What Wednesday: Writer’s Don’t Always Have to Write

Moncrieff wrote an article about the need to stop shaming writers who can’t write all the time. I am one of those writers. I haven’t been able to write recently because it’s been crunch time with studying for my huge exam coming this Friday. Plus, it’s great this article came around NaNoWriMo, because I’ve never been able to participate in NaNo–mostly because I was usually working on a book for publication.

I’m glad Moncrieff decried the notion that writers must always write. Sometimes on my Facebook feed I’ll see other writers posting that if they can find the time to write, then so can you. Or if they can find the time to market, then so can you. And I’m tired of it. Really tired of it. I have to prioritize other things in my life, and, unfortunately, When Stars Die hasn’t been a top priority for me, even though its release is this Saturday. I’ll admit that sucks considering it was a huge priority for me with its initial release, but work has drained me in the past, and even though I’m barely working this week, I’ve still got to use this time to study, to ensure that I do know all of what I need to know.

In the past it was easy for me to write all the time. I wasn’t working as many hours, and I wasn’t studying to be certified as a personal trainer. Work also wasn’t a source of stress, and stress can be abysmally draining. It’s so easy for writers and authors to say that we should write and market all the time if they’re doing jobs that are related in these fields. But for those of us who aren’t, it’s not as easy. Not at all.

I don’t want to force myself to write when I’m drained because it’s all going to come out super crappy anyway. Then I’m going to feel inclined to delete everything and start all over. I’m not a perfectionist with drafts, but I do want some degree of being able to make sense of what’s going on.

I also have to have at least 9 hours of sleep, and since I generally work the mornings, going to bed late is not an option. I have bipolar disorder, so it’s a detriment to me to not get that much-needed sleep. And since I also want to be a great model for fitness and health, sleep is a very important part of that lifestyle. If I don’t get the sleep that I need, I’m incredibly crabby and short-tempered.

Let’s also not forget the fact that I always take a few hours out of my day to spend with my fiance since we don’t yet live together. I think once we do, I might find that I will be able to use those hours to write since we’ll be around one another a lot anyway.

But right now, writing is unfortunately not a priority.

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When Stars Die up for pre-order

Put When Stars Die in the Top Ten

As I said at the end of my NaNo post yesterday, today’s post is extremely short. I simply want you guys to vote for When Stars Die in what I believe is a cover art contest. Being put in the top ten will earn me something awesome, and I would very much like that something awesome. So click on When Stars Die to be taken to the poll, find the book, and vote for it! Thank you so much, Stars!

 Tomorrow’s post will be about my sudden, intense interest in the marketing and launching of a book, so this will be a very new thing for me. 

NaNoWriMo and Why I Can’t Participate

That time of year is here again–well, it’s always here. NaNoWriMo! I have never done NaNoWriMo because I have always been engaged in other writerly endeavors. I am a one book at a time person. Just because I’m outlining a book as I’m writing another doesn’t mean I’ll be writing that book once the outline is done. Instead of being able to participate in NaNo this year, I will be working on The Stars Are Infinite and will be getting back to When Heaven Was Blue.

That being said, I once participated in ViNoWrimo, which was Vicious Writing Month, back when the Vicious Writing group had a publishing company before going under due to poor management. So, take notice small presses: poor management will do you in. Big time. In any case, we were all supposed to write this one book in a month, and the best book received a contract. I didn’t win. I was still green at the time, but I will tell you it was about a 19th century girl giving sexual favors to a much older man in exchange for receiving money to go to university, as going to university was taboo in that day for women. I’ll probably get back to it, because I want to write a Victorian drama, but it will be more mature–still YA, of course, but possibly pushing NA boundaries.

Of course, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to participate in NaNoWrimo.

Guys, I don’t know how authors do it. I can see how self-published authors are able to do it because they can set their own deadlines and change them as they see fit, but with traditional or small press authors, I don’t see how it’s possible. We’re always working on the next novel that we want to be published. Do some authors plan their NaNo novel in advance and eventually want to publish it down the road somewhere? Or is NaNo just a chance for them to let loose? I practically have a NaNo all the time, because when I start a novel, it takes generally a month for me to draft, only because I have a thorough outline. Revisions, of course, take longer, and they should.

Here are a few comments from writers who will be participating in NaNo this year:

Katie Harder-Schauer: I’m participating in NaNo this year. My book is going to be an apocalypse novel.

Jennifer Castillo: Yup! I am. Year two, here I come! Book tagline: She is out for revenge…against those who forgot her name.

Mariah E. Wilson: Part of me REALLY wants to, but I want to finish Pitbully, and I don’t think I can be effective at doing both. I have an idea that I’m mapping out in my head…just in case (but it’s a secret).

Amy Carlson: I’m doing NaNo this year! I have a bit of an outline done, but I’m sure I’ll end up pantsing a large portion of it.

Wanndering: I guess Nano is the kind of push amateur and aspiring writers need to finish their novels. I know it is for me.

And a funny comment from my publisher, just cause. It was in response to sending in The Stars Are Infinite in to him in December.

Raymond Vogel: I was wondering if you were getting me anything for Christmas.

So are you guys doing NaNo this year? What are your plans? Do you outline or pants it? If you’re an author, how do you make time for NaNo? If you’re a writer, what does NaNo do for you?

Tomorrow my blog post will be very simple. It simply consists of a contest I have been entered in to that I hope you will all vote on When Stars Die.