Kyra Anderson's Blog
November 1, 2018
Writing Therapy: Why the Urge to Write?
Happy November 1st! I know, it might be a surprise to have me posting after so long, and particularly when it comes to writing, since I 've been on hiatus. However, it's NaNoWriMo, and I never miss NaNoWriMo.
As November began approaching (very quickly) I had to struggle with the question of if I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. Part of me wanted to just let it slide and not worry about it this year. However, a larger, more competitive side of me kicked my ass and told me that I had won 7 years in a row, and I was not going to let one year of my streak slip by.
Also, NaNoWriMo is a good excuse for me to start dipping my feet back into the water of writing.
This year has been extremely difficult for me in a lot of ways. Lately, it's getting even more difficult with a slew of new issues coming up almost every day, but I've noticed that I've been struggling to handle things I would have handled with ease a few years ago. And the only thing that's really changed (besides my age), is giving up on writing.
So, I thought that maybe it would be a good time to focus on NaNoWriMo in this blog, but not in the same writer blog way. A lot of blogs and videos and tweets around this time of year from NaNoWriMo participants talk about different writing techniques, prompts, ways to get inspiration, etc. In other words, they focus a lot on the novel. In my experience of novel writing, it's nearly impossible to give useful advice and tips other than "sit your ass in the chair and write" because everyone's writing journey is so personal and no two people are going to write the same story from the same prompt. Writing a novel is not something that can really be taught because there is no solid standard for how to build a story. One of my favorite things I've ever seen about writing a novel was someone saying it was harder than brain surgery, because you can teach someone to perform brain surgery, but you can't teach someone how to write a novel.
So, my writing advice for you if you're doing NaNoWriMo, is just to write. Sit down, focus, and write. That is how you are going to learn how to write a novel.
Because NaNoWriMo is so focused on the novel, I thought I would take this month to focus on the writer. Half of the posts you see about NaNoWriMo online talk about writers wailing in a corner and complaining about their books. While anyone who has written a novel understands this anguish and can laugh about it, we also all know that it's a very grueling process to write a novel. It's not fun. It's hard.
So why do we do it?
What drives a person to try and write a novel? Sure, there are those who "would write a novel if they had an idea," or "if they had the time" because there is a sort of idealistic idea that writers "do nothing." I've been hearing that a lot over the last several years, and like with most who feel the drive to write, those words can really start to sting after a while. They were one contributing factor to my hiatus (and a rather large one, at that). People only take writers seriously when they have a book made into movies, or tv shows, or are on a best seller list. Otherwise, it's just "really cool" that you write books, but what do you do for income?
I have a lot of writer and artist friends, and I feel like after speaking with them and going off my own experiences, I think I understand why we undertake this torturous task.
Because it's the way we make sense of the world.
There is a quote I love from Pierre Berge which is that an artist lives beside his time, not in it. I think that is the best way to describe writers. We write our novels based on our desires, are pasts, our fears, and our culture. What we are supposed to do is take all the information we can in the great wide world and explore it as thoroughly as we can by making fictional characters go through these scenarios. It's no wonder that dystopian novels have gained such popularity these days. It's also no surprise that romance novels are among the most popular books to be read (love is something every human strives for). What writers do, is create a lens through which readers can look at the world.
But that still doesn't really answer the question of what drives a writer to write. As dark as it may sound, every writer I know writes in order to work through all the crap in their emotions, their mind, and their pasts. Someone could write a happy, romantic book, but I am almost certain it was born out of a darker feeling of loneliness, of wanting to make the character feel loved, of creating a world where the writer has complete control and knows that the relationship between the characters is going to work out.
So, if you write and you're participating in NaNoWriMo, it probably means you've got some demons hiding in your mind that you're trying to deal with--sorry to be the bearer of bad news if you didn't already know that.
Hey, nothing wrong with that. And I am a firm believer that no one is alone when it comes to their inner demons. Your writing will speak to a multitude of people who will gleam the same feeling of understanding and belonging that you had when you were writing your novel. No matter how happy or how dark, you will be reaching out and touching the lives of readers.
So, write on, enjoy the ride, explore your mind and your pain and bleed all over the page and all the other cliches people say about writers. But don't forget to take care of yourself in the process. Understand that you are the conduit for a story that bespeaks who you are as a person and how you see the world, and that is a harrowing task. Be kind to yourself this month. NaNoWriMo is just a challenge. 1,700 words in a day is a lot of writing, particularly when you are just starting a project. Don't be too hard on yourself, make other writer friends so that you can complain about starting writing to begin with (we all do this, even if we've written over a dozen books before), and enjoy the experience. In my opinion, writing therapy is the best therapy.
So, yes, I will be joining everyone in NaNoWriMo this year. It has been a long time since I've sat down to write seriously, but I when I was writing at the beginning of October, I began crying because it had been a long time since I had felt that happy. It really spoke volumes to me, telling me that even though it's becoming harder and harder for me to write because of external stressors, writing is a part of who I am, it's part of my core, and I must still have a lot of demons to out down on pages because the urge to write is as strong as the need to eat or sleep. Let's go kick NaNoWriMo in the ass~
Happy writing! Let me know how you're doing on your story. I'd love to know your daily word count, whether it's on NaNoWriMo or on other projects you're working on. Post your progress in the comments!
All the best!
