Tag: Nanowrimo

Wild Wednesday

This time of year is so niche. First the artists in September/October are all doing all sorts of nifty art challenges. Then in November the writers all start talking about writing challenges. Not a writer and curious about what the challenges mean?

well For Poets there is a P.A.D. Challenge. This is fairly simple and easy to explain. It is a Poem A Day Challenge. The idea is to write at least one poem everyday in November. (I am trying to do 2 or more but that is because I already do a poem daily as one of my daily goals. The idea is to challenge yourself after all.)

The other Major challenge that goes on in November is NANOWRIMO. Which stands for National Novel Writing Month. The Idea is to write 50000 words during the month of November. (preferably all in one manuscript. but some split it up into shorts and other ideas just to get the writing done.) In order to accomplish this you would need to write  at minimum, you should be writing 1,667 words a day, or approximately 11,700 words a week. That can be daunting.

I am not doing Nano, but I am trying to boost my daily writing activity. I am hoping to make the habit stick. What challenges do you try to attempt? Are you a Writer or an artist? There is also art challenges throughout the other months of the year. April also generally sees a PAD challenge for National Poetry Month.

I am curious what other challenges people put themselves through. I end up having to explain the PAD challenge and Nano so often I wonder what challenges I may be missing out of ignorance.

PAD Day 8

Today the prompt could have worked…but I didn’t feel it. Today was the obligatory form poem/anti form poem prompt. He always puts it in. And I have a volume in development for that…but this was the first poem in Ethereal Dreams… I felt like acknowledging that. Each volume is a new mindset. I have to figure out what this chapter of my life is about. Thoughtcicles was about shock and grief for the changes of self and relationship. A lot of frozen thought and self care. I don’t know what ethereal Dreams is yet.

Also we’re a week into November. This is the month for writing… and I think that a lot of people – myself included – see Nanowrimo as a pass or fail thing way too often. It should be about the setting of a routine, not about the word count. If you can hit that word count daily then awesome, congratulations! But if you can’t don’t get discouraged. Set a time for daily writing and meet that every day. Not all writing is novels. Children’s books are a thing. Those require far less word count. Poetry is still writing. Do a poem a day.(that is what I decided to do) Do not measure your own success by the way that other people write. You are going to have a different way of speaking. Writing is another way of using your voice. Don’t let anyone take your voice from you.

Thursday Tea Party

Welcome! Pull up a seat, and pour the tea! Today I am having my lovely lavender.

Have you ever felt staggered and humbled by the response to a single statement? That was me a couple of days ago. I posted on my Facebook about how much I enjoy sharing the wonderful things that my artist and author friends are doing. Everyone was so generous in their response. It makes me feel so happy to know such amazing people.

Did you notice the guest blog post a couple of days ago? Well the Blogger who wrote it has two wonderful blogs. Her poetry blog and a really nice homestead blog. I highly recommend that you check both out! She is also a fellow coffee house writer. I am so thankful that she was willing to come visit.

October passed too quickly. I swear I blinked… Tomorrow will see Serena starting Nanowrimo, and me starting the P.A.D. challenge. I have been slacking off due to illness, so I am still a couple of poems needed for Beauty’s Tears. I have no doubt that I will be done in a day or two, but I was wanting to start a clear volume in November. Sigh. It is what it is.

Fae corps blog will be posting a daily prompt for November. I am doing Layout for Faery Footprints. It is planned for publication in December. The deadline for Through the Sunshine submissions is January 31…we hope to see some wonderful light fae stories!

Have you had a chance to get a copy of Inspiration Without a Home? I would love to hear any opinions.

2020 is going to be an interesting year for me. My art studio will be useable. I am planning to be out more. Fae Corps will be releasing a light fae anthology. There is a book that we are publishing for Deedra Nichole. And who knows what else that will be generating for us there. I should be releasing audiobook versions of my books starting in December. The first planned is The Princess Lost.

…I know there is still two months! Why am I talking about 2020? I am seeing November as being so busy that I may not be able to do a lot of planning. December will be recovery and edits. Layout and publishing. So I think that I am going to be busy.

So, tell me… What in the new year would you like to see this blog cover? Do you like the way that I have been handling it? What can I improve? What irritates you that I do?

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies! Tonight, I have coffee instead of tea… And lots of it. I am in the home stretch for Beauty’s Tears – only 9 poems left to write. I am hoping to knock out the writing before the first. I likely will not be getting to Layout until December, but it means that Heart Drops will be started with the poems of the PAD challenge.

Fae Corps will be doing another round of daily prompts in November. I will probably be reblogging many of them. The first group got a good reception so we decided to do them for nano/poetry writers in November.

I have been approached by another poet/author about doing a guest blog. Her idea intrigued me! So I will be posting it as soon as she gets it to me for you to read. I enjoy her poetry so I believe that you will enjoy the post.

