It’s Tuesday, November 1st in Michigan. My dashboard is showing 64F.
I attended All Saints Day mass at St. Patrick’s in Parnell at 7 a.m. The general store across the street wasn’t even open yet.
But I managed to run into an old friend who was already grumpy.
“Nothing has happened yet,” I said. “You can’t be grumpy.”
“Yes, it has,” he said. “I woke up.”
This was the first day of National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge. I logged in 1,777 words because I like the number plus it was 100 words more than the required 1,667 daily log-in word count.
For the first time ever, I ate my lunch on the porch in the November sun in West Michigan after I got done writing. I will savor that forever.
The lovely day ushered in a mix of emotions that a new project always carries. I even managed to walk the trail listening to the creek. The creek was bubbling its song undaunted by the fall. I threw a few rocks to listen to the sound of the rock entering the water, and measured the depth by the hollow sound.
Our fifth grandchild Henrik celebrated his first birthday today. I remember last year’s tension about the unknown of NaNo and the new grandbaby. Nothing has changed, the tension is the same.
Some guys are showing off water skiing in November in Michigan. Heck yes, that’s cool.
You rock. Happy birthday, Henrik. Love always.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
It’s that time of the year again to get ready for National Novel Writing Month in November. I’ve participated three times and won three times, and got three books out of my participation. Don’t get me wrong it’s a grueling challenge when you have to write 1,700 words a day to reach the 50K goal.
“Bank on words when you can,” said author Jean Davis, a 17-time NaNoWriMo participant. “There will be days when you won’t be able to write as much.”
Number one tip: Be ready. Clear your schedule for November, no unnecessary projects. Make it very clear what you’re going to be doing in November.
Don’t get distracted, stay focused on your project. Don’t go back to rewrite anything. Just keep on moving forward. The outlines are good, but the synopsis is better. The synopsis clearly shows a developed idea.
Zone into your writing at the same time every day. No deviations in the schedule.
NaNoWriMo has coaches to get you through the challenge, but ultimately it’s up to you to pull it off. And the first draft does not have to be messy. No. 1 thing is clear thinking and letting the characters lead you into the story. Let them carry the story.
Then, you also have a buddy system to keep you accountable. Use it or not, just be careful with your time. Use tools such as the Pinterest board for the project to keep everything together.
When you can’t write you can’t write, go for a walk, take a break. Just don’t stay out there all day. Keep your writing simple kind of like journalism writing for all to understand at all levels. No adverbs or big words. Just big ideas.
Have several ideas going on at once, just in case the first one doesn’t work out. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, just write.
Having said all of the above, I will be working on a sequel to The Lost Town. I am hammering out the main character as we speak and placing him ready for the adventure.
Each book should be better, than the previous one. I will keep that in mind. Ok, I have just found out that the best plotting method for me is The Save the Cat 15-beat sheet. Onwards.
First of all, I haven’t had a chance to express my gratitude for this holiday season that I am alive and well.
My deepest gratitude goes to my family, friends, and fans for their support of my work. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the daunting 50k NaNoWriMo word challenge.
This was my third year participating in the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I entered with word count zero on Monday, Nov. 1 after some prep work in October. That same day, our grandson Henrik was born at 2:30 p.m., and I drove to Hastings to babysit his siblings and came back to Lowell the next day.
For days leading up to the challenge, I stared into the historic map of Saugatuck, hoping that awesome inspiration will strike a chord in my heart and mind. The opposite was quite the truth. Every morning of the challenge, I stood up against the same goal: logging in at least 1,667 words a day to reach the coveted 50,000-word summit by Nov. 30th.
Since I picked for my NaNo project the historical fiction genre, I had to do research as well. Weeks of previous research didn’t help much. On the third day of the challenge, I figured out that breaking the writing marathon into two daily sessions will make it more doable. From then on, I worked in two parts: morning and afternoon.
What I found out was that even between the two sessions, I sometimes didn’t know what was going to come next. Just like watching a movie, I worked from scene to scene, not knowing what’s going to come next.
I was in for a few big surprises; I call them forks in major decision-making in the plot. I took advice from veteran Wrimos like author Jean Davis: do something or kill somebody, she advised in a special podcast panel.
Then, came times, when I thought I couldn’t go on physically; my entire being was hurting. I remember in a podcast, the host asked me: “Does writing hurt physically? Can you feel it?”
Yes, I could feel it, but I also felt accomplishment and movement forward, because I had no time to stagnate in murky waters. At one point, I realized I would have to log in more than the required 1,667-word quota, because of the upcoming holiday, and author’s events like Christmas Through Lowell which ran for three full days.
From my previous NaNos, I knew I would have to be fit also physically. I started walking on Oct. 11. I first walked on the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail, then to the Franciscan Life Process Center, and finally, as the weather got worse, I switched to the treadmill upstairs.
To this day, I believe if I hadn’t been physically fit, I wouldn’t have finished the challenge. I reached the 50k summit on Nov. 19th in the morning. I continued to write inspired by my NaNo buddies authors Andrew Allen Smith, Diana Plopa, and Marianne Wieland.
On the final day of the challenge, which is today, I logged in a total of 62,288 words, which puts me at 80 percent completion of my new book “Shifting Sands: A Lost Town.”
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along this journey including my author buddies, my family, and my fans. I celebrated NaNo today with a haircut, chocolates, music “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and a ride to Murray Lake.
