So you want to be a writer…. (pt 2)

I’ve been thinking about my next (this) post for the The Insecure Writers Support Group (#IWSG) series, like, a LOT. And I’ve basically decided that being a writer comes down to two very simple things.

First, you have to do this:

And then, you have to do this:

That’s it. Read, to learn the craft, then write, to hone YOUR craft and figure out your unique voice.

Yeah, it’s that simple.

(And next month I’ll tell you why it’s not really that simple at all.)

dSavannah bonus: I’ve signed up for #NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. This is my first time signing up for it. I think I must be cray-cray to even consider it, when I think about my health problems, my doctors’ visits, my chronic fatigue, pain, tears, etc.  But then, I think how I managed to complete the #AtoZChallenge for 2014 AND 2015 (which was a blog post every day in the month of April), and I think: maybe, just maybe I can do this.

Oh, what’s #NaNoWriMo, you ask?  Essentially, you commit to writing an entire novel in one month: November. To “win”, you have to write 50,000 words, or about 1,600 words per day. My record for number of words per day was about 6,000 or 7,000, I can’t remember exactly which. And when I get going, I can write 3,000 words in a sitting, easy.

The problem is of course, sitting my butt down and doing it. (That’s the hard part of writing, btw.)

Faux cover with one of my photographs. I created it in like 10 minutes. This is probably not the title nor the cover nor anything at all related to my #NaNo novel.

BUT: I have an idea, I have a notebook in which I’m writing ideas, I’ve brainstormed with my writing buddy Gareth S. Young, I’ve told Mark Ethridge what it’s about and he didn’t run away screaming, I’ve done some research, and I’m doing more research, and I’m doing more scribbling, and I’m dreaming about my main character.

AND: I trained to be a journalist. AND: I worked in marketing and PR for 20+ years, and was a teacher and mentor. This means that most of my life has centered around DEADLINES. If something didn’t have a deadline, it didn’t get done. I forgot about it. No deadline = not important.

So, I’m giving myself a deadline. October to outline. November to write.

We’ll see how I do. I may fail miserably, or I may create the next great Southern American Fantasy Novel. Who knows. Either way, cheer me on, wouldja?

Anyway, if you plan to #NaNo this year, my name on the site is dsavannah, and you can visit my profile. Of course, as it gets closer, I will add widgets so you can see how many words I’ve written on my novel.