I’ll never understand people who don’t like to reading books. They’re missing out on experiences that are beyond their reach. They’re depriving themselves of different worlds, emotions, cultures, customs, truths, and growth. Simply put, they’re missing out.
Growth is critical for humans – physical, mental, emotional. Whilst we are born helpless, reliant on adults to take care of us as we grow before maturing into toddlers, kids, adolescents, teens, and finally adults. It’s a cycle that varies in longevity.
It’s sad that some people choose to remain in the one spot even when there’s opportunities abound.
We learn from our mistakes. Sometimes we learn from the people around us. Often we learn from books.
But what if you don’t read? How do you grow with patches over your eyes and being able to only see in front of you? How do you understand the world and the people in it when you aren’t willing to open up your mind to the beauty that’s out there?
I don’t think you can, not completely anyway.
Books not only teach us but also bring us together. They make up our culture, helping us learn, grow, experience, live.
There are those who scrunch up their nose at fiction. Some refuse to read anything but literary novels or biographies. Then there are those who stick to fantasy and sci-fi.
That’s okay.
We all have our likes and dislikes. Whether you’re reading Bill Gates or Game of Thrones, each has something to offer about humanity, community and life in general.
Occasionally, all we want is a bit of entertainment.
The Importance of Reading
The beauty in books is that the reader chooses what they take from them. The author cannot decide it. They are simply the messenger.
Whether you’re a writer or not, reading has many benefits. Including, and not limited to:
Emotional development
Increasing vocabulary
Improving your knowledge in a particular area
Develops the imagination
Improved writing skills
Cheap entertainment
Expand your horizons
One of my hopes is that one day I will write something that inspires. Sometimes that opens up the minds and hearts of readers. I want to write something that will help someone grow, follow their dreams, or push themselves to work towards their goals in a positive way.
Until that day, I will keep writing fiction, I will continue meddling in non fiction, and I will definitely continue reading lots and lots of books. With that I will grow as a writer and a human being. There is no other option.
Books are the doors to a curious mind. I’m curious. I love learning new things. I just wish that curiosity translated to good communication skills. Yes, that comes with practice, and I don’t give myself a chance, or any credit for that matter. But that’s another story.
As a writer, I find it even more difficult to comprehend how writers claim to never read. How can you write a book if you never read them? It doesn’t make sense. It’s like being a chef but never going to a restaurant to try another chef’s cooking.
I try to read at least a book a week. That’s 52 books a year. It’s a good average and is easily achievable. Sometimes I read more. Rarely less. I’m on track for that in 2019 also.
I wish I could write as fast as I read. Dictation is an option but I don’t like the sound of my voice, especially when it’s recorded. But again, that’s just a matter of practice and getting used to something. Maybe one day. For now, I like when my fingers hit the keyboard and words appear on the screen.
Books hold a certain power. They’re everlasting. Now with Amazon and all the other platforms, more and more books become available worldwide. Anyone with access can read.
I believe that books can bring people together, books can change the world. We live in such a globalised world with people of different cultures, customs and lifestyles, who travel and migrate, that it’s important for us all to be a little bit more understanding. It’s ignorance that breeds hate and fear.
Books are the tools that can destroy ignorance. They can hold the power to transform our thoughts, bring us understanding of things that have never touched us, and help us live in a united world.
Yes, they’re optimistic thoughts. But they’re also true. If we open up our hearts and minds, books can teach us so much, and in turn help us become more accepting of other ways.
Of course there are two sides of every coin. There will always be good and evil. It’s our choice which side we sway towards and that includes recognising the beauty of books.
What sort of books do you read? Do you think books have the power to change the world? What are you reading at the moment?
Day 3 of NaNoWriMo and whilst I’d like to say I’m on a roll, I can’t. I’ve met my daily quota on the first two days but nowhere near as much as I’d secretly hoped to. I can write fast but I’m working on trying to write well at the same time. Today was a tough slog.
Editing is not my forte and so I want to produce a decent draft. One that yes, will need editing, but not rewriting.
So what exactly am I writing during NaNoWriMo 2019?
Rosy Harding is about to discover everything she believed in is a lie.
Whilst on compassionate leave, she agrees to help look into a girl’s death, then the world around her starts falling apart.
Friends become enemies, enemies become allies.
