I do this every year. Literally every year, and I’m totally okay with that. I do this because not everyone reads the massive backlog of blog posts that four years creates. I do this because we have a lot of new readers this year. (And I love you all). I do this because everyone needs to hear this and I do this because I need a yearly reminder too.

The holidays are awesome fun-filled events that can remind us of our childhood and gives us time to spend with our families. It’s a necessary and much-loved break.

It’s also a huge ass money pit, emotionally devastating and a time when many of us have to deal with relatives we don’t like. It’s full of obligations to people we don’t care about. It brings up loneliness, bad memories, and dark, dark feels.

For someone like me, who suffers from seasonal stuff as it is and recently went through a serious family upheaval, the holidays can be the emotional equivalent of rubbing your face on a cheese grater.

I want to love the holidays. And I want to help you love the holidays too. Here are four hard and fast rules I have set in place over the years to help me not only survive the holidays but to enjoy them.

Don’t do anything for the holidays that you don’t like.

Let me teach you my favorite word for the holidays, ‘no’. No to anything that doesn’t bring you joy. No to anything that doesn’t fit into your schedule. No to anyone who doesn’t respect your needs.

I love no, it’s a complete sentence all by itself. You don’t owe an explanation to anyone. If you don’t want to do the cookie exchange, write Christmas cards, host a potluck, watch A Christmas Story for the 157^th damn time, then respectfully and lovingly say no. This leaves time available for all the great holiday things that you want to do.

Make allowances for your family.

There is an addendum to this, of course. Your direct family gets to ask to do things that you want to say no to, and sometimes you have to say yes. But not always! Yes, we’ll watch this Christmas movie that you love, but please watch that one while I’m doing something else. Yes, your mom can come to Thanksgiving, but not your uncle because he’s racist every year. If you want to see him, please take him out to lunch. Okay, we can do Christmas Eve breakfast with your parents, but I want to have brunch on Boxing Day.

Make time for you to do non-holiday stuff too.

For me, this means writing and reading on basically my normal schedule. But Nicole, you might say, aren’t the holidays a time for family? Why are you working on your writing through them?

Well, because writing isn’t a job for me, it’s my art. It’s how I express a well of deep and humongous emotions and exorcize my demons. And I really freaking need that escapes hatch in the holidays, more than any other time of year. I also need to spend time reading, just as much now as I do in July. Don’t put away the things that you love just because you think you’re too busy. Make time to take care of yourself.

Start planning right now.

Today is November ninth. We’re two weeks away from Thanksgiving. Do you know what you’re doing? I’ve known since October 30^th. I’ve been working on Christmas presents, ordering, and planning since the 15^th of October.

Start planning early, so you’re not scrambling in December. Nothing ruins Christmas Eve like running around on last minute errands. Nothing ruins Thanksgiving like finding out you’re missing the necessary can of cranberries.

Sit down today with a cup of something wonderful and make a list of everything you want to do for the holidays. Gifts you want to buy, treats you want to make, cards you want to send, movies you want to watch, events you want to plan. Now, make a plan either by yourself or with your partner to make these things happen. Be realistic, and accept that you might not have time for everything. (Do we ever have time for everything we want to do with our lives? I don’t.) The important part is that you make a plan.

Most of the people who read my blog are adults. At least I think so, it’s been a while since I’ve done a survey. Shout out in the comments if you’re under 18, that should be fun. But for the rest of us, we have got to remember that we make what we want out of our lives. That doesn’t change when we hang tinsel around the house. If you hang tinsel. I don’t, Harper would eat it. When it comes down to it, the holidays are about love. Love your family, and love yourself.

Twelve little Christmas stories, ranging from heartfelt to horrifying. Meet a young woman on the streets on Christmas Eve, a woman handing out Christmas cookies, and a little boy getting an unexpected visit from Santa.

Preorder it here now

I’m super excited to announce today that I have one more book launch this year.

Christmas is a great time of year for stories. Sweet stories that remind us of miracles and magic. Frightening stories that make us cuddle together in the cold of winter. Stories that make us feel like children again.

Twelve Little Christmas Tales includes a blend of terror and treat, magic and maniacal. In it, you will find a woman who receives an unwanted group of carolers, a young witch looking after her little brother, and a girl who gets a new coat on Christmas Eve that leads her to an amazing discovery.

Also, for Woven fans, there’s a story about Lenore’s friend Emily and her little boy Todd.

