New Notions

Sadly, I have fallen off Nanowrimo. I'm too behind and too busy with homework recently to finish the 50,000 word goal. However, I successfully got to 24,000, and I'm happy that I got such progress on a project I've been thinking about for so long. I am looking forward to finishing that project in the coming months, but I have other things that demand my attention a lot sooner. I wish everybody who's still participating the best of luck and blessing that they can get to that finish line. As for me, here's to next year!

Meanwhile, while researching some alternative self-promotion techniques, I ran across this blog where the author Nina Amir blogs about blogging a book...while she's in the process of doing that herself. While it took me awhile to wrap my mind around her approach to writing, I got curious about whether it could apply to fiction. I read through some of her posts, and it is definitely geared toward non-fiction works, however I saw a lot of sense in some of what she says.

So, here's my idea: take a novel you're working on, or want to work on, any one, and write it via blog. You could make an entirely new blog dedicated to the project and make your updates your word count for that day, or you could take one blog you're already managing and just do a post a week with an excerpt, any approach! Heck, sites like fanfiction.net and fictionpress.com function on this very principle and have a very loyal following. I, for one, am very excited about trying this idea. Sure it's going to be challenging posting a rough draft for the world to see, but I might get some good feedback and a readership in the process. I honestly have nothing to lose, either, so why not give it a shot?

Tell me, what do you think of this idea? You think you might undertake it yourself, or some kind of variation on it? If not, why? If so, why?

Keeping Commitment (Nano Day 21)

The Nano themed month continues. Unfortunately, my novel progress has come to a halt just short of the halfway point. I'm hoping going home and liberating myself in the warm embrace of turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie will help the creative juices start flowing as well as my anticipatory saliva glands. However, my biggest obstacle at the moment is coming from school. Despite the fact I've been keeping up with homework lately, the credit stacking I decided at the beginning of the semester is catching up with me near its end. Eighteen credits wasn't so bad with my classes at first, and even now I'm still finding time for sleep and a sparse social life. That's a good sign, I think. Next semester, though, I'm definitely keeping it light. Only three bulky classes and a pretty free schedule otherwise. Spring will be for finishing this rough draft the rest of the way!

This business leads me to the topic of today's post. This month, I'm sure people have been beating the subject of 'balancing life and writing' to death. I thought I'd try a different format if I can successfully figure out how to embed a video into this post. Wish me luck, and even better, watch if I'm successful!