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

 

Your Writing Area Is Your Best Friend (NaNo Tip #4)

So, I know that I’ve preached this particular lesson a million times… but with it coming up on NaNo, I’m gonna preach it once more. One of the most important things that you can do to help yourself get ready is to make sure that your writing space is in order. The last thing that you want is to find yourself with a disorganized area to write… you’ll spend the first day working out the clutter, and you won’t get that jump start on NaNo that you need to get.

That’s not what you want in life. You want to sit down to a freshly cleaned, decorated, organized, candy-stocked (yes, oh yes) writing area. This is going to get you into the place that you mentally need to be in. Trust me, if you have a place that you can go to that you dedicate solely to writing, it’s going to help you out. When you sit there, you will be in your writing mind frame. The important thing to this, though, is to make sure that you only use this area for creativity. More than that, once you sit down… do not get up, don’t browse the internet, don’t twitter or blog or anything… until you’ve gotten your word count for the day.

If you sit and focus, you’re going to turn this writing space into a real haven. It’s going to be where you go to meet your muse for sweet little rendezvous in the night when you can’t sleep. This is your sanctuary… treat it like it is. Here are a few things I do to spruce up my writing space:

• Get a calendar that you can reuse. I have an erase-able calendar, and during NaNo I write my word goals on there. Seeing it checked off helps a lot.
• Make sure all of the clutter and distractions are cleared away. No game systems and no trash.
• Stock your area with notebooks, pens, paper, and anything else that you need for your creative process. You don’t want to have to go on a run for it, after all.
• Have drinks/snacks on hand. I have a little shelf for them. When I’m in my zone, I don’t have to get up. I don’t have to do anything but go go go.
• Decorate it with inspirational quotes, or a picture… something motivational. Anything to let you know that you’re in your safe writing place. Make it aesthetically pleasing to you.

Those are just a few tips, and I’m sure that you guys have a lot more! I’d love to hear them! Either way, make sure you’re ready for NaNo!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

Twitter | Patreon | NaNo Page

Horror Writing Prompt #10 – The Lottery

I had a lot of fun writing this prompt. The list that I provided was so large that I actually wasn’t sure which one I was going to pick, so I did it at random. I can’t wait to see what you guys have done! NaNo is getting so close… are you ready?

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In order to avoid a blizzard, the mayor of a small town has to sacrifice to the Snow Demons

The excitement in the town was palpable. Every year at the end of fall, it was like a fever hit Haven. People knew that the lottery was soon to take place, and they were anxious for their turn at a rich, new lifestyle that would take them away from their simple town. A family was selected annually to receive the prize of a lifetime—residence in the hills, and enough money to make sure that they would never have to work again. For a small town full of citizens who were used to hard labor, it was truly the dream of a lifetime. Assuring that your children and their children would never have to work again?

People clamored for the chance to enter in their names as many times as possible. Tickets were earned based on how many hours were worked collectively in a family. Though wages were low, the mayor more than made up for it with the opportunity to escape hardships and live a life of peace and riches.

Everyone in the town was gathered in the community hall, families holding hands and silently praying that this would be their chance at a new life. The container with all of the entries was taken out and the silence in the room was so thick that the sound of paper rustling nearly echoed in the hall.

“And the winner of this years lottery is…” The mayors bright blue eyes looked down at the paper with no emotion, “The Carlson family.”

There was many sounds of lament, but they were drowned out by a mother screaming in joy. Her husband had died – she was unable to care for her children and labor away with the physical tasks assigned to her. This was a dream come true.

There was no great ceremony – no banquet. The families that hadn’t been selected were given free rations for the day and the Carlson family was quickly ushered into a carriage waiting for them outside. Lana Carlson held the hand of her fourteen year old daughter tight, and felt her sons hand on her shoulder.

“My darlings, our life is going to change. I love you.” The carriage door closed and they felt the movement of horses pulling them along the trail that a hundred families before them had been down.

The ride wasn’t a long one. Thirty minutes later, the carriage came to a stop. The door was opened and the chill of the bitter mountain air stole Lana’s breath away. The mayor stood by the carriage steps, ushering the family to exit. Lana beamed at him, and for a moment there was a flash of guilt in his eyes as he stepped into the carriage in her place.

