Nanowrimo Spotlight: Emily Shore

Greetings, friends and followers! November is almost over, I just got back from this year’s Wafflepalooza celebration, but I’ve got at least one more spotlight interview! Tonight, I spotlight Emily, who you can also find at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Here’s Emily talking about finding Nano:

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I was technically a ‘newbie’ this year though not a true newbie as I’ve average 3-5 books a year since I graduated in ’09 and have written a 90K book in a month before. However, I wasn’t aware there was an official Nano website. I joined so I could connect with other writers, and I also appreciated the ‘stats’ page where I can see my goal and chart my progress (major motivator for me). Love the forums, definitely a fun place to find other like-minded writers.

What are you writing about this year?
This year, I’ve been working on the third book in my YA anti-trafficking trilogy. My first book was picked up by ZSH Literary Agency and will be shipping out to publishers soon. I’m 91K into the third book but have a goal of 125K.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
Princess Bride – hands down. Appeals to everyone.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Read, don’t attend writer’s conferences (research online and take university or writing community courses instead), never underestimate a good editor, look up Twitter pitch fests and contests like crazy and enter, enter, enter!

Sneaky Ninja question! What social class, if any, are you a part of?
Lower middle class stay-at-home mom

200 word rant:

My overarching goal through my books is always to have strong female role models when it comes to their relationships, both familial and romantic. These are so often neglected in YA literature. My tailored goal for The Menagerie and its follow-ups is to shine a light on the brutal sex trafficking industry where over 400,000 girls are trafficked each year in the U.S. alone, girls average age 12-14. Few people know of the abuse and degradation that these girls have to endure under the hands of predators. Even fewer can understand the circumstances that contribute to entry into that world like abuse or neglect in the home. I want to use my books as a speaking platform and address young teens and their parents on this issue in the interest of raising awareness, education, and prevention so we can protect the little girls all around us.

Links to learn more:

• https://www.polarisproject.org/
• http://nefariousdocumentary.com/
• https://warinternational.org/

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Dreaming of NaNoWriMo

Good evening! It’s late, and I’ve been doing a lot of word sprints today, but I’ve got a spotlight for you from Lidy, who you can find more from on weebly, wordpress, and twitter. Here’s Lidy on her Nanowrimo history:

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This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo. I’ve always heard about the writing challenge done in November but had never participated until 2013. What compelled me to join that year was because of a dream I had. A dream about a teenage girl, a witch, who took the biggest risk of all. By outing herself as a witch to rescue the first friend she made in years. And I thought it’d be too much of a risk to let her just exist inside my dreams.

I had to write her story and the NaNoWriMo challenge helped me to do that. Then I skipped it the following year to participate in NaNonFiWriMo (National Nonfiction Writing Month). And now I’m back again, but doing things a little bit different. I’m just not writing one story but two and extending NaNoWriMo until December 30th. The first and current story is a romance novel. And the second story is a young adult urban and portal fantasy novella. This year, I’m disregarding word count. And just focusing on writing the rough drafts of each. Fixing plot holes, pacing, characterization, etc. after NaNoWriMo.

With two years of NaNoWriMo and one year of NaNonFiWriMo, my best experiences were always the people. Meeting people who were just like me. Who had a story to tell. And all of us coming together in solidarity to do one thing. Tell a story that only we can tell.

What are you writing about this year?
This year, I’m writing my first contemporary romance novel. It’s your typical boy re-meets girl, but girl tries to run away and is in denial of her feelings. So boy chases girl. There’s a lot of crossed love lines going on, a love pentagon actually and as I’ve realized myself lately. My second story is about an inner city girl who always dreamed of something bigger and better. And getting out of the ghetto. All the while not realizing that the amazing dreams she has were actually visits to other worlds. And she’s just about to get what she wished for and not in a good way.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
There’s too many to choose but when it comes to favorite movies, I’m an 80s girl. But for the sake of picking of just one, I’d have to say that my favorite is Ghostbusters.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Misty Anna

Only a few days left in November! Tonight’s interview is with Misty Anna, who can be found on Nanowrimo as re.paige! Here’s Misty talking about her Nanowrimo history:

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I discovered Nanowrimo a few years ago — I believe I was searching online for writing contests to enter. This is my third or fourth year participating, but will be the first time I’ve finished/won (I’m presently 2k words away from 50k). The most I ever completed before this was under 9k words last year.

What are you writing about this year?
A young woman who dreams of a fantasy world that she eventually discovers truly exists. She must travel there to stop her own world from being destroyed.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
The Princess Bride

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Don’t give up; no matter whether or not you reach 50k, you still achieved more words than you began with!

Sneaky Ninja question! Who is the most important person in your life?
My life partner, Travis. He is the most supportive and encouraging person I could ever ask to share my life with.

I decided to become an author when I was only seven years old — fantasy books were my passion and escape from life.

My present Nanowrimo project, entitled ‘Frostbite’, is aimed to be self-published in PDF format by March 2016.  If you would like to donate in order to support my startup, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/mistyanna

Donators will receive copies of my upcoming book(s) in PDF and/or hard-copy format, based upon the amount of the donation. I appreciate any and all help offered in order to achieve my dream!

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Cory Beal

Good evening! Tonight, I’m interviewing Cory. You can find Cory’s website here. Cory, how long have you been participating in Nano?

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This is my 5th time doing NaNo. I think the biggest difference for me this time is just the challenges of finding the time to write with three little ones running around the house. Finding the time is always the biggest challenge for me (as well as a lot of people, probably most).

I actually started out doing NaNo for the first time in 2010. My wife knew I had been wanting to write a book for a long time and I had started, but never finished one, so she bought me this book, No Plot? No Problem, and that’s when I found out aboutNaNo. I signed up right away and have loved doing it every year since.

What are you writing about this year?
This year I’m doing a sci-fi adventure novel about a guy named J.J. Collins who is in the middle of his 13th life; every time he dies he wakes up again and starts all over as a kid and each time the world around him is different. He doesn’t know why it’s happening to him and he doesn’t really care, mainly he just wants to find the one person who he fell in love with during his first life.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
Star Wars – I remember being a kid and watching the original trilogy over and over, we didn’t have cable, but we had a VCR and the 3 Star Wars movies on VHS, so that’s what I’d watch. I still love watching them, but I think the first, Episode IV: A New Hope, is my favorite.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Just keep plugging away at that keyboard. The thing I learned about NaNo is that even you don’t finish, if you don’t reach the 50k words, you still end the month having written a lot more than you probably would have otherwise, so it’s still a win. Of course, the whole point is to win, to get that magic number, to reach your goal and conquer the mountain. My advice is still the same – just keep writing – it’s the only way to win! Write everywhere – waiting at the doctor’s office, on your lunch break, early in the morning or late at night, whenever works for you. With the technology we have now it’s to write on your smartphone or tablet and have the app sync to your home computer, so there’s not really the excuse of not being able to work on your novel when you are away from home – you should always be working on your novel.

Sneaky Ninja question! What’s your hobby horse?

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Alice Hayes

Good evening! I’m not quite sure how many more spotlights there will be this Nano season, but I’d like to thank all of my readers and my spotlight volunteers! Tonight I have an interview with Alice. Alice, how many times have you participated in Nanowrimo?

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This is my fourth NaNo, and – *fingers crossed* – I’ve been successful every year so far. My favorite memories are the “NaNoIsms” that creep in. Basically, I lose my mind every November. In 2011’s NaNo, I was writing a scene where two teenage characters attend a Bonfire Night celebration, and I put the word help into a sentence without even realizing it. I think it was my subconscious saying “no, really. Help me”. In last year’s NaNo, I was sprinting with some other Wrimos and said something like “15 minute sleep at 10:00, who’s in?” instead of ’15 minute sprint’. But really, for me. NaNoWriMo is about the camaraderie. Knowing that there are others out there doing the same crazy thing as you.

What are you writing about this year?
Say Nothing is a young adult novel set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Beginning in 1969, it chronicles Catholic Moira Heaney’s transformation from unaffected, blase 15-year-old to political activist. The title is taken from a Seamus Heaney poem, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, as well as the general fear during The Troubles that talk could be costly; that loose lips were deadly.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
Just one? V for Vendetta. It ticks all the boxes for me: creepy dystopian government; beautiful visuals; blood and gore; and vengeance.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
The forums are one of the best resources for you NaNo. I was surprised recently to learn that in a Facebook group of around 200 local Wrimos, there weren’t very many who use the forums. Whether you’re looking for research or whether you need motivation, you can always find what you’re looking for there. I also highly recommend sprints and word wars if you feel completely stuck.

Sneaky Ninja question! Do you have any pet peeves when you write?

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Jenny Prater

Good evening everybody, and how’s November treating you this Friday evening? (Or whenever it is in your part of the world when you read this?) I’m hanging out in a virtual write-in and posting this interview instead of writing new words, but I’ve just reached 40k and I’ll do more before bedtime, I promise!

So, tonight’s interview is with Jenny, who can be found on Nano as kolingdorm, or at her blog! How much Nano experience do you have, Jenny?

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This is my seventh year of NaNoWriMo. I’ve been doing it since I was sixteen, a couple years after I heard about it from an English teacher. I thought it would motivate me to write more and faster, and so far it has. This year I’m actually participating with two accounts, so if I fail here, I probably succeeded somewhere else. Hopefully. My favorite NaNo memory is from my senior year of high school, when in spite of SATs, driving exams, midterms, and the death of my dog, I managed to write 100,000 words, the first draft of the first novel I’m really proud of.

What are you writing about this year?
This year (on this account) I’m trying to finish two half written stories. One is contemporary YA called Fall with Me, about a boy and a girl falling in and out of love and sanity. The other, When the War Ends, is about a princess and an outlaw forced to work together to end a war.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
At the moment, I’m going with Megamind.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Don’t think. Just write. There’s time for spellchecking and fact checking later. Do whatever you need to do to get it done as fast as possible. Sometimes I turn off the monitor so I won’t be distracted by my mistakes. Usually I don’t bother about writing in order – I just get down whatever piece of the story is strongest in my mind. Do whatever you want. Just don’t worry about anything but getting it down.

