Pep Talk 11/29/2016 – Tuesday -- Final Pep Talk of 2016

Hey, there, my friends!

Target word count for today to reach 50K this month:  48343

Your affirmation for today is:

Writing is my joy! Readers are my reward!

This is my final Pep Talk for NaNoWriMo 2016. I hope you are well on the way to 50K by tomorrow. Don’t forget to validate, if you have won.

If you didn’t make 50K, I hope you are pleased with whatever amount of words you did write. They are more new words than you had on October 31^st, after all.

I hope you continue the habit of writing daily, or at least most days, that you established during NaNoWriMo. It is one of the things that I have been doing this year – and it has made a big difference for me during November.

Don’t let NaNoWriMo be the only time you write. It’s a challenge, and fun for some folks. Writing with intention only one month of the year will not get you a finished manuscript. Make yourself a promise to write regularly, on whatever schedule makes sense to you.

Have a wonderful holiday season. May your celebrations be fun and festive. I hope you put writing on a regular basis into your goals for 2017.

Wherever life takes you, I hope you write with joy!

Bright Blessings --

Cedar

Pep Talk 11/26/2016 – Saturday, Week 4

Hello, there!

Target word count for today to reach 50K this month:  43342

Your affirmation for today is:

I am an amazing writer and today I prove it on the page!

This is the last Saturday of NaNoWriMo 2016. The month has flown by. At this point, some people have already validated and won. Others are on target and still pushing through, looking forward to 50K by Wednesday. Some of you may have gotten disgusted and given up. If that is the case – please don’t use it as a weapon to beat yourself up. Many things happen that we don’t plan. Your life may have exploded this month. So – OK – if you don’t think you’ll hit the goal this month, why not change the deadline, not the goal? Please do NOT fall into the downward spiral of thinking you are not a real writer because you didn’t make your goal this month. You have more words than you would have had by now if you HADN’T taken the challenge. I love NaNoWriMo. I have no plans of missing NaNoWriMo in the future. It’s one of those givens “What does Cedar do in November? Cedar does NaNoWriMo.” That being said – this challenge is not for every person. Some people thrive on it. Some people do not. If this is NOT a challenge that feeds your soul in the final analysis, perhaps you shouldn’t try again. Please do not do this if it is going to damage you and feed that hateful voice that says “I told you. You’re not a real writer. You can’t even do this challenge. You should just give it up and stop fooling yourself.” If it is just that stuff happened in November of 2016, and you feel you can do this another year – then, by all means, plan to do that.

This is my penultimate Pep Talk for the year! I hope I have helped in some small way.

Write bunches and write with joy!

Bright the Day!

Cedar

Pep Talk 11/24/2016 – Thursday, Week 4

Hey, there, my friends!

Target word count for today to reach 50K this month:  40008

Your affirmation for today is:

When the writer in me connects with the reader in me, magic happens!

Here in the U.S., today is Thanksgiving.  If you are one of the many people traveling to visit friends and family, I hope you are safely at your destination! If you have a house full of family and friends, I hope they reached your home safe and sound. Whatever your holiday looks like, I hope it is a time of joy and a time in which you are mindful of all the parts of your life for which you are thankful.

If you are NOT in the US, and today is just an average Thursday, I wish you joy of the day as well.

I wish you all a wonderful day! I hope you are still committed to NaNoWriMo and will write until the month ends.

Write bunches and write with joy!

Bright the Day!

Cedar

Pep Talk, Tuesday, Week 4

Hello, there!

Target word count for today to reach 50K this month:  36674

Your affirmation for today is:

Today my muse is persistent and consistent!

Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving is on Thursday this week.  Many people are traveling to visit family or plan to have a house full of family and friends. Finding time to write this week may well be a challenge.

Find small bits of time to hide and do a word sprint or write a scene or plot a scene or do a character sketch or deepen your understanding of a character. If that is all you can manage this week, you will still be connected to your story and will be able to “hit the ground running” when you get back to having dedicated writing time.

I wish you all a wonderful day! I hope you haven’t given up on NaNoWriMo and will write until the month ends.