It’s the simple things that count on a writing journey to publishing a new book. To me, it boils down to logging in daily word count, enjoying the journey, sharing insights, and offering support to others.
I was delighted to host podcast episodes of “For the Love of Books Podcast” during NaNoWriMo; it lifted my spirit, and hopefully, it helped others as well.
So take a listen to the following NaNo expert authors wherever you get your podcasts: Jean Davis, Sara DeBord, Kate Meyer, Melanie Hooyenga, Amy Klco.
Twin Flames Under the Moon is an adult romance novel centered on Selene and Adan, two souls connected from childhood whose lives are shaped by duty, service, and responsibility.
Sponsored by authors Kiril Kristoff, Jennifer Montiel, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.
As they pursue careers in law enforcement and the military, their bond is tested by time, distance, and the choices they make. The story explores love restrained by duty and the emotional cost of choosing service over personal desire.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed-copy of Twin Flames Under the Moon.
Copyright (c) 2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
I finished the NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge in November this morning at 6:38 am right before the start of Christmas Through Lowell. This was my third time participating. I can’t say that the novel writing challenge gets any easier with more experience or with more books published. However, I better understand my inner workings as a writer and an author. I know what is my most productive time, and how many words I need to log in per day, (2, 675) and how to push through a writing block.
Each year, I learn something new. This year, it was the buddy system and that it actually works.
When I saw the daily word log ins by buddies and fellow authors Andrew Smith, Diana Plopa, Marianne Wieland, Brenda Hasse and Jean Davis, I just had to keep up with them.
Near the summit, more insights other than metrics came in, and I will be posting quotes.
. Copyright (c) 2021. Emma Blogs LLC. All rights reserved.
Today is the first day of the @NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge.
Listen in to expert NaNo authors Jean Davis, Sara Shanning, and Kristine Brickey who
Today is the first day of the NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge.
share their insights from their experiences in conquering the word marathon./ppAccording to all the panel participants whether you hit a writers’ block, crossroads in the plot, or the midway slump, you just keep on rolling./pp’Just keep on writing,’ Davis said./pp /p
Upcoming NaNo authors are Melanie Hooyenga, Amy Klco and Kate Meyer in November. Subcribe to the “For the Love of Books Podcast,” don’t miss out on a single episode.
With the National Novel Writing Month better known as NaNoWriMo just around the corner, expert NaNo authors Jean Davis, Sara Shanning and Kristine Brickey offer tips on how to win the 50k word challenge in November.
Whether you hit a writer’s block, crossroads in the plot or the midway slump, just keep on rolling.
“Just keep on writing,” Davis said.
Not only do you keep on writing no matter what, you will also need writing and accountability buddies to keep you on track.
The average word quota per day to win the challenge is 1,667 words a day. However, because unpredictable things happen, you should bank words when they are flowing.
“I try to work ahead,” said Colleen Nye, an author, and co-producer of “For the Love of Books Podcast.”
All authors have multiple years of NaNo experience with books published based on their participation in the challenge.
Listen in also on major podcasting apps, because you too can become a published author.
Copyright (c) 2021. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Listen in to the following authors on major podcasting apps through the end of October for a chance to win your next favorite read.
These independent authors are as diverse as the plants on the earth and the stars in heavens. They are bold as they navigate the treacherous waters of self-publishing.
They will inspire you and motivate you as we approach the National Novel Writing Month known as NaNoWriMo in November. NaNoWriMo is a 50K word marathon with an average of writing speed of 1,667 words per day.
Start training now by clicking the following link.
This is my third year participating in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWri Mo). I entered with the third book in the Shifting Sands Short Stories series- Steel Jewels.
I only logged in 506 words with a short story “Gates of Heaven” inspired by a visit to the former Nazareth College in Kalamazoo. Taking into consideration that it’s a Sunday and that I have a long week of writing behind me, I think that’s a good start.
On the fifth Sunday of Lent, I watched the mass broadcast on TV from the empty St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Grand Rapids due to the Coronavirus quarantine.
Televised mass without an audience from St. Andrew’s Cathedral Cathedral in Grand Rapids.
I do my daily Lenten readings from The Little Black Book 6-minute meditations and in shock I came across this reading for March 28, that I somehow missed.
The bubonic plague in Oberammergau
When an outbreak of the bubonic plague began to spread in the 17th century, the people of Oberammergau prayed to be spared. They vowed that the whole community would, every 10 years, stage a massive production presenting the story of Christ’s death and resurrection to the world. The town was spared from the plague, and the tradition of the Oberammergau Passion Play was born. It’s first performance was in 1634.
The Passion Play is scheduled for this year from May 16 to Oct. 4. It is performed on an open stage with seating for nearly 5,000 spectators. Members of the 1,700 cast must be Oberammergau natives, or have lived there for 10 years. The play lasts a whole day, with a three-hour break for lunch. The play is performed five times a week for several months.
But, on Thursday, the organizers of the play- which has a cast of some 2,500 and can feature 900 people on stage at once- announced they were canceling this years edition, because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The first of the 103 daylong performances had been scheduled for May 16.
Historically, the human kind has been plagued by diseases from the bubonic plague, tuberculosis, Spanish influenza to Coronavirus, to name just a few.
The least we can do is to quarantine ourselves to protect others from the spread of the virus.
Tips:
Learn something new. It’s Sunday, cook up a storm.
authoremmapalova 