To Nanowrimo or not to Nanowrimo...

Now THAT truly is the question.


For the uninitiated, NANOWRIMO is the acronym for National Novel Writing Month, an annual event that takes place every year in November.  During NANOWRIMO, writers sit down and write for 30 days, allowing themselves to write badly so long as they hit their word count.  At the end of the 30 days, if you've worked religiously, you will have completed a 50,000 word novel.

I've done this several years, but this year, I'm asking myself whether or not I want to join the movement.  Here's the pros and cons:


CON:To reach the 50K goal, I'd need to write about 1660 words a day
I'd need to start from scratch with a new idea and I already have 13 novels waiting to be finished
I can't edit as I write (this is tough for me)
I'd need to write every day, and so far, that hasn't happened for me.

PRO:
Participating in NANOWRIMO might help me to make it a habit to write daily.
There's a lot of support from other writers participating in NANOWRIMO.
I'd have to learn to give myself permission to write badly, knowing I'd edit it when done, not stop the novel momentum now.
If I manage to turn off my internal editor, I could be more productive

At the end of the month, I'd have a complete novel.


Decisions, decisions.  Clock is ticking.  I have just 6 days to decide!


~ Stephanie

I’ve Always Wanted To Write A Book!

If you’re just starting to write or always wanted to try it or even if you're already working on your first (or fifth) novel, I encourage you to attend the Grand Rapids Regional Writers' Group conference this coming weekend at the Riverfront Radisson.
 
The conference is being sponsored by a great group of writers form all backgrounds and genres, and will give you a chance to meet many published authors, local writers, and even the opportunity to talk to and pitch your book ideas to an agent and several editors.  The keynote speaker for the event is multi-published author, Jacqueline Carey (author of the Kushiel series and the new Santa Olivia series and many other titles), who will speak at lunch.

 Here’s a look at what is being offered:

“I’ve Always Wanted To Write A Book!” Conference Schedule

Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Riverfront Radisson, 270 Ann Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI

9:30 – 10:15
Room 1 – Using Relaxation Techniques to Boost Productivity – Dr. Sandra Portko
Room 2 – Writing Effective Queries – editor Michele Paulin, author Tanya Eby and author Sidney Ayers
Room 3 – Writing Mysteries – author Maris Soule

10:30 – 11:15
Room 1 – Writing Erotica and Erotic Romance – authors: Abigail Barnette, Temple Hogan, Mia Watts, Suzanne Graham and Bronwyn Green
Room 2 – Making the Most of Your Writing Time – author: Margaret Yang
Room 3 – Author Branding – author: Tanya Eby

11:30 – 1:00
Lunch and Keynote Speaker, author Jacqueline Carey

1:15 – 2:00
Room 1 – Writing Romance – Lisa Childs
Room 2 – Why the Genre You Write Matters as Much as What You Write – R.A. Evans
Room 3 – Everything You Need to Know about E-books- Margaret Yang, Temple Hogan, Abigail Barnette and Suzanne Graham

2:15 – 3:00
Room 1 – Trends in Young Adult Fiction – Tess Grant and Aaron Thomas
Room 2 – What a Character! – Harry Campion
Room 3 – Authors Behaving Badly – Jennifer Armintrout and Bronwyn Green

3:15 – 4:00
Room 1 & 2 – Q & A with Literary Agent Michelle Grajkowski and Editor Michele Paulin

4:30 – 6:00
Rooms 1, 2 and 3 Author Book Signing - open to the general public

It promises to be a great day and I hope we see you there!

Keep writing,
~Stephanie