Born in NaNoWri

 By Maureen Bonatch 

 

It’s almost November so you know what that means? 

Ok, maybe you don’t if you’re thinking about turkeys, and fall turning to winter and the upcoming holiday season and not immediately thinking about NaNoWri like me! 

 November is National Novel Writing Month 

Otherwise known as NaNoWri. I might write all year, but the enthusiasm of everyone participating in NaNoWri in November gives me an extra push to get those words on the page. 

I’ve talked about NaNoWri a lot over the years—whether anyone cared to listen or not 

 You might say I'm a little obsessed with it. Here are a few of my favorite posts: 

•  Making a DIY standing treadmill desk 
•  Secrets to Winning NaNoWri 
•  For Your Loved Ones Dealing with the NaNoWri Obsessed 
•  How NaNoWri is like Being An Alien 
• The Month After NaNoWri Poem 

 There are many more, I’m sure. 

How Do I Know NaNoWri Works?

                   My daughter and I winning NaNoWri Last Year

I haven’t “won” NaNoWri every year I participated, but I enjoyed it regardless. Although I have “won” (aka: finished a 50k first draft) more years than not. 

For me, NaNoWri inspires me to get those words on the page and prioritize my writing. Many of my books were born in NaNoWri. 

A few NaNoWri book babies have been polished and published—I’ve listed those below. 

•  Hexes, Highballs & Hockey (2017) 
•  Not a Chance (2014) 
•  Grandma Must Die (2013) 

 And now… Magic, Mimosa’s & Mistletoe (2020) 

I thought I wouldn’t win NaNoWri in 2020 I was feeling kind of down with 2020 and the holidays weren’t looking the same with lockdowns and restrictions on visiting with family and friends. 

I had started one story and was struggling with it until I decided to revive my holiday spirit by writing about it.

Magic, Mimosa’s & Mistletoe flowed out of me like water and was such fun to write! I had to do ‘research’ by playing Christmas music and was ‘forced’ to watch holiday movies. It really helped bring back my holiday spirit. Since I write paranormal I made the story a fun mash up of the Halloween and Christmas holidays.

I’ll be introducing Magic, Mimosa’s & Mistletoe to the world on October 31st. 

Here’s a taste! 

 I don’t see dead people, but my dog does. 

Hi, I’m Marissa Hale. When my friend, Grace invites me to visit the Inn she inherited, I’m high-tailing it back to my home state of Pennsylvania. Like most things in life, there are strings attached to her inheritance—and these ones have twinkly lights. The Inn, and the town, are Christmas themed. No witch worth her broom would choose Christmas over Halloween, unless that witch’s bloodline is the magic mainline for keeping the yuletide spirit alive. 

Her aunt’s death was already suspicious, but then we stumble upon a dead body amongst the poinsettias that resembles one of Santa’s fabled elves. It sure seems like someone is trying to force Grace to sell Kringle Inn. I’m going to need all the help I can get to solve these crimes, and save Christmas, but when the only witnesses are a pig, and a ghost, I’m not sure that’s going to be enough… 

Get Into the Holly Jolly Spirit Early by Grabbing Your Copy Right Here

I have several more ‘winners’ from past years (2015, 2016, 2018) that will be polished and released to the world in 2022. 

 What About You? Do You NaNo?       

Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival. 

 Visit Maureen's Website Here

Lessons Learned from National Novel Writing Month

Many of you may be familiar with National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo). I’ve rambled on about it time and again. 

But if you haven’t heard, each November writers try and write 50,000 words toward a novel. 

As #NaNoWri has evolved, there are many different versions so goals can be attainable for kids as well. I’ve participated for many years. The first few years I didn’t even come close, but once I won, I wanted to have that feeling of accomplishment every year. 

Because NaNoWri is about more than just writing 50,000 words, it’s about discovering just what you’re capable of if you apply yourself to a goal. Some of the lessons I’ve learned from NaNoWriMo can be applied to each day or month of the year.

 

Find Support & Accountability

We all have lofty goals that seem almost unattainable. Sometimes we may call them dreams and feel as if they are things we can only wish for. Although there are some things that are within our control if we apply ourselves and find the support to keep us accountable. Even if we are only accountable to ourselves. 

• Goals are met through babysteps. I don’t sit down on November 1^st thinking that I'll write 50,000 words. If I did, I’d probably be completely overwhelmed and quit before I got started. Instead, I plan to write at least 1,667 words each day. That’s an attainable goal for me. Even if I break it into 2 writing periods during the day to get there with smaller steps. Those little steps add up. 

• Announce your goal to others, or find someone who will be your cheerleader to keep you accountable. Even if it’s making your own chart and watching the numbers grow. Your goals and dreams are most important to you, so nurture them.

