Hi Ho Hi Ho- Back to Writing I Go

An update on my health....I am cancer free and can wait 1 year rather than 6 months for paps & mammograms. If you don't get regular check-ups and cancer screenings PLEASE do! They can save your life.

Writing is a distraction and coping tool for my bipolar and anxiety. Writing places in my world and it's less stressful there. Though it can be stressful if you are struggling with the plots, characters and many other things. Over the last week I have noticed a change in my behavior and moods. They have been better.
I have jumped back into my writing. I started 'Love of Nessa' (might change title) this last week. I have been writing every day and a few of them I wrote over 1500 words when my goal is 500.
I'm trying out Scapple, a mind mapping program. Never really plotted my stories and I doubt I'm using it the way I should. Instead of plotting the stories I'm plotting character bios and relationships. I tried plotting on it and I don't know if I like it yet. Maybe. Here are tow pictures of my mapping...

Character Mapping

Plot Mapping

Today, before I write with @FriNightWrites I am updating my Scrivener with the characters. It might take some time but I have a few hours. Here's a picture of it so far...

Scrivener for 'Love Of Nessa'

I now have to find character inspiration pictures on Pinterest and the web. That's my goal, to have all characters' picture done.

As you can see I'm doing better and writing is the key to keeping it that way. 

Here's a look at 'Love Of Nessa':

Nessa is a meek uneducated female wolf shifter. She is handed over to mate an Alpha and it scares her. Through the first few chapters she struggles with her new role and fights it some of the time. Her mate has his own struggles... An Alpha that shares a property line starts sabotaging the pack and will end up starting a war (something that hasn't happened in over three centuries).

That's all I got so far.

Summer Writing& Update

It's a beautiful summer and what am I doing? Not much. I've kept the house clean and that's about it. No writing and almost no reading, just OCD watching Netflix. I hate when I get in this phase. All I can focus on is the next episode...

CampNaNo is a struggle but I've been trying to get words written. This WIP (work in progress) has a slow start. Not sure how the characters are going to react so planning is not happening. I have set up my Timeline and Scrivener project for it.
I am hoping to finish CampNaNo so I can get the discount to purchase Aeon Timeline 2. It looks great and easier to use.

Now for psyc update....
Due to the drama here at the apartment complex my shrink has me at maximum dosage of all medications. I really wish I could afford to move because I don't think I should have to medicate more than normal because people can't stop gossiping.
I have also been denied disability and I'm in the process of appealing it. More stress. It shouldn't take too long since I have more doctors reports to add and they all say 'You should NOT work. You don't know your rage triggers and may never.'

What reading I have done:
Red Stone Security by Katie Reus
It's not my normal paranormal romance I read but I am hooked. Katie Reus keeps the pace of the plot moving. Each character has a unique history that makes relationships hard.

Getting Myself Ready!

I haven't been writing much as of lately. This is not a good thing. I should be writing daily. So, with this I have zero links in my Write Chain Challenge. That makes me a bit discouraged. I had made it to link 58 and then broke it.

They may be cute but dangerous!

As I have just under 38.5 hours until NaNoWriMo starts, I am trying not the be anxious over it. I finished last year and I will this year. Though the plotbunnies are trying to get me started early. They have been running over the plots and the emotions of certain scenes. For those who don't know what plotbunnies are are cute but they are the ideas that keep sidetracking one from the plot or the things you talk to when you look like you're talking to yourself. Or a story idea that refuses to go away until its written. They are great at stressing you out and driving you insane at times. Outsiders (non-writers) tend to think you are schizophrenic; that is not the case though.

Scrivener all set up.

As preparing for NaNoWriMo, I have found that a character is not going to be easy to control in my writing. She is independant and mouthy. Why did I create her like that? Well, she is bound to make it very interesting. My Scrivener is up and ready for my NaNoWriMo WIP. My

Timeline all ready to go.

Aeon Timeline is ready to go and set for this novel. The time line was easier than Scrivener since all I did was make another arc. Yeah I know; the arcs are for the changes in a single story. I use them to separate the sequels in my series. I helps me more that using it normal.

With the 3 writathons going on between @GetWordies and @FriNightWrites I should be at 35k by the 15th. If not finished to 50k. 3 weekends of writing will definitely get me passed 30k.

Holiday plans:
If I hit 40k by the20th I will have Turkey day on the 30th. Otherwise it will be December 6th. My family is spares and not that into holidays other than Solstices and Samhain.

If you notice, I have completed my Reading Challenge ahead of schedule. 40 books this year. That will give me time to get all the writing done.

GOOD LUCK with NaNoWriMo folks. 

My Writing Schedule ???

Many ask how do you plan when you write?

