "NaNo Rebel" and there is a forum just for you!


Pro Tip: Some rebels have suggested a way to pad the word count is to nix contractions and separate all conjunctions. Maybe becomes may be. Can't becomes can not. True, that is bad form. Some may call it cheating. But honestly, if you are willing to take the HOURS it will mean when you get to editing to fix all those "creative" pads, then far be it from me (or anyone else) to call you out on it. The whole point of NaNo is to have fun creating a work so you can finally say "I wrote a novel." In the end, someone that wrote one novel (even if it is a crappy one) is more likely to be confident in his/her ability to write a second and third novel.

7 more days.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

8 days

This may sound stupid to some folks but I swear it will save you countless hours in November. Think about the kind of meals you typically consume. Do you just slap together lunch meat and bread for nearly every meal? Do you actually cook? If your normal meals take less than 5 minutes to prepare (simple sandwiches, ramen, t.v. dinners), you can probably disregard this post. If you like to cook, it might be a good idea for you to plan ahead and fix meals this week that can be frozen and reheated over the next month. Spaghetti, meatloaf, pot roast, etc all freeze fairly well and tend to keep the family out of your hair while you try to write. Prepare several different things over the next 8 days and divide them up into single serve portions to help take the dinner time stress off your spouse and keep the kids happy. Also, stock up on easy food for spouses that can't/won't cook while you are occupied. Hotdogs, crunchy vegetables, yogurts... they make for easy meals/snacks without a lot of prep and cleanup. The key to NaNo is planning ahead so that you can write without distraction!

On a personal note, don't forget to eat. Snack food is great but isn't a substitute for real food. I lost 5 pounds during last year's NaNo because I habitually forgot to eat. There were days where I lived on coffee and mints. It was not a pleasant way to lose weight, believe me. This year is going to be worse for me since I working out new medications that make me absolutely not want food at all. Forcing yourself to eat a single mini bagel without yakking is not fun.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

9 days

If you have tried to take up the habit of writing every day, by now you should be figuring out your writing style. Are you planning to outline your story point by point? If so, you better work giiiirl. Haha, but seriously. Outlining takes considerable time and forethought. If you are going to outline, get it done before NaNo. Even if you are going to fly by the seat of your pants (hence "pantser"), you should still have ideas/notes on what's happening. Maybe you want the comfort of an outline but crave the thrill of pantsing your way through the NaNo. Instead of outlining point by point, record some specific plot arches and let that guide (but not hinder) the story. Figure out what works for you over the next 9 days.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

10 days

10 days to go so you need to buckle down. Have you picked up everything on your supply list? Did you add anything to the list since the last time you collected stuff? Double check that you have what you need so you don't end up making a 2am Wal-Mart run and hate yourself for the rest of the week for failing to support your local mom-and-pop store (they aren't open at 2am after all).

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

11 days

Something fun for the artistically inclined: character sketches. With 11 days left, if you have the talent, try doing some sketches for your novel. Creating your own world? Draw a map! Finally nailed down the physical details of your main character? Draw him/her! How about the supporting cast? Draw a group picture! If you lack the talent (like me), there are some incredibly talented folks on the NaNo boards that are just dying for you to give them some artistic inspiration. Give them a short description of your main character and maybe they'll draw you a picture or two that YOU can draw inspiration from during NaNo.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

12 days

Procrastination is King during NaNo. There is a full forum dedicated to procrastination. It is really good for some laughs. When procrastinating, I offer this advice: try to use your time constructively while being entirely unconstructive. Spend time with your family, friends, and pets. Catch up on chores. Get out of the house for a bit. NaNo is a huge undertaking but do not let it cause unnecessary suffering in your life. As with all things, everything in moderation. You have 12 days to go. Get some good quality time in now while you can!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

13 days

I love listening to music while writing. Pandora gets abused during NaNo for sure. The 40-hour max streaming per month puts a damper on my writing though so I have to have a backup. Youtube's playlist feature confuses me because it disappears half the time and the rest of the time, I can't get it to work anyways. I have spent a huge amount of time finding mp3s to suit my musical tastes. I'm a fan of a wide variety of music, including 70's and 80's country, 90's pop, classic rock, swing and folk. I have friends that can find the most remarkably obscure music. I also have a good 50 mp3's of sea shanties and drinking songs. You know, for those bar/pub/sailing scenes. o.0 Do you have a type of music that you can lose yourself in while managing to crank out coherent thought? Take some time to figure out if you can listen to music now (13 days) instead of after NaNo starts. The time you spend downloading/ripping/buying music in November could be better spent writing!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

