Tag: Camp NaNoWriMo

Uncategorized

Schedule? What’s that? (Camp NaNo Updates and a Mini Rant About a Certain Neighbor)

Maggie Hemlock

So, as those of you following along know my sleeping schedule has shifted over the last month or two between some personal happenings and EVIL Daylight Savings Time. I have something in my mid-late morning that is just about an every day engagement. On my old schedule I was done writing way before that time of day hit. Now, waking up between 5-6 not so much. It’s just an hour or an hour and a half later I’m waking up, but apparently I can write a lot in that time.

So, yesterday, feeling a bit defeated that I slept through the alarm again – I decided I’d try an experiment. I did a bunch of the side work stuff and got some chores around the house done – my usual afternoon stuff. Then I sat down to write in the afternoon. It felt weird. There were interruptions – I live on the corner of my apartment building – next to the steps. I have a neighbor who lives at the other end – who doesn’t own a car that is parked at that end of the building or anything – but insists on going up and down my side of the building for EVERYTHING. I swear I think the asshole uses it for cardio some days the way he goes up and down repetitively. I have my reasons for being annoyed with him for many other reasons – but I don’t feel like getting political on this blog.

So, the real problem is my usual writing area is against that outside wall. Usually that’s not a problem – I write in the morning. I do my side work in the kitchen in the afternoon. So, short of going out to ask if he had a personal vendetta against me having peace and quiet (I have mysphonia. So sound gets to me in weird ways) I moved into the kitchen. Except I wasn’t comfortable enough to zone out and write. I was about to give up and call the day wasted and the experiment a flop. Then I rearranged the living room a bit to make it work with the laptop. I swore it felt like I had spent the whole afternoon trying to work around other people – which always annoys me. It’s why I live alone. It’s me and the cat and everyone else can buzz off while I’m trying to work. It had only been about half an hour in which I wrote about 300 words from the two places I tried. I felt like a bit like Rory Gilmore on her the campus of her university trying to find a place to study.

See the source image

The living room worked out. I had a good writing session on the sofa with the cat sleeping on my feet and came in at 5,896 words for Monday. Which I’m quite proud of because I had to work so hard to find a place to write away from noisy morons. So, this is day 2 of the experiment. I think today will go fine, but Wednesday I have errands that can only be ran in the afternoon. So I’m not sure how to deal with that one just yet.

My current WIP is at 43,295

I hope everyone else participating in Camp NaNo is having better luck finding quiet to write in than I am.

What I’m Writing: Book 7 of Love by Glitter Bomb

What’s in Editing: Nothing :O

Current Pre-Orders: Love By Glitter Bomb Box Set 2 & Dead Mates Society.

What I’m Reading: Insomnia by Stephen King & The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Uncategorized

Camp NaNo Updates: Day 2 and 3

Maggie Hemlock

I had every intention of blogging yesterday – I really did. Then I got caught up in the side job and then I wanted to do a bit of reading and a friend called me. Those are the reasons I write in the morning and like getting up before the rest of the world (or at least the people I know) are awake. That quiet time really makes a difference and the fact the time change STILL has me waking up an hour or so later than my normal time is affecting my word count. I’m slowly working on getting this back to normal without giving up too much sleep. The best tool in a writer’s toolbox is a healthy sleep schedule – well, it is if you ask me.

Brown Tabby Cat Lying on Cat Tree

My current WIP is at 37,399 words. I hoped to reach 40k words this week, but I didn’t and that’s okay. I got pretty close.

April 2nd: 4,190 Words

April 3rd: 4,029 Words

So, that makes 1/3 writing days where I hit my goal so far. Though, I did have 2/6 days overall of hitting it this week. I think I’m within a few days of hitting the plotting point and that usually kicks up my word count once I have the ending plotted out. I’m close, but no cookie yet.

If you’re participating how are you doing so far this month?

What I’m Writing: Book 7 of Love by Glitter Bomb

What’s in Editing: Nothing :O

Current Pre-Orders: Love By Glitter Bomb Box Set 2 & Dead Mates Society (Pre-order is in Amazon’s review process and the link will come soon.)

What I’m Reading: Insomnia by Stephen King & If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Uncategorized

Camp Nano Day 1: What’s in a Title, Word Count, and a mostly lazy post writing day.