Do you love Station 86? Ever wonder how Sennett and Godfrey spend Christmas on the station? In this book, you will find Sennett’s first Christmas without her mom.

Twelve Little Christmas Tales is available for pre-order now, with an official launch date of November 23^rd. Get it for yourself, or as a gift for someone you love.

Get it on Smashwords

Or, get it on Amazon

Happy holidays, guys. Hope it’s a great one.

If you’re doing Nanowrimo, you should have 8,335 words by the end of today.

I am doing Nanowrimo, and I’ve got a write-in today. So I’m not going to take up too much of your time. I just want you to do something for me.

Grab your calendar right now, and take a look at what you’re doing tomorrow.

Have you already made a plan to vote? Do you remember where your polling place is? Find out today, make plans now to go and vote.

Never for a second think that your vote doesn’t count. Every vote counts, and every single American needs to get out and vote!

See you at the polls. I’ll be watching for your voting selfies tomorrow.

Okay, so it’s the third day of Nanowrimo so I’m sure that either A. you’re pumped to get started or B. you already wish all of us doing Nano would shut the hell up about it. So either way, I’ll be quick today.

I just wanted to let you know that You Can’t Trust The AI, book two of Station 86 is now available on Smashwords. I’m so excited to see the ever-growing list of my books that you can now get no matter what sort of e-reader you have.

In case you missed it, here’s a list of books of mine you can now get on Smashwords.

Seeming (By the way, this one is free.)

You Can’t Trust the AI

The Man in the Woods

AA

Broken Patterns

More to come soon. Thank you as always for reading.

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo, you should be at 3,334 words by now.

I need to tell you about the literal best PSA commercial I have ever seen. I stumbled upon it watching a Nostalgia Critic Commercials episode. Don’t ask me which one, I cannot remember. But it’s from Canada, and it’s probably the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

It’s called the House Hippo. Here’s a link, you have to watch it.

In the video, we see the tiny house hippo going about their day, living in our shoes and eating crumbs from sandwiches.

The point of the commercial is that of course house hippos don’t exist, and our common sense should tell us that, even if we just saw it on tv.

This is a great little PSA, because it’s cute, sticks in your mind, and is absolutely right. Just because you see it on tv, or more to the point read it online, doesn’t mean it’s true. This is something I think we all need to keep in mind, especially those of us in America where elections are happening next week.

Don’t forget to go vote, by the way. November 6th, put it on your calendar now.

Using our common sense deductive reasoning is so important with the amount of information being thrown at us every day. There’s so much false information, and we just can’t afford that. So before you believe, consider. Consider the source, consider who benefits from this if you believe it, and consider whether or not it seems reasonable. If you’re not sure it’s true, don’t share it.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.
But the family can’t hide Devon’s visions after he predicts a devastating plague in the dragon lands of Coveline. He travels there to help the dragon queen save her people.
Meanwhile, Devon’s sister Lenore joins the Church of Singular Light. As Lenore learns to serve, and falls in love with her city, she discovers a dark underbelly to the church.
Lenore fights for her city, and Devon rushes to find a cure to the plague, while an unseen enemy raises an army to destroy Septa from within.

Get it here now.

Happy Halloween! I couldn’t let this holiday go by without sharing some of my favorite scary stories. So, I’m bringing you this bonus post, in case you needed some suggestions of what to do tonight.

These are my personal favorite books, listed in order from worst to best. If I’m leaving out some classics, it might be because I didn’t read them, not necessarily because I didn’t like them. Hell, it might be because I didn’t like them, I don’t know. Feel free to ask me in the comments.

Books

All the Goosebumps books, by RL Stein

Okay, so these aren’t really what I’d call scary. But the sheer number of books that Stein has written is horrifying. The man’s got to live on an IV with a colostomy bag or something.

I’m including these books as a whole because they were my introduction to the horror genre. I read Goosebumps books voraciously, so it was a good thing there were a lot of them. I even read the knock-off series called Shivers. It was to Goosebumps like Mad TV was to SNL. Darker, edgier, and not nearly as well known. Anyway, it would be dishonest in a big way not to give a nod to this influential series on this list. If you’re wondering, my favorite was The Barking Ghost.

The Stand, by Stephen King

Buckle up, there’s going to be a lot of Stephen King on this list. The Stand is, just to be clear, a time commitment. Of course, I had to read the Author’s Preferred Text, so it was actually longer than the original. If you haven’t read it, read it now. It’s long but amazingly rich.

