Weekly Writing Update

 

So, I’ve been keeping up extremely well with my writing for this week! And I finally took a little picture of my calendar as well!

So. Here are the two methods that I use to keep myself on track and motivated! My desk calendar is – of course – on my desk! For the calendar, I can specifically write down which stories I work on, and where my words came from. It’s a bit of a mess, and I’m looking to keep it more organized for next month, but I’m still really happy with it.

As far as my words go, I’m already up past 58k, and quickly zooming towards 60,000. I’m just really pleased with how well my writing has been going. Even with some of the emotional issues that I’ve been having, it’s still really successful. Sometimes I end up getting my words at 2am when I can’t sleep…

But words are words are words!

I’ve also started posting my daily writing prompts, like I want to. The responses to those will go up either here, or on my patreon! So please, feel free to click a link to that at the bottom of this post! Also, I want to start featuring other forms of art on here, probably on Sunday or Monday? Poets, artists, photographers, sewing, etc. Anything that is an outlet for creativity. We are all one big community of people trying to get noticed – it starts by us helping one another! So if you have someone to recommend, or want to be featured yourself, let me know!!!!

 

Until next time, guys! Keep up the creativity!
Author Amanda McCormick

Twitter | Patreon | NaNo Page

Starting The New Year! Write, Right?!

So, I’m really pleased with my writing regimen so far. I’ve been consistently pumping out words since November, but my plan for 2016 was to write a minimum of 1,000 words a day. It’s been Friday to Friday, and I’m really pleased to give you guys a report on how I’m doing.

So, for anyone who is confused – this is my little spreadsheet that Gau made for me! Basically, I can input my words and keep track of how I’m doing/how much I have left to do. I’ve been working on this in tandem with a desk calendar (which I do not currently have a photo of).

On the desk calendar, I’m writing down what projects I work on that day, and how much I’ve written on them! I’ll have a picture of it next week so that you can all see… but all and all, I’ve surpassed 1k every day, and usually soar easily over 2k. I still have some writing to do today… but it’s been such a pleasing, liberating experience. I can tell the difference in my stress levels just from writing. I’m still doing some fanfiction, but I’m also starting to process through finishing Limbo (my NaNo novel from 2014), while editing my Novel from 2016. I am hoping to incorporate fixed editing dates into my calendar as well… but I’m taking it one step at a time!

I should be able to start blogging more frequently soon. I’ve just been lost in writing (and being ill x.x) this week, so I haven’t been on much! But I’m glad to be doing my update! My best advice to you all is this – keep track of what you’re doing. Keep track of how much you write. Keep track of what you’re working on! It really does help. Having that physically written down so that you can see your accomplishments is a wonderful thing!

 

Thank you all so much, and I’ll see you next post! Until then, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

Twitter | Patreon | NaNo Page

 

Confessions of a Writer Tag!

I was tagged by Sidereal Day in the Confessions of a Writer tag started by Nicolette! It’s always fun to get pulled into a tag, so I can’t wait to see what the people that I tag think!

The Confessions of a Writer Tag was created by Nicolette at A Little Bookish, A Little Writerly. It is a ‘get-to-know’ the writer interview tag, dedicated to spotlighting the creative process, works in progress, and connecting to other writers.

Rules of the Tag:

• Please link back to A Little Bookish, A Little Writerly’s post, so that the original rules are always accessible to anyone who is curious and wants to participate!
• Acknowledge the person who tagged you in your post.
• Tag your friends and fellow writers – it’s up to you how many!

The Questions:

1. When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to be?
   I started writing in sixth grade. I did a paper and realized how fun it was… and then immediately penned my first novel into two composition notebooks. As soon as I realized how passionate I was about writing, I knew that was what I wanted to be.
2. What genre do you write?
   It depends, really. I have written fantasy and paranormal/paranormal romance the most.
3. Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?
   I guess that my current work in progress are my two NaNo projects? I have one novel called Angel Blade, which is about a young man who finds out that his half demon lineage is all that stands between the world and the apocalypse. The other (ambitious, aren’t I?) is called RipTide, and it’s about a genetically altering drug… and mermaids.
4. What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?
   A story for sixth grade called “Things That Go Moo In The Night.” True facts.
5. What’s the best part about writing?
   The sense of accomplishment that you feel when you finish. Either that, or the sense of peace that it brings me when I get so sucked into my created world that for a moment I forget about my own.
6. What’s the worst part about writing?
   Editing. … editing, editing, editing.
7. What’s the name of your favorite character and why? (This can be from a book by another author or from your own work. Book crushes are perfectly acceptable here as well.)
   Julian from the L.J. Smith series. He’s one of the first characters that I ever fell in love with. I told myself that I wanted to write a character who could make someone else feel that way.
8. How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?
   Lately, I’ve been doing daily writing prompts on my blog. I usually get to write at least once a day, though writing at night when everyone else is asleep is the best for me. It’s the hush of the fan and the stars watching.
9. Did you go to college for writing? Or if you haven’t been to college yet, do you plan to?
   I took some creative writing classes in college. It’s what I was going to college for (partially) until I moved from California to Kentucky.
10. What bothers you more: spelling errors, punctuation errors, or grammar errors?
    It’s a mixture of them all, if used in tandem. I think if it’s commas or something like that, they bother me the least. Probably mixing up then and than – their, they’re, there, etc.
11. What is the best writing advice that anyone has given you?
    Don’t write passive. Write like you mean it.
12. What advice would you give to another writer?
    Keep writing. Even when it’s hard. Even when you want to give up. Even when you feel like you can’t do it anymore. Keep going, because you’re going to make something amazing.
13. What are your favorite writing sites or blogs that you turn to for help, tips or encouragement?
    The NaNoWriMo forums, and just wordpress, actually. Stephen King did an awesome On Writing novel. Katytastic from youtube.
14. Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?
    I play a lot of video games. MMOs, Bioshock type stuff, Borderlands… Zelda… anything really. I do tabletops, I read a lot. I love my animals ❤
15. What is the best book you’ve read this year?
    Really, just one? Hmmm…. probably the Splintered series. I really enjoyed that.
16. What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?
    Boy Meets Girl
17. What is your favorite book or series of all time?
    The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith xD
18. Who is your favorite author?
    >_> L.J. Smith
19. What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?
    I want to finish my two novels during NaNo, then finish my other mostly finished novel Limbo… and then pick one to edit and try to query.
20. Where else can we find you online?
    You can find me on Twitter @EgoDominusTuus and on Patreon under the name AmandaMcCormick

And now for the people I’m tagging… I mostly follow book review blogs, so I really don’t have that many people to tag:

Gau, Fallon, Tricia and Neppy… and everyone else in my writing room!

If I didn’t tag you and you want to participate, leave your link in the comments, please!

NaNoWriMo Day 12! 25k Down! 25k to go!

So, we’re 1/3 of the way (and some change) through NaNoWriMo! How is everyone feeling. I know that the week two blues probably set in for some of us, and I wanted to write this blog to let everyone know that it’s OKAY.

Even if you’re behind, it’s OKAY.

Even if you only have a few thousand words, it’s OKAY.

Even if you end up not hitting 50k, but still get your story started… it’s OKAY.

The simple fact of the matter is, sitting down and putting words to paper, putting YOUR story that no one else could ever put down out there? Well, that’s a pretty big accomplishment to me.

I have some friends who end up finishing NaNo out with 20,000 words, and feeling like a failure. Honestly though, I want you to sit down and think about it… who has the determination to sit down and bleed on paper for those 20,000 words? As writers, we tell the stories, we make up the words… we give people fuel for dreams. Don’t be ashamed if you couldn’t crank out a pre-determined amount of words in a month. Be PROUD that you are a writer.

And don’t feel like you can’t get caught up. All it takes is one good day of inspiration to suddenly find yourself with 5,000 words, 10,000 words. Even more. No matter, what just remember… you’re amazing, and no on else on this planet can do what you’re doing right now.

Not with your words. Not with your story. You are unique.

If anyone feels down about NaNo, needs a pep talk, or just needs a friend, tweet me on twitter @egodominustuus !

Until next time, guys! Keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick