November 9 Day 9 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

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Monday marks the start of week two of NaNo. I am wondering if I will ever hit my stride. Yesterday’s total of 356 pushes my overall word count to almost 3,500 so far. There are plenty of writers who manage three thousand words in a single day. I could be sad, discouraged, and succumb to thoughts of throwing in the towel. Nothing could be further from my reality.

I consider every word I write a hard-won victory. I never assumed getting to fifty thousand words would be an easy task. Chaos rules my days and carving out ten, twenty, or thirty-minute blocks where I can concentrate on composing a story just short of being a miracle. Reviewing my commitments, I see a break in my responsibilities, and it offers me a glimmer of hope, so I keep fighting the good fight.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 9 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Use Your Check List to Derail Your Overactive Brain and Write – Daily Quote 

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments

the-human-brain-is-amazing.-it-functions-24_7-from-the-day-you-are-born-and-only-stops-when-you-sit-down-todo-some-writing.-anonymous

Monday morning mind melt-down. The alarm sounds, and I jolt awake. I feel as if I lay down to sleep only moments ago. The weekend left me exhausted, and family matters, world concerns, and life’s barrage of curveballs elevate my everyday worries and my stress levels. Sigh. I have tricks to kick-start my writing process.

Step 1: Coffee, steamy hot, and lots of it.

Step 2: Strap myself to the seat of my chair. It is far too easy to heed the call of dirty dishes, unmade beds, piles of laundry, and the dust accumulating on top of the fridge. Perhaps I should polish those streaky windows, or vacuum clean the upholstery? Boy, this armchair is heavy. Ah, yes, I am writing now.

Step 3: Turn off all social media. I don’t enjoy realizing I have spent the last hour running mindlessly through a maze of fascinating and non-productive rabbit holes.

Step 4: Reread what I wrote yesterday and maybe doodle some additional ideas. Here it is, NO editing. I love reviewing sentences, reorganizing paragraphs, and tweaking my word choices, but that must wait for another day.

Step 5: Write something, anything, be it nonsense or a crazy notion. I let my notes, a random thought, or a compelling phrase gleaned from my daily review lead the way. Just starting is often enough to make words appear on the page.

What tricks help you kick-start your daily writing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 9

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

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 314 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 8 Day 8 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 7 Comments

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Yesterday did not begin as I planned. It progressed by presenting me with a never-ending list of chores that were completely different and in total opposition to my well-conceived writing strategy. Unfortunately, many items were necessary, and my choice boiled down to whether I wanted to deal with them now or later. I finished these annoying tasks and moved forward. A much-needed nap punctuated the day’s non-stop activity. Then, after adding a whopping 327 words to my total, it was time for bed.

Feeling somewhat wiser, I composed a note which I left on next year’s calendar. It admonishes future me to assume I will write for NaNo. I also told myself to guarantee a better start, I should be sure to complete any ongoing projects in October. Live and learn.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 8 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Enjoy Your Future by Falling Into the Beautiful Habit of Letting Go – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

autumn-shows-us-how-beautiful-it-is-to-let-things-go.-unknown.

Spring tops everyone’s favorite season list. It’s hard to deny the attraction of delicate blossoms and the promising signs of life after a long, barren winter. Many taint autumn’s splendors with the weight of death and dying, sadness and grief. I consider it a time of great transition. Any seasoned gardener knows a successful spring showing begins each autumn, and this annual event is a cause for celebration, appreciation, and hope for the coming year.

We resist change. We cling to our past, trusting established patterns, which construct a self-made prison, where we bind ourselves in chains. Uncomfortable with the unknown, we close our minds to exquisite possibilities and lock ourselves into our comfort zone. We have the key. We only need to let go. Trees recognized the futility of clinging to their magnificent foliage. Those leaves served their purpose, and as they fall to the ground, they will fulfill their destiny, decaying into nourishing compost.

Cold weather is a catalyst that sets into motion events that lead to the desired goal. Gardeners use this time to prune and cut, lightening the load, shedding excess baggage, and keeping what is necessary to fuel future growth. They improve the foundations and dream of new beginnings. What could be more beautiful?

Do you need to let go?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 8

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

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 313 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 7 Day 7 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments

nano-2020-writer-

Well-laid plans have a glorious and terribly irritating ability to laugh in your face, right before they crumble into a bazillion tiny pieces and disintegrate into nothingness. Yesterday I decided Friday would be a day off with a reasonable bedtime. Silly me. I stayed up much too late, creating new images, tweaking documents, taking notes, re-reading passages, and writing 300 brand spanking extra words before falling asleep.

Today the preset on my coffee maker malfunctioned. Someone had the nerve to suggest it might have been operator error, but I refuse to entertain such a wild notion. Whatever the reason, instead of the expected pleasant and serene early morning silence, I woke to the crash, boom, bang of life in overdrive. At least there was piping hot coffee with one touch of a button. Now, we are working on Plan B.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 7 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Golden Autumn’s Call to Arms – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

i-know-the-lands-are-lit-with-all-the-autumn-blaze-of-goldenrod.-helen-hunt-jackson

Last weekend snowflakes knocked on my door, but Mother Nature scolded Old Man Winter and warned him it was not yet his time to rule the weather. Thanks to her intervention, the glorious vigor has returned with a triumph of autumn color. Vibrant yellows, glistening golds, and intense ambers filled with the wisdom of the ages slowly transform into rusts, burnt oranges, and dusty browns.

By day, sunlight plays hide and seek among earth’s radiant hues, and gentle breezes showcase dancing leaves against the sky’s clear blue backdrop. The moon refused to miss the joyful revive. Luna rises late, eager to cast an ethereal glow for those of us who fight to acclimate to daylight savings time. Orion, my beloved hunter, appears on the edge of the horizon, and the games begin.

I love these days. The warm temperatures recall summer’s heat, but a chill warning encourages action. There is joy woven on a bed of urgency, and it drives me to make haste, and prepare before winter comes to stay.

What is on your autumn agenda?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 7

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

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 312 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 6 Day 6 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 5 Comments

nano-2020-writer-

TGIF. Friday took its sweet time coming this week. Yesterday developed into another day loaded with urgent responsibilities with no connections to any writing activities. My Nano session didn’t begin until after 10 pm when my brain and body had already hit the tired setting. Is it any wonder I fell asleep at my keyboard? I woke to several pages filled with the letter “M.” I omitted them in my word count, along with the incoherent gibberish preceding them.

When the delete key and I finished, I had a whopping total of 163 words. I’m planning to take Friday night off and go to bed early. If I am lucky, the aroma of my preset coffee maker will wake me. Armed with a bracing cup of Joe, I look forward to enjoying the luxury of two or three undisturbed hours and letting my story flow onto the page. Then I’ll let the house rock-and-roll.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 6 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer