On the Writing Front  has moved!!!  

 

Follow the link to the new wordpress site or just go to 

 

joybernardo.wordpress.com

 

I'll see you there!

The start of this novel was easy to write...back when I didn't think much of it.  I think I may be putting too much pressure on myself now that I think it could be the key to my big break.

*deep breath*

*more keyboard mashing*

It's May 1st!

Well, everyone, it is officially May 1, 2013.  I am happy to report that I won Camp Nanowrimo 2013 as of two days ago, and that I kept and made a few deadlines that I wanted to make last month.  This will be win #3 in the record books.  I’m hoping that this trend will continue and that May will be just as productive as April. 50,000 words is a lot.  It’s 1/3 of a novel, four submissions, eight other short stories (or short story attempts), and I’m not even talking about the planning required for any of them. 50,000 words is also a lot of hot tea, Sugar Free Red Bull, and coffee.  I’m sorry to say that the NaNoWriMo 30 Day Challenge Questions had to fall by the wayside last month because my goals changed about 1/3 of the way through the month.

I’m also happy to report that my boyfriend, Jake, got his first win. I’m trying to convince him to write with me in June as well.  He’s working on a fantastic novel about deceit, betrayal, airships, and love.  This next month, he will be working on editing (and if we get far enough) he may be working on rewrites in June (perfect for a NaNo Rebel, amirite?).

For me, May will be the month of my big breakthrough novel.  Ambitious remark, isn’t it?  I will be working on an as-of-right-now-nameless novel idea about international spies with historical WWII figures.  It may be labeled as historical fiction but for right now I’m just going to label it action/adventure.  If all goes according to plan, I will be writing it this month and doing rewrites next month.  The month after will be my birthday month which means ...

PORT TOWNSEND WRITING CONFERENCE! 

As a bonus, I told myself that I would buy business cards for the conference if I won NaNo last month.  Victory be mine!  I’m looking at the wonderful products at Moo.com (as recommended by my writery friend, Lex Chase).  She is also the same person who reminds me that dreams can come true if I just work hard and keep at it.  Seeing her success is such a great motivator.  I love being one of the cheerleaders, hehe.

Anyway, back to the word mines...

Still going strong

So begins my second week of camp.  I'm still on par with my word count (sadly my word count buffer seems to have dissipated.  But I am happy to say that on this day (Day 9 of camp), I have:

1. Swept the dining room and hallway
2. Put two coats of wax on those floors
3. Swept and mopped the tile in the front room
4. Made 2000 words
5. Cooked breakfast for Jake's granddad (and brewed coffee for the house)
6. Washed the dishes 

All of which was before 11AM.  Seeing this momentum on "paper" has reinvigorated me, which is good.  Especially since I just woke up from a 20 minute nap that zapped every ounce of energy out of me.

As far as camp goes, I have felt guilty working on a novel (that I'm not 100% passionate about), and not working on stories that I plan to turn in to publishers and/or literary magazines.  Because of that, I am widening my April writing goals and adding "Finish 5 short stories a week until the end of the month".  I have finished two since Sunday (unfortunately, I'm not very fond of the second one).

Excellent advice, yes?

Good luck Wrimos and fellow word slingers!

Oh shnap, someone's getting serious about her work...

Yep, I made deadline charts and everything...

Talking to fellow writers always gets my motivation up.  Thanks to Devon (*hugs*) for really getting me going during our Skype chat last night.  Camp NaNo will run this July as well (my birthday month!) and I'm pondering the thought of possibly being a rebel that month (or even this month).  While my current story is still new and fresh (I'm only 10k in right now), I'm not used to this genre and, honestly, I'm not sure if I like it very much.  I almost prefer the snappy, fast action and wit of a thriller, suspense, and/or horror story.  I love to read and watch a good story with a happy ending (like The Princess Bride and Stardust), I just don't think that I'm good at writing happy ending stories...