“Welcome to your new life. I want you to know that you’re saving the town. The blizzard isn’t something we can survive.” Lana’s eyes widened, but the door closed and the carriage took off before she could ask a question. She turned – there were no homes here. They were on the edge of the great black forest that none dared enter. There were tales of a monster who lived here… a monster whose very breath felt like the harshest of winters. A vicious growl came from the darkness of the woods, and she heard a cry spill from her daughters throat.

–

The screams were dulled by the closed door of the carriage, but the mayor could hear them nonetheless. He pulled a flask from his coat pocket and took a deep drink. The alcohol stung his throat, but it numbed the guilt in his heart. His father before him had told him of the task that he would have to perform. The demon had grips on the city, and there was no other way to placate it. Once a year, it demanded a feast, or the city would be consumed by an endless winter.

Once a year, it demanded a family to consume, body and soul. The lottery promised a better life, but it only bought a year of safety for the rest of the village.

The mayor took another long drink from his flask, trying to drown out the sound of a mother’s screams of pure terror and horror as she and her children became sheep for the slaughter… the demon was hungry.

–

That was a lot of fun, and I’m getting into such a horror mindset. Tomorrow’s prompt is coming soon! I hope you’re ready!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

My Patreon | My Twitter

October Horror Writing Prompt – Prompt #9

I’m going to give some more options for the prompt today! I like having a little variety! Please pick anything from THIS LIST to use as your writing prompts! I love doing this, and I’m so excited to see what you guys come up with. I’ll be posting another blog about NaNo, and then my writing prompt for today! I will see you all then!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

October Horror Writing – Prompt # 4

I’m super excited about the response to these prompts so far. Prompt number four comes a little late in the day (but aren’t so many writers nocturnal anyway?). I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with! NaNo Relaunches soon. Who is ready? Gyah, I feel ready!

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“Their hypnotic songs turned men into slaves.”

October Horror Prompt, Day 3 – These Things

So, this particular prompt really sparked my imagination… to the point that this little snippet might turn into a full blown short story or even a novel. Maybe this will be my NaNoWriMo idea, who knows! I hope you guys enjoy, and I can’t wait to see what you came up with!

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These Things

These are the things I no longer wish to understand: my real father is not of this world, and I am part of a scheme for the actual Armageddon. My mother waited until she was on her death bed to tell me this… and she waited until she was on her death bed to tell me why she was dying.

When one makes a pact with a demon to have a child, there are prices and consequences. Her life was forfeit on the day of my eighteenth birthday – her life to give me mine. Her life to fuel the powers that are now coursing through my body. It was the strangest thing. I saw the light fade out of her eyes in a very literal fashion, and as it did so it pooled from her body and spilled into mine. It felt for a moment as though my veins were on fire, and my heart was going to thunder out of my chest. The pain felt like a living, breathing thing trying to crawl its way out of my chest. It erupted from my lips in an unearthly scream – my body fell forward and all of that pain spilled out of my palms in a white hot streak of agony.

The bed caught fire.

The flames were not of this world. They burned black, and hotter than anything I’d ever felt before. My palms felt like the flesh was melting away, but they didn’t burn. I stumbled back, watching those flames envelop my mother’s body. In a burst of acrid air, she caught fire and burned away within seconds. I stumbled forward, crying out… but by the time my hands reached out to touch her, she was gone. In her place was a black glassine stone. It was hot to the touch when I picked it up… but I couldn’t just leave it there. It was all that I had left of her.

These are the things I no longer wish to understand. The dark and burning power inside of me is meant to set the world ablaze, and if the demon who is my father ever finds me, he will do everything within his power to make sure that I serve my purpose. I am on the run from the very shadows themselves…

These are the things I no longer wish to understand.

–

I hope you enjoyed, and until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

October Writing Prompt, Day 1 – The Photo

I’ve chosen to do prompt #20 for my prompt! “There was a picture in my phone of me sleeping. I live alone.” I’m excited to start this (even though it’s getting posted very late in the day for today. I’ve been out all night.) The fresh prompt for day 2 will be posted within the next little bit as well (sometime when there is light outside.)

–

There was a picture in my phone of me sleeping. It wouldn’t usually be such a problem… but I live alone, and this is a brand new phone. I only noticed that it was there because it was set as my background.

