NaNoWriMo

Hello fellow writers!

I'm very excited to announce that I will be joining up in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to write 50,000 (yes, that is fifty thousand... I didn't accidentally add another zero) words in one month. That averages out to about 1600 words a day. That's a lot of writing! I think it will be a super neat challenge, though. Obviously, if you don't complete, it isn't the end of the world. However, there is something about working hard and winning. Don't know if that will happen with me, but I'm going to certainly try! If I do get it (or even if I don't) y'all can plan on seeing a new book being released... *wiggles eyebrows*. I won't tell ya anything about it now, but suffice it to say that it isn't in the children's genre. :-)

If you'd like to join up, that would be fantastic!! Visit the link for the NaNoWriMo official site, and sign up! It's easy, free, and you get to have writing buddies! Can it get any better? Oh yes, add to the list that you actually have a super good excuse to skip school and write... just joking. I don't think that would go over well with parents or teachers. ;-) However, it might be a really good way to motivate you to write more. Get some buddies who can encourage you, write along with you, etc.

Happy writing!

Wisdom from a Friend

I recently asked a friend of mine if she would be willing to be my 'writing mentor'. Someone who could encourage me to write, critique my writing, and basically be a mentor. The friend I asked does freelance writing, has published several articles in various newspapers, online sites, and on her own personal blog. She is a very good friend of mine, but she is also one of the women I look up to as an example.

Yesterday, she shared a gem of wisdom with me, and I thought I would pop in and repeat it on here (because I thought it was just too good to not share!). These were her words, more or less, that she spoke to me.

"This actually came to me when I was washing dishes this morning. If writing is what the Lord has called you to do, so it is therefore your calling, then to not write or not write what He has specifically told you is, essentially, going against the Will of God. You are disobeying Him."

Wow. Believe it or not, I hadn't exactly thought of it in that way. I've thought about my writing as a ministry, but never as a 'calling', per se. When I procrastinate, or don't get some writing done when I need to, I'm disobeying the will of God. Kind of a scary thought.

Thank you, friend, for sharing that with me!! I definitely needed to hear it. :-)