The Most Important NaNoWriMo Tip

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is once again upon us. I've participated every year since 2008, and completed each year with the exceptions of 2012 and 2013. I've racked up plenty of tips, tricks, and opinions in that time. The most important NaNo advice I can offer, though, is this:

Pace yourself.

Longtime followers and friends know that I've made a variation on this post every year for the past few. I'll continue to do so, because it's so damn important.

For those who don't know the story behind this advice, at the end of October 2011 I was sick. Not on death's door, but I was still ill. I was also a senior in high school at the time, with the workload that entails. Instead of taking it easy and resting, I decided to stage all-night writing marathons for NaNo. I wound up finishing the goal of 50,000 words in under four days.

I also put myself in the hospital with what developed from a cold into full-blown walking pneumonia. I had a temperature of 107.3, which is extremely dangerous. My mother shoved me in the shower in an attempt to help bring it down before taking me to the emergency room. I quite vividly recall sobbing about how cold the lukewarm was on my skin. Ultimately I was okay, but it was absolutely not pleasant. I wound up missing about a week of school.

If you plan to participate in NaNoWriMo, this year or any other, remember to take care of yourself. It is not a contest, and it is not a race. The point of the event is to put words on paper, not break yourself proving that you can write the most out of all your writing friends. Take breaks. Drink plenty of water, remember to eat, remember to get up, walk around, and go to the bathroom. If you're feeling under the weather, take it easy.

Every word is a victory, but it's only a victory if it doesn't wreck your life.

NaNoWriMo can be fun and productive, but remember to put your health and well-being first.

Best,
J.

I Have a Job

Once upon a time in high school, my mother told me something. She told me a lot of somethings, actually, but this one stands out. She said that since we were privileged enough to not need everyone in the household to bring in a paycheck, she never wanted me to have an after school job, unless I really wanted one. She told me school was my job, and I should never have to compromise my school life just for a second job. When I graduated and started college, she told me the same thing. I could live with her rent-free and not have to pay bills so long as I was making a clear effort with my classes.

About halfway into my degree, a lot of stuff happened that resulted in me dropping out. My parents moved back to our hometown, and my husband and I got our own little apartment.

There's a laundry list of reasons why I couldn't realistically get a job, and those reasons persist. When I initially dropped out, my husband turned to me and said, since I wasn't in school anymore, and since I couldn't get a so-called "real" job, I really should focus on my writing. School couldn't be my job anymore, so writing should be my job.

Thing is, it hasn't been. For a long time I rationalized not writing with, "oh, there are other things to do, and they're more important." I thought of my job not as writing, but as keeping the apartment in order.

But I'm running out of excuses. My role in our household is to do the budget and to cook. I'm not even responsible for housekeeping. My husband brings in the paycheck, our partner keeps things clean and tidy, and I do the books. That really doesn't take up a lot of my time, and I'm good at it. It's not something I have to agonize over and spend hours finagling.

Well, okay, I have to do some finagling, and sometimes there's some agonizing, but that's mostly because we live in a society that doesn't think people need a living wage. And that's another post entirely, and not one that's entirely relevant to this blog.

I digress.

My point here being...I have no excuse for writing not to be my job. I have no excuse to keep pushing it to the side and pretending I have more important things to do. I have absolutely no reason to not schedule uninterrupted time just to work on my book. And, as many people wiser than me have pointed out, if I don't treat my time as valuable, why should anyone else? If I don't set aside time just for writing, and hold myself to that, what's to stop people from continuing to act as if I don't do anything and I just waste time sitting around in my underwear?

If I don't sit down and make a real effort to make writing my job, what's to stop me from continuing to feel aimless and frustrated with all the time I waste?

So yeah. Starting today, I'm starting to pencil in several hours of writing time each day. During this time, no one is allowed to bother me unless there's a real need. I'm not going to say it's writing time and just keep goofing off on Twitter. I'm not going to pretend there are more important things I need to do and act like my writing isn't serious.

My writing is serious, and I'm not going to let anyone pretend it isn't. Myself included.

Until next time,
J.

Book Review: THE WATCHERS: HIDDEN FIRE, by Deirdra Eden

Hey everyone! It's a little late in the day, but today's post is a book review. A little while back I received a free copy of KNIGHT OF LIGHT, by Deirdra Eden, which I reviewed back in September. I was contacted and offered a copy of the sequel, HIDDEN FIRE, and I'm pleased to say that I was able to read it in time to be a part of the blog tour.

HIDDEN FIRE continues the story of Auriella, a young woman with great power. Though she is a knight and the sworn protector of England, the king refuses to listen to her counsel. In the face of war, Auriella must battle evil and master new, even stranger powers. She must also decide how she feels about a handsome and witty Scottish warrior who can teach her about her people...and how she feels about her fiance, who isn't acting quite how she expects.

I find the mythology and worldbuilding in this series to be utterly fascinating. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and the blend of real-world settings and out-of-this-world powers was one of the reasons that drew me to these books in the first place. HIDDEN FIRE follows characters who are smart and strong, and who interact with each other in ways I didn't always expect. The story balances lighthearted humor with dark themes and danger. It is fast-paced and entertaining from start to finish, with no dull moments.

Overall, I found HIDDEN FIRE both fun and entertaining. It has strong women with magic powers, corrupt kings, the return of my favorite wise-cracking sidekick, and a kilted Scotsman who, in his attempts to win over the main character, won me over completely. HIDDEN FIRE is an excellent follow-up to KNIGHT OF LIGHT, and would be a great read for anyone who loves historical-based fantasy, adventure, the powers of Heaven and Hell, and kilts (because seriously, I am all about those kilted Scottish warriors). It is a fun young-adult fantasy, but I'd say it has something for older readers, too. You can check it out at Smashwords here.

Happy reading, and 'til next time, J.