NaNo No-Go

I have decided I won’t be able to reach 50k by the end of the month.I’ve suspected it for a while, but this weekend drovei t home for me.

I don’t know why, but I can’t write when I have a headcold. I didn’t write a single word on anything, much less on “Benen’s Burden,” my NaNo project.

I have no doubt that I’ll finish the rough draft by Christmas, but by the end of the month? That’s highly unlikely. Especially considering all the family stuff that will be going on this weekend for Thanksgiving.

Best of luck in reaching your goal to those of you still plugging away at it.

Filed under: writing , Benen's Burden, Jen Nipps, jennipps, NaNoWriMo, Thanksgiving, writing

Pictures in Posts or No?

Filed under: not writing , pictures, poll, posts

Making Progress

Sometimes progress is slow.

Sometimes progress requires someone to give you a figurative kick in the backside to get going.

The other day, I was riding back home after going to Tulsa with a friend. We started talking about the book proposal for CONFESSIONS OF A FAT CHICK. She asked what I lacked in order for the proposal to be completed and ready to send out.

My answer?

I was truthful. I didn’t try to hedge or hide behind half-truths.

“A market.”

I thought she was going to stop the car and make me walk the rest of the way home. (Okay, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration.) I got an earful. And she was right about every bit of it.

I did need to find a market.

I did need to get it sent in.

I do believe in it.

I do think there’s a market for it.

Given all that, I found a market for it and got it in the mail. Now I am looking for another market for it.

In the meantime, I also have NAVAJO ROSE ready to send in to the RWA Golden Heart contest. I’m wondering what in the world I’m thinking. I know I’m going to be a nervous wreck. But, it’s already printed and in the envelope to go to the post office tomorrow. I’m not going to waste all that paper and ink and not send it.

BENEN’S BURDEN is the third book in the Maguire Men series of historical romances set in central Ireland. I’m currently at 26,250 words. (That is going by the publishing determination of wordcount of #pagesx250=wordcount, not by NaNoWriMo’s actual wordcount, which is 16,809. I prefer the first wordcount I gave.)

Even with other sites–Chicaboo, Bukisa, oDesk–I’m making progress and doing well. It’s not bringing in enough money to where I can quit the day job yet, but every little bit helps.

Filed under: writing , Benen's Burden, Bukisa, Chicaboo, Confessions of a Fat Chick, Golden Heart, Jen Nipps, jennipps, money, NaNoWriMo, Navajo Rose, oDesk, RWA, write, writer, writing

Here Comes the Judge

A few months ago when I was asked to judge the nonfiction articles category for a writing contest, I cautiously agreed. I honestly did not think I was qualified to do it.

However, I found a judging score sheet from a contest I had previously entered and modified it to use for my own purposes. I wrote a short note that I included with the judged entries and scoresheets.

Still, I hesitated.

Then I started to read. The first entry was more of an essay than an article and, while good, it lacked some detail. There was another essay in the group, but the rest were feature articles of varying lengths. One of those was a travel article.

If I could offer a piece of advice to would-be travel writers, it would be this: Don’t try to take your readers to every single place you go to on your trip. Pick out a few highlights and focus on those.

Once I started reading and judging, I became confident that it was something I could do. There were only six entries, so it didn’t take as long as I thought it would. They have all been judged, scored, and mailed. The next time I am asked to judge, I doubt I will be so hesitant.

Filed under: not writing, writing , contest, edit, Jen Nipps, jennipps, judge, judging, scoresheet, write, writing

Comings & Goings, Stayings & Plannings

I just realized I haven’t updated the Just Hit Send page here yet. I’ll do that tomorrow evening when I have a better Internet connection.

Goings:

I sent queries out to Distinctly Oklahoma and WritingForDollars on Thursday. (OK, WFD was an article submission, not a query.)

The CONFESSIONS OF A FAT CHICK proposal is ready to go out, but has not yet been sent.

Comings:

Thursday evening, I got a rejection on the DO query. I also got a reply from the editor at WFD saying he wanted the article if I rewrote the lead.

On Friday, I got an e-mail that said my RWA PRO application had been received and approved. This is good!

I rewrote the lead for the WFD article Friday afternoon and got it sent back in. I got the acceptance for it later on Friday.

Friday, I also got a package in the mail. I agreed to judge the nonfiction article category of a contest. That’s what the mailman brought to me. I’ve started reading & judging.

Stayings:

The only thing that currently falls into this area is my NaNo project. Yesterday, I wrote over 2,400 words on “Benen’s Burden.” (I still haven’t done anything on it today, but that will change after dinner.)

Plannings:

Tomorrow, I’m going to Tulsa for a Toastmasters meeting. I’m also going to call the local college to find out what the deadline is for submitting proposals for classes to the public service program department.

I need to send some queries. I have two in mind that will go to writer magazines. I need to come up with some others, though.

I’ve got to send the CFC proposal out. I need to pick a publisher, stick with it, and send it. I also need to finish the proposal for THE IDEA POCKET. I know where that one will go.

Endings:

That covers it for now.

Filed under: writing , Benen's Burden, Confessions of a Fat Chick, Distinctly Oklahoma, Jen Nipps, jennipps, NaNoWriMo, queries, submissions, The Idea Pocket, write, writer, writing, WritingforDollars

NanoWriMo Update

As of right now, I am 8,312 words into my NaNoWriMo project, “Benen’s Burden,” a historical romance set in the early Middle Ages in central Ireland.

At this point, the heroine knows she loves the hero but is torn because she will be forced to leave. The hero is in denial but will admit that he likes having her around.

Last night, I didn’t write a single word. The only thing I will say as to why is this: People, be careful, be very careful about where you store important items. It has been a very lard, painful lesson for me to learn. I only hope the items that were destroyed can be restored, even if some damage lingers.

I’m going to keep this short because I have a couple other blogs I need to update and I want to get back to “Benen’s Burden” before I call it a night.

(Follow me along to Confessions of a Fat Chick, The Idea Pocket, and Tarot & Pendulum Practice if you want, though not necessarily in that order.)

Filed under: writing , Benen's Burden, central Ireland, Confessions of a Fat Chick, historical romance, Jen Nipps, jennipps, Middle Ages, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, pendulum, romance, Tarot, Tarot & Pendulum Practice, The Idea Pocket, write, writer, writing