It took a couple passes through November posts, but I finally found what I was looking for in November, 2011. I didn’t see how I could improve on this gem and P.S. my writer friend, Kara, who shares her writer wisdom, now has a contract for her YA manuscript. So see? Hard work, butt-in-chair writing pays off. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s some Nano inspiration that never gets old:
So, I know that hordes of writers are out there, busily pounding out their 1,569 words today so they can make their National Novel Writing Month goal of 50,000 words. Kudos to y’all!
And kudos to all y’all who may be a NaNo writer like me. Maybe you’ll make 45,000 words. Maybe you’ll forget to actually sign up. Maybe you’ll manage to pound out only 1500 words. Doesn’t make you any less of a writer. (It does, however, leave you with an awful lot of manuscript to finish.) You might be the kind of writer who could use a little extra inspiration and some serious writerly advice. Go here.
Or maybe you’re skipping Nano this year in favor of something different. Maybe, like me, you’ve signed up for Picture Book Idea Month. Because, honestly, who can’t come up with an idea a day? Kudos to y’all! But maybe, inexplicably, your ideas sort of sputter out on the third day, along with your kudos. You might be the kind of writer who could use some extra inspiration and some wonderful writerly advice. Go here.
Okay, yes, it’s the same writerly advice and inspiration. Because it doesn’t matter what you write. It only matters that you write. At least, if you were born to write. And kudos to my writer buddy, Kara Bietz, for sharing that little nugget of writer gold.
Cathy C. Hall Writes 
Cathy–Thanks for the link. I DID need it. And # 3 is so so true. In my first draft, I had no idea what my core story was. Now, I (hope) I do.
And I’m being a NaNo Rebel (for the second year in a row). I’m working on a NaNoWriMo from several years ago… and hoping it’s the last year for it…
I’m all for Nano Rebels, Sioux! I’m doing a revision on an older draft, too. Good luck to us both!
Absolutely true. It only matters that you write. I’m not doing NaNo this year, but I’m definitely writing, writing, writing.
Oh, I know you, Suzanne. You’re writing your fingers off, I’m sure! 😉
How the heck did I miss Kara’s post the first time around? I looked at the date and it was Nov 2011, so chances are I was hip deep in NaNo and not coming up for air. Glad to see it now! I’m not doing NaNo this year, though I am writing. I have trouble with the “just write, don’t edit” suggestion. I’m a write and edit, write and edit, kinda girl. Tough habit to break. Past NaNos have taught me that it’s fun and freeing to write as Kara suggests, but I get to the end of the ms and looking back over 50-100,000 words knowing I have to edit from square one is like peering over the edge of a cliff. I always revise, of course, but when I edit as I go the task isn’t quite so Herculean. My method may also be why it takes me so dang long to complete a ms. *sigh* I’ll try to take Kara’s advice and just sit and write. I didn’t sign up for Nano, but no reason I can’t play pretend and see where it takes me. Maybe I’ll even get the first draft of this thing done ahead of schedule. 🙂
I know, Lisa, it’s nearly impossible for me to just dump a story on the page, too. I have to edit!
Course, maybe your books also take so long ’cause you write 90,000 words, whereas I piddle around, trying to get 30,000 (in the same time frame). Now that I think about it, I have no sympathy for you, sister. 🙂