  Short Stories
This week: 1,667 Words Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
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"Never guilt or shame yourself into writing, or put yourself down too harshly for not writing. Guilt and shame never helped anyone's self-esteem, and self-esteem is what you need to complete a book in a month." ~ Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D. in Book in a Month
It's that time again. NaNoWriMo comes but once a year, striking fear in the hearts of writers around the globe.
I've only participated in NaNoWriMO three times, including this year, and I've yet to reach the elusive 50k. It's a daunting task: 50,000 words in 30 days. 50,000! That's a lot of words. The number seems insurmountable. Impossible. But then your mind starts to break it down. Well, that's 1,667 words a day, you think. I can do 1,667 words a day. Those of you who work Monday through Friday think, I have weekends off. There are five weekends this month. If I write 10,000 words every weekend, I'll have my 50,000 words. Maybe you'll sit down and write 10,000 words every Sunday. Like interval training, whether you jog, sprint, or run, there are many ways to reach the finish line.
"You cannot write and rewrite at the same time if you want to finish a book in 30 days." ~ Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D. in Book in a Month
Google "NaNoWriMo" and you'll get 1,730,000 results. There are websites, articles, books, and blogs dedicated to helping you become not only a NaNo participant, but a NaNo winner. Do a little digging. You're bound to find something you like.
One of my favorites, not specifically for NaNoWriMo but rather disciplined daily writing in general that results in a book in 30 days any time of year, is Dr. Victoria Lynn Schmidt's Book in a Month. I actually have two copies, one for each of my works in progress, and they've been invaluable. Inside you'll learn the five secrets to BIAM, eight time management techniques, 10 steps to overcoming resistance, how to set and keep goals, worksheets galore ... everything you need to complete your manuscript in 30 days.
"First drafts are first drafts, no matter who writes them! Instead, it is all about the journey. You're reaching for a lofty goal, and as you meet and face down your blocks and your resistance, many of you will find that what you've learned along the way has helped you to grow in more ways than just as a writer." ~ Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D. in Book in a Month
Although I love the spiral-bound format, I've always wished Book in a Month came in a binder-type format so I could remove and photocopy pages for my next project as opposed to buying another copy of the book. Well, my wish didn't exactly come true, but I did get the next best thing. Now when you go to the Book in a Month website you can print out all the Book in a Month worksheets , in color, anytime you want fresh, clean copies for your next WIP. You'll think you've hit the mother lode!
Whether you participate in NaNoWriMo or just want to write a novel in 30 days, there are resources out there to help you accomplish your goal. Many WDC members are into NaNo and are more than willing to support you on your journey. What have you got to lose? The worst that can happen is you won't reach 50k words in 30 days, but there's always next month.
Thank you for reading.
"You've set out to do something few ever risk doing--accomplish your dream. You will finish that novel and give life to your characters, and you will do it in 30 days' time. It may not be a perfect manuscript, ready for publication, but it will be a completed manuscript." ~ Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D. in Book in a Month
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This week's featured selections are all about NaNo and the month of November. I hope you enjoy them. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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And here's a link to the official NaNoWriMo website. |
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The following is in response to "Say It Ain't So-So" :
Dance-Monkey ~ We've got this  writes, "Hi Shannon. Thanks for a great newsletter! I am this person. I studied drama at Uni so my pet peeve when watching something is to see the inconsistencies between takes. The time on the clock changes back and forth, the drink gets fuller and emptier as the camera switches back and forth, the woman's beautiful hair gets re-arranged between 'John...' (he stops at the door and looks back) 'Please don't leave'. Ugh, it drives me nuts! Immediately the harsh lights of the set beam into my living room and I know it's all fake. Disbelief not-suspended." This made me laugh out loud. Great to know I'm not the only party pooper! 
Quick-Quill  writes, "I'm in total agreement. I have no idea what anyone knows about the Chinese in Eastern Oregon, but the propaganda bugs me. It's as bad as Oct 12 celebrating Columbus when he was as bad as Hitler. He wiped out an entire sect of people. Don't even get me started there. I love watching Criminal Minds. After watching all the seasons up to starting last season (slowly released On Demand) they are beginning to seem the same. What I've found is I've been thinking what I like about the main characters. How different they are yet they get along better than a family. It's something worth keeping in mind as I write." Research, research, research. I can't stress its importance enough. Thank you for reading and commenting! 
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes, "I have to laugh at times, especially certain parts of Action films when the hero, or anyone, is using a semi-auto pistol, like a Glock 17, or whatever, and the guy fires a bunch of bullets, to the point that the slide locks back (meaning that the gun is empty), and yet, without reloading, manages to fire another round, or more." Yeah, or when they're shooting a revolver and the thing fires like 32 times. I was raised around guns, so I'm with you 100% on this one! 
Lornda  writes, "I enjoyed reading your newsletter! I had to laugh at your personal experience at the beginning. I have the same problem when I watch a T.V. show. I'm married to a Network Analyst (Computer Geek), and every show dealing with networks or anything computer related, he gets all bent out of shape because of the wrong terminology they use. He then has to explain to me in some 'tech talk' that sounds like another language 'what' they should have said.  An informative newsletter, and it's so true, it's crucial that every writer do the research even before they start writing.  Thank you for sharing your personal experience! It made me laugh out loud. I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter.
The following is in response to "It's Raining Men" :
SkyHawk - Into The Music writes, "Shannon, I'm with you, I DETEST cardboard cutout characters. When I look at characters for my stories, I want a realistic variety of people. That means Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, you name it. For example, one supporting character in a long-term project I have is the product of a Caucasian-American father and Vietnamese mother. And in my variety, I want a mix of backgrounds, accents, dialects, etc. I'm tried of seeing books where practically every character, no matter who they are, speaks grammatically perfect English. How many times do you come across that in everyday life? Accents, dialects, backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, races, you need a mix of at least some of these in order to make your story more believable." EXACTLY! And I hate reading stories/novels where there aren't any contractions (do not, I have, she will as opposed to don't, I've, and she'll). NO ONE doesn't use contractions, therefore there aren't any characters who don't use them, either ... not if your story is to be believed. Thank you for writing in! 
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Short Stories: November 05, 2014 Issue [#6636]
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