Hearts in Atlantis, by Stephen King

The only reason this book isn’t listed higher is because it’s really stretching the bounds of what I’d consider horror. There’s a small tie into King’s Dark Tower series, which I hated, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about the Vietnam war. It’s hard to explain. Do yourself a favor, and read it.

Amityville Horror

I love this book, love everything about it. And I love what it has to say about what really scares us. If you haven’t read Stephen King’s Dance Macabre, he has a great explanation about the financial squeeze and money scares that a lot of this book and movie are really based on.

From A Buick 8, by Stephen King

This is such a cool book, about a young man whose police officer father is slain in the line of duty. He’s hanging around the police station when he finds an old Buick in a back garage. When he asks the old timers why its there, the story that comes out is terrifying and moving.

Misery, by Stephen King

I’m a writer, of course, this is my favorite Stephen King book. Annie, the antagonist, is terrifying. She is believably crazy, believably dangerous. And she certainly sticks in one’s memory. And, I do want to include a quick side note about the movie. If King is the king of horror, it’s clear that Kathy Bates is the queen.

Stepford Wives, by Ira Levin

What, you haven’t read this book? Stop reading this blog post and go read it right the hell now. Trust me, the movie is nothing like the book. The main character is a happy, intelligent woman who is caught in a nightmare in which she can trust literally no one. Especially the people closest to her.

The House Next Door, by Ann Rivers Siddons

Not a lot of people know about this book. Those of us who do know it have been left haunted by it. When you imagine a haunted house, it’s normally an old house, a creepy old house in which something terrible happened years and years ago. But what if the house is brand new and welcoming. It seems to almost lure people into it.

Read the book, is what I’m saying.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of horror books I have loved in my life. But now I want to hear from you. What is your favorite scary story? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Halloween.

Harold spent most of his son’s life protecting him from the man in the woods, while his neighbors lost child after child. Then, after a deadly car crash, he has to take his sixteen-year-old granddaughter into his home.

Today, I’m bringing you a guest story by Cloe Hammond and CH Clepitt. If you enjoy their work, please check out their books. Have a great day, guys.

“http://www.chloehammondauthor.com/

Chloe Hammond have teamed up again, to bring you the next installment of their Darkly Dreaming, I Wore Heels to the Apocalypse crossover. This one is set at the end of Everything is Better with a Cape, and you will find our protagonists in the South of France. Note, this is set out like a play script, to give a sense of immediacy.

Missed the first installment?

“http://www.newsnibbles.co.uk/2017/09/18/darkly-drinking-with-a-badger/”

Layla: Hey, Rae, is that Kerry over there sunning herself and muttering to her badger, who’s doing a really bad job of hiding itself in the flower beds?

Rae: Oh yes! Shhh, she hasn’t seen us.

Layla: So what’s your plan of action this time genius?

Kerry: You know, you aren’t very inconspicuous…

Badger: Well, we’re in France, no-one’s trying to cull me here.

Kerry: No… but they might try and get me committed…

Rae: I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting to see her here. Persuasion didn’t work very well last time.

Layla: Just compel her! Rae: That’s immoral!

Badger: Is that those two women from the pub? You know, the ones who smell like death…

Kerry: I don’t know, I didn’t sniff them.

Badger: You nearly licked them.

Kerry: Oh, be quiet, badger! I did not!

Layla: I don’t understand why you are so determined it has to be her? Wait til the apocalypse starts and there will be people queuing up for your ‘sanctuary’.

Rae: you saw how kick arse she was. How resilient. We want the best blood stock to establish the breeding program. And, I like her.

Badger: They’re looking at you like they want to eat you!

Kerry: They are not! Oh for god’s sake, fine. Wait here a minute. [standing up and walking over] Morning ladies, didn’t we meet before?

Rae: [whispering] Shit! She’s coming over. What am I going to say?

Layla: hmph. Tell her how much you like her.

Rae: HI KERRY! Ahem, would not have expected to see you here. What a delightful surprise?

Layla: have you got that delicious chap with You?

Kerry: You mean Tyrone? Um, no… he stayed behind. My partner’s work brought her here, and I sort of tagged along. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your names…

Rae: R…

Layla: I’m Layla, this is Rae.

