NaNoWriMo Lessons

 

NaNoWriMo is nearly 75% over. Shocking how quickly time goes by. How are you doing with your writing? Did you decide to participate? Did you plot it out or come up with an idea and run with it? 

Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan, but there is so much to gain if you commit to writing for thirty days. 

Planning 

Maybe some writers can have an idea in their heads and run with it. I'm not sure there are many of those out there who are successful. After all these years of being a total panster, I've discovered sometimes you need more than just the idea or a few character sketches.

This year's approach involved following a process of creating a synopsis, scene settings, a list of characters and their story arcs; outlining the plot, subplots, and inciting incidents; and then developing numerous scenes, so that when writing began, the words flowed easier.

Discipline

It can take an average of 30 to 60 days to change a bad habit, and longer than two months to create a habit. When you have only 30 days to reach 50,000 words, you need to hit 1,667 daily or be willing to make up the gap the next day. 

Daily writing has numerous benefits. It helped me write faster than ever before, even if I am still slower than I would like. Other known benefits include:

• Becoming more aware of overused words and phrases
• Learning what your writing style is
• Giving you a sense of accomplishment
• Potentially making you more money

Community

Writing can be a solitary task. Critique groups serve their purpose, but with NaNoWriMo you can have buddies to cheer you on. This is something I encourage you to find even after NaNoWriMo is over. 

Whether you participated this year or not, here's hoping you are developing a plan to increase your productivity in 2024 with daily writing. 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Writing Inspiration and Check-in

 

Picture credit rawpixel at freepik.com 

How's your writing going? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this month or any other type of writing event? Though writing can often be a solitary task, the great thing about social media is that writing communities are right at your fingertips. Not all of them are free, but they can help with the isolation writers feel from time to time. 

The other wonderful thing you can find on social media is writing news: new books, writers talking about the representation agreements they just signed, book birthdays, book giveaways, and even writers talking about queries that have gone nowhere.

Now, before you think I'm encouraging you to waste your writing time on internet browsing, I'm only sharing it because we all need to connect with fellow writers from time to time and read some news to inspire us and cheer us on. 

Here are a few of my favorite inspirational quotes about writing. Hope you'll share some of yours.

Write what should not be forgotten. ~ Isabel Allende 

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce  

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. ~ Isaac Asimov 

A book is a dream you hold in your hand. ~ Neil Gaiman 

What will you write today? What will you write tommorow?

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

How to Stay Productive During the Holiday Season

I admit it. Shopping, baking, wrapping gifts, and sending holiday cards, along with everything else I have to do, makes me want to hide in bed until after the new year. But, I need this little thing called money that keeps the roof over our heads, so I keep writing.  

Here’s my advice. Don't let the holidays derail your writing progress. Adjust your expectations and stay focused on your goals.   

Adjust Expectations 

Many of us have this Currier and Ives picture perfect holiday in our minds, and we kill ourselves trying to achieve it.  

Stop a minute and think back to the holidays of your childhood. Did it bother you if Mom burnt the cookies or if the house next door had more lights hanging from it than yours did? Probably not. 

Here are a few ways you can simplify your holidays: 

• Focus your energy where it belongs: on family and friends. Instead of rushing around to make everything perfect, be okay with good enough.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family will be more than happy to lend a hand if they know it means spending more time with you.
• Trim back your holiday card list or consider sending postcards. I used to mail out over one hundred cards a year with handwritten notes inside. Then it happened: the year I just couldn’t do it. So, I pulled the previous year’s cards and only mailed cards to people who had sent us one that year. Postcards are a cheaper alternative when you want to send a quick note to someone you don’t see very often.
• Many online retailers offer free shipping during the holidays, so you can shop from home while taking a break from your writing. You save gas, don’t have to deal with crowds, and can easily get back to your writing schedule. Shopping local can also help. Commit to shopping at small businesses for one day out of the holiday season.

 Focus on Your Writing Goals 

It’s easy to lose track of your writing goals while preparing for the holidays. Now, more than ever, it’s important to write out a to-do list each week. Time block your calendar so that writing time stays part of your routine. 

Be realistic and plan ahead, knowing you have more on your plate this time of year. By November, I don’t take on additional writing assignments or book reviews. This leaves me wiggle room for those added holiday chores and more time to spend with those I care about. 

Preparing for the holidays doesn’t mean you can’t find the time to write. Adjusting expectations and focusing on writing goals can simplify your life and help you write, even during busy times.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Tips to Increase NaNoWriMo Productivity

 

Photo from Freepik

NaNoWriMo kicks off in 21 days. Can you believe it! Are you ready? 

We've already discussed how to add a large writing project like NaNoWriMo into your jam-packed schedule. Now, it's time to plan ahead, consider how to eliminate distractions and time wasters, and make sure you get enough rest.  

Plan ahead 

Planning ahead is vital to creating a realistic writing schedule. Some ways you can plan ahead before tackling NaNoWriMo are:

• Spend a few hours preparing menus for each week of November, including your holiday menu (if it applies).
• If you’ll be entertaining, ask friends and family if they would be willing to bring a food dish.
• Shop in bulk to cut back on errands to pick up food, household items, and office supplies.
• Consider ordering holiday cards and envelopes pre-printed.
• Time block your calendar, adding NaNoWriMo writing time into your most productive timeframe.

Eliminate distractions and time wasters 

Distractions and time wasters can threaten any project, no matter the size. It is especially important when approaching NaNoWriMo to eliminate activities that steal time from your writing. Here are some tips to help:

• Set aside a specific time during the day to return phone messages and emails. Discipline yourself not to check email or surf the Internet when you should be writing. 
• Share your time-blocked calendar with family members before you start NaNoWriMo, so they will know when you're writing.
• Find a private place where you feel most productive and inspired to write.
• Hang a "writing in progress" or "writer at work" sign on your door or put a tent card on your desk, asking family ahead of time not to interrupt you unless it's an emergency.
• If you have young children who require care, have books, crafts, or other items to entertain them during writing time.

Rest up

One thing that will help with stress- and time-management during NaNoWriMo is getting enough rest. Burning the candles at both ends helps no one, and certainly not your writing. Get the required amount of sleep each night so that you’ll have a well-rested mind to tackle writing and anything unexpected that comes your way. Add bedtime to your calendar. 

Don't wait until the last minute to prepare for NaNoWriMo. Plan ahead, think of ways to eliminate what can pull you away from writing, and schedule bedtime into your calendar so you get enough rest leading up to and while you are participating in NaNoWriMo. 

Good luck to all who will participate in 2024!

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she is a member of SCBWI and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Tackling the Big Gorilla: Tips for Adding NaNoWriMo to Your Jam-Packed Schedule

 

Can a writer add a large project like NaNoWriMo into an already jam-packed schedule? 

To answer that question, you must consider the commitments you already made. Then you can create a realistic schedule that allows you to add in such a project. 

The first thing to do is take out a piece of paper or fire up your computer and make three columns:  home, work, and volunteering. Under each heading, list all you have to do for the month of November, noting deadlines where necessary. Then the actual work begins. 

Review each item on your to-do list to see if it’s something you can delegate or change the deadline. You must also consider if you have the time to dedicate to volunteering. Let’s talk more about these steps. 

Delegate What You Can 

The easiest way to remove things from your to-do list is to delegate. Gasp! You mean I am expected to allow someone else to handle things I only trust myself to do?  

Though it is tough to give up control, unless you want the entire month to pass by in a stress-filled blur, you need to ask for help. You can delegate household chores, errands, even meal preparation to other members of your household. Even small children can help keep the living areas of your home clean by picking up their messes before bedtime.  

Are These Firm Deadlines? 

Adding a big writing project may require you to adjust deadlines for smaller projects. This should not be done without giving it a great deal of thought. Some things to consider are: 

• What is the impact on my relationship with this client if I ask for an extension?
• Have I asked this client for an extension in the past?
• What is the impact on my overall business if I can’t meet this deadline? 
• What is the impact of this new writing project on my overall business? 

Once you’ve damaged a relationship, it takes a tremendous amount of work to repair it. Constantly asking for extensions gives the impression that this client isn’t important to you. 

On the flip side, if a large project will have a positive impact on your overall career, it can be worth making it happen. If it becomes necessary to move a deadline, let clients know in plenty of time and be ready to offer them a new “firm” deadline for the completion of their projects. 

Do I Have Time to Volunteer? 

Review your volunteering list for November. Is it realistic to be involved in those activities and commit to a large writing project at the same time? If it isn't, but you're committed to NaNoWriMo, you might have to say that dreaded two-letter word. No can be difficult to say, but you’re only saying no for the duration of this writing project, not forever. 

If you decide to tackle the big gorilla of NaNoWriMo, making a realistic schedule will increase your productivity.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and award-winning editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Back to School with 4RV Publishing

 

From letters A to Z, 

furry faces are here to see. 

Living in cages and ponds

or feathered friends in a tree, 

explore a zoo of exciting animals

from land, air, and sea. 

ABCs from the Bible helps children learn the alphabet using examples tied to the Bible. The author's words and the artist's illustrations bring the ABCs to life. The back pages give more information for adults to share with their youngsters.

The teacher’s idea for celebrating the 100th day of school excites everyone. While the other students share their ideas for 100 unique things, Freckle Face Fred doesn’t. Join the celebration to discover what Fred finds unique.

Have you ever seen anything besides rain, hail, or snow fall from the sky? When the Sky Falls, Duck takes you on a trip to all kinds of places and shows you unusual things that have fallen from the sky and explains why.

Concepcion loves TV, but she has to sit close to see the screen. She holds her books close to her face to read. Her teacher seats her in the front row to copy her spelling words from the blackboard. When she gets a chance to look through her Papa's glasses, she decides that must be the answer. She wants to get glasses so she can see better. But first her eyes need to be tested, a new experience to be faced."

Eleven-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate's tooth is knocked out at one of the games, and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can't play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate's dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she's the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star. ​

Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate's plans?

To purchase these and other titles from 4RV Publishing, please visit our online catalog at http://www.4rvpublishing.com/full-book-cover-catalog.html 

Marketing Plan for Holiday Season Book Selling

 

Vivian's post about attending book fairs, festivals, and craft shows reminded me that fall is coming, and before we know it, the holidays will be here. It is estimated that one in four books is sold during the holiday season. 

Have you started your holiday season marketing plan? If not, here are some ideas to get you started. 

• Make sure all your book descriptions are current 
• Update your author bio
• Verify links to purchase your books are operational (broken links disappoint potential readers)
• Schedule your social media posts in weekly or monthly blocks
• Plan emails to your readers with giveaways for their loyal readership
• Check your local paper for selling opportunities like craft fairs 
• Prepare a budget for paid advertising
• Order your book supply for events early so that you have them in time 
• Create or order promotional materials for events ahead of time

Making sure you have a plan and ordering books and supplies early will help you have a successful holiday book selling season.  

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com