If you are in the US, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you are elsewhere – I hope your Thursday is a good day to be thankful for the amazing blessings in your life.

Write bunches and write with joy!

Bright the Day!

Cedar

Interview with Ginger Booth -- Participant in the NinjaWriter's Instafreebie Event

3. Tell us about your book(s). Include links so I can add them to the post please.

The Calm Act series is a day-after-tomorrow dystopian scenario. Climate change suddenly accelerates to the point where we can’t feed everyone, let alone curb global warming. The Calm Act itself is a draconian plan by the U.S. government to address the crisis by imposing censorship, martial law, and migrant-control borders. 

As her old world disintegrates, upbeat programmer Dee Baker teams up to build a new one.

This is a very different take on the post-United States scenario. For one thing, the action takes place during the fall, not after it. The military has taken pains to ease the disaster experience. There is no evil super-villain, just a bad bad situation, and decent people trying to cope against long odds.

Please see http://books.gingerbooth.com/content/calm-act-series for a book and blurb list, and links to buy the books. Or, sign up for the mailing list to receive two prequel stories free, at http://eepurl.com/bUSYaD .


2. What makes your protagonist different from the industry standard or genre standard?
In the usual post-apocalyptic grown-up story, we have a gun-toting tough guy, trying to protect a damsel determined to be her own worst enemy, both pitted against a cartoon arch-villain. Lots of blood and guts and guns, generally set someplace empty, like west Texas.

In the Calm Act series, Dee Baker is a craftsy programmer who likes to garden. She has a problem. Her world has fallen apart due to accelerated climate change. Sure, she can still grow vegetables and feed herself, but there are hundreds of millions who can’t. She needs protection or they’ll steal her food. If we all play that game, growing food is pointless, and we all die. Most people happen to agree with her, including the U.S. military – law and order is preferable to blood and guts. They’d rather find a way to work together, and shoot the bad actors as needed. 

Oh, and Dee Baker lives smack in the middle of the I-95 corridor, the most populated part of the country, about 100 miles from New York City. Climate-wise, it’s a real lottery winner, but alas rather crowded.

The forces for good have the upper hand in this series. Winning just isn’t easy.
The reason for doing it this way is that I believe really, deep down, people aren’t willing to face the truth of climate change. It isn’t a theory, and it isn’t in the future. It’s real, and it’s now – just not to this accelerated degree. I wanted a protagonist who has to face it, with little more than her wits and ethics and friends to draw on. Our heroes have the courage to do the right thing.

22. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

It cost $200 to buy a nice cover for Civilly Disobedient, an intro prequel that I wrote for the sole purpose of giving it away for free. That was really, really hard to justify. But without a great cover, who would give my books a try? So far, I’ve spent nearly $1000 on book covers, wincing all the way. My cover designer Jalena does such a beautiful job on them, though, capturing the love of natural beauty that I wanted them to express.

33. Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

I certainly express myself spiritually through the practice. Some people get writer’s block. I get living block, where everything seems to get stuck. I need to write to clear that block. 

52. Do you believe in writer’s block?

I believe writer’s block is my subconscious trying to tell me I made a wrong turn back a ways. So go back and fix that. When I’m on firmer ground, I’ll be able to go forward again.

51. How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Actively writing the first draft, maybe 10-12 weeks, then another month or two on the end for beta reading, revisions, cover design, and publishing. That’s for the full length novels, about 90k words. That includes research, which I along the way as needed. The novellas are much quicker, maybe a month. On a good day, I can write almost 5k words. Most days are stickier than that, and life intrudes.

The Calm Act Series | Books

Time Ran Out on Climate Change Upbeat programmer Dee Baker is successful in her media career. But…

BOOKS.GINGERBOOTH.COM

Pep Talk 11/19/2016 Saturday, Week 3

Hello, there! Today is the 19^th day of the NaNoWriMo Challenge.  Your target word count to reach 50K by month end is 31673.