When the murderer comes to light, Rosy must decide whose side she’s really on. That decision could be her last.
Loyalty and betrayal – two sides of one coin.
<——>
That’s the NaNoWriMo story in six short sentences.
Is it normal to feel nervous and excited? The nerves are causing bouts of writers block – not that I believe in that. But they are putting on the pressure.
Just breath. You can do this.
Start writing. One. Word. At. A. Time.
Go.
The Challenge Begins.
50,000 words in 30 days. A novel in a month.
Fear and excitement battle it out inside of me. Together they make a fierce combo.
We should do more things that scare us. More things that excite us. That’s the way we grow.
The idea of spending a year writing a book is mind numbing. That’s enough time to lose the plot. Forget the characters. In a year, the entire story can change and one day you sit down and realise you’ve no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve been there, done that. I don’t want to do it again.
I want to write fast and I want to write well. With time both of these are possible.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
That’s one of the reasons I love NaNoWriMo. It forces you to write faster.
Considering the prolific authors in history, writing 1667 words a day is not fast nor is it groundbreaking, especially when there are writers out there writing 3000 words a day, 5000 a day, some are even chasing the 10,000 mark.
Why? Why the pressure?
Well put simply if writing is your job, you treat it like one. If you work in any other job, it’s a 9-5 gig. That’s eight hours. Imagine what 8 hours of butt in chair, five days a week would do. Sore butt, yes, but also a decent sized chunk of words. Even if you only wrote 10 wpm (average is about 40wpm) you’d get 600 words in an hour or 4200 words in eight.
See what I’m getting at?
So NaNoWriMo. With a full time job, a family and a fairly busy social calendar in November, writing eight hours a day is not realistic. I still need to get some sleep peeps, as most of you do. The challenge is to simply finish the book, make sure I write every day, and meet the minimum word count required.
That’s good enough for me. Anything extra is a sweet bonus.
Yes, I could take a holiday, give up the social life, and hand over the reigns of the house to my husband, but that’s not realistic long term. NaNoWriMo works better if you simply adjust your habits and start writing.
Write everyday, and keep it up long past November, that way you’re likely to continue all year long.
The Stats
Current Word Count: 5016/50,000 (or 10.03%) Currently Reading: The Art of Not FallingApart by Christina Patterson Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
How about you? What are you aiming for in November?
With only two months of 2019 left, it’s hard to imagine that we are ending one decade and entering the new one. It’s the 20’s baby. Bring back The Great Gatsby, chic vintage flapper dresses, head bands, bobbed hair , an air of elegance and pulp fiction.
Pulp fiction doesn’t necessarily give the connotation of best sellers and literary awards. But did you know that F. Scott Fitzgerald, Isaac Asimov, Rudyard Kipling, H.P. Lovecraft, and many others were considered pulp writers back in their day. Today, they’re considered classics.
Writers used to churn out the words like a production line. A story a day. A book a week. They didn’t have the luxury of taking a year to write a book.
Writing wasn’t about following your muse. It was their livelihood.
No words equalled no food on the table.
Writing was a job and so they were dedicated to putting their butt in the chair and making sure they had a story to tell.
So NaNoWriMo has started. I’m scared and super excited.
With several unfinished projects in my files I probably shouldn’t be embarking on a new one. But it’s NaNoWriMo, and I have the shiny new object syndrome which means I’m going to pursue this new idea and leave finishing the unfinished drafts for December and January.
I have an idea for a book series and have already have my one sentence outline for 6 books. It’s going to feature a kick-ass assassin looking for love and redemption. Just the sort of books I love to read. Women sleuths. Righting the wrongs of human kind. Rekindling of old flames. Exploring the world. Did I mention kicking ass?
I’ve decided to not only write a novel in 30 days but also to write on this blog more frequently. Not necessarily long but publishing something nonetheless. It is mostly to keep me accountable for this audacious goal that several hundred thousand other people around the world are aiming for in November. So you might hear from me more often than you’re used to!
With only two months left of the year I want to ensure that the year ends on a roll so that 2020 starts out WOW! in a good way.
If you have goals to accomplish or considering new year resolutions, start today. Don’t wait for the first of January. Do it now. Whether it’s getting fit and running a marathon, writing a book or starting a freelance writing career, learning to cook a three-course meal for eight or starting a savings plan.
