Tag: writing

Monthly Writing Challenges

valmanwillLeave a comment

Several months ago I had this funny epiphany… I really like writing challenges. Challenges are really effective for me for some reason. Things like National Novel Writing Month and when I did weeklong goals for the new year. I don’t know if it’s because of the natural deadline that comes with it or it’s a good burst of dopamine when I win. I’m not a competitive person AT ALL. But I guess with myself I am? I don’t know.

So I thought, hey. I really should use this to further my writing. Just as an extra motivation. And I also noticed that month long challenges were really the most beneficial to myself. It’s a long enough time to get a serious amount done, but not so long that I get bored and want to give up.

And that’s how I came up with an annual schedule that I’m really REALLY excited about! I started piloting it last year and so far it’s going really well! Here are my challenges for each month, if you’re looking for motivation for yourself as well!

JANUARY – “Januwrimo” or “NaNoFinMo”

Kind of funny to start with the end, but I think it’s important. During the traditional NaNo, 50k typically doesn’t finish a standard novel, which is more around 80k. So, I would love to go ahead and do that after the holidays. Kick off the year with a 30k challenge and a finished draft. Um, yes please!

FEBRUARY – “Flash February”

It’s a short month for some short fiction! I have a bunch of short stories floating around in my mind and this is a perfect time to get those out. I could either chose to do something similar to The Ray Bradbury challenge (write one short story a week) or I could opt to comprise poems or flash fiction as well.

MARCH – “Spring Edit Blitz”  

Rather than a word goal, this could be a time goal, or a “to-do list of goals” centralized SOLELY on editing. This could be re-working an outline, writing a second or third draft, line edits. Anything.

APRIL & MAY – “Camp NaNoWriMo” / “NaNoSloMo”

“NaNoSloMo” is a challenge that I invented. It’s basically taking the traditional NaNo challenge, but instead of 50k in a single month, you give yourself two months to finish 50k. (25,000 words per month). As I mentioned earlier, I know the one-month challenge is very effective for me because I don’t get “bored” knowing that I change goals at the end of the month. So even though I like the idea of NaNoSloMo, I’m nervous to see how it might go for me this year.  

JUNE – “Summer Break”

In June, I take a break off of writing and focus solely on reading.

JULY – NaNoFreeMo

I’ve been doing this for a few years now and I love it. Every July for Camp NaNo I do a NaNoFreeMo (another NaNo challenge I made up). I set an achievable but challenging word goal (usually 20-40k) BUT I can write whatever I want. There are no rules. I can journal. I can write random scenes from projects that I haven’t even started. I can write ‘bla, bla, bla, bla’ a hundred times if I want to. It’s a total free for all based on how I happen to feel that day. No thinking of publishing, readers, industry trends, NONE OF IT. No one ever has to read what you write during NaNoFreeMo. I can write whatever thing I want to during July. And it’s so great.

AUGUST – “Summer Edit Blitz”

Back to the grind. Same as the spring edit blitz. Trying to get things ready for the following month.

SEPTEMBER – “Sendtember”

This is the month where I start submitting things. Usually, it’s a good month for agents and such as they’re also coming back from their summer breaks. I don’t have to send to lit agents though. I can send short stories or articles WHATEVER. But I must send something. Or as much as I have ready during the month of September.

OCTOBER – “Preptober”

Prepping for NaNo, obviously. But doesn’t have to be that exclusively. I think it would be really great to have a few outlines prepared for the following year if possible. And if that’s not really possible, I also feel like this is a good time to prep for Holidays as well as writing.

NOVEMBER – “NaNoWriMo”

National Novel Writing Month. 50k words in the month of November. I highly recommend this if you are just now stumbling onto monthly challenges or are looking for a way to further your book. It’s just a whole lot of fun!

DECEMBER – “Winter Break”

I’ve worked hard all year. It’s time for another writing break (with reading assignments).

When I had all the challenges written out, I sat back, looked at it and… felt GREAT. Like if a boss had handed me this annual work schedule, I would feel that boss was being very reasonable and kind but also productive. I was my best own boss!

If you end up trying any of these or have any other tips and ideas for months, please leave a comment as I would be really curious to see what other authors do as well!

I Asked AI to Give Me a Writing Routine as a STAHM

valmanwillLeave a comment

One of my very favorite author tubers is Kate Cavanaugh because she always tries the most interesting writing challenges. And the one that I watched recently was where she asked AI to give her a “crazy” writing routine. Which it definitely delivered. It told her to get up at three or something and eat a handful of chocolate chips for breakfast hahaha.

So I was certainly curious about this. Obviously, I wasn’t going to try to ask it for “something crazy” like Kate did. I am a stay at home mom with three kids. Ages 6, 4 and 1. So when it comes to writing routines… I have to have a regular babysitter or else there just is no routine at all. And that was something that Kate doesn’t have to work around, so I thought I would ask the all-knowing AI and see what kind of advice it would give to a stay at home writer person such as myself.

Basically what Chat GPT came back with was a writing routine where you do thirty minute sessions throughout the day in between caring for your kids. One before they wake up, a mid morning session while they “play quietly”, an afternoon session while they nap or have “quiet time” and an evening session after your kids go to bed.

Seems feasible, but at the same time they’re little kids. Nothing is feasible hahaha.

At the end of the writing routine, the AI told me to be flexible and it’s okay to adjust as necessary. I responded back a thank you and also asked it to please remember me if it ever takes over the world. To which it said this:

Concerning. That little wink. Is that a threat? I can’t tell.

So the next day I set an alarm for an hour earlier than my kids usually get up and got to work. And of course, my four-year-old woke up an hour earlier than he usually wakes up. (How did he know?) I wrote anyway and was okay productive. I did have to stop once or twice because my son asked me to open his yellow popsicle at 6:30 in the morning.

Gosh I hope he naps today.

Mid Morning session turned out to be later than I thought but worked fine. I settled my four year old with Blippi on my phone and gave the baby her favorite puffs in her high chair. I had only gotten a couple of minutes in when my son wanted to play “ghost” with me, so I had to get him a sticker book to entertain him. Then I found myself immediately texting my husband about work and dang. The morning session sure was easier. Sad for me because I don’t like getting up early. But also had I followed Chat GPT’s advice and done a mid-morning session while my baby was asleep instead of almost falling asleep myself I would have been more productive altogether. Oh well. Plan for exhaustion if you’re a parent. Just pencil it into your schedule.

Afternoon session I opted to try to squeeze in while waiting to pick up my son from school. I usually get in the pick up line super early so I thought it would be a nice natural break to try it out. I also slowly drove around the neighborhood so the four year old who woke up ridiculously early would pass out. He did. But then the baby was complaining of course. I brought extra toys. All of which were really loud, so that was dumb of me. I wrote as best as I could in the awkward, hot car. It was okay. So far I had a total of 1400 words by the time I had done the three half hour sessions, so honestly that wasn’t too bad!

During the evening session I put up this blog post. So you’re welcome haha.

My Novella Is Now Out and I am TERRIFIED

valmanwillLeave a comment

Hello! Seventeen Trips Around the Sun is out on Amazon and that is CRAZY to me! It’s been such an intense experience putting myself out there and needless to say, I’m incredibly nervous to see what everyone is going to think of this silly thing I created. (And how many readers are going to notice that I accidentally wrote “The Weekend” instead of “The Weeknd”.)

This book is a project that I worked on a long time ago. I wrote most of it when I was pregnant with my second. So, there is a definite insecurity knowing that I’m putting something out that’s five years behind my current writing level and style. But I hope you guys like it! At the very least I hope it makes you guys laugh.