These tips can be applied to new habits, or working toward any dream. One day at a time. To reference one of my favorite quotes, 

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams

Practice Productivity 

There are many distractions in life, and especially on the internet, that can make a task take much longer than necessary. Find your focus and set a time to work on a task, and a goal of when to finish. You might discover that you can complete it much quicker than you realized. 

Some people practice specific techniques to increase productivity, but only you can determine what works for you. I've used these productivity techniques throughout the year.

• Pomodoro Technique – Setting a time for a specific time frame (usually 25 minutes) and working with five minute breaks between sets.

• Sprints- are particularly popular for NaNoWriMo and effective for me. Choose a time frame and race against the clock to get as much done as possible. Whether it’s writing words, completing chores, or other tasks. 

• Find your Magic – for me I know that I have to organize my desk and clear out most of my emails to be able to focus and be more productive. Otherwise, I’m distracted. Determine what helps you focus. It may be a certain space in your home, a certain time of day, or creating a relaxing atmosphere.

My NaNoWri Novel

I won NaNoWri again this year. That doesn’t mean I have a complete book ready to go. It means it’s in an ugly draft form, and it needs many more words, and a whole lot of editing to be complete. But I have 50,000 words to a brand new story that I didn’t have a month ago. 

Plus, I know that several of these ugly drafts have later been released to the world as my book babies. I still have 3 NaNoWri winners in draft, but here are a few of my former NaNoWri winners now available in print.

Chance Taken -2014 Winner renamed as Not a Chance

For The Love of Grandma -2013 Winner renamed Grandma Must Die 

See No Evil- 2012 Winner renamed Evil Speaks Softly 

Do You Have Any Productivity Tips to Share?

A Few Chances to Win a Gift for Yourself This Holiday

It seems that when I start holiday shopping, that’s when I find things I want for myself, but I feel guilty because I should be buying for others. Here are a few contests that you can enter to try to win a guilt-free prize for yourself.

 

Hurry- this contest wraps up Today- December 5^th

 Your chance to win a Kindle Fire 7 Tablet- $25 worth of ebooks from Amazon (winner’s choice, up to 5 total books) - $20 Amazon gift card- $15 worth of ebooks from Amazon (winner’s choice, up to 3 total books)- $10 Amazon gift card Check it out Right Here

Make Your Month More Merry 

Enter for your Chance to win a kindle fire or echo dot Right Here

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook& Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazonand/or signing up for her newsletter

ARCHIVE: Seven Years of NaNoWriMo...Seven Lessons

Veronica sez: Went looking in the Archives today for good posts from the past about NaNoWriMo and I liked this one. Even though we have no updated lessons from  2014 and 2015, why don't you tell us what you've learned in your experience?! Best wishes to everyone participating this month.

So here's what Julie Particka/Seleste DeLaney shared in 2013:

NaNoWriMo is an evil beast. Truly. I signed up for my first time in 2007. At that point, I was full of piss and vinegar and thought it would be a piece of cake--especially when I wrote 7,000 words my first day. Yeah. You know those people that start a race hot out of the gate and then limp over the finish line? That was me my first year. I almost didn't make it. And it took me the rest of that year to finish the book.
Lesson learned in 2007: I need at least a rough outline or I flounder.



In 2008, I had an outline and a plan. I had a story that I loved and characters I adored and wanted to know better. It was set in the town I lived in, so I could run out to research places on short notice if necessary. I was ready to go and I rocked out my 50k by playing it slow and steady. And then I finished the book in December. I...was a rock star in my own mind.
Lesson learned in 2008: Tortoise. Be the tortoise.


After a year of querying and getting nowhere, I sat down to 2009 with a totally different kind of story. Huge in scope and quirky and...it was going to be awesome. I had my outline ready, my planets named and even a history of the 'verse written. Enter the return of the slogging through words. The book sucked. Hard core suckage. But I pushed through to the end, because I was too stubborn to let it go. I finished my 50k and shelved it. (Three months later, I took that space opera and re-wrote it as a steampunk novella. It became my first sale.)
Lesson learned in 2009: Don't get cocky. You need the right story, in the right setting, with the right characters.

In 2010, I was officially a published author, took all those lessons from years past, and sat down to write what was one of the scariest books I'd ever attempted. Not in that it was horror, but in that I was taking a world I'd started in short stories and trying to turn it into a novel. This was the year that everything fell into place. I loved that book. I loved the characters and the energy and... It was the year I screamed NaNo's praises from the rooftop.
Lesson learned in 2010: Sometimes the stars align and things just work (it sounds lame, but this is  a very important thing to remember in the world of publishing.)