Kerry: [holding out her hand] Hi…

Rae: Ah, no. Um. We don’t do touching. You er, wouldn’t like…

Layla: HAA HAA HA! Ignore her. She’s just a bit funny about germs. So, Kerry, I heard some whispers about zombies. What exactly did you see?

Kerry: [rolling her eyes but visibly relaxing]. It wasn’t zombies, it was government spy cams disguised as zombies, seriously, that’s what it was… and the bloody government got away with it by wiping… [there is a gush of wind and the badger is there]

Badger: What are you doing? You aren’t supposed to remember any of that!

Kerry: Huh? What?

Badger: Are you drunk? What’s wrong with you?

Rae: [Between her teeth] F*ck off badger. We need to know this.

Layla: But are you sure they were government spies?

Badger: That’s it, I’m getting help. [whizzes off]

Kerry: Yes, the chap from the government told me so, right before he sent me to wipe my memory… Wait… who are you?

Rae: Oh don’t worry, we’re not from the government. We’re worried about what they’re hiding.

Layla: Just spit it out Rae, you’ve got about 5 minutes before that bloody badger gets back with that vicious woman. If we are still committed to not killing people we need to be gone before she gets here.

Kerry: [snapping out of the compulsion] I’ll end you both before you get near her.

Rae: Don’t fret no one is hurting anyone. I’m just worried about the future. I think the government are covering up more than they told you. I think some of those zombies were real. That explosion did something bad to the environment. And it’s spreading.

Kerry: [Suddenly interested] Like what? I mean, if you’re really interested in an investigation… [studying them] How do I know I can trust you?

Sam: [appearing out of thin air] Kerry! The badger said you were in trouble. Oh, you two again. What do you want?

Layla: OK. Listen. We heard something bad. Some of those government spy zombies were really zombies. The government is trying to keep it hushed up, but it’s spreading. Am I telling you anything you don’t already know Sam?

Sam: [kissing her teeth] No. It’s actually why I’m in France. Well, that, and [glances at Kerry]. Anyway. Why are you interested? Zombies not edible?

Rae: No they aren’t. Which is going to make things very bad for survivors.

Layla: Very bad indeed.

Sam: We need to find the root of the virus, synthesis an antidote and prepare for… well, whoever’s behind it has resources. How big’s your team?

Kerry: That and what?

Sam: Not now, Kerry.

Kerry: Why not?

Sam: Because it’s personal! Jesus!

Layla: [Leaning forward and narrowing her eyes] You hadn’t told Kerry any of this had you Sam? You were going to keep this from her? Wow I see what you meant Rae.

Rae: Eh? Ow! Ah [catches on] Oh, yes. Very untrustworthy. Not really how you want to approach a real apocalypse is it? With someone you can’t trust. Did you know you were being dragged around while she looked for a cure to a situation you’d been programmed to forget?

Kerry: [Looking at Sam] Um… no… [unconvincingly] I’m very cross with you about this.

Sam: You absolutely should be. I completely understand if you need to storm off. Now. Um, right now, I’d understand.

Kerry: Well, um… screw you then? [Hurries off]

Sam: Not the best way to enlist my help, ladies…

Rae: [to Layla] go and get us a drink. Quickly. Now, Sam you are a sensible lady. Let’s drop pretences. You know who we are. You aren’t supposed to, I’m supposed to kill you or turn you for knowing. But I won’t for as long as keep your mouth shut and don’t tell anyone. Layla and I don’t eat human. But we know a lot of vampires that do. And we are worried about the future. To be brutally honest, we don’t think you’ll get a cure in time.

Sam: I have a very good team behind me. Speaking of…

Ms Meles: [lands next to her] I thought I heard something dodgy. What’s going on Ethereal?

Sam: Vampires, Ms Meles, they want to help us with our zombie problem.

Ms Meles: Sounds like the makings of a very strange buddy movie.

Rae: Well, I don’t think there’s much we can do about the zombies, they’re springing up all over the place. I’m thinking more long term than that. As Sam so astutely pointed out, vampires can’t eat zombies. And vampires are very partial to human. They can also be a bit brattish about long term planning. In other words, they don’t. I’m thinking we need a sanctuary. Several breeding pairs, hidden in a farm, protected by my Pride. I want to offer Kerry a place. I’m being very selective about who I choose and she’s very resilient.

Sam: She’s not breeding with anyone but me, and I don’t think that’ll help you!

