On the Fifth Day of NaNo Prep my Novel Gave to Me...

Hey guys!  Sorry about the wait on this post, I had some stuff come up last week that required me to put some things off for a bit.  On the fifth of October, the NaNoWriMo website was all fixed up and prepared for our event of the season, NaNoWriMo 2015!  So it's up and running and ready for you to put your novel up!  Make sure you head over and do that.
Okay, now down to business.
On the Fifth Day of NaNo Prep my Novel Gave to Me… A general plot (part 3).  Here we are at the last stretch of this whole general plot thing.  The middle.  This is the part that I feel like is the most challenging, because this has to be exciting enough to keep the readers reading.  The middle is actually my favorite part of reading a good book, because by now, you should love it, and there's still an entire half of it to go!  I was reading the Fellowship of the Ring the other day and right about in the middle I was at the peak of my excitement.  I loved the book, and there was still a long way to go before it ended.
So how does one get a phenomenal middle?  Well, the midpoint is as middle as you can get, and this is where the excitement gets amped because of an event that happened.  For example, in the Incredibles (Pixar, Disney) the audience's interest level is dwindling, right before Bob's wife presses a homing beacon and Bob gets captured by the enemy.  Woo! That dwindling interest level is certainly not dwindling anymore.  Or at least, something like that.  So think of it as the second of your three plot points.  They all need to be just as interesting and exciting, so they're all equal.  Number one is the beginning, this is number two, and number three is the ending.
Number one in my book is the character enlists in WW1
Number two is his best friend deserts him
Number three is he lives happily ever after (or will he?)
So now that we have the three main plot points, we can fill it in with smaller events that we want to happen.  My recommendation for this is to write each event on a separate index card (I cut my index cards in threes so I don't use up more than is necessary), or a sticky note, then use tape that you can take on and off (I use artists' tape) or a tack and tack it to a cork board, or tape it to a piece of paper.  The reason for all this is so you can rearrange things as you see fit.

So how is your guys' NaNo plotting coming along?  Have you got a middle?  What's your favorite part of a book?  Let me know in the comments!

Viola June, HFA-DGN

On the Fourth Day of NaNo Prep my Novel Gave to Me...

Hey everyone!  We have reached the fourth day of NaNo prep.  Let's get right in.
On the fourth day of NaNo prep my novel gave to me… A general plot (Part two).  Well this is way more exciting than yesterday, right?  *crickets*.  Yeah, that's what I thought.  In part two of my general plotting I go to my ending, skipping the middle because normally the middle is the hardest to figure out (for me).
The ending is critical, because the readers have to leave feeling satisfied, unless it's a series, then you should probably dish out dissatisfaction, but that's another subject for another time.  Sometimes you'll know your ending down to the very lines the characters speak, or sometimes it'll be simply a blur that gives you a rough idea of where you're headed.  For my current WIP I have it down to the line, but for my NaNo work, it's all a blur, so it really could go both ways.
What does your ending need?  How about a resolution?  Series or not, this is very important.  My current WIP is book one in a five book series.  Even though I plan on leaving a cliffhanger of sorts, I still have to give the readers something to hold on to, because I want to keep my readers.  So I'll end with leaving the characters in uncertainty, with a degree of certainty.  The readers will know where the characters are headed at that moment, but it'll almost be a frying pan into the fire situation, so even though the readers will know where the characters are going, they'll have absolutely no clue how the characters will get out of it.  For a one book show, the readers need to feel like the character is secure, wherever they're headed.  There can't be any "how will they get out of it this time?" because then it calls for another explanation, which isn't a resolution.
For my NaNo novel, the blur for the ending I have is the character learns their lesson, and lives semi-happily ever after.  The beginning is the character is involved in the new war, World War 1, or, the Great War.

How about you?  Have you figured out your ending?  Do you have a blur, or do you have it pinned down to the line?  Let me know in the comments!

Viola June HFA-DGN

On the Third Day of NaNo Prep my Novel Gave to Me

Hey everyone!  Day before yesterday for the NaNo prepping days I discussed the making of your Main Character.  Later I'll be exploring a bit more into this, since yesterday was only meant as a jump start, but I will say this:  Keep thinking about your character!  Write down anything you think you want to add to them, and keep tweaking them.  They'll never be perfect (though that's sort of the point).
Anyways, on the third day of NaNo prep my novel gave to me… A general plot (part one).  This sounds boring, doesn't it?  Hang in there.  A plot in general has three acts, with special features in each acts.  You can go to K.M. Weiland's blog for a very good breakdown on plot structure.  Another label for these three acts can be "beginning" "middle" and "end".  You'll want to discover each in order to have a good idea of where you're headed.
Today I'm discussing the beginning we need something exciting to get the reader hooked on it.  Get them interested in what is going on, get them interested in the characters.  But that's all a bit too detailed for starts, today we'll just start with finding what the beginning of your story.  Not the exact moment that things start, just a general overlook.    My beginning starts with the characters trying to figure out what's going on (they're disorientated for… reasons).  If I were to go more exact, I would stay I start with a kidnapping, but tonight we're not talking about exactness, right now, we're just deciding what we start with.
So my beginning of my NaNo novel is World War One begins whilst the MC is tossed into the midst of it.  Beyond that, I've got absolutely no clue, but that's what we're brainstorming for!  Tomorrow I'll be touching on the middle, so look forward to it (or dread it, your choice).

What do you think?  Do you like to begin with plot, or characters?  Do you have your beginning figured out?  Let me know in the comments!

Viola June HFA-DGN

On the Second Day of NaNo Prep my Novel Gave to Me...

Hey all!  So today, I won't be rambling on and on about why you should join NaNoWriMo, I'll just get straight to the point.

On the Second Day of NaNo Prep my Novel gave to me… my Main Character.

I feel like character and plot play off of each other, and it doesn't particularly matter which on you start with, except for preferences.  If you start with plot, you end up with morphing your character around your plot, and if you start with plot, the character shapes the plot.  I personally prefer the latter, so I start with character.
So there are a few things you should know about your character before you write them, for instance, their gender.  That's slightly (not slightly, it's really a lot) important.  Let's go over a few!
1. Their Name.  Okay, so actually, I have heard of someone who has began their book without a name, but I feel like even a name adds conflict, and personality.  Why do you need these for your first draft?  Well, actually, I'm not sure you do.  But preparation for your first draft in ways like this lets you edit easier later on.
2.  Their gender.  Yes.  This is important.  Boy or girl, it matters.  I am not really sure if you can bypass this, but either way, I wouldn't.  It's a bit of easy prep (It should not take you hours to decide whether or not your MC is a gal or guy) that is pointless to bypass.
3.  Their favorite color.  Okay, this probably does seem a bit excessive, but I have heard multiple quotes about knowing much more about your character makes them feel more real because they actually have their own opinions and thoughts backing them, even though they may not show it.  You know I'm opinionated when I state my view on the Civil War with as much passion as I am wont to do, but you won't know my favorite color, my political position, my favorite book, or anything like that, unless I tell you.  However, even though I don't tell you what they are, you still (should.  I promise I'm not cardboard) get this sense or knowledge that I have a favorite color, political position, and a favorite book.  The same goes for a fiction character, because we're trying to help the reader trick their minds into thinking they're not reading fiction, but instead, living in fantasy.  The characters should have things like a favorite color (among other favorites [my friends will tell you that this is my favorite introductory question.  What is your favorite everything]).  Again, this you could probably skip, but knowing the most about your character before sending them into their story is better, because weaving personality into an already woven work is a lot harder than weaving it as you weave the work.
4.  What they look like.  I'm sorry, yes I did say things you need to know earlier, but I actually do consider these all necessary when I make characters.  I'll go on Pinterest and find who looks like them, then I'll save that mental image in my head, as well as to my board.  Why do this?  Because as your readers read, they don't hear the name, they see the face.  Our brains remember things so much better when we have a mental image of it.  If you, as the writer, don't see their face every time you type their name, picturing how they act in the scene, then you probably don't know what they look like enough to keep that mental image in your head, which means the readers don't either, which means they're probably seeing a blur when they think of the character, which ruins the illusion that they're in a real place.  This can be edited in later, but again, it's so much harder to put it in later, because it's part of the character's fabric of reality.
5. Their MBTI (optional).  See, this time I put optional down.  But I do highly recommend it.  Knowing their MBTI is very helpful in creating a cast for your character so they don't occasionally slip out of character and shake the reality of the book.  (I believe I've said it before, but I'll do so again, I don't believe that using whatever site you're using says you are [i.e. INFP] as a cast for you.  You can be whatever you want to be, as long as you're not being fake, but characters are a different thing because in reality, they are fake things pretending to be real, and in the long run, you decide what they do, not them.)