By the next year, I had several publishing credits under my belt, and one of my novellas had even won Book of the Year at a review site. But I was tired. So I decided to take a break. Not from NaNo--that's crazy talk--but from what I had to write. I dove into a project that had been calling to me for a while and wrote with gusto. It was another one that I finished drafting in December--and it was the longest book I'd ever written. But I was pretty sure it was unpublishable, so I shelved it. But I was renewed and got back to work with vigor. (Note: I plan to pull this one out as soon as i have a break in my schedule. I'm less convinced it's unpublishable now.)
Lesson learned in 2011: Every once in a while, it's okay to take the time to get your mojo back.

shhh...nothing to see here

2012 was the year of the sequel. This was another heavily prepped for book with much plotting and an index card board that looked like I'd lost my mind. But at this point, not only was I a professional who regularly wrote at well over the minimum daily word count, but I was also dealing with edits for other projects pouring in. It was a messy year and one I wasn't sure I'd finish. I plowed through anyway.
Lessons learned in 2012: Published authors don't get to coast through NaNo. Deadlines matter more, so words have to come in massive spurts when you can get them. Also? Sequels are hard for me to write. So are books with seven point-of-view characters. But if you're stubborn enough, you can do it all.

Now it's 2013, and I'm once again attempting a sequel--actually the last book in that series. Because of other projects, I didn't have time to plot it in advance, which is making me twitchy, and it feels way too much like that first year where I was desperately trying to figure things out as I went. Oh, and I have edits on two (or more) very important projects coming in the next few weeks. And my kitchen's being torn out and redone the week of Thanksgiving. There are still over three weeks of NaNo left, but I think this might be the year that beats me. Then again, it might be the year that I finally give into the need to project jump and just work on the book that is calling to me. I don't know. What I do know is NaNo is always an adventure, and there is always something to learn.
Lessons learned so far in 2013: Don't forget everything else you learned along the way. Sometimes, no matter how stubborn you are, you can't do it all. It's okay to step back and change course. 

Long story short? NaNoWriMo has taught me how to be a better author in the crazy world of modern publishing. The lessons, both big and small, have shaped me into who I am today. I'm pretty sure without the push of this event early on in my career path, I probably would have given up. So than you, NaNoWriMo. I couldn't have done it without you.

What about you? Have you learned anything by doing/attempting NaNo?

Procrastination, I Heart You

So, I was sitting in my office all relaxed and trying to figure out what we're going to do today. Then, while perusing my email, I got one from Here Be Magic and wondered why I started shaking. It wasn't a bad email--not like they're kicking me out (right, peeps?). I couldn't figure out why I reacted so oddly. And then it hit me. I was supposed to post today.

D'oh!

And now I sit here, frantically typing since the day is half over and I have nothing ready to go. Truth is... this is kind of my life. It's much rarer when I'm ahead of schedule and have all my blog posts out and scheduled and on time. Quite honestly, with blogging it often works better for me because I can blog about something that's on my brain right now and I won't wonder what the hell I was thinking when it posts. This is me. Today. Raw.

But hey, at least I showered.

The funny part is I'm in the midst of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and for the first time in ages, I'm ahead of my goal. No procrastination there. I haven't had any killer word days, but I'm averaging over 2100 words a day. If I really buckle down for the rest of the month, I could even have a completed draft by the first of December.

Yay, NaNoNovel!

On the other hand, I don't think there's a blog post I haven't written on the fly this month. I have stuff I was supposed to mail weeks ago. (One letter is sitting in my car right now, waiting for me to remember to get stamps.) The house gets cleaned in fits and starts (which means it's never really clean.

Hello, my name is Seleste, and I'm a procrastinator.

*everyone* Hello, Seleste.

*jerk in the back corner* That's not even your real name!

*me* Shut up, dude, that's really not the point.

Because of today's posting oops, I'm back at wanting to "cure" my procrastination sickness. And I'll probably bust ass over the next week and get crazy-ahead on life. Holiday cards will go out, blog posts will be written (and in a few weeks, I'll wonder what I was smoking when I wrote them), the house will get cleaned, decorations will go up. My writing might suffer a little, but hey, it's just my NaNoNovel, right?

Er... Back the truck up.

Out of four NaNos I've done, two of those novels (in some form or other) have gone on to be published--includingBadlands. A third is in limbo at the moment because I'm being very particular about who I'm willing to sell it to (at some point I'll let everyone know how that worked out).

That means this could be the NaNoNovel that changes everything, the one that breaks me into the big leagues, the one that makes me a household name (hahahahahahaha--okay, I don't really believe that). But it's important too. Arguably it's more important than the cards and the decorations and the cleaning. Maybe not more important than the blogs posts (I am ahead, after all), but I'm one of those people who generally needs to embrace my procrastination.

Without it, I'd never get the most important stuff done.

Now if you'll excuse me, my son wants to teach me how to play Lego Harry Potter.