Maggie Hemlock

Good evening! I want to say it’s been a long day, but I haven’t really gotten much accomplished outside of work stuff – AKA writing. It snowed today which thrilled me until I remembered it was April and when we warmed back up that likely means a thunderstorm. Still, I love the cold and the snow. So, I’m counting it as a win for today.

I didn’t wake up quite on time today. So, I figured I wouldn’t get as much done. I’m not to the point I’ve plotted the rest of this book out or anything like that. So, I set out to write and surprisingly hit my daily word count goal of 5k+ words. Knowing I had to fess up to whatever my word count was in a blog this evening got me in the zone.

Start of Day Word Count: 24,138 words

End of Day Word Count: 29,180 words

Words Written Today: 5040 words

So, I’m happy with today’s progress. I’m about to hit a major plot point tomorrow or the next day and I’m looking forward to seeing how that one plays out.

After I finished writing and made my usual check-in phone call with a friend (they’re doing well) I mostly played hearthstone, worked a bit on a side job, and listened to an audio book. I’ve made it through today without seeing any distasteful pregnancy ‘fools day’ crap on social media. And for that I’m a grateful.

While finally getting around to putting together my new end tables I thought about titles more. Well, about one title in particular. The title of my current WIP. For a bit, I thought for sure I was going to call it Beta in the Cards or something similar. I almost always think I know what I’m going to call a book – then I change my mind 10 times with very few exceptions. Now, I’m playing around with other titles like ‘The Dead Give Their Blessing’ and ‘Matched from Beyond.’ I’m not too fond of any of them, but it’s a process that I’m not sure enough writers talk about.

With all that said – I have brownies and a Stephen King Novel waiting for me to take another peek at it. So, I’m off for the night to recharge my batteries. (Shh…. It’s really called reading but I always say I have to read to stay in the zone.)

If you’re participating in camp how was your first day?

What I’m Writing: Book 7 of Love by Glitter Bomb

What’s in Editing: Nothing :O

Current Pre-Orders: Love By Glitter Bomb Box Set 2

What I’m Reading: Insomnia by Stephen King & If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Uncategorized

I’m Ready for Camp Nano!

Maggie Hemlock

Oy! I can’t believe it’s already April tomorrow! Where the heck has 2021 gone? Seriously! How are we going into the 4th month of the year???

I dunno, but we are and I’m ready for it this time.

For those of you who don’t know Camp Nano is NaNoWriMo’s little sibling. Taking place in April it’s a chance to put the pedal back to the metal and get to work on whatever project you’re in the middle of or that you’ve been putting off.

As those of you who follow me in other places know – I don’t usually do Nano or camp anymore. Usually, I’m on top of everything and kicking butt, but the last year or so has sucked some life energy out of me. So, I need a kick in the keyboard to get back to my normal schedule.

What’s a normal schedule for me? Umm… 5kish words 6 days a week until it’s time for the second draft and to work with my editor on the book. Sometimes, I start the next one while she has chunks of the one I just finished to work on.

No, I’m not burnt out on writing. I’m just juggling more on my emotional plate and have lost a bit of my motivation.

So, what am I writing for Camp Nano? Well, I’ll be using Nano to finish up book 7 of my Love by Glitter Bomb Series. I won’t talk a lot about what’s going on in the book here, right now. If I talk about a book’s plot too early it jinxes me and I’m avoided that like I’m avoiding the literal plague right now!

So, what’s my plan? I don’t plan to write every day. I never do that anymore. My plan is hit the end of the first draft this month which on my old writing routine would’ve been a piece of cake. But since right after the winter holidays things have been wonky for my writing. So, we’ll see. I’ll work my normal days (Usually Monday-Saturday, taking Sunday off.)

Right now I’m damn close to hitting the 25k mark of this book. 24,138 words written to be exact.

The writing progress I’ve made so far on Book 7 of Love by Glitter Bomb. Not horrible, but I need more days close to 5k words to get back on schedule.

Good luck to everyone participating in camp! My the words ever be in your favor!

