I had a great tip planned for you guys today, but it will wait for next week, because instead of reading what I have to say, you should read THIS piece from Sara Zarr.
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All the things, why do they happen in November?
I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year. This is no surprise to anyone who’s read my blog the last few weeks. It’s funny though, once I stated my interest in writing a book in one month, ALL THE THINGS started piling up for November.
Geek Husband and I have been looking to move for some time now, and recently we decided to put a deadline on ourselves and make it happen. We are now moving the first week of December. Which means I have to pack up my entire house this month. It’s amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in 3.5 years of living someplace (I’m glad it’s only been that long…I couldn’t even imagine if we’d been living here for 20 years or something).
Going along with moving, we’ve decided to take the plunge and buy a house. Add more things to take care of during November, because there’s a lot of stuff that goes into preparing to buy a home. Especially if you are getting great first-time buyer rates. I just wish there was a way to test out of all this mandatory home-buyer education. Because I’m an over-researcher so I’ve already learned all this stuff.
Then…the weekend before Thanksgiving we are holding a benefit auction to raise money to help with my father-in-law’s medical bills (he had a nasty bout of esophageal cancer). Part of the auction includes a dessert auction, so I need to bake my little tushy off (though, I won’t lie, I have a tendency to sample my product, so all that baking surely won’t reduce the size of my tushy)(which is a perfectly acceptable size)(who am I kidding? I’ll just be cocky here – I like my butt). Ahem. Anyway, lots of baking to be done.
So, yeah. I have a lot of things to juggle this month. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop my manic writing. Will I get 50,000 words this month? To be honest, probably not. There’s just too many things piling up. But you better believe I will have more words than I started with, and that’s the whole point, right?
(For the record: I surpassed my goal last night, so I’m off to a good start!)
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NaNo Productivity Tip: Dress for Success
It’s November! NaNoWriMo time! Woo-hoo!
My tip is a day late this week because I didn’t want to overshadow my contest winner post yesterday, but it’s here now and it’s a good one.
NaNo Productivity Tip: Dress for Success
One of the fun parts of being a writer is the fact that you can do your job anywhere you go, wearing anything you want. It’s been said many times that a writer’s uniform is her pajamas. So why would I want to take that comfy, lazy joy from you?
Geek Husband is a computer programmer – another job that allows one to wear whatever one likes to work. He works in an office, so there is a dress code, but it’s pretty casual. He goes to work in jeans and a t-shirt every day; he might throw on a button-up if he’s feeling particularly dressy one day. But it’s pretty well known that there are companies out there (*cough*IBM*cough*) that have a serious dress-code from their programmers. I’m talking a suit and tie here. For workers who sit in front of a computer, not seeing the public at all.
Why would a company require this? It’s simple: dressing up for work is a mental game. By buttoning up that shirt, tying the tie, and slipping the suit jacket over his shoulders, the IBM programmer is getting into the mindset to do some serious work. Sitting in front of the computer in your pajamas leaves you in that lazy mindset and you are more likely to surf the net and dink around without actually getting any work done.
As someone who’s worked at home in a number of different positions, I’ve tested this theory on myself. I know I am more productive if I get ready for the day as if I were going to work at an office where I’d be seeing clients all day long, even if really the only people I will see are Geek Husband and Baby Caveman (who couldn’t care how I look as long as I feed and play with him). Now it’s your turn to try it out.
Before you sit down to write, get dressed and ready like you would before heading off to work. Take those moments to get yourself in the mindset of working, and I promise you will be more focused and productive than if you just go to in your pajamas.
Seriously, try it.
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WINNER!!
Y’all gave me a lot of great movie, book, and TV suggestions. Many I was already familiar with but was reminded of; a few I’d never heard of but want to check them out now. Thank you!
Now, what you’re actually here for…A WINNER!
Random.org decided the winner for a full manuscript proofread/critique is :
Woo-hoo! I’ll be sending a message your way.
Now…there’s more:
Maybe because I’m having a sugar-high* but I’ve decided to spread the love to everyone that entered! Now, I’m not totally crazy and I can’t offer you all FREE full critiques. That’d be totally crazy. Totally.
But what I can do is this:
For everyone who gave me a recommendation and tried to win, I will proofread the first three chapters of your manuscript for free. Just shoot me an email and we’ll figure things out!