I hope you are all still writing. If you are behind, keep writing. Change your goal, and keep writing. If you are ahead, keep writing. You can see 50K from here -- Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

If you have already hit 50K – keep writing!! You still have plenty of month left, see how many words you can write in a month.

I don’t know how many of the people I wanted to reach actually see these posts. It makes me sad to think that some of you aren’t seeing these and don’t know how much I am cheering for you to succeed.

For those of you who are seeing these, you do know! That makes me happy!

Your affirmation for today is: 

When I get out of the way, the words flow easily to the page.

If I can help you in any way, please comment here or send me a NaNoMail.

Write bunches, write with joy!

Bright the Day!

Cedar

Pep Talk 11/17/2016 – Thursday, Week 3

Hello, there!

Target word count for today to reach 50K this month:  28339

Since I started doing these Pep Talks, I have used affirmations specifically for writers. I am comfortable with that – we’re writers, this is a writing challenge, and it seems appropriate to share writing affirmations here.

Recently, on several communities I belong to, I have seen posts from people which seem to be setting the stage for them to “give up” on NaNoWriMo. The posts range from “I’m just too busy…” to “I am just too bummed out from the (U.S.) election results…” to “Writing two thousand awful words makes me unhappy. I would rather write one thousand words that I can be proud of…”  These posts make me shake my head sadly. I understand that doing this while you have other pressing responsibilities (family, full-time job, taking care of a friend or family member, etc.) is not easy. I can also understand deciding that 50K is just too much to get to given a certain set of circumstances. My advice – DON’T GIVE UP!!  If you think 50K is too much, change the goal. Will 30K be a stretch goal? Then set your new goal at 30K. Use the energy of NaNoWriMo to get to the new goal.

Here in the U.S., next week is Thanksgiving. Many people travel to visit family or have family visit them and they cook for tons of people. Some folks know that they will not have copious amounts of time to write. OK, fine. Enjoy your holiday, enjoy your relatives and friends. If you can hide in your room/writing space/rest room, I don’t know where you hide – for five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes and write a scene or plot a scene or do a character sketch or deepen your understanding of a character – you will still be “into” your story, and when you get back to dedicated writing time, you won’t have to take so much time to get back into the story.

With all these things in mind, I have chosen an affirmation that is very general – and which I love. I poked online for twenty minutes today, trying to find an attribution, and couldn’t find it. If you know the attribution, I’d love to hear about it, I dislike using quotes without attributing them, but affirmation lists are like that.  Your affirmation is:

“Today is a good day to have a good day!”

I hope your day is a joy and a delight. I hope you choose to keep going with NaNoWriMo, even if you change your personal goal. If you think there is any way I might help you with any of these things, please comment here or send me a NaNoMail.

Write bunches and write with joy!

Bright the Day!

Cedar

Pep Talk 11/15/2016 Tuesday, Week 3

Hello, there!!  It is hard to believe that the NaNoWriMo challenge is halfway done. WOW!!

To achieve 50K words during the month, your target word count for today is: 25005

Here is your affirmation for the day:  The blank page is my canvas and today I paint it brilliantly!

It is week three. This is usually my difficult week. In prior years, my muse has decided to go on a tropical vacation in week three without telling me. This year, it does not seem that will happen this week.  However, I have come down with a nasty cold instead.

I hope you are all well and enjoying the process. If not – do you know WHY? If you know why perhaps you can determine a different way of approaching the process to make it more enjoyable.

If you are having trouble and think I might be able to help, please comment here or send me a NaNoMail.

Write bunches and write with joy!

Bright blessings – Cedar

Pep Talk 11/12/2016 Saturday, Week 2

Hello!  This is Saturday of Week 2 of NaNoWriMo. To be on target for 50K by November 30^th, your word count goal for the end of today is: 20004

I hope you are still writing and still excited. It has been an odd week here in the USA. The Election happened and there are protests and other events going on. It has been a big distraction for many people. Except for the night of the Election itself, I have been able to hunker down and get my words in. Two of the reasons I am getting my words in are 1) I am hosting two Write-Ins every weekend at the local library. Whether anyone else shows up, I’m there, my computer is there, I might as well write. Today I didn’t even get 2000 words in during the Write-In but that’s OK. I got words on the computer. It’s all good. 2) I belong to a Facebook Writers Group. They have official sprints every Sunday. Folks will also reach out and say “I need some sprints. Who wants to sprint with me?” I did sprints with two other folks in a chatroom yesterday for an hour. It was great.

