Well, I didn’t get selected for PitchWars this year (more on that in my August wrap-up post). But I’m not bummed. I’m actually pretty excited because this frees me up to spend the next two months diving into some serious NaNoWriMo prep. I haven’t written anything new since last year’s NaNoWriMo, and I seriously can’t wait to get started on a new novel! I have so many ideas. I just know I’m going to have trouble picking one to focus on.
In addition to being excited about writing the “new thing,” I’m also excited because I’m going to be a Municipal Liaison again this year for my region! I’m looking forward to planning some really fun write-in events. But before I get to that, I’m going to spend some time brainstorming, world-building, plotting, and outlining. I think this may be my favorite part of drafting a new novel…
This year, I’ve joined the YA Buccaneers fall writing bootcamp which is focused on NaNoWriMo prep. You can join too. Here’s a link to more info. The thing I’m most excited about accomplishing during bootcamp is creating my novel beat sheet. This is the tool that will guide my plot and character arcs and keep me on track during the drafting process.
As part of my NaNo Prep, I’m considering doing some blog posts and/or YouTube videos about my tools and process. This would include some writing books I find helpful, tools I use (like the beat sheet I mentioned above), and what I like to have done before I start writing. So, stay tuned if that sounds interesting to you.
I also took some time today to set up my donation page for this year’s Night of Writing Dangerously. I had so much fun at last year’s Night of Writing Dangerously (thank you, donors!), that I’d like to attend again.
Between now and November, I’m hoping you might consider donating $5 or $10 to the non-profit that runs NaNoWriMo, The Office of Letters and Light. Your donations help run their writing programs (like NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo), but donations also help bring creative writing programs to children, and provide resources for teachers. For a full run down of where your money goes when you donate, check out this page. And, when you’re ready to donate, please contribute through my donation page, here. (Right now the video is from last year. Stay tuned, I’m planning on posting a new one soon.)
If I can get 30 people to donate $10 each, I’ll have met my fundraising goal. So, please consider a donation, even a small one. Your contribution is much appreciated!
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