Start today and make headway for the new year.
In two months you can:
write a book (or two)
lose 5-10kg of body fat
improve your general health and wellbeing
learn to run 10km
live on less by saving at least 1% of your income (build up to 25%)
declutter your house
create a new habit
learning the basics of a foreign language
start studying
get out of your comfort zone
Imagine how your life would change if you just did one or two of these things in the next two months?
Don’t leave things for the new year. Start today and get a head start for 2020.
How are you planning on finishing 2019? Are you hoping for ‘meh’ or ‘hell yeah!’
NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, a well known time of year for many writers around the world with over 400,000 participants in 2018.
50,000 words. 30 days. 1667 words per day.
Could you do it?
The purpose of NaNoWriMo isn’t to write a saleable book in 30 days. It’s unlikely that you’re going to have a ready to publish book on hand on 30th November. I mean, sure there are those extreme cases of authors churning out a book a fortnight but for the mere mortals like us, we just want a draft of a novel to work with in December.
Did that take the pressure off?
Good.
I completed my first NaNoWriMo back in 2010. In 30 days, I had a draft of a story I really liked. Then it sat in my drawer for eight years before I picked it up again, and started reworking it.
Over the years I started NaNoWriMo but never finished. Life got in the way. The story got boring. I didn’t take the writing seriously.
You know, the usual excuses.
It’s so easy to have excuses when you’ve got self imposed deadlines and a full time job that covers the bills.
NaNoWriMo is here to stop with the excuses. It’s the one month a year where writers unite, support one another and aim to write their 50,000 words.
Of course, you don’t have to write 50,000 words. You can aim to write 30,000 or even just write for thirty minutes per day.
It’s about creating a habit that will help you finish your first book or your twentieth. And no, they don’t necessarily get easier. You’re always starting a new project. Unless you’re writing a series, you’re always starting from the ground up.
Maybe that’s one of the allures of writing books. It’s hard to get bored when the process and the idea change so much.
With only 5 days till the start of NaNoWriMo 2019 (or six depending on your location in the world), are you prepared?
Don’t fret. A week is plenty of time to get ready for your novel. And a suggestion is to make sure that you’re idea is prepped. No, that’s not cheating. It’s preparation. The prepping is in no way adding to your word count.
5 Day Prep for NaNoWriMo
Day 1
Consider your idea. What do you want to write about? What story do you want to tell? Which genre are you going to write in? What’s the theme of your story?
Summarise the story in one sentence. This is the hardest part so let’s get it out of the way.
Day 2
Think about your characters. Who is this story about? Is the protagonist strong or weak? What are his goals, fears, obstacles, pleasures? Who is your antagonist? Why are they conflicting with your protagonist? Who are they? What’s their back story? Who are your minor characters – the supporting cast?
Write a sentence or two about each character that includes some key detail and makes them unique.
Day 3
Consider your plot. What is your story going to be about? Can you expand that one sentence from day one to a blurb. Make it into three or four paragraphs. No more than 200 words.
Great.
Now expand it further. Divide it into three parts. What happens at the beginning, middle and end?
Figure out how your story starts and ends before you start. Then fill in the gaps.
What are the key plot points/twists that you need to or want to include in your story?
Day 4
Map out those scenes. Think about your story. What images unfold in your mind as you consider your plot and characters?
Use the previous days prepping to start planning out your scenes. You don’t have to know all your scenes before you start writing. Stories evolve and scenes could be taken out and added in as you write.
Focus on the key scenes for each section. Come up with 2-3 scenes for your beginning. 4-5 scenes for the middle and 2-3 scenes for your end. These are key scenes that relate to the major plot points.
If you want to you can expand and include more scenes if they come to mind. Use a spreadsheet or index cards to write them out.
Expand those scenes again. Add details of your setting, plot and characters. Write down things that you want to include in your story. Things that will make your characters likeable as well as those that will make those emotions conflicting. What are some things that can get them into trouble? What are the obstacles that can get in their way?
Day 5
Get your diary out and plan your writing time. Consider all the things you have upcoming in the next 30 days. It could be work commitments. The kids school play. Going to the gym. Birthday parties. Christmas parties. Family get togethers. Maybe even a holiday.