So… I am facing my fears… And then some. I asked about doing a author signing event yesterday. I also have found a craft fair to try and sell my art and crafts at. This is such a big thing. I have been making art, jewelry, and resin pieces. And due to fear, I have been sticking it all in bins. Anxiety often keeps me from doing. I was called out for my bs. Joe, my boyfriend, told me that if I was not going to do anything to sell or use it then I should stop making it. I hate it when he is right. So I am swallowing the what if I fail fear. The first craft show is a local hot dog sale on the first Saturday in November. I have to get to earning money for books for the signing event. I personally have 19 poetry volumes, 3 kids books, and a memoir. Plus Serena’s 2. And the anthology. That makes it expensive to have even a small amount of copies to sell. Those numbers just make me want to cry.

The beginning of the year will be seeing a lot of new things, from me and from Fae Corps. We have a lot planned. I will be seeing the release of my Beauty’s Tears and the anthology Faery Footprints in December. I am hoping that Serena will have a book ready for release with the new year. I am looking at the release of the audiobook version for the princess lost.

This year is still going to be bringing new challenges. What are you hoping to do before the end of 2019?

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies! Today my tea is a lovely jasmine found at the local Asian market.I really love the tin as well as the tea.

Today is definitely a hot cup of tea kind of day. I love fall, the crisp cool of the air, the decorations, just the feel in the air.

November is barreling towards us so quickly! If you are going to submit to Fae Corps Faery Footprints, your time is running out. October 31 is the deadline. Art, poetry, and short stories are being accepted.

November is also a busy month for me. Serena is doing Nanowrimo. If you want to follow her on the site her user name is SerenaMossgraves. She has two wips she is going to try to tackle. Kingdoms of Sin & Life, Guilt, and Undeath. She said that this way if one is blocked she has a back-up. I am again doing the P. A. D. Challenge. I looked this morning at Beauty’s tears. I have 42 poems out of the 70 needed to publish. (Poetry volumes vary in length, however I have always done 70 in each of mine.) So, the P. A. D. should put me over what I need. I will have to decide what title my next volume will be soon.

I also am still going to be writing for coffee house writers biweekly. My new post with them will publish on Monday. I am really enjoying working with them.

So, I am seeing December being a time of Layout and publishing. Fae Corps will be releasing Faery Footprints in December, and I will be releasing Beauty’s Tears. With any luck Serena will have something new to release then as well.

I am working on recording the audiobook for the princess lost. So I am hoping to release that soon as well.

Serena is currently working on her story for Fae Corps Through the Sunshine anthology. It’s a cute whimsical light faery story about snowflakes. The deadline for that is January, so she has time.

My best friend is also doing Nanowrimo this year. She’s trying her hand at fantasy romance! If you want more information about her writing, check out her blog.

So… Help me out. I’m going to post 3 different book covers. Tell me which you think I should use after the publication of Beauty’s tears.

All three are eventually going to be titles of my poetry volumes. It’s just a matter of the order of release. So drop your opinion in the comments. Which would you like to see released next?

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies. Today I am having a blend of herbs in a tea. Which herbs you ask? Oh dear me… I seem to have forgotten most of them… My boyfriend makes it for me, so I only put them in my 🦉(yes my tea strainer looks like an owl) and drown the owl. I do know that he uses 5 different herbs. It has Lavender, Jasmine, and a small amount of Mandrake. Oh dear, I really have forgotten the other two. Well rest assured that it tastes like a miracle, and aids my pain meds(back and hands are extra sore today.

Well… A week into October… So much going on. My first post for coffee house writers is up. If you missed it, go here. Of course my Saturday post on here was filled with the links for my books, Serena’s books , and other places to find me.

Serena is definitely doing Nano this year. The link to her Nano page is Here. I will be doing the P. A. D. Challenge, as usual. Though I do not always use just the Writer’s Digest prompts, they usually have good ones. For the ones that want to try to follow along, or try the challenge themselves, the link for the section of the site is Writer’s Digest – Poetic Asides. It is a wonderful column regardless.

Serena has two projects to attempt working on. Kingdoms of Sin and Life, Guilt, and undeath. I believe that both are listed as active due to the desire to not allow writer’s block to slow down the momentum.

My craft studio is nearly together. We have moved most of the stuff in there, but I have still to organize and such. I have been considering doing a studio tour video. We have not gotten the electric fixed in it yet. One thing at a time, right?

With all that is going on in November…I don’t know if I can juggle everything. We will see. I may have to do a couple of less days here a week. It will depend upon my dexterity. I will be juggling a bi-weekly deadline for Coffee House Writer’s, a poem a day, an attempt at doing 1667 words in one or the other or both of Serena’s stories, homeschooling my daughter, and housework. Plus the blog and any art I can squeeze in. It is not going to be easy. So, I beg your grace ahead of time for missed posts. I will return to the normally crazy of this blog in December regardless. I am hoping that I will be able to juggle it all in November as well.