Ms Meles: You want to farm humans?

Badger: [Returning] Great, I know some lovely well fed dairy farmers you can start with!

Ms Meles & Sam Together: Quiet Badger!

Rae: You, as a species, aren’t going to survive on your own. You’re too vulnerable. And Sam, I hate to break it to You, but biology is going to intercept that plan. I would offer you a space too, but I know people like you, you won’t be able to resist sacrificing yourself on the front line. Wouldn’t you like to know she’s safe while you fight?

Ms Meles: Oh piss right off! I… She’s not a child. And not a bloody brood mare either!

Badger: So, that was a no to the dairy farmers then? What about Tory ministers? They may be too old to breed…

Rae: Badger, do you really want a future peopled by Tory spawn? I’m talking about an ark here. The only humans to survive the end of the world! No one else will be hidden away an protected by vampires. Sam, I thought you loved her, I thought you’d be happy she would survive.

Badger: That certainly is a fair point. OK, here’s a thought. How about we train dogs to herd the zombies towards the next Tory Party conference, two birds. Surely not even zombies could survive that?

Ms Meles: Badger, will you let up?

Badger: I will when they do.

Ms Meles: [facepalms]

Sam: I love her. And she’ll be fine, she can take care of herself. You can help us with the zombies, or you can go. You aren’t farming us.

Badger: What if someone wrote to Number 10 about the existence of vampires? You’d have to do something then, wouldn’t you?

Ms Meles: Will you stop?!

Rae: Badger, I’m 100% with you on proactive politics. Have you not noticed the recent increase in ‘accidents’. [Smiles fancily]. I’d be delighted to support any future plans you have. And you are of course welcome at the sanctuary. We can invite a lovely lady badger too if you like? Sam, I’m disappointed in you. Of course Kerry can fight off the zombies, that’s why we’re offering her a place. It’s the hordes of ravenous vampires that will descend afterwards that she won’t be able to survive.

Badger: She’ll survive, she has me. Now, leave these two to it, we may not have a zombie problem. Let’s us go hit a wine bar and chat politics.

To be continued…

We would like to state that neither author actually condones the use of zombies or vampires to solve your political problems. That’s what the ballot box is for. Whilst we have mentioned Tories here, other political parties are available.

You can buy <a href=”https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkly-Dreaming-Vicious-Literature-Grown-Ups-ebook/dp/B017EY1OKY/“>Darkly Dreaming by Chloe Hammond on Amazon</a>.  I<a href=”http://relinks.me/B01DRBA67U“> Wore Heels to the Apocalypse by C H Clepitt is available in paper, ebook and audio</a>. Search the authors for more.

<img class=”alignleft wp-image-3234 size-large” src=”http://www.newsnibbles.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/badger-44204_1920-1024×576.jpg” alt=”” width=”665″ height=”374″ />

This came up twice in the last few weeks, so I thought I’d devote a whole blog post to it.

We don’t write in a bubble. You’ve heard me say this a hundred times, and you’ll hear me say it a thousand more. Normally when I say it, I mean that we are members of the human race, the world will influence our writing, and our lives will influence our writing.

That’s not what I mean today, though. What I mean is that no book goes from writer to reader without a team of other people getting involved. Even as indie writers, we can’t bring our stories to life alone.

Sure, some of my books were complete self-jobs. But they’re not as good as the ones that I got other people involved with.

So today, I want to talk about the team of people who help me publish my books. If you’re a reader, you should know that you have a lot more people to thank for your favorite books. If you’re a writer, you should be developing a team like this for yourself. Because we really don’t write in a bubble.

Beta readers

This is the first team a writer builds. In some ways, it’s the easiest. In many others, it’s the hardest.

Beta readers are the first people you show your work to before you submit it or show it to your editor. These are friends, family and fellow writers who agree to read your book and give you their honest opinion.

Building a beta writing team is hard. You’re basically asking your friends and family to take a piece of my soul and tell me why it blows and how hard. Oh, and you’re asking them to take the time to read your stuff. Sadly, most adults don’t think they have time to read a book. (I’m working on a course about this, by the way. We have time to read, but we don’t. I’m going to help people fix that.)

Anyway, I’m getting off topic. A good beta reader needs to love you enough, to be honest with you. They need to be someone whose opinion you respect, and who has the time to commit to reading a manuscript. Maybe a long one, too.

