My best Nanowrimo yet, and I'm Busier than Ever!

Hey, everyone, just checking in  to see how everyone's doing this month -- anyone out there finishing a term at school? Getting a new job? Moving? Starting Christmas shopping?

This November, as I've mentioned in my last post, I'm doing National Novel Writing Month, trying (for the third time) to write a 50,000 word novel during November. Incidentally, I've also picked up a new job that has me on call 24/7 and my etsy shop is getting ready for the Christmas rush. I don't think I've ever been busier, even when I was finishing my degree.

The amazing thing is -- and trust me, it's amazing because I'm normally so bad at time management --  so far, I am actually caught up to my word count, more or less, making this my most successful Nanowrimo  yet! There's something about having no time to yourself during the day that really forces you (me, at least) to make the time. I've been waking up earlier, telling my friends and boyfriend that I can't hang out because I need to write, making sure I write at least enough to be on "par" for the day, and making myself continue writing because I don't know when I'll get the chance to do it again.

TLDR version -- being so busy that I don't have time for anything forces me to make time. I might actually do it this year, yay!

See you!

NaNoWriMo Yet again!

Well it looks like I'm kicking off 2014's NaNoWriMo with a new job! Yay? My position is temporary, lasting only this month, which is good news for my wallet (just before Christmas), but bad news for my writing. Without getting into too much detail, this job is pretty high-stress -- not exactly the kind of job where I can call it a day at 5pm and take off.

Even so, I'm feeling optimistic. One of the main purposes for Nano is to learn how to write while busy. My plans for Nano this month are to finally get to work on a fantasy concept I've had floating around my head for years. After two years of not succeeding at finishing a novel for Nano, here are some things I'm changing this year to make it easier:

-- I have notes. I'm not sure if it's considered "cheating" or not, but since this concept has been in my head forever, the notes were inevitable. Now that I have them, I'm clutching them to my chest this month. I think they'll keep me focused.

-- I'll be keeping my notebook will all these notes close at hand. I find it best to remember things and be organized and productive if I have the chance to physically write things down. Call me old-fashioned, but smart phone note-taking doesn't cut it for me. I've tried.

-- I have to budget my time. I was great at it the first year but much worse the second year. This time, since I'll be busy with work, I'll have to do such horrid things as wake up early -- yeesh -- to write.

Good luck to all the writers trying NaNoWriMo this year!

My Ottawa

This week has been, well, all kinds of things. Stressful. Sad. Touching. Maddening. Confusing. Having just moved to Ottawa about a month ago, it's strange to say that I've already grown attached to this place, but I have.

Ottawa is my first shot at living in a big city and I must say -- I love the bustle, convenience and diversity of life! I can walk to coffee shops, watch buskers, shop for ANYTHING.

It also feels significantly more Canadian than any other place in Canada I've been. It makes sense though, I pass by parliament almost every day, there are provincial flags waving all along Elgin Street, and there's political talk everywhere. One shop I passed by when I first came here promoted something to the tune of: Left or Right, we can all agree on lunch!

Sure I have my own views and opinions on the shooting that happened on Wednesday, and the aftermath that followed, but I'm not here to shove them down anyone's throat. I'm here to share My Ottawa, like so many others, in support of showing the world that Canada is still a beautiful, safe country, and that we're together in this. We're all human.

The first picture is from the memorial. Droves of people went to pay respects. The second is my #MyOttawa pic, a small park near (I think) West Block. Ottawa is quite pretty in the fall :)

Chasing Deadlines

I believe I've mentioned in past posts how much of a love-hate relationship I have with deadlines. To get started as a writer I've noticed how imperative it is that I take it upon myself to hunt down, tackle, and meet deadlines.

I need places -- journals, magazines, websites -- to send my work, and more often than not these places have guidelines, rules, and dreaded deadlines to adhere to. Generally, I have school to thank for training me up to meet deadlines, but the rest -- finding and dedicating myself to them is all a test for my self-discipline. Something that tends to get quite rusty.

These are the submissions I'm working on for the end of October. All of these deadlines are in November, but of course November's when NaNoWriMo begins. The goal is to get it all done beforehand. (You got this, Sarah's self-discipline!)

--LEAP books Beware the Little White Rabbit submission
--CBC Canada Writes Short Story Prize
--NFLD Arts and Letters Competition

That's all for now! See you.

Another Move

After a long year being beaten by snow and blackouts and wind and retail in Newfoundland, I've finally made another move -- to Ottawa!

Before the move I had been told A: that Ottawa is a beautiful, safe city and B: that it's the city where "fun goes to die". While it might be true that things tend to shut down earlier than what I'm used to, and there's no street like George Street in St. John's where there's club after bar after pub lining the sidewalks, Ottawa is a beautiful city, and there's plenty going on here.

For instance, there's a Writer's Festival going on this month! (info here: http://www.writersfestival.org/)  Because of such pesky things as jobs and responsibilities, I won't be able to see much of what I'm interested in, but if I do happen to get out, I'll let you know all about it.

See you!

NaNoWriMo! (or as some call it, Impending Doom)

In all fairness, I shouldn't call it "doom", I just have a love-hate relationship with deadlines. I pretend they're far further off than they are... they stress the hell out of me... but in the end, I need them. As if there's a lasso pulling my foot and my productivity towards completion.

Which is why I need National Novel Writing Month. I really do love to write, it has always been my dream to publish books. If not for deadlines I get complacent with the idea that I really can finish any time, I don't need to look at that project, or those notes now. So, thanks to Nano, I will write a novel this November. (I Will, I will...)

If any of you crazy awesome people are doing this as well, let me know! I'd love to hear your ideas, and once November starts, your progress.




Woo!

Living is Hard.

I believe I mentioned at some point in the past that I wanted to update my blog once a week. What happened? Not that.

Unfortunately, but fortunately at the same time, life happened -- and life keeps happening. While I'm very grateful to be busy making life happen one step at a time, and celebrating others on their life happenings as well, I've decided that I need to manage my time better to fit in the things I really want to do!

I'd love to start selling jewelry again, National Novel Writing Month is just around the corner, and of course, my blog is always here, getting lonely without me!

The new-and-improved organized me* will be back, I promise!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, a rabbit fleeing a dangerous swamp-monster. The rabbit thinks living is hard too.

*Note, the "new-and-improved organized" model Sarah has been under construction for many years. No word yet on the possible release date.