2010 Day 13: Whoa--Five Days?

Sorry it's been so long since an update here--I find that between I'm Not Hannah, Divining Women, and other writerly projects, this one (which actually takes so little time) gets the brunt of the inattention.

Just wanted to give you all a big thumbs up--you're doing great.  I'm enjoying getting to know some of you and getting to know some of you better.  (Here's a weird thing--I find I'm commenting much less on my NaBloWriMo friends' blogs.  I guess it's because I've known them longer and know that they probably are doing the same thing.  Y'all know I luff you, right?  Right.)  So many folks writing so many words...it actually is inspiring tonight's I'm Not Hannah post.

Writing prompt for today:  Describe your ideal writing setting.  Now--tell us if that's where you do your writing.  In other words, does your current office/nook/den/whathaveyou meet the needs you have as a writer?

2010 Day 7: Woohoo! One Week!

Check us out!  Many of us have written every day on our "main" blogs, most of us have managed at least five days, and almost everybody has written at least once. 

There are always a few folks who sign up and then feel overwhelmed and can't seem to get up on the horse.  It happened to me at least once.  If you're one of the former, yay!  If you're in the middle, yay!  If you haven't written as much as you planned...well, not yay, because you probably (if you're like me) feel down on yourself (or defensive or frazzled or some other negative emotion.)  If you ever DO feel that way, remember that this isn't really a contest--it's a challenge.  NaBloWriMo is a way of testing yourself, determining how much you CAN write on any given topic if you put your mind to it.  So maybe you've found out that writing every day is too difficult for you.  That's okay, right?  We'd still like to keep up with you or get to know you, so even if you haven't been as verbose as you had planned, you can always start today.

BTW, tomorrow will be the last day I add writers.  I'm thrilled with our turnout--SEVENTY-FOUR at last count--but without a new system, it's hard to process so many.  I got some great suggestions about this conundrum, from "leave the system be" to "oh, yeah, catalog this mess." I think that next year, I'll have an actual (short...very short) form for bloggers to fill out, with some basic categories they can choose to drop themselves into.  The reasons for this are pretty simple:  as somebody pointed out, seventy-four bloggers writing every day (or almost every day) is an overwhelming reading task.  I know there are some of you, particularly those in different time zones, that I haven't gotten to, simply because when I steal a moment to read, you're so far down the list that I give up.  (Perhaps I should start in the middle...:D)  So the topic suggestion for today is one I found in comments:  on Saturday or Sunday, how about a list of the blogs you've read this week that are interesting to you?

In any case, y'all are doing great.  I hope you're enjoying writing and reading as much as I am. 

2010 Day 3--Give Your Readers A Preview

Hey, y'all!  It's been a crazy end to a crazy week, with Sunday winding up to be just as insane, with a trip to the bookstore AND a case of suspected pinkeye AND boiled peanuts.  (Five pounds, in case you were wondering.)  (The peanuts, not the pink eye.)  (Do you think I'd tell you something that gross?)

My post at I'm Not Hannah is a poem post, but I think Sundays are great days to share your plans for the week ahead.  People love to know what you are aiming to do for next week--and they love to share that info with you. 

I've noticed a lot of you are managing to keep up the pace so far--and nearly everybody has posted at least once.  We are super cool, are we not?  Remember to visit and comment and share the love.

Have great weeks.

2010 Day 2: A Request and Some Suggestions

Holy social media, Batman, we have got ourselves a TON of writers this year.  I'm dizzy from it--aren't you?  We're pretty much a movement, people.

I didn't post a blog prompt today, which is super not-awesome of me, I know.   Busy, busy, busy, yada, yada, yada.  I'll start posting the prompts tomorrow, I promise.  In the meantime, check out Rad's suggestions for being a consistent writer, which are super-awesome:  http://kowthas.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/10-secrets/

In past years, I've tried to read every blog every day, but I doubt I can do it this year.  You guys are doing GREAT so far, and with so many of you posting, it's hard for me to catch everybody.  Do me a favor, would you, and try to swing by folks' blogs and leave a comment if you are so moved.  I know I've said it before, but it really does mean a lot, doesn't it?  Yeah.

Have good nights and I'll see you tomorrow!

12 Hours...

until October, which means twelve hours til NaBloWriMo!  Woohoo!  Break it down!  (Pause for a celebratory dance around the office while I trip over River, who is crouching on the floor sneaking the crumbs out of her bag of Cheetos.)

BTW, YES--you can still sign up.  I mean, it isn't October yet is it?  Wait.  Is it?  Have I missed a day already?  (I kid.)

The irony here is that tomorrow, on the first day of NaBloWriMo, a day which I should devote to writing a blog so fine that it glitters in the sun like RobPat AND reading your glittery blogs, I'll be on a bus with a bunch of UberSmart Children heading toward Dahlonega.  Which means that I'll be writing my inaugural post tonight after I've finished my chores.

Which leads me to a few things:

•  I've added a page up above (in the tabs above the posts...do you see them) with some tips and pointers and whatnot.  If you have a tip to add, please share it with us and I'll add it.  I do plan on posting a prompt every day.
• Don't beat yourself up if you can't post every day.  Are you a human being?  Okay, so stuff happens and sometimes you can't make all your goals.  DON'T let one missed day ruin the whole thing for you so that you sink into a Pit of Despair and refuse to write any more posts for the rest of the month because you RUINED it.  Just write a post the next day, okay?
• All that said, Blogger has a function by which you can write a post and schedule it to be posted later.  That's what I'll do tonight, in fact.  If you have problems figuring out how to do this, email me and I'll help you out.  I'm not sure if the other blogging hosts have these options, but it's definitely worth exploring.
• Please take the time to read your fellow bloggers' work.  I wasn't lying when I said I've met some amaaaazing people through this.  Just pick a few to read here and there and leave a comment if you feel so moved.  We all love comments, right?
• Drink lots of water.  Hydration is important to brain function.
• Leave your chair occasionally.  I mean, seriously.  Nobody wants blood clots due to blogging.
• Floss.  
• I'm not sure why flossing is important in blogging, but there must be a connection somewhere.

Looking forward to writing and reading with you in the next few weeks.  We rock.

A Blog Post Idea

Hello, duckies!  (It's raining here, so it just seems appropriate, ya know?)  Today over at I'm Not Hannah, I posted one of my favorite poems ("Sestina" by Elizabeth Bishop) plus a few quick paragraphs about it.  This is always one of my go-to "I can't think of a post" post-generators.  It isn't always a poem, of course.  I could write about a favorite book, television show, celebrity...the list goes on.  The great thing about this kind of post is that it draws your readers in...it teaches them something about you and offers a way for them to connect with you. Yay, connection!

I've been thrilled with the responses we've gotten so for for NaBloWriMo.  Once again, it appears we've got a great mix of bloggers.  I'm looking forward to writing with you in--gulp--six days.  If you haven't already, please grab a button (and let me know if you need a different color, mkay?) and use it on your blog.  Spread the word!  Huzzah!  UPDATED TO ADD:  It seems a few folks aren't on the list who thought they were.  Please check the sidebar and if your blog isn't showing up, let me know.  Just putting the button on your own blog doesn't register you--I have to add you via a comment or an email to nothannah @ comsouth.net.  *Note to self:  make registering easier next year...Thanks, y'all.

(It's possible I've had too much chai this morning...)

A Little Inspiration

My music collection is very diverse:  I love everything from Patsy Cline to Jane's Addiction to the Allman Brothers to Outkast to George Winston.  My blog list is the same:  I read Mommy Blogs and Travel Blogs and Political Blogs and Pagan Blogs and Crafty Blogs and pretty much every variation in between.  Thus, it shouldn't really surprise folks that one of my favorites is The Pioneer Woman.  If you're a blogger, you probably have heard of Ree Drummond and the insane success of her blog.  But there's a reason why she's successful.  Or rather, several reasons.  She laid them out for us the other day in this helpful post, but my favorite tip was the first one:

"1. Be yourself.

Write in your own voice.
Write as if you’re talking to your sister.
Unless you don’t get along with your sister.
Or don’t have a sister."

You see what she did there?  She showed us what she was talking about.  Developing your own voice is tough as a blogger, but here's an idea:  why don't you use October as a time to work on doing just that?