What I’m Writing: Book 7 of Love by Glitter Bomb

What’s in Editing: Nothing :O

Current Pre-Orders: Love By Glitter Bomb Box Set 2

What I’m Reading: Know My Name by Chanel Miller & Insomnia by Stephen King

Uncategorized

Camp NaNoWriMo Prep (Mine and Tips for Yours)

Maggie Hemlock

I’m up early enough today that I beat the cat up. She’s not ready for breakfast yet. Which gives me a few minutes to ramble here about Nano prep when I should be starting my novel. I have a vampyric MC this time around and I’m excited. Teenage Maggie would be head over heels to know I’m writing vampire romance at all now. I guess somethings never change.

Except they do. I’d sworn off Camp Nano after the last time. I really did. It was a good experience and I wrote a great novel that went on to do well, but it was sooo stressful. Why was it stressful? Because talking about writing and writing a novel at the same time is stressful. I haven’t forgotten this, but my life is different now. (How could it not be with the pandemic, right?) Also, that was like 3 years ago I think. Maybe 2 years ago. I’m not even sure anymore. What I’m getting at is I think I learned some better time/word management since then. At least, I hope so. We’ll find out in the middle of April if I’m banging my head on the wall or not.

So… What am I doing to prep for Camp NaNo?

Honestly, I’m lucky with this one. I already know what I need/want/am going to write. It’s the next book in my Love by Glitter Bomb Series. It’ll be book 7 in the series. I know who my MCs are. I know one of them quite well. He’s a dragon shifter. The other is the newcomer to the series. So, to help myself get set up I think I’m going to blog through the steps.

1. What’s Standing in My Way of Writing?

I ask this question every time I set down to start a novel. What’s going to get in my way. Your list will probably be different than mine, but here’s a look at what a list might look like. Be sure to be honest with yourself. You can plan around obstacles if you don’t admit to them.

  • April is storm weather in Appalachia sometimes. (If you’re a longtime reader you know my storm anxiety isn’t going anywhere.) Tonight we’re in for another bad storm after having one at the end of last week too.
  • Part time work. (Covid economy sucks, but you gotta do what ya gotta do.)
  • I’ll need to get the publishing stuff ready for Dead Mates Society (The short story that is Love by Glitter Bomb 6.5)
  • I’ll need to get the next box set up for pre-order/publishing.
  • There is one question that is important to the plot that I don’t know the answer to right now.
  • I plan to put out a lot more blogs than usual.
  • As the weather warms up I’ll have to tell people to buzz off. People will want to hang out and I probably won’t want to hang out. For me, since I’m not eligible to be vaccination in my state the pandemic is the best excuse I have.
  • Normal CPTSD crap.
  • I’m participating in 2 book club reads and a buddy read next month.
  • I’m eating healthy again and I swear sometimes meal prepping feels like it takes up more time than it saves.
  • Existential dread has been my middle name for the last month or two. This isn’t healthy for writing.

Now, your list will probably include things mine doesn’t touch on and that’s okay. Just be honest with yourself and plan around these things. This week leading up to camp I plan to share some tips on how to manage that.

2. Gather Supplies

Since writing is for the most part my full time job. I don’t have many supplies I need to go out and get. At this point outside of my planners I mostly do everything virtually. But figuring out what you need before April gets here will save you so much time that you can in turn use for writing.

3. Are You a Pantser or Plotter or Some Combination of?

I’m a combo. I usually know my ending, my beginning, and have a vague idea (not written down) of what will happen. Then I usually write until my characters and the plot are a bit fleshed out and then I’ll plot the rest of the way. If you’re a hardcore plotter you might want to do this part before April.

4. Don’t Fall into the Trap of Trying to Write the Same Amount Every Day

Okay, so, yeah, I know that camp is for finishing projects or doing your own thing, but even if you’re writing the tale end of a novel, I think this will help you out. Don’t plan on writing the same amount every day. Don’t plan on writing every day. I know – some of you are making the scream face right now and that’s okay. Just hear me out, alright? Thanks!

Some days are busier than others and unless you’re writing full time it’s not always possible to squeeze in a full length writing session. Plot your hopeful word counts ahead of time, but leave wiggle room. Maybe only aim for 500 on busy days or less if 500 words seem like a lot to you. I use Pace Maker (Thanks Karsyn for telling me about it forever ago if you’re reading this!) It’s free and it has a lot of features that you can adjust to help you plot out how many words you need to write on any given day.

