Are you writing for NaNo?
How is Day 19 progressing?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
The Wonder and Excitement of an Everyday Birthday – Daily Quote
Poo Bear says some pretty smart things, often without realizing how insightful his comments are. Today marks an annual turning point for me. Each November, my schedule blossoms spewing activity into every corner of my life and creating my frantic To-Do list. It is a product of the impending holiday season and my compelling need to run a tight ship. This year, turmoil highlights the uncertainty surrounding reworking tested, age-old traditions. Cursed with a Type-A, goal-driven, no mountain is too high, personality, feeling overwhelmed, goes with the territory.
With every project, there is a pivotal moment when I question my sanity. Who thought planting 250 tulip bulbs in the front flowerbed one afternoon was a good idea? Who committed me to the Twelve Dozen Days of Christmas Cookie Exchange? Who thought completing an entire house remodel started before the onset of a worldwide pandemic was possible? Who would consider writing 50k words in a month as something a sane person should undertake? Welcome to 2020, where the unexpected has become de rigueur.
I find myself calm, and dare I say, happy? I have sore, tired muscles, not only from my fall gardening chores but from schlepping boxes, cleaning construction dust, and caring for my sweetheart after his operation. Completing my daily task list in a single day is impossible, yet somehow everything gets done. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. Each morning is a clean slate, full of infinite potential and excitement for what lies ahead.
What wonders does today hold for you?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 19
Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow
Today is Day 324 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.
Did you write yesterday?
My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?
It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.
My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.
Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?
Let us know in the comments below.
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
November 18 Day 18 of NaNoWriMo 2020
¡Ay, caramba! The world formed an unbroken line leading to my front door yesterday. Silly me when they knocked, I answered. I was behind schedule before my alarm woke me, and a never-ending game of Whac-A-Mole ensued. By the time my regularly scheduled 9 pm writing session rolled around, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The day’s tardy theme continued, but undeterred, at 10:30, I sat down to write. Pounding keys is more fun than whacking moles and more satisfying. The evening’s count was a whopping 250 words, but I am ecstatic with every single syllable.
Are you writing for NaNo?
How is Day 18 progressing?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Sleepy Morning Brain, and Finding Your Best Work Time – Daily Quote
I have learned I am not a morning person. Early morning quiet, the new day’s stirrings, the first bird calls, the gradual coloration of the night’s black sky is my favorite time of day. I don’t attempt to string conscience thoughts into meaningful prose. It is too tortuous. Ideally, those early hours are best left to strong coffee and morning chores. It is also time for my morning characters meetings that are often melees of conversational snippets, random impressions, and implausible situations.
With morning chores done, I have a primed pump, and I can spend several hours writing, transcribing the morning’s words and ideas. I take a break, waiting for my second wind, sometime around 9 or 10 pm., and I work until midnight.
When is your best writing time?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 18
Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow
Today is Day 323 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.
Did you write yesterday?
My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?
It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.
My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.
Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?
Let us know in the comments below.
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
November 17 Day 17 of NaNoWriMo 2020
My NaNo word count is going nowhere fast. But after major surgery and a mandatory week’s stay in the hospital, my sweetheart is home and doing well. My unrelenting optimism was hard at work, assuaging my general anxiety and dismissing the fleeting moments of dread that threatened to overwhelm me in the weeks leading up to his operation. Each passing day brings increasing relief as life begins to resemble my memory of what I once considered normal.
The remodeling project crawls towards its inevitable conclusion, and my muse is finding her space in my life again. I have missed my friend, and I look forward to spending more time writing with her.
Are you writing for NaNo?
How is Day 17 progressing?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Are You Happy and Creatively Challenged or Feeling Overwhelmed? — Daily Quote
They tell us success requires a laser-like focus on a single goal. Then they suggest we create a work-life balance. They say it is necessary to spend equal time on our finances, personal growth, health, career, family, relationships, social activity, spirituality, creativity, attitude, and amusement. The demands are overwhelming, and the wheel of life bumps over us like the proverbial bus.
The creatives among us are perhaps more sensitive to the underlying need for harmony. We wrestle with the tension, channeling it into our creations. The stress creates conflict, which we try to harness and incorporate into our work. If we are successful, we convey those feelings to our readers. It allows us to form a connection and tell a story that resonates.
How do you maintain balance in your life?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing. Jo Hawk The Writer
The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 17
Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow
Today is Day 322 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.
Did you write yesterday?
My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?
It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.
My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.
Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?
Let us know in the comments below.
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
November 16 Day 16 of NaNoWriMo 2020
Are you writing for NaNo?
How is Day 16 progressing?
_________________________________________
Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
Jo Hawk 