For a few moments, I simply stared at my phone, wondering if I’d somehow managed to take the picture of myself… but there was no way. My hands were tucked under the pillow, and the photo was taken by someone who was standing over me. I could feel goosebumps rising on my skin the longer I looked at the snapshot. What should have been an innocent photo of me in my tanktop and shorts was suddenly ominous. I felt so… violated.

A sudden buzz caused me to scream. The ringing on my phone was accompanied by another shot of me sleeping, this time with a grimy hand stroking my hair out of my face. I didn’t want to pick it up. I didn’t want to answer. It was almost as though something forced me to put the cell to my ear and press the button. I couldn’t force myself to say ‘hello’. Instead, I sat silently on the line; my lungs were too tight with fear and anxiety to even allow me to take in a breath. The heavy breathing that I heard in my hear wasn’t an echo of my own.

“I hope you like your picture, Sadie. I always wanted to be a photographer. You’re just so pretty when you sleep.” Laughter spilled out of the speaker and I flung the phone away from me as hard as I could, watching the hundreds of dollars that I had just spent shatter in plastic and buttons. I didn’t care. I didn’t want the phone. I didn’t even want my apartment anymore at the moment. I couldn’t stop myself from pushing out of my bed and grabbing my purse.

I locked the apartment behind me and let out a small whimper of fear. I needed to go to the police. I couldn’t really call them since I’d ruined my phone. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if they would believe me since I’d shattered the evidence…

“Oh, fuck…” I wasn’t even sure if going was the best idea, but I knew that it was my only option. I had to see if they would believe me.

The darkness of the parking garage attached to my apartment was one of the most frightening things I’d ever experienced. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up, and every shadow seemed to dance with malicious intent. It was only as I pulled my keys from my purse and unlocked the door of my car that I heard a ringtone.

It was the same ringtone that I’d heard from my mysterious caller only a few moments ago. There was a flash of light and the sound of a camera clicking. I could see a shadow in the window of my car, but I didn’t get the chance to turn around. A voice spoke.

“Hello, Sadie…” A hand on the back of my neck sent my head slamming forward into the window of my car… and with a sick crack of glass and a burst of pain, the world faded to black.

—

There we go. That’s literally unedited, uninhibited writing. I want to do these prompts in a way that they’re fresh and just a stream of thought to get me ready for NaNoWriMo. I might go back after November and edit my favorites up! Who knows!

I can’t wait to see what you all have written! Post or link in the comments below!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

-Author Amanda McCormick

A Thought for October

I had a fun thought for October, and I certainly wouldn’t mind for people to join in with me! I want to do 31 Days of Horror Writing Prompts! That’s right, the supernatural, the scary, the all and all creepy… I want to do writing prompts for those things! In preparation for NaNoWriMo (Ah, November is so close), I thought it would be a good idea to get my writing schedule back on track. Doing a daily prompt with such a fun theme will be the perfect day to do it!

So! Let me know if you want to join in! I’ll post the prompt early in the morning and my response later that night! Either way, I can’t wait to hear your responses!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick

And This Years NaNoWriMo Inspiration Is….

(Guys, I removed the pictures – honestly, I’m just not comfortable having that many photos up without the source. Go look up mermaids on Deviant art <3)

Mermaids! Oh my Goodness… who is excited about National Novel Writing Month? I certainly am! I struggled for the past few months trying to decide what I wanted to do. I had the option of continuing some old projects, or starting something completely new. In the end, I realized that NaNoWriMo is all about a fresh project for me (not to say that it’s bad if you’re finishing something of yours! You do whatever works for you!) But the prospect of starting from the beginning and racing to the end is just so much fun and excitement for me.

I’ve been wanting to do a mermaid novel for some time, so I decided that this was the year that I was going to do it. I have a few different story ideas brushing around in my head. My main question is… do I want a Post-Apocalyptic setting, or to do something completely Fantasy?

I will be doing daily blogs during November updating my status, and quite a few blogs up until then talking about my plotting process, my planning, etc. I can’t wait to get started, and I can’t wait to year what you guys are planning as well! So, tell me about your NaNo exploits! And if you want, vote on whether you think a Fantasy or PA Novel would be more fun!

Until next time, keep reading and writing!

Author Amanda McCormick