It’s one of those days when there are just so many things in my head, that I need to unload some of them here so I can clear some space. So, here you go…
On NaBloPoMo
So, NaBloPoMo’ers just celebrated the half-way mark over the weekend. And, so far, so good. I’ve only *almost* missed the daily blogging 2-3x. Most days, it has been smooth sailing.
Anyway, one of the things that I realised about having a blogging schedule with specific topics on set days is that it’s easier to come up with something to blog about. Like anything in life that I don’t put in a schedule, blogging can be a bit of a challenge if it’s left purely as an ad hoc thing because… well… I get fooled in to thinking that I can blog about anything at any time. So, I jump from one idea to the next. Or put it off over and over. And then it gets too hard. So, I end up not wanting to blog about anything at all and/or not leaving enough time in my day to blog.
That’s why I think even after NaBloPoMo’08 is over, I’m considering on keeping a blogging schedule. I don’t know if I’ll keep the one that I have for this month’s NaBloPoMo or experiment with something different. And, I don’t know if I can keep blogging daily or not. I’ll probably try.
You see, another thing that I noticed over the last 2 weeks of daily blogging is that my subscriber base and pageviews/visits have gone up. I attribute the increase in numbers primarily due to the increase in blogging mostly because I haven’t done anything special to promote my blog. So, that’s another good reason to keep up with a blogging schedule, right? 
On NaNoWriMo
Unlike NaBloPoMo, I don’t have the same schedule with NaNoWriMo. I just try to write when I had some “extra time” in my day – or when inspiration strikes (it hardly ever does, you know?! ). That’s why I’m way, way behind the required word limit. Most NaNo’ers should have about 25,000 words in their novel by now. Me – well, mine’s over 20,000 words short of that number. Eeeps. So, the chances of me getting to 50,000 is getting extremely slim every day.
I’m cool with it, though. I mean, I did start out with NaNo thinking that I just want to give it a try. No high hopes or expectations. I know I’ll be busy enough with work and life and everything else. But, I wanted to get in to the challenge anyway. Especially ’cause I’ve known of NaNo during its 10-year existence and yet I’ve never had the guts to try it out. Until this year, that is. So, at least now, I can say that I’ve given it a go. We’ll just see how far along I can take what I’ve started.
But yeah, one good thing that came out of this is that now I have a “working novel”. You see, I started out with a completely different idea for a story. Then, a few days in to my earlier draft, I ended up scrapping my initial idea and headed towards writing a young adult/middle school fantasy novel. And, I’m really excited about it. I think the story is shaping up well. But, since I don’t have a lot of time to devote to it, I haven’t really written as much as I’d like. Ah, well. I guess, that’s okay. Maybe I’ll get to finish it before I’m forty. 
In any case, the first one I started was a grown-up novel about a woman who was living such a disastrous existence and just envying everyone else’s life. A twist of fate gave her the opportunity to fulfill 33 wishes in 33 days. Well, that was as far as I managed to conjure for that story. Since I only spent about 3 or 4 days on it (with less than 30 minutes a day!), the idea’s not well fleshed out. It’s fun, though. I really enjoy that part of fiction writing – generating ideas for stories and giving life to characters.
Getting the chance to do NaNoWriMo this year made me remember that I miss this part of my writing life. Sure, I get to write a lot now thanks to the nature of my full time work and blogging. But, in a totally different way.
Once upon a time, I wrote – and published – short stories in national magazines. Yep, I actually got paid for writing fiction! Some of them were even meant to be re-printed in a book anthology (got paid, but publication didn’t go through). I even got to write and to publish a children’s book (via a now-defunct publisher in Singapore; got my pay + book copy though).
And, even though I haven’t gotten paid for completing a couple of young adult novels in the past (unpublished), I still loved being able to write them.
It feels like a lifetime ago, though. That fiction writing Shai seems more like a fictional character now too. But then, NaNoWriMo has sort of given her some life again. Emphasis on the ‘sort of’.
52WoC Note
Just a quick reminder that I’ll be closing the Holiday Fun Swap Sign-Up on Wednesday, 19th Nov (that’s going to be 18th Nov, Tue, to my Northern Hemisphere friends). So, if you want to take part, please leave a comment on that post asap. And, send me your preferred mailing address (so your “secret santa” knows where to send a pressy).
To those who signed up but haven’t sent me your mailing addresses yet, please do so via shaicogginsATgmailDOTcom – or else, you’ll be limited to a digital pressy from your “secret santa”.
Oh, and just to let you know what we’re giving away for Round #8 of 52WoC (Weeks #31-35):
Prize 1: $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (as a chance for you to buy something off your wish list!)
Prize 2: A goodie bag with surprise items in it
Sound good? Then, do make sure you join one of our 52WoC tasks. The Holiday Fun Swap is #33. So, we have 2 more to go before the next party.
OK, I think that’s all the updates for now. I wish you all a great week ahead!
Kari (3)
eds (2)
Mitch Mitchell (2)
Rachel Cotterill (2)
Anne (1)
bcylady (1)
Connie (1)
Jazzille (1)
macy (1)
Mel W (1)
You fantasy story sounds fascinating! One of my stories I wrote a long time ago was similar in that it was for the middle school aged and was a fantasy world of such.
I’m very curious to know what some of the 33 wishes would be of your protagonist in your story. Now you may have to finish it! LOL!
As for nanowrimo, I had tried it one year. That was the year I learned I don’t write well under pressure. In order for my writing to be any good it’s got to be done on my terms and time. Maybe if they took out the word counts I wouldn’t be so easily discouraged, but that’s just in my nature unfortunately.
I just like to write when the mood strikes, but I still would like to make up a schedule like yours. Now I just need to quit talking about it and do it already!
Reply
Shai Coggins reply on November 23rd, 2008:
@Kari – Sounds cool! Are you still working on that novel? And yeah – maybe one day I’ll get to write/finish 33 wishes too.
Good luck with the writing!
Reply
While Chris was away I struggled to get my blog posts done each night. I’m hoping now that he is back I’ll have less stress in the evening when I am trying to write them up. And I agree that having set things to blog about each day makes it a lot easier. Having that initial spark of an idea is like the push int he back you need to start running sometimes – just a bit of forward momentum that you can then build on and keep going.
Reply
Shai Coggins reply on November 23rd, 2008:
Melissa – So great that you’re getting to keep up, no matter what.
And yeah, that initial spark is sometimes all we need.
Reply
Hi Shai,
Well done. Even if that’s all the writing you get done on your novel, for now, you’re still ahead by that much. You wouldn’t have written those words if it wasn’t for the NaNoWriMo challenge, so it’s all good.
Reply
Shai Coggins reply on November 23rd, 2008:
Heather – Thanks so much for the encouraging words. You’re right. Without NaNoWriMo, I definitely wouldn’t even have written a single word. And probably, haven’t even discovered a story that I’m excited to work on whenever I get the chance. So, I’m happy about that, even if I don’t meet the 50K mark.
Reply