So I like to take all the information I deem necessary and I like to spill it out onto a single page.  I'll give you an example of one of my character sheets (I make them even if they don't have a book they belong to.)

SAGE OWENS- ENTJ
Female; 22; Ginger hair; Pale skin; British; Freckles; 5'5; 120lbs (Yes, I know the Brits use a different measuring system for weight); ...  Despite her TJ (Of the ENTJ) part of appearing evil, she's actually a good girl at heart, and always endeavors to see things from other people's perspective, even though she mostly fails.  She's very smart, though she never planned on following her parents' plan of several doctorates.  Instead, she simply decided on a doctorate in engineering...She hasn't got time for relationships, since her parents siphon money off her like a blood bat, but she secretly hopes that one day a tolerable man would come along.  ...  She doesn't make jokes often, but when she does, you'd probably miss them.  Emerald eyes; thin upper lip, thick bottom; round face; long legs, short torso; delicate skin.  She's allergic to dairy, and doesn't like it anyways.  She adores flowers, but doesn't tell anyone that.  Born February second.

So why did I give you half my info load on one of my characters?  As an example.  When she is in a book, you will probably never know she loves flowers, or is allergic to dairy.  So why in the world is it there?  Because it adds to her, giving her a richness she wouldn't have if I simply put:

SAGE OWENS
Female; 22; Ginger hair; Pale skin; British; Freckles; 5'5; 120lbs (Yes, I know the Brits use a different measuring system for weight);  Emerald eyes; thin upper lip, thick bottom; round face; long legs, short torso; delicate skin.

One feels more real, doesn't it?  Writing the latter Sage Owens would be hard because I wouldn't know her.  Writing the former would be much easier, having spent time with her.

So what are your thoughts?  Do you like to think of plot or character first?  How do you get to know your characters?  Let me know in the comments!

Viola June HFA-DGN

On the First Day of NaNo Prep My Novel Gave to Me...

Hey guys!  So I decided to do a blog post series on NaNoWriMo preparation, and because I'm way too excited for the holiday seasons, I am naming each post something akin to the 12 days of Christmas, though it might be 31 days, or it might be 2 (let's hope not).
So First, why participate in NaNoWriMo?  Well, there are plenty of good reasons, and you can find them all over the web, or even come up with some of your own, but here are a few of mine.
1. A strong sense of accomplishment at the end.  Honestly, it feels so good to be a winner.  If you're still in High School or younger, you could do the Young Writer's Program (YWP) and set your word count for what you think you can do, or you could go for the 50k, or even shoot for more, if you're up for it.
2. It kills your inner editor.  Why am I excited about this one?  Because I believe in small goals.  Let me explain.  I like to have checkpoints periodically spread out through everything, because if I don't, then I look at the entire project as a whole and get discouraged as I take "forever" to complete it.  Using a book as an example, The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas.  This is a long book.  Not as long as some, but still long.  It can take a very long time to read it, and without chapters, I would never have finished it.  Reading a chapter a day is doable (Though with this particular book, I finished it in three days because I couldn't put it down), but what happens if there aren't any chapters to finish?  You get discouraged because it seems like you aren't getting anywhere fast.  (This is mostly hypothetical for example's sake).  With an inner editor, you go back and fix your typos, correct clunky sentences, and rewrite character's lines over and over again till they sound like the character.  You sit, blocked at a certain point in the book because you can't climb the hill nicely.  Without an inner editor, you get a first draft like my current one (which shall never see the light of day, by the way).  The amount of typos, out of character sentences, and clunky sentences is embarrassing.  (This is probably because last NaNoWriMo I killed my inner editor stone dead.  When editing time comes around I'm gonna need a major miracle).  So since my inner editor is dead, I can finish the first draft sooner.  Checkpoint no. 1.  Then I edit the first draft of all typos.  Checkpoint no. 2.  You get the idea?  Cutting the steak into small pieces is easier to eat than stuffing the entire thing in your mouth.
3.  It's fun.  Okay, this can be opinion, but as a writer, writing, is fun.  Writing in a semi-social, extremely encouraging "you can do anything and we're all here to help you" is amazing.  I honestly didn't know that writers were all super supportive of each other until I joined NaNo.  People make it fun by making sure that you know that they believe in you.  Even if you procrastinate until two days are all you've got left, I've heard of someone who wrote the entire 50k in those two days.  (Also, Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 450 [about 46k] in nine days)  Some great authors have written entire novels in 6-8 weeks, (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is one of them) and the word count is way above 50k.  So you can do it!  1,667 words a day, isn't actually that much, all things considered.  You may be thinking "But I'm not like that", but how do you know, if you've never tried?  In the words of my favorite band, Superchick, "Failures are flyers who touch down, only they know what it's like to leave the ground." and the song (Rockstar) goes on to say that it's okay to fail sometimes, as long as you try, and keep trying.  Honestly, it's fun to fail for the first time in NaNo because you see that this gigantic community of writers, don't judge you.  They understand the challenge, and that everyone is different.
4. It's a reason to drink excessive amounts of coffee, sit around in sweats and a t-shirt all day, and write.   Okay, I don't need a reason to do this, because I do college online and sit around, drinking coffee all day, in sweats and a t-shirt, but what I like about NaNo is it's a celebrated action.  I'm just kidding... sort of.  When you do this in your daily life, you get dressed up to go to social events.  When you do this in NaNo, social events are write ins on Youtube, and they expect you to be nice and comfortable for it all.  Anyways, it relates back to No. 3.  They (Wrimos) understand.  And that is very amazing.

