NaNoWriMo – hitting the buffers

Chris Hall11 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

Week 4

Last day, last update!

Buffer Bashing NaNoWriMo LunasonlineWell, to continue the railway analogy: I haven’t run out of steam (far from it), but I have run out of time. But only just. I’m nearly there.

I might manage to squeeze another chapter out before the end of today, but I’ll still won’t have finished. That’s fine.

It was always ‘my rules’, so I’m extending my deadline into next week. And why not? Then I will have a completed ‘rough-ish’ first draft to work on next year.
It will be a good start to 2019.

So, how was it for me?

It was a good experience.
I enjoyed it.
It hasn’t mattered that I didn’t quite reach my goal.
I wrote every single day (apart from two Thursdays, which I’d anticipated).
Other priorities permitting, I discovered that I can write more, and I can write more quickly without (I believe) compromising on quality.

Would I do it again? Quite possibly.

So, all you other ‘NaNoWriMos’ out there. How was it for you?
I hope you achieved success – however you care to measure it – and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! See you next year?

Normal service will be resumed shortly.

 

Freebie this week!

Chris Hall6 Comments

 

Well, it’s that kinda week…

Just a reminder that my novel, ‘The Silver Locket’ written under pen name Holly Atkins, will be available to download onto your Kindle (or phone with ‘app’) for the rest of this week.

Please do help yourself to a copy!

If you get the chance, I’d really like to hear what you think about it. All feedback and reviews are welcome.

Ellie Scott did and I really appreciated her review. Here’s what she said: Ellie Scott’s book review of The Silver Locket

Offer closes Friday 30th November at 11:59 PST (Saturday 1st December 07:59 GMT)

NaNoWriMo – are we flagging?

Chris Hall6 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

Week 3

Actually, no, not flagging!

Three-quarters of the way into the month and my children’s novella is coming along quite nicely, in fact it’s probably just about at the right point in the story now for it to crank up, wind down and come in close to the finishing line by this time next week; lucky I set the bar low. But I mustn’t be complacent. Just plug away. I never know quite what the pesky characters are going to do to trip me up!

Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Swept up in all the Black Friday hype (no, not really, that’s a lie); rather slightly aware of an opportunity, I went for the old ‘Kindle giveaway’ for ‘The Silver Locket’. Now that was a handsome piece of prevarication, don’t you think. Still, I’ve taken advantage of so many freebies and cheapies from other Indie Authors, that I wanted to join in with a free offer – don’t worry about missing it – I’ll be tweeting the odd reminder next week.

So, have a pleasant and productive week all you NaNo people – and everyone else by the way!

Climbing on the Black Friday Bandwagon

Chris Hall4 Comments

black friday lunasonline

It has to be done. A FREE OFFER!

Actually it will be Monday 26 – Friday 30 November.

My novel, ‘The Silver Locket’ written under pen name Holly Atkins, will be available to download onto your Kindle (or phone with ‘app’).

Please do help yourself to a copy and let me know what you think, if you have the time, like the lovely Ellie Scott did: Ellie Scott’s book review of The Silver Locket

Save it to read after NaNoWriMo, if that’s what you’re doing. I have a stack of books waiting for me.

So, from Monday 12:00 PST (08:00 GMT) this is where to go for your freebie:

NaNoWriMo – onward and upward

Chris Hall8 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

Week 2

This morning, having once again had a terrible Thursday – not even one paragraph completed – I was feeling discouraged. The whole day before me and I just couldn’t get going. Maybe I’d put my characters through too much in the last couple of chapters? Charred bodies? Too gruesome for a middle grade story?

Leave it. Move on. I can always tone it down later.

Then after doing a spot of ‘real work’ up they popped, ready to go. Now Chapter 10 is all finished and I’m pretty much on track for my 30,000 word target for the month – 14,290 to be precise – and they’re ‘all good’ words (I think).

So, onward and upward to fellow ‘NaNo’s next week, and to everyone else busy toiling at the keyboard!

NaNoWriMo – update

Chris Hall6 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

The first week is almost over. Well, it’s been a week and a day, strictly speaking, but since my Thursdays have been too chock-full of ‘other stuff’, I’m not counting them (or on them).

I am enjoying it. I’m having fun. Maybe not getting quite the word count… but I have (mostly) finished my first five chapters. I’ve allowed myself to miss bits out: not worry about names, or particular locations. I’ve left notes to myself to look up this and fill in that. It’s working, at least in the context of my own particular goal for a short novel for children.

Oh, and the planning has mostly gone out the window. I’ve discovered I can’t write that way. Although I do still have the end written. It might change , I’ll have to see what my characters do. And I’m loving them!

So, my writerly friends out there who are busy with this little adventure too: may your words flow fluently, your plots thicken seamlessly and your characters give you joy! (Was that too many adverbs??).

On with the journey…

Writing for Children with Kieran Fanning

Chris HallLeave a comment

Great little interview. Check it out if like me you’re busy with a children’s story for NaNoWriMo.

theryanlanz's avatarRyan Lanz

bear-422369_640

Our interview today is with Kieran Fanning. Kieran is a teacher in Co. Meath, Ireland.  He has an MA in Children’s Literature and wrote 4 puzzle/adventure books for children.

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What Do You Think Are the Most Popular Genres?

Chris HallLeave a comment

Interesting article! I found it encouraging too, since I’m working on a novel for children during #NaNoWriMo.

theryanlanz's avatarRyan Lanz

by Jean M. Cogdell

Is your genre one of the top percenters?

I hadn’t given this much thought, until reading a great article on Medium by Erica Verrillo from the Writing Cooperative. And boy howdy, the stats were eye-opening. Erica gives stats on most popular genres with readers, agents and includes which genres make the most money.

What surprised me most?

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NaNoWriMo

Chris Hall6 Comments

nanowrimo 2018

It’s started and not quite as I’d imagined. Of course, I must start by coming clean and admitting to those who didn’t catch my admission on Twitter the other day, that I haven’t signed up for this properly and officially.

No. I decided to be easy(ish) on myself and aim for a modest target of 20,000 – 30,000 words. A children’s story. Something I could add to later: parts two and three perhaps.

So, at the start of the week, I did a little light planning, which was good. Feeling confident!

And then midweek, and I shouldn’t complain,  I got a whole bunch of ‘proper work’ to do. That, incidentally, means paid work for clients which, of course is good. But it did include reproducing a 28 page, closely worded, legal document, which took hours (it’s not something I’d normally do) and it numbed my brain, something chronic!

NaNoWriMo Day One – 7,239 words… and none of them fiction! Day Two has been better.

Good luck to everyone who’s doing this! I wish you very well. See you next month.

A Thanks

Chris HallLeave a comment

Authors helping authors: share and learn!

writerofage's avatarAdam west

Alright.

Let’s begin.

This post is about an acknowledgment of gratitude. In the recent event of releasing a story, and the errs along its way to a patient recipient.

Firstly, thank you, Chris Hall, a WordPress blogger, and published author, you have followed and offered wonderful feedback for some time, and I appreciate that greatly!

Doubly, thank you for the -and it’s a rough guess- 30+ emails we exchanged trying to send an ebook, across country borders. There were miscues, moments where it seemed like it would work, then didn’t. Well, eventually, with combined efforts and determination, we found success!

Thank you, Chris, for your interest in The Vague Ship, and help in discovering how to share books across the world!

Check out her blog here!

Lastly, this means I can extend my giveaway beyond the borders of the US.

Writer of Age

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