14 days

Tired clichés are tired. Heh, see what I did there? Never mind. Google "clichés in writing" and you'll find some incredible lists. Some are just plain tired. Been there, done that a million times over.  Some aren't as bad as people would make you believe. Been there, done that so how can I make it new? Try to avoid clichés that are just so hopelessly overused that there really is nothing new about them anymore. 14 days!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

15 days

15. Days. To. Go. Half way there. With the high amount of caffeine I ingest on a normal basis nearly tripling during the NaNo, I will admit that my caffeinated brain is prone to serious distractions. I'm like a critter that has found something shiny every few minutes. My computer hates me and all my tabs, windows, and programs open. I freak out over the slightest interruptions because it is SO hard to get back into my groove. Some of the biggest distractions I face during NaNo: the cats and their incessant need for attention (and food I guess), traffic outside... stupid 18-wheelers and those breaks ugh, the internet (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email... there is so much to do!), and housework that builds up. What is going to distract you during the NaNo?

For me, this year will be easier than the past 2. Sam found himself a new home where there is an outdoor enclosed run and other more friendly cats to play with; Sabriel is loving life living as an outdoor cat now. Both of those changes are a result of an unexpected move a few weeks back. But, I don't have to take care of the housework nearly as much because I live with 3 other adults and an aide shows up 5 days a week to help too. Traffic isn't bad... but I do have to put up with a television blasting nearly 24 hours a day now. Ugh, I hate the television. Like, really really really hate it. If that is my only issue this November, everything is going to be peachy.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

16 days

16 more days. Have I mentioned that I am not a patient person? November, hurry up! If you haven't done so already, today is a great day to apply the character development techniques you have learned to your supporting cast. Maybe you'll discover your villain isn't the one you thought it should be. Is there an unlikely hero in the crowd? See what you learn about your characters by filling in some background.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

17 days

This should be obvious, as I've mentioned the forums before, but NaNo has some incredible forums. They are divided into many different categories to meet the needs of every NaNo'er. Browse by area, genre, technology, writing basics, etc. Before you post, please please PLEASE read the forum notice for the rules of conduct. Double posting, spamming, flaming, and other poor internet etiquette is not tolerated and the moderators are pretty quick to lock threads in such cases. Follow the rules and you will open yourself up to a large group of writers from all over the world. Refuse to follow the rules will result in (most likely) open mockery and contempt. Hey, we're all human right? 17 days now.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

18 days

You have 18 days left. Get to know the NaNo'ers in your area. You should have set up your "home" area when you signed up for the NaNo. There is a forum for that area. Find out who your Municipal Liaison (ML) is and read up on the scheduled events. Most areas have a kick-off party sometime during October, and weekly write-ins are scheduled during November. Got a place in mind for a write-in? Chime in on the discussion. Some MLs have even gone as far as setting up virtual write-ins using group chat rooms where someone DJ's, organizes Word Wars, and gives out loads of encouragement. The forum is the place to be if you want to interact with NaNo'ers.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

19 days

19 days to go so let's make some goals. Goal #1 should be to WIN! Your long term goal is: I will write 50,000 words or more between November 1^st and November 30^th. Now break that up so it isn't quite so scary. Short term goal: I will write at least 1,667 words a day for every day of November. (That really isn't all that much, I promise.) Try to make milestones along the way to reward yourself such as, write every day, reach 10k (20k, 30k, etc), complete 1 word war a week, stay ahead of the daily goal, etc.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

20 days

You have some habits to "learn" before the NaNo from a couple days ago. Now, let's talk about habits to break.

1. Saying "I can't do it" sucks. Don't do that. You can do anything you put your mind to. 
2. Editing is a part of writing, but it can wait. Tell your inner editor where to go during NaNo. 

Pro Tip for #2: It isn't anywhere near your novel.

Break those two habits now and NaNo will be easy breezy. 20 days! I'm pumped!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

21 days

Plot development is a sticky predicament for me. I hate outlining. I let my stories unfold as I write. That is the nature of a "pantser" during the NaNo. Other people live and breathe for outlining. Read up on plot development and figure out how you are going to get from Point A to Point B. Don't have a plot yet? Don't worry about it. You still need to know the fundamentals of weaving a story so take some time today to read up on plotting. Doing this BEFORE the NaNo will save you countless hours of trying to figure out where the hell you were going with the last 15,000 words. 21 days now.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

22 days

22 days to go and here are some habits to develop before NaNo starts.