I am glad that I came to this conclusion during the first week of camp.  While, I may not be able to finish this story currently, I am hoping to return to it one day.  I think it's a solid piece.  I just don't think that I'm ready for it yet.  So here's the question: if I switch gears but continue to write toward a 50k goal (like, perhaps a string of short stories for an April 30th deadline), will my previous 10k count toward that 50k goal?  I am still writing, in fact.

Well, either way, I've made myself a submission tracker.  I love duotrope.com but sometimes, physically picking up a pen and writing things down on paper...then looking at them all laid out in front of me...it helps me remember deadlines better.  How do you follow deadlines?

Donuts and Lucky Star

Yesterday (Day four), I decided to take a quick hiatus so that Jake and I could spend some quality time together.  And by quality time I mean, snuggling on the couch watching Lucky Star and eating lemon-filled donuts from Krispy Kreme.  I had enough buffer in my word count to take another day off today but I'm going to save it for an emergency.  




As for today, there will be quite a few distractions today but I'm still hoping to write 3k. (though 4k would be awesome and make me feel as though I made up for yesterday).  I guess I better get to work.  But first...

Day 4 - What genre is your novel?  Why did you pick it?

My genres are fairy tale/fantasy and trashy romance. I picked it because I wanted to do something I've never done before. I wanted to write in a genre that I wasn't comfortable with.  And believe me, I'm not killing off enough characters in my story to be comfortable.  But someone will die.  I'll make sure of it. :P

 

 

Day 5 - Name two songs from your playlist that you feel are connected with your novel in some way, and explain how they are.

My playlist is filled with songs from movie scores.  I have a couple from Disney movies with an "I'm going on an ADVENTURE!" feel to them.  I also have some really outrageous (with a semi-seventies game show feel) songs from an anime series called "Chobits" because they really do give me the feeling that "I'm running from something."  I've chosen a lot more fun and upbeat TV and movie scores this time around because of the genre that I'm writing in.

 

 

For my new wrimo followers on tumblr...

Hello!  I hope that the upcoming fourth day of camp has you being productive and having fun. 

If you would like to do a word sprint, please feel free to message me.  If I'm sitting in front of my computer, then I'm probably up for a word sprint or word war.  :)

OMG, I've been doing it ALL WRONG...

50 Incorrect Pronounciations that You Should Avoid

Here is a non-camp post about pronounciation and how I've been messing things up since I began learning English; which is my second language, by the way. I had to learn it in kindergarten so that I could understand the teachers and...you know, communicate with everyone...

Day 3...Oh my, I'm losing days...

Day 1 - Edit...  I forgot that I did both sessions of camp last summer and I won the first session.  I just didn't finish the story so I don't really consider it a win.  I just hit the 50k mark...  *sigh*

 

Day 2 - What’s the title of your story?  Why did you choose the name you did?

 

The title of my story is "Two Princes."  I'm horrible at names so I just chose the first name to come to mind.  It is a trick, kind of.  There aren't actually two princes going after the princess.  You'll have to read the story to figure it out.  :)

 

Day 3 - Pick one of your female characters.  Introduce your readers to her, from her point of view and her words only.

 

 My name is Princess Firefly.  I hate that I have to put "Princess" in front of my name when people ask me who I am (not that people normally ask -- they know who I am).  Being a princess is not who I am.  My name is Firefly and I just happen to be a princess...which is one of the most pointless roles in the kingship.  I don't even get to pick who I marry.  BUT, since I am the only heir to my father's kingdom, whoever I marry gets to rule my kingdom with me.  Since my marriage will be extremely important, you'd figure that my dad would be all over the guys that I'm dating, right?  Well, he's not.  Probably because he doesn't allow me to date.  In fact, he doesn't allow me to leave the kingdom at all, so even if I did date, I'd have to date one of the noble men in our kingdom and they're all pretty snobby.  I've never met any of the princes in the other kingdoms (or any of the noblemen either).  I guess I expected them to be just like daddy...only younger.  So when I met Prince Elkhorne, well, let's just say I didn't really expect to meet him.  What a bumbling idiot...