So now that I've rambled for a bit about why, I'm going to talk about some prep in this the first installment of "The days of NaNo Prep" (Yeah, I just made that up)

On the first day of NaNo Prep my novel gave to me… An idea.
Whoop.  Yep, that's it.  You can't write anything without an idea.  So this fancy schmancy idea is a genre, and a basic setting,  or maybe a character, or maybe even a single line of dialogue that inspired you to write a book centering on it.  Mine was the genre and the setting.  This NaNo I'll be writing historical fiction (yeah, yeah, I know, I've already dug myself a hole with all that research) set in the Great War (WW1), and actually, I got the moral of it, which is a little bit of a different take on the conventional method of looking at forgiveness.  This is all very hefty stuff, so I'm probably going to mull it over for a few days, whilst brainstorming (and researching).
So how does one get an idea?  Well here's a few of my suggestions, and ideas.
1. Go for a walk.  Whaaaa?  Yep, I said it.  Leave the house?  You bet.  Look about at the trees, listen to the wind (or swelter under a blazing sun, depending on where you are), and just generally be aware. Think about what ifs, and such, because, what if you get a story idea that really inspires you?  Also, exercise and clean air (Okay, where I live the air isn't exactly clean, but it is refreshing from the stuffy house) are great at clearing your head and opening new thoughts.
2.  Look at items in front of you.  Right now.  Yes, now.  You probably have your device (whatever you're reading this on), some sort of piece of furniture, maybe a few embellishments.  I have a coffee table, pencil box, binder, three books, three coffee cups, a water cup, some hair stuff, scissors, and some other misc stuff.  What story ideas can I get from that?  Maybe a character wake up every morning and drinks their cup of coffee.  What they don't realize is every morning, their cup is clean, and they didn't wash it.  So they're taking for granted that someone in the house loves them enough to clean up after them every single day.  They can go on to realize that you don't miss something until it's gone, when they realize one morning their coffee cup isn't where it normally is.  It's still on the table, still dirty.  Then you can have a bunch of subplots and stuff.
3. Listen in on people's conversations at your local cafe.  People watch.  You can get a lot ideas just from the daily life happening around you.  You just need to open your eyes (no.2) and ears (no. 3) .  Pay attention, and take notes (not necessarily literally).  I wrestle with my brother, quote endless movies with my family, break out into song with my entire family (Actually, literally.  Me, my brother, and my aunt made one of our friend's mom look back at us from her conversation with my mother in confusion when we all broke out into some song together).  So what story ideas can I get from my daily life?  Maybe a character sings all the time, until one day somebody they look up to tells them to be silent for once, and they live the rest of their life endeavoring to climb out of the insecurity that one person, who had a lot of influence over them, tossed them into.  There is so much you can get from life by just paying attention.