Sneaky Ninja question! What do you have in your pockets right now?

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Emma Lehrer- lehrerscooter8

And hello again! I hope you’ll really like today’s spotlight interview. I’d like you to meet Emma, who can be found on Nanowrimo as lehrerscooter8, and has a non-writing blog. Hi, Emma! How long have you been doing Nanowrimo?

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I am a newbie to NaNo this year and it has been really exciting so far! I learned about it a couple days before it started when I was looking for writing forums. I saw the website and decided I absolutely had to do it, mostly because I have never finished a book before and the time frame will motivate me. I also had an idea for a book and said “why not” to myself then signed up.

What are you writing about this year?

This year I am writing about a girl named Ailey. Her family relocated from Florida to Northern Canada four years ago. Almost a year ago her mom left them without a word to run away with a different man. When the story starts, Ailey is battling depression. Then her best friend starts hanging out with her biggest middle school rival and she feels abandoned all over again. She fights to find a way to keep moving on, making new friends and discovering new things about herself along the way.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
Ahhh! I love so many movies!! I literally have a new favorite movie every week. This week it is “Love, Rosie” because the story is so moving and adorable and sad and funny all at the same time.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
If I had to give advice, I would probably say that there are no rules in writing. No writing style is “wrong” and no idea- no matter how crazy it is- is bad. Just write whatever wants to come out!

Sneaky Ninja question! What one thing are you most thankful for?
I have no idea what I am most thankful for. Maybe it is the fact that I am able to express myself through writing, or that I have found my reason to keep moving on. In truth, I am thankful for so many things I don’t know where to start. I guess that life is just full of things to be thankful for.

 

A special Nanowrimo Spotlight: The Journeyman’s Letter!

A surprise change of pace today, friends and followers! Instead of an interview, I wanted to link you to today’s episode of the Parsec-award-winning podcast, “The Journeman Writer.”

Today’s installment is a must-listen for anybody doing Nanowrimo, any writers, probably anybody with creative aspirations at all!

The Journeyman Writer 125: A Letter To You

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Jennifer Weiner

Happy day, everybody! Yesterday was a little too hectic to squeeze in an interview, but today I’m back with Jennifer! You can find Jennifer on Nanowrimo as jinrightjm, on facebook, goodreads, her own site, and also read this Smashwords interview! Here’s a bit about Jennifer’s Nano history:

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I did my first nanowrimo in 2013 and won that year, but had to include all my creative writing not just on my novel concept. It’s looking like I’ll have to do the same this year since my original idea got tossed when my mini-me decided she wanted to star in a fantasy story lol I’m still doing world building for that idea!

I can’t remember how I found nanowrimo, but it was likely a Google search for writing groups or support or something similar. Or something I read in a group or book on writing.

What are you writing about this year?
This year  I am rebelling by writing short stories with a supernatural or fantasy flair. One is even loosely based off my husband and I!

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
That is so unfair! LOL If I MUST pick just one then I have to go with Memento. It’s an amazing, you can’t see the ending coming, totally screws with your mind the entire time, movie!

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
You can’t lose Wrimo! If you get a character sheet template, or 500 words or some new friends you can talk about writing with or even just a touch of confidence by letting others see your work in progress… those are BIG wins. Especially if you’ve never written a long work before. Don’t worry about the word count, just HAVE FUN!

Sneaky Ninja question! If you could change one thing from the history of your life, what would it be?

Nanowrimo Spotlight: Kalynn Campbell, author of ‘She of Thorn’

Good evening! We’re about halfway through November already! This afternoon was our local Mid-way party, (at a 5-pin bowling alley!) and tonight is the Night of Writing Dangerously in San Francisco! Today I have an interview from Kalynn, who you can find on Nano as lowbrowser, and you can also check out her publisher’s blog. Here’s Kalynn’s Nano background in her own words:

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Technically, this is my third year doing NaNo. The first year I worked on a rewrite of an existing novel, so maybe I should call that year my “gray area” year.

This year, as well as last year, I started my novel with nothing more than a title, a loose outline and a book cover.

Last year was really exciting – it was my first year writing a novel from scratch in 30 days and I’d written over 64,000 words by NaNo’s finish. I loved the process so much, I had to dive in again this year.

What are you writing about this year?
I’m trying my hand at Horror/Sci Fi with a story called ‘THE FOREVER WATER.’

It’s about five College Kids on Spring Break who run across a small town in Northern Florida where nothing seems to age. The story is a twist on the vampire legend using Ponce de Leon’s ‘Fountain of Youth’ as a springboard.

What is your favorite movie – you have to pick just one!
It’s rough picking just one, but I’ll narrow it down to: ‘WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.’ Heartbreaking but powerful.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Let your imagination loose. Keep on open mind when the character wants to veer off to a place you hadn’t planned. Let your characters live lives of their own and before long your fingers will describe a world you never saw coming, and that’s an amazing feeling – to live the story as it’s being conveyed by its characters.

Sneaky Ninja question! What was the first story you wrote, (or can remember writing)?