Hello everyone! I hope you all had a pleasant Halloween dressing up, eating candy, and maybe taking in a movie or two (I think this was the first year I did all three!). However, Halloween is done and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is upon us.
I have participated in this event a few times with varying success, but this year I wanted to try something different. As you all know, I’ve been working on editing my novel along with writing some new, yet to be read, flash/short stories. I’ve really been enjoying the writing process of these stories and I hope to have at least one ready for all you readers this November. Yay!
I’ve been enjoying writing them so much, in fact, that I am planning on creating a connected universe flash fiction/short story collection for NaNoWriMo this year. Creating smaller, loosely connected stories into a collection feels like a fun way to make unique stories. It leaves open room for creativity, takes the pressure of completing a single novel away, and also allows me to tackle the page in a more focused manner.
Each novel poses difficult challenges and can be mentally exhausting. As I edited my own novel, I found myself losing focus and energy for the last few months. It became a slog. Writing short stories re-energized me and helped me gain more focus when jumping back to my novel. Additionally, reading other novels assisted in this as well.
Yet, doing a short story collection for NaNoWriMo isn’t the only thing I’m doing different this year. For the first time, I will be using the NaNoWriMo system to record my progress. I haven’t done it before, but I can imagine it will be helpful in keeping me accountable. I will also be giving a weekly update on my progress as well. Hopefully, after the month, I will do a review of my experience and the system they use. Many of you may be intimately familiar with it, so feel free to share your experience in the comments.
Speaking of sharing experiences, I will be sharing more information on my short story magazine submission progress by the end of the year. I have several more stories written and will be submitting a few still this November.
So, as you can guess, I’m going to have a busy November and I have a lot to deliver. Wish me luck and until next time…
Read, Write, Edit, Repeat
- J. J.