Be nice to yourself. You’ll get there, but not all in one day.

5. READ!

I know this is some of the most common advice given to aspiring writers – but it’s so important. By reading you learn so many little things and how they work together. You get a feel for what makes a book a book. I know a lot of people who write are avid readers, but I have a friend working on the second draft of a novel who isn’t really a reader. It happens, but believe me your writing life will be easier if you read.

What are you doing to get ready for Camp NaNo?

Writing/Reading Info:

WIP: Love by Glitter Bomb Book 7.

What’s with the editor: Dead Mates Society (Love by Glitter Bomb Book 6.5)

What am I reading: Nothing by Annie Barrows and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towels.

Uncategorized

A Little Announcement (CAMP NaNo)

Maggie Hemlock

It’s a little after six in the morning here and it’s just me and the cat and the one crow I’ve heard call before sunrise alive in the apartment building. I love the early quiet of the morning and how it allows me time to reflect and get grounded for the day before the rest of the world starts running in circles. It’s also the best time for me to write. I’m not writing this morning, though. Well, unless you count this blog. I haven’t written for a week. Even when I have a book in editing that’s unusual for me.

I’d like to say 2020 left me raw, but I was raw going into 2020. I was raw from 2019 and now sitting here in 2021 I alternate between my skin feeling like stone and parchment paper. It took a little longer for me to feel the effects of not going out (I’m still not going anywhere if I can avoid it. I live in a big anti-masker area and my anxiety doesn’t deal well with it in general.) and the effects of what my friends and I have started to call COVID economy. I go to bed thinking about the future and wake up thinking about the future -usually full of dread. I know it’s not sexy or whatever, but it’s where I am. I’ve always been honest about mental health, because too many times it gets swept under the rug. I always figure, if I let one person know that they’re not alone in their struggles that’s enough for me.

My friends have been incredibly awesome during all of this. Some days I feel like we take turns between freaking out and being the voice of reason. I love them to death and would be lost without them.

I’ve received a lot of advice about writing and words of encouragement that go every which way. For me, not writing isn’t a choice. When everyone says to take a break or try something else, I’ve done that before. Writing suits me – it’s solo for the most part. It enables me to put ideas into words that I couldn’t otherwise. So, all their well meaning advice about doing anything else goes out the window, because I can’t give up. Burnout is part of the process sometimes and anxiety/CPTSD makes it worse when it does happen.

And throughout my lifetime, I know the one thing that combats anxiety – keeping busy and sometimes switching things up. We’re going into storm season here which means maybe I am crazy for what I’m going to do. Though, all the best people are bit crazy, if you ask me.

As many of you know Camp NaNo is next month. It’s the baby sibling of November’s NaNoWriMo. I usually avoid writing camps, because I write so much normally. I always feel like maybe they weren’t meant for me. With my current lack of motivation (not inspiration. I know what the next book in my series is about – I know who and what and why. Hell, I have a short from a dead character with something to say that needs to go into editing soon.) I just lack motivation – or the ability to turn off dread of the great WHAT-IF? So, I’m going to participate in Camp NaNo. I’ll probably (hopefully) start writing on the book I’m planning to use it for ahead of time, but since I’m aiming for somewhere in the neighborhood of 75-90k words, I think that’s fair. Camp Nano is all about finishing up projects anyway.

I think going into Nano will give me my motivation back and give me a reason to blog more. Switching things up just enough to get me moving again and I need that. I need something to focus on and I think it’s time for me to do Camp again.

If you haven’t heard my latest novel launched yesterday: Book 6 of Love by Glitter Bomb: To Save a Sidhe

To Save a Sidhe by [Maggie Hemlock]
Uncategorized

Camp NaNoWriMo 2019 Wrap Up

Maggie Hemlock

After taking three days off from working on my novel and blogging it’s time to reflect on the month. Every time I participate in a NaNoWriMo event I always swear it’ll be the last and it is the last time until I forget how crazy it makes me. lol

This year Camp Nano was definitely complicated by undeserving drama in my personal life. All of this taught me I can write through hurricanes, but now after two days of not working I’m still tired. I still don’t have a title for Book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. Though, I do have a good idea of the next 2-4 books in the series. Some exciting things are in store of the Hemlock Wolves and their mates. Also, some danger brews in the future. To be honest, I’ve spent a lot of the last two days staring into space and daydreaming about future scenes.