So what do you think?  Do you have any specific ways you like to find inspiration?  Or reasons you like to participate in NaNoWriMo (if you do participate in NaNoWriMo).  Let me know in the comments section!

Viola June HFA-DGN

Brainstorming.

Hello, once again, guys!  Today, I'll be talking briefly about brainstorming.  Now, I'm not sure how pansters do it, but I, as a plotter, like to brainstorm my ideas, before getting them on paper.
Now, my brainstorming process normally goes something like, I sit down, stare at my plot board, and force myself to think about it.  Then I just progress along the story line, slowly adding stuff.  Then, there are the days when my brother takes me to our local Starbucks, or to lunch, and we'll talk.  Those days are the real nuggets.  For example, recently me and my brother went to Starbucks, and we brainstormed.  I walked away with so much extra character development in two characters I thought were underdeveloped, and now I love those two, and almost regret making one a negative character arc.
Now, not everyone brainstorms, but I, from experience, would definitely recommend it.  It really is helpful to have someone as your partner, too, since there are two minds working at it.  Now, I've never worked with other people, but I would think that you would also be more effective with someone you're really close to, because then you guys know each other's brain process better than most.
How you brainstorm is a tricky question, because everyone probably does it different.  I like to sit down, present my brother with things I feel like there are holes in, and fill him in on my thought process and see where he runs.  Today I found out that one of my characters is a nun who gets abducted right before she takes her vows.  Another is a gambler who hides his age, and ends up becoming a bounty hunter.  Originally, the girl was just a typical valley girl teen who didn't have anything special about her, and the other character was a 14-year old hustler, who just becomes more and more rebellious.  This is why I like brainstorming so much.  It morphs so many things into something you never thought of, and it's even more brilliant than the last idea you had.  Now, of course, some ideas get tossed out the window, but that's all okay.
Now I said it was a brief post, so don't say I didn't warn you.  How do you like to brainstorm?  Do you like to brainstorm?  Let me know in the comments!

-Viola June HFA-DGN

Ideas, Ideas.

Hello again!  So today I'll be talking about ideas, if only briefly.
Yesterday I was thinking about my newest project, and I was wondering "What could I add?"  Because my biggest writer problem, is that I condense things, and need extra plot to keep the story going.  So, I was sitting on my bed, commuter on lap, and I glanced off to the side, where my bed table is, and saw my Bible (If you have read the page about the blog's name, then you already know that I'm a Christian).  I picked it up, deciding to try something for plot points.  I flipped to a random page and chose a verse.  It was Song of Soloman 8, and it said something about a pile of pomegranates.  I thought "huh.  What if they ran into a pile of fruit?  Where would the fruit come from?  Where would it go? (where would it come from Cotten-Eyed Joe)" And I brainstormed off that single verse.  Now, I understand you might not be Christian, but thankfully, this method works for any book, not just the Bible.  Just pick up a book and brainstorm off one random sentence you come across.  It gave me 5 plot ideas for my book, so it seems a reasonable method, right?
Now, I agree with what many writers say.  Don't wait around for ideas and inspiration to come say hi.  You have got to sit down and write, inspired or not.  But I prefer to be inspired.  Another good thing to do with that method is to find an idea, mid-writing, and put the idea right where you are "blocked" (Like several other writers, I too, do not believe in Writer's Block.  That's waiting for Inspiration to come to you, and sometimes it has to visit other friends.  In that case, it'll be a long while before it comes around to you for you to write the second chapter of the book.  That book will take FOREVER to write), then see how the characters react to your random insertion.
However, don't always make it random.  You really shouldn't have a pile of fruit in one scene for no reason at all.  Instead, take the pile of fruit, and let the characters take some.  Maybe later they'll be absolutely famished.  Hey look!  They now have something to keep them from dying, which is good in most cases.
How do you get ideas or inspiration?  Share (If you want) in the comments!

-Viola June HFA-DGN

NaNoWriMo

So, last post I wrote about my NaNoWriMo survival kit, and said in a few places "More on that later."  Well, that's why I'm here folks!  This is the more on that later part, and lets get started!
So, this post is about NaNoWriMo (Obviously), and my own experiences with it.
NaNoWriMo is an annual occurrence in November.  It's directed at writers, and it's goal, or challenge, is to get you to write 50,000 words in one month.  Now, generally, there are 9-12 words per line in books, but that isn't an absolute.  But there are about 250 words per page, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.  The Hunger Games, as a total, is about 99k, roughly, depending on who you talk to.  Why am I driving this point about random word counts in a post about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)?  Because if you do choose to do it, it's often a good thing to know what you're walking into.  This is writing half of the Hunger Games in a month, while you still have other occurrences, like forgetting, birthday parties, tea parties, school, Thanksgiving, and a whole lot of other things that can get in the way of writing.  That basically lowers the time amount by half, giving you 15 days of your choosing throughout the month, or less, or even more, depending on how much you write.  The above were just certain scenarios that came to my head on the spur of the moment.
On a side note, how can you tell what the word count of a book is?  Do you look it up?  How can you find it for yourself?  The answer is, normally I do it for myself, but yes, many people have calculated (I'm sure just at the word calculated, many of you yawned, stopped listening, or whatever, but hey, what can I say?) it and have placed their calculations on the internet.  But not every book has an internet solution, so here's how you do it.  One word: Average.  I, personally, take five lines from one page, and count the words on each line.  Then I add them together and divide the sum by five.  In other words, I average the five lines together to get an average word per line.  Then I multiply the average WPL (word per line) with the amount of lines on the page, then I multiply the number of words per page by the page number.  I'm not sure that made any sense, but I'm sure you can figure it out.
So, in the end of November, you enter in your word count, and validate your novel, and win!  Winners get special goodies from the sponsors (50% off scrivener one year) and it's really cool.  If you don't win, the people at NaNoWriMo still support you and let you know that what you chose to do was actually really hard, and just deciding to do it was an achievement.  Either way, they offer lots of support, and you actually get news in your inbox on the site with tips and tricks, and info on the write-ins and stuff.
Another event they have is the Young Writer's program, and that's for students and stuff, and I don't really know that much about it because I've never participated in it, but I do know it accompanies NaNoWriMo, and the students can set their own word count goal.
The last NaNoWriMo event I can think of, or there is as of right now, is Camp NaNoWriMo.  This takes place in April and July and is fantastic.  There is a "cabin" where you chat with several people in your cabin.  I love my cabin mates, and cannot wait to start writing in July (Three days away!).  In this event, you can choose your own word count goal, and wether or not you want to edit, or write a book, or what.  It's also really cool, but one thing you should know, if you set a large word count (like I did), know that you can only change the word count before the winning begins.  You can't change it after.
So, my own NaNo experiences are actually funny and heartwarming, now that I look back on them.  My first NaNoWriMo, I ended up with 4k to write on the very last day, on which I could only write after 2 o' clock or so.  That was very stressful, and once I won, my aunt bought me a venti frappuccino from Starbucks, which was a definite plus. My next NaNo, which was actually Camp NaNo in April 2015 (Yes, July will be my third NaNo) was absolutely stressful.  I set a word count goal of 60k.  THATS A BIG WORDCOUNT GOAL.  Let me say it again.  THAT'S A BIG WORDCOUNT GOAL.  I thought, that since I hadn't worked every day in November for at least an hour, and still finished, I thought that I could write every day in April and finish with extra words.  Fast forward through April, and you end up with me tired of my book around the 30k mark, because I didn't develop it well enough, hence why I'm a plotter, and I was bored with the story.  Fast forward again, now I decide I can't write 60k and decide to go change it when, you guessed it, the winning began THAT DAY.  So then, I'm writing flash fiction and working on expanding the flash fiction into short stories, because I was really bad at expansion in books.  Basically, I ended up on the last day of writing, with 10k left to write.  THAT'S A BIG WORDCOUNT GOAL.  I woke up at three o'clock, A.M., and began writing.  By 11 o' clock, I had finished.  I then went to Physics class (home schooled) and spent three hours in a class that required brain power I didn't have.
Now here's a peek into my personality.  I consider myself good at math.  So, when I see numbers, and that I finished 10k in 8 hours, guess what?   I begin to calculate (There's that word again).  If I write for 16 hours a day, for 5 days straight, I can write 100k in 5 days.  I've often read that writing fast is a good thing.  So, normally, I would begin catching up on sleep, stocking up on chocolate and coffee, putting my word count goal to 100k, and any other manner of things.  But instead, I'm doing the smart thing this July.  I'm setting my word count goal to 10k, and I'm not gonna stress.  (Though next April, 600k, here I come!  Actually, just kidding, but that would be cool, wouldn't it?)
Ever tried NaNoWriMo?  Do YOU like it?  Let me know in the comments!

