Writing Challenge Wrap-up

I’ve met a milestone on my work in progress today: 20,000 words! I am proud to say that all of these words were put onto paper during this month, as a part of my June Writing Challenge. The hours of brainstorming and typing are starting to pay off, and the novel is certainly taking shape. Cue the celebration!

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                Naturally, I didn’t meet all of my goals this month. For instance, I haven’t spent time on my third Jordan Nimsby book; I’ve neglected her in favor of two new protagonists in the WIP, and I feel a little guilty. She’s a fun character to be around, and I do intend to continue my Northwoods Barista Mystery series. I’ve also skipped writing altogether a few days this month due to travel or other obligations. 

                On the bright side, on the days that I did write, I surpassed my daily writing goal. Still, as all writers know, writing is about much more than word counts and daily challenges. The number was simply a guide to keep me focused this summer and to get me back into the flow of purposeful writing. But, should writers write each day? YES! There are probably countless reasons why, but here are some benefits I have found this month: 

1. Expanding Creativity. I feel more creative when I’m taking time to write every day. I’m creating and developing characters and plot, describing settings and actions, and forming dialogue and details. I’ve felt more creative and energetic in my everyday actions this month (more playful with my kids, more efficient in getting tasks done, etc.), and I’m chalking it up to targeting that right side of my brain every morning via writing.  

2. Building Focus. At times, I feel very scatterbrained. I’ve found that my most scatterbrained times are when I’ve gone too long without writing. Whether writing boring old to do lists or freewriting stories and lyrics, I find that the action of writing (or typing) strengthens my focus. It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment that makes me feel more effective in other parts of life. 

3. Having Fun! Duh. It’s tempting to leave this out in favor of more romantic sounding accolades, but writing is fun. Hanging out with your characters is fun, and so is seeing your thoughts in print. Maybe that makes me sound a bit crazy, but I am a writer, so I’m pretty sure that goes with the territory.

4. Moving Toward the Dream. I always tell my students to keep trying and to keep working towards their dreams, so it would be hypocritical if I didn’t follow the same advice. It isn’t that teaching or raising my kids isn’t enough for me (both are incredible experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything), but I have always had the dream of seeing my published novel in Barnes & Noble. I almost reached that goal when Decaf & Drones was scooped up for publication by Three Worlds Productions three years ago; however, when the company closed shortly afterward, I was left with a well-edited manuscript, a cover, and no formal publisher. I’ve since self-published both Decaf & Drones and Lattes & Loony Lights, and I’ve had a few short stories appear in journals and online, as well (you can check out one of my favorites at Thrice). Still, that one dream still hangs over me: seeing my published work in a mega bookstore. When I write, I see tiny footprints in the sand moving toward my ultimate goal. If I stop writing for a period of time, they wash away. If I keep it up, those steps will take me somewhere.

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                I see with some of my students that they are quick to quit if they don’t see immediate progress at a sport, a job, a class, etc. When I tell them that I have been working toward this particular goal since high school, they are amazed. But I tell them the realities of life: some years you may be working so hard just to get by that you don’t have time to work on your goal; other times, you may need to focus on other activities that will bring you closer to your goal; all the time, small steps are leading you in the right direction. You just need to keep walking.

June Writing Challenge

After going through a serious writing drought this winter and spring, I’m making myself write every day this month. My goal for each day is 500 words. So far, I’ve met or exceeded my goal every day except for one, and I’m proud to say I’ve reached 7,000 words this morning on my newest work in progress. This new project is a young adult novel told through two different perspectives (I like to say that I write really small – flash fiction – or really large – novels—but nothing in between). It’s realistic fiction…mostly. There is definitely a science fiction element going on, a little bit of weirdness and mystery that I’m pulling in. I don’t want to say too much just yet, since it is very fresh and still forming in my brain, but I am so excited to be starting on something new!*

Since I’ve been struggling with making time for my writing lately, and I’m sure others do, too, I wanted to share some techniques that have been working for me this month.

1.       Achievable Writing Goals. 500 words a day is not too overwhelming. (This blog post will likely top out at 600 words...and 5 or 6 awkward gifs.) Picking a word count that I can easily handle (and complete in less than an hour, if needed) has been enormously helpful.

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2.       Writing in the Morning. I find that if I get my writing out as soon as possible (certainly before noon; before 10am if possible), I don’t struggle with as much writer’s block and I don’t forget to do it.

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3.       Double-timing Brainstorming. I spend a lot of time with my sons. I find that I can let my brain wander when building Hot Wheels race tracks for the hundredth time with my 3-year-old or while breastfeeding the baby. This helps me think through scenes, characters, and plot issues so that I can come to my laptop ready to let the words loose rather than stumbling through these brainstorming elements during my writing time.

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4.       Scheduling that Works for Me. I’m not sure if this is a legitimate diagnosis, but I swear my brain is more creative during the summer and early fall. I do my best writing and lesson planning during these times. Attempting a writing challenge at a time like this works best for me. (As opposed to, say, April, when I’m burned out, or November, when I’m super busy —I know, I know, NaNoWriMo, I love you, but your timing is flawed for my teaching schedule.)

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5.       Playing Games. I like to play little writing games with myself. For instance, I’ll set a timer to ten minutes and make myself write that entire time without any breaks. I might put down some bizarre or low quality writing on the page, but at least the words are out there: it’s a start. Or I’ll tell myself that I need to finish a certain scene today; regardless of where it is in the novel, I’ll only work on that scene. Outside of my writing time, I try to take my sons to new places or try out new games and adventures as a family, hoping that it will spike that summertime creativity I mentioned above. 

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I’m taking my writing challenge one day at a time, and I’m hoping to have a ton of beautifully-crafted prose by the time I’m done. Just kidding! I anticipate at least a pile of decent, re-workable stuff with some quality nuggets to build off of. First and foremost, I love writing, and I needed something to get me back into it after a busy school year. I’m hopeful these techniques will make June a fun and fulfilling month of writing.

*A note about my Northwoods Barista Mystery Series: Jordy fans, don’t worry—I’m not giving up on the series yet! The third book is in progress—right now, it’s a rough collection of an outline, notes on the suspects and crimes, and about 10,000 words of the typical sarcastic comments, over-caffeinated thoughts, and questionable detective skills that are a trademark of my narrator Jordan Nimsby. It’s coming together, and I will definitely spend some of my June challenge with Jordy, too. I hope to have the next book ready for release in Spring of 2019, if not sooner. I will keep everyone updated on this blog.