I've done NaNoWriMo a couple of times now and it has it's pros and cons. It's certainly not for everyone. Here's some signs it might not be for you.
Author: Julia H Dixon
Julia H Dixon wears many hats: She is a short story writer & essayist, artist, pop culture nerd & conservationist. On top of running this site completely solo, she is a three time NaNoWriMo winner! She loves the smell of books, wacky science fiction, and the occasional true-crime documentary.
10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Evil Spirits This Halloween
Welcome to another installment of Stuff I Learnt For My Novel - a spooky October special! There is no shortage of ghosts, demons, and evil happenings in history, folklore, and fiction, and at this time of year we're all especially aware of the things that go bump in the night. With that in mind, let's … Continue reading 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Evil Spirits This Halloween
Finding The Perfect Comp Title: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Finding a suitable comp title for my novel has been a slow journey. I expected that. There's this whole process of finding the books and then reading them - and reading them consciously so I actually notice the similarities instead of just, you know, enjoying the book. Case in point, here is the next update … Continue reading Finding The Perfect Comp Title: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Is Fan Fiction A Productive Use Of A Writer’s Time?
Here's some common opinions of fanfiction: Fanfiction is all, ahem, erotic. Fanfiction is badly written. Fanfic authors who go onto to be published authors write really bad books. Fanfic is dumb. It's a hobby for awkward young teens. Basically fanfic is viewed as a lesser literary form - if we dare call it literary at … Continue reading Is Fan Fiction A Productive Use Of A Writer’s Time?
How (Not) To Write Your Protagonist (Lightyear RANT)
Writing a protagonist isn't always easy. It's something I've had trouble with myself, but one thing I've always tried to do with whatever I write is to make the character likable in some way. For me, that is the number one priority.
Mistakes You’re Making With Your Author Platform
Have you built your author platform on shaky ground? I've noticed some worrying traps aspiring authors are falling into - and I know because I'm an aspiring author who has fallen into these traps myself.
4 Ways To Know If Your Opening Chapters Are Working
I have re-written my first chapter for my dark fantasy WIP In Roots They Quake a few times now, but in the past week I've hit on a version of the opening that is really working for me. Granted, it's impossible for me to know this early whether these chapters will be in the published … Continue reading 4 Ways To Know If Your Opening Chapters Are Working
Finding The Perfect Comp Title: Imaginary Friend By Stephen Chbosky
If you're a writer looking to be traditionally published, you will have heard of comp titles. A comp title or a comparison title can be used to give agents a general idea for what to expect from the book you want to publish. As an aspiring author myself, I have been on a journey to … Continue reading Finding The Perfect Comp Title: Imaginary Friend By Stephen Chbosky
Count Your Writing Achievements
I've decided to count my writing achievements. And you should too.
3 Things Plotters Don’t Understand About Pantsers
Every writer has heard the "pantsing" versus "plotting" debate. The crux of the debate is that some writers prefer to plan a lot before they start their novel and others don't plan as much. In a community dominated by plotters, here's some things I wish people understood about writing a novel by the seat of your pants.
Writer In A Hat 