*Who else loves the song “Sugar High” that plays at the end of EMPIRE RECORDS?
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Fast Five…
1. Is there anything more tired-making than a poor sick baby? Baby Caveman had his first official cold two weeks ago. We finally recovered from that and everything was great. Then two nights ago he was having a real rough time. Around three in the morning he felt hot so I took his temperature – he was at nearly 104 degrees. Poor baby! We’ve had two really, really long days, but his fever finally broke and he seems to be on the uphill now.
2. I’ve given up on my baby netbook and its crazy, malfunctioning screen. My shiny new laptop is on its way and should be on my doorstep by Monday. Hurray! We found a great refurbished computer (more on why this is a GOOD idea some other day), so I totally got a $450+ computer for $253, including shipping! Shiny.
3. I am loving the suggestions I am getting for Halloween media. Keep them coming, y’all.
4. I made Baby Caveman’s Halloween costume. It took quite some time, but it’s done. And Geek Husband’s is done. And mine? It’s a pile of red fabric on the floor. I need to get on that, like, right now.
5. My mom and sister are coming to visit tomorrow. We are very, very excited…but maybe I should pick up this mess before they get here. It’s amazing how fast stuff piles up when you don’t keep up with the small day-to-day because, say, your baby is sick.
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COVER REVEAL! LARKSTORM by Dawn Rae Miller
You guys, I am so excited about this. Like, really, really super excited.
Seriously. I don’t think you are understanding the level of excitement.
Ahem. Moving on.
About two weeks ago, the wonderful Dawn Rae Miller (whom I was introduced to through her rockin’ awesome group blog, The YA Curator) put out a call for people willing to help with the cover reveal for her upcoming YA novel, Larkstorm. I jumped at the chance. I love YA. I love indie authors. And I love the premise for her book.
Lucky me, she seems to like me and decided to let me be a part of her special day.
(Yep. Still just as excited.)
You wanna see it? Do ya, do ya, do ya? Well, okay then. Here it is, the cover of Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller:
Ah! I die of awesome! I am excited to get my paws on a copy of this book in the near future – and don’t you worry, I will post my review of it here. For know, here’s what you need to know:
About Larkstorm:
In the years following the destructive Long Winter, when half the world’s population perished, the State remains locked in battle against the Sensitives: humans born with extra abilities.
As one of the last descendants of the State’s Founders, seventeen-year-old Lark Greene knows her place: study hard and be a model citizen so she can follow in her family’s footsteps. Her life’s been set since birth, and she’s looking forward to graduating and settling down with Beck, the boy she’s loved longer than she can remember.
However, after Beck is accused of being Sensitive and organizing an attack against Lark, he disappears. Heartbroken and convinced the State made a mistake, Lark sets out to find him and clear his name.
But what she discovers is more dangerous and frightening than Sensitives: She must kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first
Larkstorm (Book 1 – in a trilogy) comes out December 6, 2011.
About Dawn:
Dawn Rae Miller is the ghost writer for a commercial YA series and is represented by Kathleen Ortiz of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation. Her tastes run from John Green and Gayle Forman to the Vampire Academy Series, The Hunger Games trilogy, Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock, and A Separate Peace. She likes her world-building solid and her romance steamy. (yeah, I jacked that bio from The YA Curator, what of it?)
Where you can find stuffs:
Dawn’s website
Dawn on Twitter
Larkstorm on Goodreads
The cover art was done by Sarah Marino. I hadn’t heard of Sarah before now, but holy apostrophes she is talented! Check out her work here.
Well guys, now you’ve seen it. Are you as excited about this book as I am? Head on over to Dawn’s blog and show her some love – and don’t forget to grab your copy of Larkstorm on December 6th!
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Road Trip Wednesday: Best of October
I have a very special treat for y’all tomorrow, so be sure to come back and check it out. I won’t tell you what it is, but I will let you know it rhymes with hover he seal, which is some kind of magical male seal, I guess.
Anyway, Wednesday! Woot. And, shockingly, another month has passed us by. SO today the gals at YA Highway are asking:
What was the best book you read in October?
Normally when we do best-book posts, I have to go back and look at all the books I read that month and debate over which was my favorite. Not this month. This month I don’t even have to think about it – there’s a clear winner. My favorite book this month:
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
I won’t lie, I pretty much expected this to be my favorite book of the month before I even read it. I loved Anna and the French Kiss SO much, how could I not love a companion novel as well? And you know what? I think I like Lola even more, if that’s possible.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I KNOW I like Cricket Bell better than Etienne St. Clair. Gasp! How is that even possible? you ask. I don’t know, friends, but it’s true.
This one is a must read. Must. 
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A Halloween treat for YOU
I love Halloween. Love, love, love. Maybe not as much as Carrie Harris, but I still love it. And because I love it, I am giving away a special Halloween treat!
I am giving away one FULL manuscript proofread. You can win it for yourself, win it to give to someone else who will love you, whatever you want. There is no word-count limit, but if your manuscript is 250,000 words, probably you need more self-editing before you send it along. Just saying.
I will line edit any genre, but if you want to take advantage of more critiquing (and you should, since I usually charge more for more work and this is still…FREE), I specialize in YA & MG, though I am comfortable in many genres. If you win, let me know what you are thinking and we will work something out.
How do I enter?
Easy peasy! Leave a comment on this post and let me know what spooky movie, book, TV show, whatever I shouldn’t miss! Entries will be accepted through Sunday night, October 30th and a winner will be posted on Halloween day!
(You don’t need to blog, Tweet, etc about this, but if you do, I will give you one extra entry for any way you spread the word. I don’t need links or anything; I’ll trust you if you tell me you did it.)
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NaNo Productivity Tip: cut out the distractions
NaNoWriMo countdown is at one week! Do you have your plan of action in place? Your outline started? Good.
This week I’m going to talk about something that will kill your plan of writing a novel in a month before you even get started. That’s right, I’m talking about that shiny thing that’s distracting you right at this moment.
We all have things we like to do, TV we like to watch, websites we like to visit, whatever, that we know are a total time-suck, yet we can’t turn away. You know the one. For me, it used to be FML, MLIA, pretty much anything like that. I would spend way too much time reading those little entertaining stories. Time that could have been spent writing my book had I not been reading them. So I made myself stop going to those websites.
You need to do this NOW, not on November 1st. I’ve read that it takes three weeks of solid effort to break a bad habit, but I believe if you start today you can be well-set to be distraction-free (or less distracted at least) by NaNo time. Take inventory of the things you really don’t want to give up, and keep it in your life – I’m not telling you to get rid of everything that isn’t essential. For me, that’s Jeopardy. Yes, I am fully aware of how nerdy that makes me sound, but whatever. I like to watch Jeopardy so I take that thirty minutes every day and watch it. But I cut out all other TV. Because TV was taking writing time. And those silly websites I loved going to? No more.
Why do I say to cut those things out now? Because, I won’t lie, it’s not easy to give daily habits up. So take this week to force yourself not to look. By the time next week rolls around, it will be much easier not to go to those websites. And by the end of November, you’ll be thinking, MLIWhat?
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A recipe for you all..
A while back, I tweeted this:
People started asking for the recipe, so I promised I’d put it up on my blog. As you can see, that was on October 9th. Oops.
I don’t have much time, so instead of typing the recipe all out, I’m going to give you a little direction and a linky-loo party.
I used this cake recipe, because it’s my favorite.
Then I made this cookie dough recipe, because it’s egg-less, so it’s no biggie that it goes into these babies uncooked. Put a lot of flour in – you want the cookie dough pretty dry for this. Not so dry its going to crumble apart now, but you don’t want it sticky.
After your cupcakes are all baked and cooled, you want to scoop out little holes for the cookie dough. It helps if you use a sharp knife to carve a circle on the top of the cupcake before spooning out the rest (this recipe gives it a bit of a crust, so it crumbles if you just use a spoon). You can keep that little circle to close things back up if you want, but if you put any kind of icing on them, that’s not necessary.
Got your hole scooped out? Good. Now roll up a ball of cookie dough the right size for your hole and stick it down in there. Put the circle back on if you want (I did, but only because I’m anal like that).
You can use any kind of icing you want, but here’s what I did: take what cookie dough is left over at the end and add more milk to it. Stir, stir, stir. Now you have a much thinner version of the cookie dough (you will need to get a mixer out if you don’t want any lumps). Spread it on with a knife and ta-da! you have delicious, sinful cupcakes.
Now go enjoy!