If I can I am hoping to get around to the children’s book I am working on in December. It is a middle grade story. Attack of Shoe Mountain. If I do then 2020 will be a huge year of publication for me. Both Serena and I have poetry being published in Fae Corps Publishing Faery Footprints. She is likely to have a story in the Through the Sunshine anthology. I am also hoping that at least one, if not both, of her W. I. P. novels will be published in 2020. I am usually publishing roughly 3 poetry volumes a year. If I can also add Aosm… Yeah 2020 will be a big year for me and mine. Though I might be publishing Beauty’s Tears in 2019 still. Depends upon the poetry muse. 😉

Thursday Tea Party

Hello lovelies. Today I am having a blend of herbs in a tea. Which herbs you ask? Oh dear me… I seem to have forgotten most of them… My boyfriend makes it for me, so I only put them in my 🦉(yes my tea strainer looks like an owl) and drown the owl. I do know that he uses 5 different herbs. It has Lavender, Jasmine, and a small amount of Mandrake. Oh dear, I really have forgotten the other two. Well rest assured that it tastes like a miracle, and aids my pain meds(back and hands are extra sore today.

Well… A week into October… So much going on. My first post for coffee house writers is up. If you missed it, go here. Of course my Saturday post on here was filled with the links for my books, Serena’s books , and other places to find me.

Serena is definitely doing Nano this year. The link to her Nano page is Here. I will be doing the P. A. D. Challenge, as usual. Though I do not always use just the Writer’s Digest prompts, they usually have good ones. For the ones that want to try to follow along, or try the challenge themselves, the link for the section of the site is Writer’s Digest – Poetic Asides. It is a wonderful column regardless.

Serena has two projects to attempt working on. Kingdoms of Sin and Life, Guilt, and undeath. I believe that both are listed as active due to the desire to not allow writer’s block to slow down the momentum.

My craft studio is nearly together. We have moved most of the stuff in there, but I have still to organize and such. I have been considering doing a studio tour video. We have not gotten the electric fixed in it yet. One thing at a time, right?

With all that is going on in November…I don’t know if I can juggle everything. We will see. I may have to do a couple of less days here a week. It will depend upon my dexterity. I will be juggling a bi-weekly deadline for Coffee House Writer’s, a poem a day, an attempt at doing 1667 words in one or the other or both of Serena’s stories, homeschooling my daughter, and housework. Plus the blog and any art I can squeeze in. It is not going to be easy. So, I beg your grace ahead of time for missed posts. I will return to the normally crazy of this blog in December regardless. I am hoping that I will be able to juggle it all in November as well.

If I can I am hoping to get around to the children’s book I am working on in December. It is a middle grade story. Attack of Shoe Mountain. If I do then 2020 will be a huge year of publication for me. Both Serena and I have poetry being published in Fae Corps Publishing Faery Footprints. She is likely to have a story in the Through the Sunshine anthology. I am also hoping that at least one, if not both, of her W. I. P. novels will be published in 2020. I am usually publishing roughly 3 poetry volumes a year. If I can also add Aosm… Yeah 2020 will be a big year for me and mine. Though I might be publishing Beauty’s Tears in 2019 still. Depends upon the poetry muse. 😉

Thursday Tea Party

Hello my loveys! Well what are you drinking today? I am struggling with the idea of awake, so today I have coffee. I use powdered creamer, half of the coffee cup, and 3 splenda packets. Today I chose cinnamon cream. It is my favorite flavor.

So, announcements.

I submitted my first writing for Coffee House writers. It is in their editor’s hands. I really like the poetry department they have. The people there are enormous fun. I think that I will be able to improve my writing with them.

My memoir is out. Inspiration Without A Home grab your copy today. I will be doing the link post this Saturday as usual.

Some sad news… The editors of Creatives Rising Ezine are having technical difficulties and have had to cancel the issue. The editors are working on clearing it up. I, personally, am looking forward to the ezine being up and going again.

I have been enjoying inktober, though it has barely started. I have been exploring art in various mediums.

My studio is coming together. I am hoping to have it set up and ready for a studio tour around the beginning of 2020.

Serena will be doing The Kingdoms of Sin for Nanowrimo this year.

I will be doing the P. A. D. Challenge again this year.

So, that is all of the announcements.

Due to the busy over the next three months…. I have been considering a prompt theme for my Friday blog posts. I will announce the theme and prompt list tomorrow.

Tell me, what is your plans for the last three months of 2019?

Thursday thoughts

This week has been a personal mess. So I have been trying to think of topics for upcoming blogs. April will be a huge poetry push. I will likely be posting not only my own poems but I think that I will be posting some of my favorite pieces from poets of the past with information about the poet. Note that I will be sure to credit the poets for their work. Even if most are no longer with us.

I always do writer’s digest poem prompts in both April and November. I am going to try to post the poems with links to the prompts through the month. It is also time for camp nano. I think Serena will be continuing to work on Life, Guilt, and Undeath.

We have decided to do as the first audiobook Bedtime tales: the princess lost. It will give me a smaller recording to start with. I have to record it, and then work on editing the audio until I think it worth publishing. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist where my published books are concerned. I try to give my readers the best material that I possibly can. Most authors that I know are. I will be posting the link as soon as I have it for the audiobook version of each of the books.

So what would you like to see as far as topics here? Is there a poet who you want to see my favorite poem of?