Nanowrimo

Nanowrimo just started and I'm getting a bit of a slow start.  I'm ok with this as I am allowing my editor to have a little more of a voice than past years.  I've been a participant of Nanowrimo since 2007 and have completed it each time.  I expect to complete it again this year hoping my characters cooperate.  I'm working on character development as we go.  In the past I've had most of my characters developed before starting, so this too is putting me a little behind.  Not to worry, I will be writing most of the weekend.

Anyone else writing young adult fiction novels?  Would love to talk. If you are in Minneapolis and are writing for Nanowrimo, let me know!

Good luck in your writing and I will keep you updated on my blog.

Writer's Workshops

Does anyone know of or attended any good Writer's Conferences for beginners?  I live in Minneapolis and would like to attend a conference that will help me with my writing, query letters, finding an agent, making pitches, etc.  I haven't been to any conferences so this is all new to me. 

I received information in the mail for the Writer's Institute - UW Madison for April 8-10th http://www.uwwritersinstitute.org/.  Has anyone been to this before?  Was it helpful and would you recommend it to other writers?

Let me know what writer's conferences or workshops you have attended and would recommend.  Look forwarwd to hearing from you.  Thanks!

~ Judy O.

Parenting at Target

So the other day I was in Target picking up a few items on my way home from work.  I finished checking out and pushed my card toward the door.  As I was gathering my bags out of the grocery cart, buttoning my coat (because it's freezing out) and getting my keys out of my purse I overheard a mother's conversation with her 5 year old son.  The little boy was lying in the cart with the bags of groceries.  Mom asked him to put his coat on and the boy began to whine and say he didn't want to.  Mom says, "You better put it on, because if we go outside without a coat it will be very very cold." I think to myself, it's not just cold, it's freezing!  The little boy proceeds to whine and reason with his mom about why he doesn't want to put his jacket on.  This goes on for a few minutes and as I'm walking out, the last I hear mom say is, "I can't take off my coat and put it over you while you're lying in the cart because what will mommy wear?" 

Are you serious?  Was she practicing good parenting skills by begging her child to put his coat on?  By telling him it would be cold outside without a coat, did the child really believe that she would let him go coatless into the freezing cold winter air?  I don't know how long this mom stood there to try and talk her son into putting his coat on, but I was long gone.  Had this been my child?  I would have asked my child nicely to put on his coat.  I would even offer to help him put the coat on, zip it up, pull up the hood... whatever he needed help with.  However, I will only ask him once.  I do not intend to stand there and beg or reason with him as to why he needs to put his coat on.  Was this mom reasoning with her son to avoid creating a scene?  I'm not sure I believe that this is good for the child in the long run.

I understand that our kids need to be heard, but am I wrong to think there are times when the child just needs to obey?  I still shake my head in disbelief.  What would you do?

~ Judy O.

The Writing Zone

Can writing really be this hard?  No, I don't think writing itself is really that hard.  It's finding the time to sit down and do it.  I love it when I get the chance and I'm writing, but it takes so much work and effort to get me to that point.  When I think about sitting down and getting into my "zone", it sometimes feels so overwhelming.  It's easy to be productive with regular household chores or tasks at work, because that doesn't require me to "get in the zone".  What can I do so I don't get so overwhelmed with the idea of making the time, sitting down and enjoying my writing?

~ Judy O.

How To Be Productive

Are you staying productive or do you feel like you’re drifting through each day? How do the people who accomplish so much stay productive while others seem to do nothing at all? Sometimes we become overwhelmed with the daily tasks of life or we have to set our writing goals aside because we have to make a living. Be sure you are setting aside time to write and the best way to do this is to stay productive. Below are a few tips to help you be productive:

1 – Change Your Mindset. It can be overwhelming to think of all the things you need to do for the day. Productive people break their tasks up into smaller steps so they are not so overwhelmed.

2 – Write down a list of projects or tasks that need to be accomplished. Put a date next to it so you can organize your time

3 – Organize the list in order of due dates. Categorize each task and put them together by category.

4 - Write down 2 to 3 sub-task for each project on your list. This will show you the amount of work that is required to complete each item. Put a due date next to each sub-task.

5 - Your new way of thinking will be to complete one sub-task at a time. When the sub-task is complete, move on to the next. When all sub-tasks are complete then move on to the next project. When a project is complete then move on to the next project.

Read full article: How to Be More Productive in Life | eHow.com

What is Scribd?

So I've been seeing comments about a sight called Scribd where writer's can post their documents and work online.  Can someone tell me how it's used?  Would an amateur novel writer want to use it?  How is it helpful for getting published?  Let me know if you've used it and how it's worked or not worked for you!  Thanks!

Judy O.

Top 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block

Top 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block
1. Implementing a Writing Schedule
2. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself
3. Think of Writing as a Regular Job, and Less as an Art
4. Take Time off If You've Just Finished a Project
5. Set Deadlines adn Keep Them
6. Examine Deep-Seated Issues Behind Your Writer's Block
7. Work on More Thank One Project at a Time
8. Try Writing Excercises
9. Re-Consider Your Writing Space
10. Remember Why You Started to Write in the First Place

For Full article see:  Top 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block By Ginny Wiehardt