I generally try to give my book to five people. I want to get a varied opinion, and I want to make sure that if a few people need to bow out I’ve still got at least a couple of people reading until the end. A few of my beta readers are writers, one is a fan of the Woven series. (Or, just really good at humoring me.) But I try to get one person, at least, who hasn’t read any of my books before. I want to know if someone could just pick up this book, and read it by itself.

Fellow writers

Listen to me when I say that making friends with other writers is the single best thing you can do for your career as an indie writer. The list of things that you can do to help each other out is never-ending. In my writing group, we share markets looking for short stories. We do blog swaps and guest posts. We talk about the craft of writing, the difficulties of world building. I’ve been able to ask writers I respect if they would read my books and give me blurbs for the covers. Best of all, I’ve made friends, real friends who value writing as much as I do. Fellow writers might also share your work.

If you want to make writing friends, you have to be a good writing friend first. Offer more than you ask for, and don’t get pissed when someone has to say no to you. Because it’s going to happen, people are busy.

But making good writing friends will do more than help your writing. It will enrich your life. It’s great to spend time with people who speak the same language as you do.

Your editor

One of the perks of being a traditionally published writer is that they provide you with an editor. This is the most important member of your team. They work almost as hard you do on your book, and they help make your book way better than it would be without it.

If you’re an indie writer, then you’ve got to find an editor on your own. This can be pricey, but it is totally necessary. It might take you some time to find the right editor for you, but you’ve got to do it. I’m still looking for one.

Your cover artist

I had a great cover artist, but unfortunately, he’s no longer in the business. I need someone new if anyone knows someone.

Cover artists will render what’s in your brain on real, brilliant color. And a good cover may not be the only thing that will sell your novel, but it’s a pretty big tool. So find someone that you connect with, and try not to lose them!

Your friends and family members that share your social media promotions

Getting shares and likes on social media may seem like an ego booster and nothing else. And by and large, it is. But it’s also getting parts of your sales funnel in front of new readers. So if your friends and family are willing, get them to share your social media like crazy. Consider these people your auxiliary marketing team.

It’s important to remember and acknowledge the people who help make our books as wonderful as they can be. It takes a long time to establish this support system, but once you do it’s going to improve your stories.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.

As many of you know, I’ve come to the realization that I can, and will be, doing NaNoWriMo this year.

The event has been around for a good amount of time now, and like anything else, it has its fans and its detractors. I’ve heard the arguments against the event. There are some nasty pieces out there, complaining that Nano does nothing more than flood the fiction field with hundreds of crappy novels that are poorly edited and rushed. I’ve heard other writers say that it makes no sense to rush your creative process by trying to compete to make 50,000 words in a month.

The first argument is actually really insulting. Just because I write 50,000 words in a month doesn’t mean that I’m going to just toss it out. Any decent writer will take those words and rewrite them. NaNoWriMo isn’t about finishing a novel in a month. It’s about getting 50,000 words on the page in a month. It’s about maybe finishing a rough draft. I say maybe because my last novel topped out at 97,942 words. People who actually participate in NaNoWriMo know this.

But if you don’t feel like you get anything out of Nano, that’s fine. If you’re already churning out words on the regular, awesome. I am too, actually. No writer’s block here.

I do Nano for two reasons. One, to push myself because I like a challenge, and to join in the loving camaraderie of my fellow authors.

Here are two things you learn about writing that you think you already know, but you don’t really grasp until it’s happening. One, there is no one holding you accountable to write another book unless you’re in a contract. If you want to work today, that’s great. If you don’t there’s no one who’s going to make you. Unless you’re living off your writing money, there are no overt negative repercussions to not writing. There’s no one checking your weekly word count, and giving you a stern but loving talking to if you don’t get it done.

That can cause some serious motivation issues, especially if you’re just starting to write. Once you’ve been at it for a while, hopefully, you learn the self-discipline that is vital for being a successful writer. Or maybe you’re like me. Sure, I mean to write every day. But some days it just doesn’t happen. Some days I’m busy, damn it. You all know I have a full-time job in addition to selling my books. The NaNoWriMo challenge makes me stretch to make a certain number of words every day, no matter what. And it works. I’ve never entered NaNoWriMo or NanoEdmo and not won. (The official NanoEdmo, by the way, is in February. I and some author friends of mine have been doing NanoEdmo in November for a couple of years because we wanted to participate with everyone else, but didn’t have a rough draft to work on right then.)