Camp NaNoWriMo was fun for the most part. Mostly, it just proved to me I can write through almost anything if I have an idea I’m passionate about. I met my word count and surpassed my word count goal for the month, but I still have a third of the book to write. So, it’s a victory, but it feels like such an odd time to celebrate.



April was my busiest month of 2019 so far.


I’m relieved April is over, but tomorrow I’ll go back to writing on book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga.

Uncategorized

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 26: The Day I Almost Forgot to Blog

Maggie Hemlock

Welcome back! Today was a rowdy day of storms and close calls to power outages here! But we slid by on the seat of our pants and for once my small town’s power wasn’t eaten by the wind.

It’s almost my bedtime at the time of writing this so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Today was an awesome writing day! I wrote just over 3k words leaving me about 4.5k words to finish my goal for camp!

There are a few scenes coming up really soon in my novel that I’m psyched to write! I’ve watched them play out in my head so many times that I know them almost word for word! That’s a good thing too! These scenes may just be what I need to push my butt over the finish line of Camp NaNoWriMo!

Uncategorized

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 25: The day that happened.

Maggie Hemlock

I think the title of this blog reflects my current ability to title works of writing. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions and drama and word counts. A week that’s made me think about writers and addictions. It’s almost like the chicken and the egg question.

chicken and egg

As any of my long time followers (from FB and other places) will know I quit smoking on January 13th of this year. I used nicotine gum as my form of nicotine replacement therapy. It’s more than three months later and I’m still on it. I’m working on cutting down and every time I do I have the symptoms all over again of quitting. I know a lot of people would say just go cold turkey! It’s only 24 milligrams of nicotine a day. Not all of it even makes it into your bloodstream. Quitting cold turkey isn’t for me at this point. I won’t bore you with all the reasons why. Protecting my quit is very important to me. It’s my biggest will power accomplishment ever. Yes, this from the woman who writes everyday most of the year. Writing is easy. It’s not writing that’s hard. Even when I need to take a break.

All of this thinking has made me add a topic of writers and addiction to my to blog about eventually. It’s everywhere. You see the jokes about full ashtrays and a million empty coffee cups. Sometimes it’s wine glasses. I don’t really drink. Maybe a glass every year or two. So, that’s not my poison of choice, but it’s out there. Not all writers have any of these addictions, but it’s prevalent enough to acquire memes to support the stereotype.

Yes, I wrote more before I quit smoking. Yes, it was easier, but going back isn’t an option for me. So, I can only go through the process of quitting. I’m a little less than 8k words away from the finish line of my 50k Camp Nano goal. I don’t need cigarettes to write, but I do miss them. I wrote 2,091 words today. Now, I’m off to embrace the fog of nicotine withdrawal until my brain adjusts or tomorrow morning arrives to clear it for a little while.

Uncategorized

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 24: The Day I Broke 40k Words

Maggie Hemlock

After a three day weekend off to deal with personal matters Monday rolled around. Only the rest of the world didn’t care that it was Camp Nano and they were getting in the way of my main character finally exchanging claiming vows with his true-mate. I’m sure this is the sort of offense one would take to the Hemlock High Courts, but unfortunately we don’t live there. lol So, Blake and Jonah had to wait a bit.

All joking aside, keeping up with Camp NaNoWriMo this week has been an uphill battle in stilettos while fighting off a hungry dragon. But the good news is I managed to stay on the hill. I wrote every day this week (so far) and am on schedule to finish on April 30th.

Monday’s Word Count: 875

Tuesday’s Word Count:1577

Wednesday’s Word Count: 2360

Today, I’m back in the swing of things. I’m tired, but I’m excited for a lot of the scenes coming up. I still have one tweak I have to make towards the end of the plot. Well, around chapter 25 which I’m only 4 chapters away from. I won’t finish this novel by the end of the month, but I will hit my 50k goal. I had planned for this book to be shorter than Healer’s Oath, but Blake and Jonah had different plans.

After Camp ends I’ll likely take a week off to recharge my batteries before charging in to write the remainder of the book. Happy writing, fellow campers!