1. Write every day, even if it is only a handful of words. Write, write, write. 
2. Start learning how to block your internal editor. You don't need him during NaNo. 
3. Figure out your stride and work it to its maximum potential, but remember to take breaks every so often (I break after an hour for 5 minutes so that my butt doesn't get quite so numb). 
4. Have an open mind when it comes to your novel... some days, the mojo just isn't there.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

23 days

You should have read up on character development by now. Try to apply what you learned to the main character you have in mind. Doing such writing exercises now will save you some serious heartache later on, should you decide you hate your main character. Write up a biography and employ some of the techniques you learned. You should know your main character inside and out so give it good thought. 95% of what you write will probably never see the light of day in your novel, but it will help you develop your character's voice and mannerisms that should be in the novel. You got 23 days.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Updated Stats

Been a busy week. Here are those updated stats I promised a few days ago.

As current:

Total views: 2136
Top visitors: USA, Germany, United Kingdom, and Canada
Top posts: Chloe Moretz (by far 262 views), Safe 4th (106 views), Writing Voice (46 views), 101st post (45 views), Clark Duke (34 views)
Top Browsers: IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and GranParadiso (what is NS8??)
Top OS: Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad, and Android

Like the previous stats post, I find this stuff very interesting. I like to learn about these unknown browsers and see the key word searches. Pretty cool stuff. Anyways, what is NS8? I could Google it but I'm too lazy right now. I need more coffee.

To those at Occupy Cincinnati: I wish I could have been there with you all today. I stand behind you and send my support. Stand strong and stick true to your pledge to remain non-violent, vigilant, and vocal. We are the 99%. I hope to be there soon.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

24 days

Want to do the NaNo but need that extra push to make the commitment? Remind everyone that you have committed to the NaNo and challenge them to do the same! Competition is a great motivation during the month. Friendly competition, mind you. Sibling rivalry is great too. If you haven't checked out the program Write or Die, check it out. Some people live and breathe for Word Wars during the NaNo and many use Write or Die. 24 days to go!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

25 days

You've had nearly a week to start thinking about your upcoming novel. 25 days to go. Are you brainstorming ideas? You should have an idea of what you want to write about. You don't? Well get on it! Read up on brainstorming techniques and let your imagination run wild.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

26 days

26 days. Something to read up on: genre. What is your favorite? Think you can do better than your favorite authors? Check out the websites for information on the writing process your favorite employs. Want to emulate that? Hate that idea? For a twist, try writing in a less favorite genre. Love fantasy? Try suspense. Love romance? Try horror. Start thinking of what genre you'd like to write under!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

27 days

Some folks may be NaNo virgins so I'll lay out some general information for you. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, or NaNo) is an event that takes place over the course of November where writers across the world participate by writing a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days. NaNo is run by the Office of Letters and Light (OLL). The OLL strives to collect donations throughout the year in order to fund several literacy initiatives, the most important (to me) being the Young Writer's Program (YWP). YWP brings NaNoWriMo to the classroom, providing resources for teachers and students to participate during November right alongside the adults. Last year, the OLL collected books from participants that were resold in order to raise more funds for YWP and other programs. There are very few rules in the NaNo (and some were made to be broken... more on that later this month):

• Commit to write a 50,000 novel. That is 1667 words a day of original fiction with the intention of those words making up a novel in the end result. If you believe you're writing a novel, then we believe you're writing a novel too.
• This is a solo production. Co-writing is discouraged, unless each of you plan to write 50,000 words individually. Co-writing is highly accepted during April's Scriptfrenzy though.
• You must write a new story. Half-finished stories, continuing the "next" book in a series, etc. is discouraged. Here is why: you are way too attached to the story at that point and will be less inclined to write for the pure joy of writing. (This is the one that can be and is broken often.)
• Remember you are writing fiction! Fan-fic, erotica (all participating characters must be over 18), fantasy, horror, suspense... anything of that ilk goes. Non-fiction (this includes memoirs) is discouraged. Want to write your 50,000 words in a haiku series? Do it. A huge fan of iambic pentameter? Love it. Write what you love the way you love to write it, as long as it is original fiction.

27 days and counting!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

I Am. A Personal Essay

I posted this on my personal Facebook about 2 hours ago and it is already being shared, borrowed and stolen many times over so I figured I should claim ownership of it. This essay is the result of a soapbox rant after being called a liberal free loading degenerate by a "friend" who then defriended me. Damn the luck. I'll miss his asinine comments about... nothing?

I am educated, opinionated, and caffeinated. I am pro-choice, pro-arts in schools, anti-religion in politics, and anti-corporate greed. I believe in the power of unions, friendship, and faith. I also believe in parents being parents, children being children, and schools and government keeping their noses out of everyone else's business.