If you feel stuck – do something different. Write out of order. Write from the POV of another character. Interview your characters. Rewrite the beginning. Change the ending. Start in the middle and change what happens after. JUST KEEP WRITING.

Your affirmation for today is:  My writing is a stream of feeling that flows from my heart to my reader’s heart.

Write bunches, write with joy!

Bright the Day -- Cedar

NaNoWriMo Pep Talk Thursday, week 2

Hello, there!!  Today is Day 10. It is Thursday in week 2.

The target word count for today to make 50K by the end of the month is 16670.

I wish I could say “Good morning” but I ran out of morning. When my alarm went off this morning, I realized that I needed more sleep. I could have gotten out of bed and been functional. However, I chose to practice kindness for myself. When I finally did wake up 90 minutes later, I felt ready to get up, so I did.

NaNoWriMo is a whirlwind. Often it means writing when you would normally be sleeping, eating quickly so you can get back to writing or even eating WHILE you are writing, and not getting the normal amount of exercise. These things can be harmful if carried to extremes.

YAY you got to Thursday of week 2 and you haven’t quit. That’s AWESOME and I applaud you. I would like you to think about how you are taking care of yourself, and what you might be able to do better.

Your affirmation for the day:

Today I am attracting the ideal writing opportunities for me.

If you are having trouble with self-care or getting to your goals in general, please reply here or send me a NaNoMail. I’d be happy to help you figure out ways to get around that.

Write bunches, and write with joy!

Bright the Day – Cedar

Pep Talk -- 11.8.2016 -- Tuesday, Week 2

Hello, there!

Your affirmation for today is: 

Writer’s block is NO match for my desire to get my thoughts into writing!

To reach 50K by the end of the month, the target word count by the end of today is 13336.

So, we survived week one!  Hooray. Now we find ourselves in week two. Statistics show that the people who drop out of NaNoWriMo often drop out during week two. The new shiny bright thing they were writing is not so shiny or bright. They are tired of giving up whatever they have given up to find the time to write. They want to watch TV or play video games or do more social media or go out with their friends. This is no longer new and exciting, it is boring, and tedious, and they hate this stupid story anyway. WAAAAAH!!!

I don’t feel like that. I’ve done this for years and week two is never my crisis week. That usually comes in week three when my Muse decides to take a trip to the Bahamas without telling me and I have no words to string together on the page.

I hope you are entering week two still feeling pleased about what you are writing. My novel is a great mess. It is as if I have quilt squares, and they are quite nice – yet I have no idea how to put them together to make a quilt!!  However, this is NaNoWriMo. It is a first draft. It is not meant to be perfect. I still love the world I am creating, and my characters, and the things that I am finding out as I write.

Find something that you still like about what you are doing. Capitalize on it. If you are stuck, try a different approach. If you always set a timer and sprint, sit down and just breathe and then free-write. If you NEVER sprint, set a timer and write at break-neck speed until the timer sounds. If you always free-write, work on a bit of structure. (All words count in November, if they are connected to this story or the process of getting it written.) If you always depend on structure, free-write. If you always listen to music, try silence, or change the type of music. If you never listen to music, try it for ten or fifteen minutes.

I hope you are still happy to be doing NaNoWriMo and meeting your personal goals. If you need help with anything send me a NaNoMail or reply to this and we’ll see if we can brainstorm a new approach for you.

Write bunches, write with joy!

Bright the Day – Cedar

Pep Talk for November 5, 2016 – Saturday, Week 1

Hello, there!

Sorry, this is getting out late today. I’ve been very busy with NaNoWriMo things today. Which is grand – while not getting me home to write a pep talk.