So it is the morning of day 3 of camp.  I've already got a rash.  No, I'm serious.  There's a spot on my leg that's all itchy.  I think it's because of the couch that I've set up camp on.  I might need to relocate.  It's a cold, rainy day of camp.  While I expected to wake up and clean the pond filter, I was happily surprise to see/hear the rain, meaning that I get a morning of writing instead.  I'm not sure if it is in my nature as a writer, or if it is because I am from the Pacific Northwest but the rain helps calm my nerves.  In addition, it helps to inspire words in my chaotic brain.  Wish me luck.  I'm hoping to make 3k+ every day.  Yesterday I only made just over 2k (I think).

Day 1...

Day 1 - Have you participated in NaNoWriMo before?  If so, which years and what end result?  If not (or even if so, for that matter), what’s your connection to writing?  Why do you want to participate this year?

This will be my fourth session of NaNo.  I won my initial NaNo experience and lost during camp last year and last year's session of NaNo as well.  This year, I'm hoping to do the July session and the November one too.  I am a writer.  It is my hobby (as in, I don't do it professionally - I don't use my income from writing to pay for food, whiskey, caffiene, or any of the other necessities in order for me to function and live comfortably).  I use the money that I get from writing to by other writing things because it is not nearly enough to live on.  I'm hoping to write more and get better so that I can do it professionally.  I am participating in this session because:
1. I love the atmosphere and comradery,
2. I'm hoping that it will help me develop better writing habits,
3. It is fun, and
4.  I have stories that need to be told or I will die a slow and painful death. 


So far, day one has been going swimmingly.  Which is ironic for me to say because I really don't know how to swim.  So "swimmingly" for me would mean a lot of flailing around in the water.  Er, so how about I don't ever use that term again.  Day one has been going well.  I'm well past my word count goal for today so the rest of my wordage for today will just be word count padding.  

If you are participating as well, I wish you luck!

30 Day NaNoWriMo Meme

 

Here's the Tumblr 30 Day Meme that everyone fills out for the month of November.  It may be camp (and I'm not sure if there's a summer version - not that the change in month should really make a difference) but it should still work.  Feel free to use it, answer them in the comments section as I fill them out every day of April, or message me your answer on Tumblr.  Feel free to follow me on Tumblr as well.  If you message me about writing, NaNo, or this blog, I will follow you as well.  Good luck next month!

Day 1 - Have you participated in NaNoWriMo before?  If so, which years and what end result?  If not (or even if so, for that matter), what’s your connection to writing?  Why do you want to participate this year?

Day 2 - What’s the title of your story?  Why did you choose the name you did?

Day 3 - Pick one of your female characters.  Introduce your readers to her, from her point of view and her words only.

Day 4 - What genre is your novel?  Why did you pick it?

Day 5 - Name two songs from your playlist that you feel are connected with your novel in some way, and explain how they are.

Day 6 - What is your one biggest stressor related to forcing yourself to write at least 50,000 words in a span of 30 days?

Day 7 - Where’s your favorite place to hunker down and write?

Day 8 -List your current, most up-to-date word count.  Are you satisfied with your progress thus far?

Day 9 - Have you told anyone else you’re doing NaNo this year?  Who?  What was their reaction?

Day 10 - How does your love of writing manifest in non-NaNo months?

Day 11 - Ever tried collaborative writing (such as play-by-post roleplaying)?  If so, what do you think of it?

Day 12 - Imagine you’re behind in your word count goals (even if you’re not) and are going to pull an all-nighter to catch up.  Screencap a playlist of inspirational music you would use to get you up to speed.

Day 13 - Name a male character from your novel.  Describe him through the point of view and words of the female character you introduced in question 3 (if they never interact, pick another female character).