I am optimistic, pessimistic, and altruistic... just never at the same time. I take the Declaration of Independence literally. That it was or wasn't meant to be taken so is irrelevant. I learned to say please and thank you, yes sir and yes ma'am. I can say those words to elders, peers, and children alike without being a smartass.

I support my troops, medical research, and charities. I do not support hatemongering, ignorance, or the status quo. I have been in favor of gay rights since before I knew what gay meant. No, I'm not gay. Would it matter so much if I was?

I am in favor of gun control and I am a gun owner. Yes, I want to be able to protect myself. No, I don't want the certified maniac next door to have a gun. I understand that I sit in a grey area on many, many topics. I am not a liberal. I am not a conservative.

I am a realist and patriot. My realistic side says that times suck right now in America. My patriotic side says that Americans need to have some pride and quit letting this crap slide. We need to put on our big kid panties and start doing something to change it instead of sitting back complaining while waiting for someone else to fix it.

The rest of the world looks at America and laughs. We are a joke to them. If that doesn't piss you off, then I don't know what to say to you.

I understand that my opinions straddle the fence sometimes and that drives people crazy. Keep this in mind: Sometimes, my opinions are so left-leaning that it endangers my career path and family relationships. Sometimes they are so right-leaning that my friends question how we are even friends. And then sometimes, I straddle the fence. But at least I have an opinion. Do you? Or, did you let others make up your mind for you?

I admit when I am wrong and hate it. I do my research to make sure I'm usually right. I like to play devil's advocate. I get that there are rarely only two sides to a story. However, I get that stories become distorted with each retelling. Play the children's "Telephone" game if you don't believe me.

I am me. What you see is what you get. Don't like that? Please, ignore me then. Continue to bury your head in the sand. I am educated. I refuse to be a sheep. I am opinionated. Read the above if you don't believe me. I am caffeinated. Yes, this is one of those TL;DR posts from more coffee that a single person should ingest. I am me. Don't like me? Then reevaluate why you associate with me.

©Dee Sutter October 4, 2011

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

28 days

Most folks don't write for a living. Chances are, you are a little rusty on the basics. Take some time today to look up "character development" and brush up. There are so many ideas online... find a technique or two that works for you and try it out. Do you do best by cold writing a biography? How would your character react to an intense situation? What is the character's everyday life like? Interview him! Eat breakfast with him! Try to catch him off-guard in the shower! Well... use your best judgment on that last one. 28 days!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

29 days

The NaNo List is a huge part of most hardcore NaNo'ers preparation. In order to really get into the game, I suggest making a list of the supplies you plan to use during the month of November. Make a list, add to it as you get ideas, and then start collecting it all! You have 29 days until the clock starts, but don't wait too long! You never know when something unexpected will happen that will derail you... so plan ahead.
My list: 2 notebooks (I like the memo books in bright colors), 5 fine point smooth-glide black ink pens with gel grips, 2 fine point smooth-glide red ink pens with gel grips, 1 pack of 3x5" notecards, extra ground coffee/creamer/sugar for increased consumption (really), snack foods like gold fish crackers, mints, pretzel rods, reese's cups, and V-8 Tropical Blend, slippers (if it is cold), compressed air and screen cleaner (I eat and drink over the computer... gross, I know). What could you add to this list?

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

2000 Views

Passed 2k views this morning. That is just incredible. Even while I've been slightly MIA the past couple weeks due to family events, an unexpected move, and the county fair, views are still going crazy. I love it. Thanks to you all. I'll post some updated stats later this week. I'm busy working to finish Immo2 now that I finally got my last bit of beta reader comments on Immo1. Very excited about it all. I cannot wait to start Immo3 in just a few short weeks. Are you doing the NaNo?

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

30 days

30 days until NaNoWriMo! Who is excited? Me, ME, MEEEE! I love getting amped up for the NaNo almost as much as I love actually participating. The wait is killing me. 30 days from now, writers from all over the world will begin plugging away, committing their stories to paper one word at a time. What do you want to write about? Take the time to finalize the real story in your head and get it on paper.  All you need is the idea right now.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

31 days until NaNo starts!

Alright, we have 31 days until National Novel Writing Month starts! It is time to make the commitment to get that story out in a physical form. The first thing you need to do is sign up on the website! Go to www.nanowrimo.org and sign up. It is free! Once you sign up, make sure you sign up for the location that is closest to you! You'll want to get to know the folks in your area! Once you sign up, tell everyone about it! Call your friends, post about it on Facebook, Twitter, G+, whatever you use, tell your live-ins. The more people you share the news with, the more likely you will be compelled to follow this commitment through!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS