NaNoWriMo Prep Talk

This week I was honored to sit down with teens and young adults to discuss novel writing and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Sharing my love for writing (and some of the tricks of the trade) is one of my favorite things no matter the age group - but there's something special about meeting young people who are so enthusiastic and serious about writing, and sharing with them things I wish someone had told me when I started this writing journey!

If you would like to learn more about NaNoWriMo.org or help spread the word, feel free to use my PDF presentation, "NaNoWriMo Prep Talk." The presentation gives a general overview of NaNoWriMo and some of the strategies that help authors push through to that 50,000 word goal. I don't explain the strategies in the PDF (I did that in person) but you can follow the resource links at the end and use the lists as a springboard to google more about them.

View and download the PDF here. Download and share the PDF however you like!

If you have anything else to add, or a blog post related to NaNoWriMo and novel writing, please share in the comments.

Ready to write a novel for November?

You can add me on NaNoWriMo.org as mrsmica. Signing up at NaNoWriMo.org is free and serves as a unique chance to keep track of your progress while connecting with other writers, and the NaNoWriMo newsletters offer advice and encouragement all through November and a little throughout the rest of the year.

As for me, I'll be working on my fantasy series Dragon Islands. One NaNoWriMo I wrote over 80,000 words to start the series off (no one was more surprised than me when I hit 80k in a month!). Through subsequent editing, outlining and writing parts of the rest of the series, that draft has literally doubled in word count and become the first two books. Most of the editing and beta-reader feedback has focused on the first book, so for this NaNoWriMo I'll be going through the second book and possibly writing the draft for the third book. At the time I'm writing this post, I have done exactly 0 prep for November (sob, irony) unless you count all the years of writing and editing the first two books, so I'll be spending the last week of October mentally preparing myself by reading over what I have so far and notecarding. I don't expect to hit 80k again due to life complications (3 young kids, haha) but I would be ecstatic to reach the end of book 3, and happy to at least go through the second book with edits and added scenes. Those are my super goals and goals, respectively.

Good luck, everyone!

Appearance: Createfest in Fuquay-Varina, NC

I've been invited to the Writer's Tent at Createfest, a family-friendly, one-day, FREE event that runs May 14th from 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

Find me at the Writer's Tent

May 14th, starting at 3PM

Draft Line Brewing

341 Broad St #151,

Fuquay-Varina, NC

(in the downtown Varina district)

I will be signing copies of my speculative fiction chapbook, Premeditations, at the Writer's Tent starting at 3:00 PM

I will have a mic and a question for you: What is one fictional character, place, or invention you would like to see made real? The answers will be compiled and shared on the Pendragon Variety Network.

So come say hello, get your signed copy, and browse the works of other local artists and writers!


RSVP HERE

Appearance: Oak City Comicon

Stop on by!

I will be signing copies of my speculative fiction chapbook, Premeditations, on April 16th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the North Carolina Speculative Fiction Foundation's vendor table at Oak City Comicon.


Oak City Comicon is a family-friendly, one-day convention that runs April 16th from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM at the Raleigh Convention Center. Kids 8 and under are FREE. Their guest list includes  Howard Chaykin who illustrated the first ten issues of the Marvel Star Wars comics series.

From their website:

Oak City Comicon was conceived and created by Alan Gill and Tommy Lee Edwards, the same gentlemen who bring you the fan-favorite NC Comicon each November.

“We wanted to do a huge, one-day show that would be low-cost, high energy, crazy fun and showcase not only the best vendors in the area, but also the amazing creator talent we have in North Carolina.”

On top of hosting an abundance of comic book professionals and the best local comic book stores and vendors from across the state, Oak City Comicon will be a new destination for those individuals who love costume and cosplay. In fact, the show will facilitate a cosplay contest with a grand prize of two all-access, 3-day passes to the 2016 NC Comicon.

So come say hello, get your signed copy, and browse the works of other NC writers!

Get Convention Tickets Online!

Oak City Comicon

Raleigh Convention Center

500 South Salisbury Street,

Raleigh, NC 27601

Sign up for my author mailing list to be the first to hear about my appearances and my publications.

Author Mailing List, Activated! Sign up!

Since Premeditations came out, so many people have come to me and told me that they were interested in my work but missed several of the announcements on social media.

With facebook algorithms especially, sometimes social media doesn't cut it, not when you want to be the first to know and take advantage of time-sensitive things like preorder discounts. I also have a few appearances I'm scheduling right now and I would hate to have fans miss them because of these issues.

All this to say that I now have an author mailing list! I will never send you spam, but only one-time announcements when a book or story is published, when it becomes available in another format, or when an appearance is coming up.

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Thank you for all your feedback!

I really appreciate my followers on social media and on this blog, too. You will continue to see reviews in those places that you won't see on the author mailing list. On facebook and twitter you'll no doubt see our homeschooling antics as well. Carry on!