Yeah. I know...now you have that song stuck in your head. You're welcome. But my reference was a little less meme and a little more...well...this...

I live in the good old US of A. So that means I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. My local Covid-19 infection numbers are starting to go down for the first time in quite a while. We still have a decent amount of new cases every day, but the positivity numbers are dropping. Which is encouraging. 

I have been working extra hours on top of dealing with trying to navigate the world of Zoom classes for my kids and frankly, the idea of even picking up a book to read for pleasure has me exhausted.

As of right now, everyone in my family is still healthy. **knocks excessively on wood**

I am going to try and get some writing under my fingers next month with NaNoWriMo, and I'm going to try and give myself the grace to accept how ever many words actually end up coming from my fingers. The world is crazy right now, and I'm here for joy, not a job. You can find me under "RoxyMews" over there. I'll have an Alphasmart blocking my face because I didn't want to put on makeup.

I am probably going to delete my LJ Smith book post, because...well. I'm not up to leading anything right now. But I'm alive, and I'm trying my best. I hope all of you are safe, healthy, and finding joy where you can. 

~Roxy

(*NOTE* I'm linking a lot of things in this article. Hover over the words and click your little heart away)

As I'm getting myself ready for NaNoWriMo this year, I'm realizing that timers are magic. And I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Have you ever noticed how many productivity methods recommend timers? Sure, NaNoWriMo has atimer, but you can also set up word sprints days in advance! If you're going to be home at 9am (EST) on November 1st, click the button below and sprint with me. Let's give this group sprint thing a try.

Not a fan of the NaNoWriMo website? You can try Discord, searching for Twitter for #wordsprint, #NaNoWriMo, or #1k1hr, or even send me a message on Facebook, and I'll drop you into my handy dandy NaNo group "Roxy's NaNoWriMo 2018 Rockstars". 

Those are just the various places I'll be hanging out getting some writing done. And I'll be doing it 15-30 minutes at a time. There is something fantastic about using a timer that makes the whole shebang seem more vital. It's a race against the clock to battle back the blank page with tons of words. 

Did you know that timers have the same magic outside of your WIP? It took tons of self-help and productivity guides spewing the same stuff at me for me to take the timer outside of my writing time. But seriously. It's brilliant.

Know who else uses timers? People who practice the Pomodoro technique, which is simply setting a timer to get any task done, and then taking a brief break. According Wikipedia, it was a technique developed in the 80's, but I have a feeling people have been doing this for a lot longer than that. 

Why are people talking about setting a timer and using it to get shit done? 

Because it works. Period. Dot. End of story.

I don't know why, and I don't know how. I'm sure there is some kind of chemical in our brains that makes us work harder when we're put up against a hard deadline. Probably something to do with our inherent survival instinct that I don't have the background to talk about. But I can tell you, this timer shit works. 

​I've been using the Forest App, I talked about a couple blogs ago. Holy shit, is this app amazingly helpful. Know why? It stops you from picking up your phone. If you go to check a notification and leave the app, you'll kill your "tree" or "bush". Anyone ever cried during The Lorax? *raises hand* This app will guilt you into doing your shit and putting the social media aside for later. 

I challenge you to set a timer for something you've been putting off today. It's after 3pm my time, so I set a timer to get this blog done. And I'm going to have a happy little tree to add to my forrest in my app in another 8 minutes. Because that's the beauty of the timer, for me. I accomplish more in less time. If I have 6 hours to do something, it will take me 6 hours. If I only have thirty minutes...well, I'll bet I get more done in those thirty minutes than I would have if I hadn't set the timer. 

Do you use timers? If you do, tell me what you use. I'm always down for another gadget. If you don't use timers, are you thinking about snagging one now? I'd love to hear about it.

​~Roxy

This is a repost from a blog I did a few years back. It popped up in my memories and sadly, I realized the blog was no more. 

So I wanted to share it, because I think it's a darn good blog, even if I do say so myself. Although I am giving plotting (in the most basic of forms) a try for this year's NaNoWriMo, I am a pantser at heart. Every story I've started has come from a main character and a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." statement. And that's it. So although I'm dipping my toe into the plotter pool, I'm probably diving back into the pantser lifestyle soon after.

Without further ado...Here's a post about NaNo and my Top 4 NaNoWriMo Prep Tips for Pantsers.

For anyone who isn’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an online gathering of people who are all trying to score fifty thousand words in just thirty days. There are forums, and regional meetups, and really cool little graphs to help get you to those two magical words… “The End.”

I am that writer who loves the blank page. I adore starting stories. Those first few thousand words are my favorites. When the characters are just starting to dance across your brain cells, it’s exciting and new and the possibilities of where their tales will go are endless.

Starting stories was always easy for me. I had notebooks full of plot ideas, thumb drives stuffed with story starters, and hundreds of thousands of words that I had to get out of my head.

Unfortunately, up until a few years ago, I didn’t have a single finished novel.

Then I found NaNoWriMo. I created a profile and signed up. Seeing all of these seasoned authors sprinting along with me was amazing. We were all there for the same reason…to create a story. It didn’t matter what we were writing, we all had to get words on the page.

This is a series about how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. But I’m going to let you in on a secret…

Not all of us plan. Like…at all. Not even a little bit.

NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”.

A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write.

My name is Roxy Mews, and I am a pantser.

I open Word, and I go. Sure, I don’t write the neatest first drafts. (I owe my CPs and editors some serious chocolate.) Sometimes my characters change attitude, hair color, and eye color, or even name.

Preptober about NaNoWriMo prep, so let me give you some ways to prep if you too are in the Pantser Camp.

#1 Get acquainted with the “Review” tab in Word.
When I am writing and I know I need to research something for a plot point, or I am putting in a crucial tidbit where a character needs to act differently, I make a note. I click that lovely “New Comment” box in the Review tab, and remind myself what I need to do.

Killing someone with a gun? Google model descriptions later.

Have to find a regional food? Ask the twitterverse when that part of the world is awake.

Need to see if humans can bend that way while getting intimately acquainted? Just make sure your safe search is off, and the internet will reveal all.

Make your notes and move forward. NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor and finishing the story.
 
#2 Stock up on a stash of bribe items.
There are days when you won’t want to write. The dreaded week 2 blahs strike many of us hard. Pick your favorite treat and keep them under lock and key until you put your butt in front of the computer.

You only get that piece of chocolate when you reach your word count goal.

That fancy coffee you love to treat yourself with? Only order it when you have your first ten thousand words under your belt. (I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee for this bribe)

You can also arm yourself with a special playlist, or a great smelling candle. They don’t have to be pricey or full of calories, but chocolate and caffeine tend to be what keeps me moving forward.
 
#3 Easy meal prep
The most exciting part about being a Pantser is when the muse sits on your shoulder and starts screaming the story in your ear. Those moments are not ones you want to stop in the middle of. If your muse is anything like mine, you can’t get her to start again when you’re ready.

Have easy meals ready to go.

Put the local pizza delivery place on notice, and let them know when you call them grunting into the phone it means you want a large bacon and pineapple. Tell them you’ll leave the money on the porch when you sprint for the bathroom break you’ve been putting off all afternoon.

I suppose you could cook things ahead of time too, but you’re about to write 50k in a month. If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time for that kind of thing.
 
#4 Get a buddy
One of the best things about the NaNoWriMo website is the buddies feature. You can add buddies to your page and the NaNo site will let you peek into their word count. You can see when they’re slacking and guess what…they can see when you are.

Having that accountability is one hell of a motivator.  Find a buddy. Find a group of them, and push each other. When I see I am only a hundred words from topping one of my buddies for the day, I always get another cup of coffee and push ahead.

If you want to be my buddy, you can find me HERE.
 
At the end of the day, if you are a Plotter or a Pantser, we all start with zero words on our boards. We all start with nothing and work to create a complete story. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s not meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be finished.