To be on target to write 50,000 words this month, the word count goal for the end of Day 5 is 8335.

Your affirmations for today is:  Inspiration for my writing flows to me from everywhere!

This morning I hosted the first of the Write-Ins for which I am contact person. They take place at my local library – Saturday mornings from 10 AM to 12 noon, and Sunday afternoons from 2 – 4 PM.  It was a bit of a mess this morning. The library had a gala event last night. The room they had assigned me was still full of food and quite a wreck. Consequently, they put me in a different room. At 11:30 AM the people who usually have that second room from 11 AM – 1 PM arrived. Since no one else had shown up to the Write In except me, I was happy to move. However, I couldn’t carry all my things from the room. I expressed that and one of the ladies offered to help me. She carried my bags out of the room and onto a table in the main room. She asked if I needed any more help and I did not.

My husband picked me up at noon and drove me to the pharmacy for a quick errand and then to my Region’s Kick-Off Write-In/Snack-In at our County Library at 1 PM.  The Region does this every year and it is a BLAST. I love it. It was a wonderful afternoon. Large turn-out – I think there were 17 people there. I love the camaraderie. I typically type more words at home alone. However, there is something about being in a room with others embarked on the same journey that is quite awesome. The Event was a joy and a delight, and I had a wonderful time.

I got home an hour ago and have just been poking at my e-mail and Facebook. Then I looked at my Bullet Journal and realized that TODAY is a Pep Talk day!  EEEP! So here I am.

I hope everyone who wants to read these Pep Talks finds them on the forum.

I am quite happy about my word count. I have passed 11K and I haven’t recorded any words for today.

I hope you are making your goals. If there is something preventing you from reaching your goals, and you’d like to talk about possible solutions, feel free to post here or send me a NaNoMail.

Write well, write bunches, write with joy!!

Bright the Day!  Cedar

Pep Talk -- Day 3 -- Thursday, Week 1

Hello, there!!

This is Day 3. To be on target to make 50K this month, the word count goal by the end of today is 5001.

I hope you all got the message about the new system. There is a new thread “Pom Poms and Pep Talks” in the Writing Groups and Clubs forum on the NaNoWriMo.org site. My pep talks will be posted to that thread.

I will also be posting them to my Cedar – Wordcrafter blog.

I have been writing consistently. Currently, I am ahead of word count and have yet to start writing for today. I didn’t do enough research before this month. Consequently, some of my writing looks more like research notes. However – they are words, they are about this world and the folks in this novel. NO ONE WILL EVER SEE THEM IN THIS FORM EXCEPT ME! If I am the only one who will see them, it doesn’t matter what they look like.

I have discovered the split-screen feature in Scrivener. It is very useful to have plot notes, character notes, character names and such things open on one side while I type new words on the other. It makes me very happy!!

I hope you are all typing busily when you can. Remember, no matter what number of words you write on any given day – they are more words than you had the day before. Just keep writing!!

Your Day 3 affirmation:

Bring it on, blank page! I am ready to fill you with amazing words!

Keep writing, write bunches, write with joy!

Bright the Day -- Cedar

                                                                                                                      

Pep Talk – 11.1.2016, Tuesday, Week 1

Hello, Writing Buddies! 

It is early afternoon where I am in the world, on Day 1. To be on target for 50K by the end of the month, the word count goal by the end of the day will be 1667.

I hope you all have seen the Zero Night post. Sorry that it was so late. I had some technical difficulties.

I did something new last night. My region customarily has a late-night Kick-Off Write-In online. For the first time, I logged in at 11:30 PM and stayed until 12:45 AM.  It was fun. It was also interesting to me to go to sleep knowing I had already written 515 words.

I have recently chosen a “writing mantra”. It is a quote by E. B. White – “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper.” It has helped me a great deal in the past few weeks, I hope it helps you take advantage of whatever bits of time you have this week to write.

An affirmation for today:

Writing is my statement to the world! Today my statement is amazing!

I hope you are enjoying your process and getting respectable word counts. 

Have fun and keep writing!

Bright Blessings -- Cedar