Well that all depends on the day and my mood. I am a participant of WriteChainChallenege so I make myself write at least 1500 wordies a day. I have managed for the last 53 days to do so. Here's my schedule (changes made when kiddos involved)

Monday - Thursday during 9am and 3pm for at least 2 hours. At night I write while cooking and cleaning up after dinner.
Fridays I write from 1pm-2am with a few breaks for food and dishes This is for FriNightWrites on Twitter
Saturdays I write any where from 9am-3am for a minimum of 6 hours. In the mornings I do #TalesAndTea with The Sprint Shack on Twitter.
Sundays it all depends on when my kiddos get home. usually I write around noon for a few hours (like 8).

Remember I have two kids and they interfere a lot with my scheduled writing times. Friday my son came home from school early because of a migraine. No problem he went to his room and slept for a bit, so no stopping is needed. Then I have to figure out which laptop I am gonna use, my daughter's or son's. If neither then I HAVE to use my desktop. Using my desktop isn't as inspiring as writing in the kitchen for some reason.

Most of the time I do word sprints for 30 minutes with friends and fellow writers on Twitter. They keep my grove going and when my writing groups aren't running sprints I do. Example, I ran six 30 minute sprints today and had several join in. I always use the hashtag #getwordies because that's our goal, to get words written.

Yeah I am on Twitter most of the day doing sprints. Like I said before, they keep me writing and during the breaks I get dishes, laundry and other things done in the kitchen. I even cook while sprinting now. Though finding TweetDeck was the best thing in the world since Scrivener.

No matter what wordies are written everyday. I wrote only 2540 words today but I created several supporting characters for this 'Dalara' and they may end up with one of their own in the future. Already planning on one for sure.

So, my writer friends and followers, if you need motivation to keep you on track find me on Twitter @jesdeh2o or search #getwordies to see if I'm running sprints! Or you can always ask if I can. I am more than willing to help out my fellow writers.

What Are They Doing?

My characters are not cooperating with me. 

The last few days my MC (main character) and her bestie have decided they don't want to do what I want. This point in the novel is hard enough to write. Now with them ticking me off it just makes it harder. Dalara's bestie is having issues with not wanting to be in this part and I need her here. It's almost as if she wants to be the MC now and I can't have that. I have had this issue before but she is stubborn. I am hoping by Friday she will start cooperating. I need wordies. 

I am going to word sprint with my lovelies over at @TheSprintShack on Twitter today, or at least try. Friday will be an all day and night sprint fest with @FriNightWrites for #writeclub. For those who are unfamiliar with either one check out their blogs. The Sprint Shack and FriNightWrites. The sprints are hosted by fellow writers. We write for a set time and see how many wordies we can get out of our fingers. 

I want this novel done and ready for my beta readers before April 1st. Camp NaNoWriMo begins then and I want to start the next novel in the series. I was thinking it would be Dalara's pack-mate but it might have to be her bestie instead. Which that is all fine and dandy with me. I know part of her story already and have tons of notes and research done. 

Camp NaNoWriMo is like NaNoWriMo I did in November; 50k words in a month. I won in November and I want to in April and July for Camp NaNoWriMo too. That's where the sprinting comes in handy. On a good sprint I have forced out 900+ wordies in 30 minutes. I wouldn't be able to live without my lovelies on Twitter. They keep me going with encouragement and ideas when I get stuck like I am now. 

Don't forget Friday I will be posting about another favorite author of mine. 

1st Week of December!

As I sit here and wait for the 5th I am thinking back over what I accomplished in November. Though it is the hardest month of  the year for me, I wrote 3/4 of a novel hitting over 50k words. I won NaNoWriMo! I never thought I could do it, but with the support of @TheSprintShack, @WriteChain, @FriNightWrites and many others within them, it would take forever to list all that helped and are still helping me. Always pushing me to sprint and get those words out of my head and on the computer screen. You guys *ROCK*.
As I have not completed my NaNo novel, I have begun finishing up the PREQUEL to it.  It is a shorter process after doing 50k+ in 30days. I am so glad I took the challenge and if I hadn't won, it still would have been awesome.

With winning I get to purchase Scrivener from Literature and Latte at 50% off on the 5th. Along with AEON Timeline. Both helped me so much I would never had made it without their NaNo Trials. With Scrivener I had everything from places, character bios, and relationships all in one place. I didn't have to open another program. Aeon Timeline allowed me to track the timing of each event and I never forgot what day it was in my novel.

There are tons of tools for writers and these are the only ones I have tried and I don't think I will try anything else. This is it for me. Each writer has their own way of doing things and Scrivener and Aeon Timeline is what I need.

With all that said I will definitely be participating next year in NaNoWriMo! I only wish I could make a financial donation this year. If you wish to help out the non-profit organization of NaNoWriMo please do so on their website (Link is above). Thanks!