Make the writing blocks equally important. If you’re serious about this you’re going to commit to writing every day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes a day. We can all find fifteen minutes. I’m sure most of us can even find an hour.
Put Netflix and cleaning on the back burner. Unless you’re allergic to dust and dirt, leave the vacuuming, mopping and dishes for after you’ve met your writing quota for the day. If the family eats eggs on toast or finds their own dinner a few nights here and there, nothing is going to happen. At best they’ll appreciate you and realise that they need to get a bit more independent.
Now create those dates with yourself. Think about how fast you write. The average speed is about 40 words per minute. 1667 / 40 is 41.675. So theoretically you should be able to write the minimum in 40 minutes.
Do we live in an ideal world? Of course not.
How to get more writing done during NaNoWriMo?
Wake up 30 minutes earlier and start writing. Write as much as you can in that time.
Instead of gossiping in the work kitchen at lunch, get out the laptop or notepad and start scribbling away.
Waiting in the doctor’s surgery? Keep a notebook for jotting ideas, conversations or scenes that pop into your head. Maybe you carry your laptop with you. Start typing. A ten minute session in the waiting room can net you 400 words. That’s 400 less that you’ll have to find time to write later in the day.
Get the family to serve their own dinner. Make the first thing you do when you get home (after washing your hands and setting your bag aside) is to sit down at the laptop and write. You’ll be less prone to make excuses than if you were to wait for a later time when the house is quiet.
Instead of tuning into Prime or Netflix, go to another part of the house and fire up the lap top. Put on the timer and start writing for twenty minutes. Only when you’ve written your daily quote can you watch an episode of your favourite show.
Go to bed half an hour later and write. Even fifteen minutes. Each word counts. Fifteen minutes at 40wpm is 600 words. Do that three times throughout the day you’re on your way to 50k in 30 days.
Write more on days when you have extra time. On busy days schedule only 500 words, on light days aim for 2500. Make the schedule work for you and your lifestyle.
Have fun. NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be torture. You want to enjoy it enough so that you’re writing spark doesn’t go out. You’re a writer, don’t get put off by the pressure or not having finished the 50k in 30 days.
How to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo?
Motivation is a huge factor in not finishing the thirty days on a roll. But there are things you can do to stay motivated all month long and write that book you’ve been dreaming of writing.
Have a plan in place and written in your diary.
Ask your family and friends for support. Maybe a pal can text you words of motivation every day.
Start the day with a motivational quote to get you writing
Put writing first for the 30 days. Just write, no excuses.
Have rewards for small achievements. Watch a TV show at the end of the day, buy yourself a new notebook, book a writer’s retreat weekend.
Make the process fun rather than a chore
Have a buddy or accountability partner. Need a writing buddy? Sign up and join me and hundreds of thousands of other writers in NaNoWriMo in 2019!
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Have you plotted out your novel or will you wing it from day one?
These are only a few words you could use to describe the incredible war correspondent, Marie Colvin. But words would not do her justice.
In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin.
The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. A woman with an eye patch. There had to be a story there. Attractive. Confident. Extreme.
In Extremis is about a war correspondent who lived to be a voice for those who were not heard. Travelling to parts of the world where few were brave enough to venture. Afghanistan. Libya. East Timor. Kosovo. Syria. There was no place that was too dangeorus. No place that she feared.
She was a drinker and smoker, but her drug of choice was the danger zone. To be with the people, on the ground, telling their stories selflessly even when bombs were going off around her.
It’s impossible to know or even to guess what goes on in a mind that has witnessed the terrors of war. It’s hard to imagine it all in the comforts of our living room watching Netflix and sipping on wine as our kids sleep soundly in their beds.
From the humble beginnings of a middle class family, to a passionate and brave woman who trusted that her reporting as a war correspondent was necessary to not only inform the world but also help those in need. Her words and her dedication saved many lives.
In Extremis is rich in colour and emotion, leaving no stone unturned bewteen Colvin’s messy private life and career, written by her friend and colleague, it draws on interviews with family and friends, journal entries, published stories and email correspondence. Together telling a story of an inspiring woman, acclaimed journalist, taken too soon doing what she loved most. Marie Colvin was a war correspondent who refused to settle behind a desk. Her place was in the war zone and that’s where it all ended.
Her death could have been avoided, maybe only postponed. One will never know. But her selflessness will live on.