Day 14 - Is the sexuality of your characters a large part of your novel’s story?  If so, are there characters who deviate from the heterosexual “norm”?  In what way?

Day 15 - Do any of your characters have a disability or mental illness?  If so, how does that affect their development throughout your story?

Day 16 - At around the half-way point, it bears mentioning that most of us wrimos have other obligations beside simply hitting that elusive word count.  What else do you have going on in your life (work, school, children, neurotic pets, etc.), and just how much are you shafting it to win NaNo?

Day 17 - In what time period is your novel set?  Is it in this world or another?

Day 18 - Who is the antagonist in your novel?  What drives their actions?

Day 19 - Which authors or books have inspired your own writing the most, and why?

Day 20 - If you could meet one fictional character from any book you’ve ever read, who would it be, and why?

Day 21 - With about 10 days left to this arguably traumatic experience, what are your plans and goals for your novel, should you successfully complete it?

Day 22 - If you’ve participated in or won NaNo before, what happened to your other novel efforts?  Still in the revision process/querying publishers/scrapped it immediately/etc.

Day 23 - Do animals play any part in your story?  If so, how do they add to it?

Day 24 - Is religion featured in your novel at all?  If so, which ones?  If it’s/they’re your own creations, describe it/them and how it/they play(s) a part in your characters’ lives.

Day 25 - What are the names of at least two of your main characters?  How did you choose their names?

Day 26 - Was any research involved (historical or otherwise) in your NaNo prep? 

Day 27 - What’s your word count now?  Are you satisfied with your progress or panicked that you won’t have enough time to finish by November 30?

Day 28 - Name one thing you shafted all month in favor of participating in NaNo.

Day 29 - Name one thing in which you indulged as a treat to keep yourself motivated and writing that you wouldn’t otherwise have done.

Day 30 - Share a link to either your NaNo profile or a location on the internet where your story can be found.  If someone offered to beta read for you, would you be willing to do the same for them during the subsequent editing process?

Three Haikus Tell One Story

I posted this on Chuck Wendig's Flash Fiction challenge quite a few weeks ago and forgot to share it with you wonderful folks.  What can you come up with?  Use three haikus to tell one story.  Ready, set, go!

“Follow the Clues”

Smokey-eyed silhouette
The curvy distraught wife asks
“Who killed my husband?”

I follow wild geese
I wait as the cards unfold
Dice roll on the board

Not Colonel Mustard
In the kitchen, with the pipe
It was the butler

A double dose of inspiration for Monday...

“Writing is like hunting. There are brutally cold afternoons with nothing in sight, only the wind and your breaking heart. Then the moment when you bag something big. The entire process is beyond intoxicating.”

~ Kate Braverman

Procrastination

I just wrote this long response to a forum post and I'd like to share it with you guys.  With camp coming upon us (it starts in a week!), procrastination is going to be a really big problem for a lot of us.  I choose to combat it in a "positive reinforcement" sort of way:

I'm horrible at procrastinating. Everyone knows when I've got a big project or deadline coming up because my room is spotless and the fridge is cleaned out. I'm hoping that camp next month will really whip me back into shape. My daily word count has been a roller-coaster of totals. I'll go days without writing, even when I have a dedicated two hour block in the middle of my day. Most of the time, that time is spend doing things like...not writing. Tumblr is a big distraction. So is Facebook. Next month, I think I'll go on a reward system like I did last summer. For every 1k words, I get something small and at the end of the day, if I hit a certain amount, I get a certain reward. Like:

For every:
1k - 5 minutes on Tumblr (Yes, I actually use a timer...otherwise, I will cheat)

If I reach:
2k - A cookie
3k - A movie...
4k - ...with popcorn
5k - ...and a box of candy from the general store across the street
6k - An extra Sugar Free Red Bull tomorrow
10k - (yeah, right...) An hour on Tumblr! Uninterrupted! Unlimited Scrolling! Oh my!