If you’re waffling on joining up, and think you missed your time to prepare, you’re wrong. You don’t need a perfected outline. You don’t need character charts. You just need to write. Why not do it with millions of other people? 
 
Are you a Plotter or a Pantser? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

I've been chatting about NaNoWriMo over here a lot, and heads up, there will be a lot more, because this will consume my life for the next month. If it's not your bag...I'll see you in December. 

But I do think even if you're not a WriMo, there are still tons of things you can get out of the content that becomes prolific during the month of November.

One of my favorite types of content is what people like to call their "Survival Kits". Many NaNoWriMo participants hoard adorable coffee mugs, cute pens, fancy gadgets and software in preparation for November. And there are a million and one of these videos that are prevalent on authortube. I'll drop two of my fav's from this year below.

Some of you might look at these Pinterest-Worthy moments and say, "Yeah. All well and good, Roxy. But I'm flat ass broke."

You know what? Me too. So I thought I'd share some of the bribes I'm using this year in my NaNoWriMo survival kit. (I chat about bribes in a blog post from last year if you want to check it out HERE.)

Here are 5 TOTALLY FREE bribes you can use for your NaNoWriMo survival kit.

1. Reading Time

Head to your local library and grab a great new book you're dying to read, or an old favorite. I've been known to use a book I haven't read since I was a kid to set next to me and motivate me to get my work done. Don't have the time to go out? Download Overdrive on your phone and borrow e-books and audio books from your library FOR FREE. Then reward yourself after a certain number of words. Maybe you can get ahead by writing a little more than goal each day, and once you are 1667 words ahead, you get a day off to read. Adjust it to work for you.

2. Binge Time

In the days of Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, we all have services that allow us to watch episodic content to excess. Hold off on all this until your writing is done. Or better yet, give a particularly cruel buddy your login, and make them change it until your words are on the page. Just like the books, set a goal. Make it just a little challenging, but totally doable, and reward yourself when you get there. 

Give yourself a visual list of all the good things you can watch, then you can check them off as you accumulate all those beautiful new words.

3. Hygiene

Okay...stay with me here. We tend to devolve a little on this as the month goes on. Many of us (me included) have a particular chair where we always write. And sometimes we get lost in our story and time and space, and showering get away from us. Make it your reward. Do you have a fancy shower-gel or soap you were gifted in that lame secret Santa party last year? Dig it out! Bath bomb you never have the time to use? As women, we tend to accumulate these things from co-workers and distant family when they have no idea what to buy us. Use them as your bribes. And if you don't have one of these stashes, treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure at the end of a long writing day. We have all these self-care items we tend to save for "special occasions", but it's time to break them out.

4. Candles

This is another of those things gifted and re-gifted to women constantly. So I'm assuming you have at least a few candles hanging around. Grab a candle for each 500 or 1,000 words you want to write for the day. Every time you hit that goal, light that baby up! It's helpful to see the visual reminder of what you're accomplishing, and you'll have the perfect atmosphere to keep going into the dark and stormy night. 

If you don't have candles, but do have a stationary stash of stickers, maybe you can toss a cute sticker in your planner or in a notebook for every 500 or 1,000 words. Use what you have, but make it visible. 

5. New App for your phone or computer

There are a ton of free apps out there, and they can be things as goofy as puzzle games or useful like the Forest app mentioned in Rachael Stephen's video above. I'm actually using the Forest app to write this blog now. I'm two bushes in. ;) But seriously, get yourself something you're wanting to try, but don't download it until you've hit goal for the day. Or maybe you want to spread it out, and use the apps for 10k, 20k, 30k, etc. Just find great ones you like that are FREE.



You don't have to drop hundreds of dollars on adorable things to do well in NaNoWriMo. You just have to write. And if you're reading this blog, you likely are doing it on a computer or phone, so you have all the tools you need, right there. Books have been written on phones. I have Microsoft Office 365 so my phone, but Google Docs is a free download for Android. (And I'm sure if you're on iOS there's something comparable.)

We're less than a week away from November 1st! Let's get ready to write like the wind!

~Roxy