The second thing you learn about writing is that it is lonely work. You aren’t writing with a team, you are writing alone. Even if you have a support team, the writing itself is solitary. Participating in big challenges like NaNoWriMo makes me feel like I’m really a part of the writing community. And that feels pretty great. I like feeling like I’m part of something, not just out here on my own typing my little stories.

Now, it’s the middle of October, and if you’re going to participate in NaNoWriMo, you’ve got some work to do right now. I’m in the middle of doing the same work. So, yay working together!

Step one, take a look at your schedule and map out any commitments or plans you have for November that might keep you from writing.

For me, that includes a three-day mini vacation, book launch, and Thanksgiving. I know that I won’t be writing while I’m on vacation, and won’t be able to write a much during the day before, during and after the holiday. So if I were to just write the prescribed 1,667 words a day, that’s not going to happen.

You might have any sort of responsibilities, and before you make a commitment to 50,000 words you need to see what other commitments you’ve already committed to.

Step two, finish up any projects you have going on right now.

I’m working on a novella right now, and I’d like to get it wrapped up before I start on my next novel. I also might get some extra blog posts done so I can spend November writing almost nothing but my new novel.

Start by making a list of anything you’ve been working on. See what you really should be getting off your plate before you start a new project.

Step three, make your game plan for Nano.

I posted my own game plan recently. It was based on the previous steps we’ve already discussed. I took a look at the days I’ll for sure be able to write, and then divide by 50,000 goal by just those days. I’ll also make sure that all of my pre-writing is done before November first.

Now, my plan is based on writing every day except for while I’m on vacation. Yours should be based around whatever it is you have going on in November. Maybe you’re the main cook in your house and you live in America, so you’ll be pretty busy for Thanksgiving. It’s all very personal. Just make sure you’re being realistic about what you can do.

Step four, let people in your life know what you’re doing.

This is a step that I think a lot of people overlook. Writers may write by themselves, but we don’t usually live by ourselves. And even if you do live by yourself, your life is still intertwined with other people.

So if you’re going to commit to doing NaNoWriMo, maybe you should, I don’t know, let people know you’re going to do that.

If you’re living with someone, let them know that you might be a little busier than normal this month. Depending on your relationship and home structure, they’ll probably be perfectly happy to help you out with this. At very least, they can be warned not to hinder.

It can also help to have a few people who love you enough to keep you accountable.

Step five, brainstorm, make an outline and get any pre-writing research done.

Writing is so much more than getting words on the page. During NaNoWriMo, that’s what we’re focusing on, but most of us need to pregame a little first. Now, I don’t do a ton of research, but I do do a good amount of outlining and brainstorming. I want that as done as possible before November first. So I’ll be spending the week before getting that done.

Step six, get your supplies.

What do you need to write? I need composition notebooks, coffee, Marvy Le Pens, and lots of oven dinners so I can handle dinner on my nights to cook easily.

Whatever it is you need, make sure you lay in a good supply before November first. Yes, you can use this as an excuse to buy a bunch of stationery supplies.

Here’s the thing you need to understand most about NaNoWriMo; it’s fun. Challenges are fun, doing challenges with other people is fun. Writing is fun. I mean, if you’re not having fun, what’s the point. There are way easier ways to make money, after all. If I just cared about making money, I’d go do something else. But writing is the most fun thing I do. So I love NaNoWriMo because I get to do my favorite thing for longer than I usually do for a whole month. It’s like when a new game comes out and half of my friends drop off the planet for three days until they beat the damn thing. NaNoWriMo, my writing brothers, and sisters, is our game launch. Let’s have fun with it, and try to beat each other’s high score.

By the way, if you ever doubt that NanoWrimo works, here’s my first NanoWrimo project.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.

Hey, guys. I just wanted to let you know that today is the last day to sign up for the 10 Days of Lists event. If you’ve been on the fence, let me give you – reasons to sign up.

1. It’s free.
2. If you’re doing NanoWrimo this year, it’s the perfect way to figure out what you’re going to write about.
3. You’ll learn a strategy to write deeper, more meaningful work.
4. You’ll have a tool that will hep you figure out what you really want to write about.
5. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
6. If you’re not doing NanoWrimo, it’s a chance to start fleshing out a creative life.
7. If you’re not even a writer, you might learn a new skill for journaling.

If you haven’t signed up yet, click here.

See you tomorrow.