-Viola June HFA-DGN

My NaNoWriMo Survival kit!

Oh dear.  NaNoWriMo.  One of the stressful things writers do for fun.  Actually, everything we do is stressful, and fun, in my opinion.  Well, NaNo certainly does have its pros and cons, but I'm not here to talk about that.  I'm here to talk about my personal NaNo survival kit.
Okay, before I get into what I use for it, I'll have you know a bit about it, in case you don't.  NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month.  It's an event that takes place in November in which you write (Or try to, but I have Yoda in the back of my head and I don't want to let him down) 50,000 words.  Normally I write "50k", but seeing all five digits makes it a bit more impressive, and I think adds a bit more perspective to how hard it is.  Especially since many of us procrastinate (I really TRY not to, but right now I'm in the "do not" phase.  But I'm moving up!), it's hard to get in our daily word count goal.  So, I won't ramble on about this, when I could be telling you about my survival kit.  More on this later!
So my NaNoWriMo kit includes.
1. A Plan.  Without a plan, I am hopeless, as I have said before.  Maybe one of these days I'll actually go Pantser, but lets face it, I am a mess without a plan of attack.  (I don't even try to say I'm a pantser anymore)
2. Chocolate.  Or, chick oats, as my family likes to call it, which now that I think about it, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but hey!  What are families for but not making sense but still being lovable?
3. Coffee.  Yes, I am a coffee drinker, and tea too.  I have no preference, just some days I want one more than the other.  Though coffee and writing just seem to go together in America.  Probably if I were British I would say tea and writing.
4. A word processor (Obviously).  Because if I didn't have one, I would never be able to fill the word goal in that space of time.  Writing about 1.5k a day by hand just doesn't seem appealing.
5. Connection to the Internet.  So I can tell them I won!  *cough cough* What are you talking about, twitter? *cough cough* Social media *cough cough*
6. Sleep.  And the audience goes "What?!"  Yeah yeah, I know.  Of course I don't need sleep, but it's still nostalgic, okay?  But still, though I've proven that I don't need sleep (More on that later), it is a nice thing to have, on occasion.
7. Support.  No, really.  I don't do well without people to let down, and I mean that seriously.  If people put their faith in me, it helps me, because I don't want to let them down.  Contrariwise, If someone says they don't think I can do it, I helps me to have an obstacle to overcome.  I guess I just need people to know I'm doing something really hard, and they'll fill out the rest.
8. PEN AND PAPER.  What if I have new ideas?  What if I need to change a plot point?  What if I accidentally change my Main Character's hair length mid book?  These are all valid points, hence why I keep a notebook and pen on me at all times.  At least a pen, so if push comes to shove, I can write on myself.  I normally do the latter when I'm in bed, so I don't have to get up to write something down.  I'll make a little note about the prompt of the idea.  Say the idea was "artifact" then that led me to all these different points.  All I would do is write "artifact" on my hand, or wrist, or ankle.  Careful what color pen you decide to use on your wrist though.  Using the wrong color can make for a few uncomfortable experiences (Yeah, that's happened to me.  Also a story for another time.).  I also write in code, so if people see weird words on me, they won't know what they mean.  Whovians might freak out if I wrote silence, and many other instances could make for explanations I don't care to give.  Code works, people!  Use it (Only if you want to.  Remember, it's all your own method.  Spit out the parts that don't work for you.).
I think that's it, so ta ta for now!  (Isn't that an acronym?  Like, TTFN.)

-Viola June HFA-DGN