Or something like that. On different days, I have different rewards. And I have one for the end of the week as well and it's usually something meaningful like going on a date night with my boyfriend. Oh, and If I make the word count goal for the day, I put 5 dollars in a jar. Then, at the end of the month, I get to spend it on something geeky and writery...just for myself. Writing (especially since I haven't gotten any novels published yet) can seem so unrewarding at times. The satisfaction of completing a story is great and I love that feeling. It's the best feeling in the world - like a hot shower after a camping trip or being able to breath after you get over a bad cold/allergies - but sometimes it doesn't feel like it's enough. Sometimes it's just the little things that keep me going. Especially on those days where the plot doesn't seem to be going anywhere, or when it feels like a really boring scene (throw in some ninjas!).

I'd like to wish everyone a productive and prolific session of camp in April!  You don't have to be alone.  Wrimos are always helpful and are willing to do word wars.  :)  Including myself.

Tis the season!

8 days and counting!

X Marks the Spot

I will venture upon new territory.  When I try to write in a new genre, I feel like I am a treasure hunter.  I peruse the authors that write it and write it well.  I peruse the authors that write it badly.  I look under covers, in between books at the library, in between the lines of a particularly vivacious scene, I look at it all.  This April, I will be venturing upon new territory: romance. *deflated fanfare*

I used to look at the genre with distaste.  It had its audience (and a loyal audience at that), but I wasn't a part of it.  I kept my distance and chuckled as I passed by it.  However, writers have to be adventurous and as far as adventure goes..., what is more adventurous than new territory?  So, I am committing the month of April (and this upcoming session of Camp NaNoWriMo) to writing a romance novel, of sorts.

Of course, with all that in mind, April is only 13 days away..., and that's counting today.  I feel as though I can't stuff enough research and planning into those 312 hours.  In all honesty, I have never read any *real* romance and I feel like I've jumped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean by taking on this endeavor.  It's a scary thought, knowing that the islands that are there to rescue me are labeled "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Savage Dreams."*

I've said it before and I'll say it again: For me, NaNo is about pushing myself.  And that is what I intend to do.  My goal for Camp NaNo isn't just to write a romance novel but to reinvent the genre in my eyes.  Oh, and write a good book.  That's pretty important as well.  Now, to find some *good* research material...


*Of course, I've never read them so in all reality, they could be marvelous pieces of literature that should be cherished for all time...and I wouldn't know it.

April Showers bring...campers inside to write more NaNo novels

First of all, let me say that when I first viewed my blog this morning, seeing the face of Fabio staring back at me was a bit unsettling. But, anyway...

“There's an old folk saying that goes: whenever you delete a sentence from your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses its wings and plummets, screaming, to the ground. Where it will likely require medical attention.”

~ Chris Baty

Camp NaNo run in April and July this year.  In addition to that, they're running it a bit different.  During camp we can choose our word count (what????!), and we can choose other formats (screenplay, anyone?).  As hectic as my schedule is, I'm still going to try to participate next month.  Not only that, I'm going to keep the word count goal at 50k.  I don't participate in NaNo just so I can win bragging rights.  I participate because it helps push me.

I'm looking for some equally motivated people to be in a cabin with.  Anyone interested?  :)

Introducing...Hunni Silk

Oh, bloggers and writers, it's been too long!  There has been chaos in the house of DeVore for the past week and it's kept me off of the internet. (Whaaa?  I know).  I even got the opportunity to take a "day off."  Jake's aunt booked a hotel on Pensacola Beach for us.  It was so nice to just get away and it was something that we desperately needed. Since we are on-the-job 24-7, we don't have a lot of time to do things as a couple.  Especially something romantic to help maintain our relationship.

Speaking of romantic, Jake's cousin told me that I should try my hand at writing romance novels.  Just the thought of it used to make my cheeks flush into a palate of rouge but these days, it is not my naivety that keeps me from that genre.  Well, actually, to be honest, it probably is.  I don't write "romance" because whenever I tried it came out too...cheesy.  But I like a good challenge.  So my goal this week, is to come up with a plot for a romance novel, that I will enjoy writing...

These days, I find the prospect of romance novels to be more fun and less trashy.  Or maybe it seems like it would be fun because of the "trashy" aspect of it all.  Don't get me wrong, there are fantastic authors out there who write romance novels.  I've never read any of their work (I've never actually read a romance novel before...though I started a few...they were bad). 

She also suggested that I change my pen name from Hunni Daniels to Hunni Silk.  What do you think?

One of my favorites...

“You must write every single day of your life... You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads... may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

~ Ray Bradbury

 One of my favorite quotes about writing.  Ray Bradbury was one of the most talented writers of all time.  I wish I could have met him to pick his brain for a little bit.  I would love to interview him or just have coffee and chat about the craft.

Today, I am going to Pomodoro my writing time in hopes of getting my word count up.  In addition, (and in the spirit of Ray Bradbury and his collaboration with Charles Addams), I am hoping to continue my discussion with my bestie about collaborating our hobbies.  He is an excellent photographer and I'm hoping that we get to join our efforts -- if not in book form, just for personal use.  Perhaps, if we get this project going, I can post some of our work here.

Happy word slinging, fellow writers!

Today's quote is...

“You know, it's hard work to write a book. I can't tell you how many times I really get going on an idea, then my quill breaks. Or I spill ink all over my writing tunic.” 

~ Ellen DeGeneres


I'm going old school today and writing via pen and paper.  In high school, my best friend got me a dip pen set (it was gorgeous).  Unfortunately, since I am temporarily relocated, I didn't pack it; in fear that the FAA would put me on their no fly list for carrying a weapon, stabbing myself while unpacking, or other polylemma.  I packed one suitcase to bring here.  I would have just rather brought another pair of underpants than a possible weapon.  ANYWAY, I did manage to acquire a few notebooks (within the last couple months) and a Sharpie pen set in an array of colors.  

I am privy to the sarcasm in the quote that I picked today, but I am curious about getting a lucky writing [insert piece of garment here].  I do have my writing buddy, Bartholomoo the stuffed cow.  But somehow, I don't find that he's the same as a lucky pair of boxer shorts.

Join me in writing via pen or pencil (or quill or dip pen) today.  I'm hoping that this change of pace will help inspire me.

Good luck!

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ”
 

~ Joss Whedon


I'm afraid of dying too, Joss.  It's okay.  *pat pats*

“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.
Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.”

~ William Faulkner

YoCW has begun!!!

I'm sad that I didn't get to spend "Read Across America/Dr. Seuss" Day (yesterday) reading to kids at the library or some other social function.  Instead, I did sneak away for a moment and read from my current book, Only the Innocent by Rachel Abbott.  It's a fantastic book that has a touch of intrigue mixed with mystery and suspense. It has been a fun read thus far but I haven't been able to get too into the book with the things that have been going on.

I have started another exciting year at the YoCW (Year of Continuous Writing) Project.  This time, I intend on trying my best and keeping writing at the forefront of my priority list.  A small (but growing -- apparently it has grown leaps and bounds since it's inaugural year, last year) group of writers band together to support each other in the same goal: Make this year the most prolific, fruitful year of writing ever!

Yesterday, I wrote a measly 2k.  I am hoping to surpass that today but my schedule is full.  I have decided that waking up an extra half an hour or hour should provide me with even more quiet writing time.  After 9 PM, when Jake's granddad goes to bed, I can also get a couple of hours in front of Microsoft Word or Scrivener.  

As of late, writing has been my hobby.  But this year, I'm hoping to make writing my career.  With that in mind, I have dedicated this year at YoCW to improving and honing my craft and pumping out some great short stories and a novel or two...,or four, if I really knuckle down!  Wish me luck!

Today's prompt:

You haven't fed the goldfish in days.  The goldfish are revolting!

Can you see the malice in his eyes?!!!