K.J. Amidon | Kyra Anderson
www.kjamidon.com
As November began approaching (very quickly) I had to struggle with the question of if I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. Part of me wanted to just let it slide and not worry about it this year. However, a larger, more competitive side of me kicked my ass and told me that I had won 7 years in a row, and I was not going to let one year of my streak slip by.
Also, NaNoWriMo is a good excuse for me to start dipping my feet back into the water of writing.
This year has been extremely difficult for me in a lot of ways. Lately, it's getting even more difficult with a slew of new issues coming up almost every day, but I've noticed that I've been struggling to handle things I would have handled with ease a few years ago. And the only thing that's really changed (besides my age), is giving up on writing.
So, I thought that maybe it would be a good time to focus on NaNoWriMo in this blog, but not in the same writer blog way. A lot of blogs and videos and tweets around this time of year from NaNoWriMo participants talk about different writing techniques, prompts, ways to get inspiration, etc. In other words, they focus a lot on the novel. In my experience of novel writing, it's nearly impossible to give useful advice and tips other than "sit your ass in the chair and write" because everyone's writing journey is so personal and no two people are going to write the same story from the same prompt. Writing a novel is not something that can really be taught because there is no solid standard for how to build a story. One of my favorite things I've ever seen about writing a novel was someone saying it was harder than brain surgery, because you can teach someone to perform brain surgery, but you can't teach someone how to write a novel.
So, my writing advice for you if you're doing NaNoWriMo, is just to write. Sit down, focus, and write. That is how you are going to learn how to write a novel.
Because NaNoWriMo is so focused on the novel, I thought I would take this month to focus on the writer. Half of the posts you see about NaNoWriMo online talk about writers wailing in a corner and complaining about their books. While anyone who has written a novel understands this anguish and can laugh about it, we also all know that it's a very grueling process to write a novel. It's not fun. It's hard.
So why do we do it?
What drives a person to try and write a novel? Sure, there are those who "would write a novel if they had an idea," or "if they had the time" because there is a sort of idealistic idea that writers "do nothing." I've been hearing that a lot over the last several years, and like with most who feel the drive to write, those words can really start to sting after a while. They were one contributing factor to my hiatus (and a rather large one, at that). People only take writers seriously when they have a book made into movies, or tv shows, or are on a best seller list. Otherwise, it's just "really cool" that you write books, but what do you do for income?
I have a lot of writer and artist friends, and I feel like after speaking with them and going off my own experiences, I think I understand why we undertake this torturous task.
Because it's the way we make sense of the world.
There is a quote I love from Pierre Berge which is that an artist lives beside his time, not in it. I think that is the best way to describe writers. We write our novels based on our desires, are pasts, our fears, and our culture. What we are supposed to do is take all the information we can in the great wide world and explore it as thoroughly as we can by making fictional characters go through these scenarios. It's no wonder that dystopian novels have gained such popularity these days. It's also no surprise that romance novels are among the most popular books to be read (love is something every human strives for). What writers do, is create a lens through which readers can look at the world.
But that still doesn't really answer the question of what drives a writer to write. As dark as it may sound, every writer I know writes in order to work through all the crap in their emotions, their mind, and their pasts. Someone could write a happy, romantic book, but I am almost certain it was born out of a darker feeling of loneliness, of wanting to make the character feel loved, of creating a world where the writer has complete control and knows that the relationship between the characters is going to work out.
So, if you write and you're participating in NaNoWriMo, it probably means you've got some demons hiding in your mind that you're trying to deal with--sorry to be the bearer of bad news if you didn't already know that.
Hey, nothing wrong with that. And I am a firm believer that no one is alone when it comes to their inner demons. Your writing will speak to a multitude of people who will gleam the same feeling of understanding and belonging that you had when you were writing your novel. No matter how happy or how dark, you will be reaching out and touching the lives of readers.
So, write on, enjoy the ride, explore your mind and your pain and bleed all over the page and all the other cliches people say about writers. But don't forget to take care of yourself in the process. Understand that you are the conduit for a story that bespeaks who you are as a person and how you see the world, and that is a harrowing task. Be kind to yourself this month. NaNoWriMo is just a challenge. 1,700 words in a day is a lot of writing, particularly when you are just starting a project. Don't be too hard on yourself, make other writer friends so that you can complain about starting writing to begin with (we all do this, even if we've written over a dozen books before), and enjoy the experience. In my opinion, writing therapy is the best therapy.
So, yes, I will be joining everyone in NaNoWriMo this year. It has been a long time since I've sat down to write seriously, but I when I was writing at the beginning of October, I began crying because it had been a long time since I had felt that happy. It really spoke volumes to me, telling me that even though it's becoming harder and harder for me to write because of external stressors, writing is a part of who I am, it's part of my core, and I must still have a lot of demons to out down on pages because the urge to write is as strong as the need to eat or sleep. Let's go kick NaNoWriMo in the ass~
Happy writing! Let me know how you're doing on your story. I'd love to know your daily word count, whether it's on NaNoWriMo or on other projects you're working on. Post your progress in the comments!
All the best!
K.J. Amidon | Kyra Anderson
www.kjamidon.com
June 25, 2018
New Plan
Hello all! I know, I know, it's been forever since I've updated. There's many reasons for that, so, I suppose, let's just get into it.
I've noticed lately that I've really been struggling with writing. That's not to say that I've struggled with inspiration, story ideas, or desire to write. It's (unfortunately) a bit more existential than that.
While it's not something I generally talk about (who am I kidding? I am a ghost on social media and blogging) writing has saved me in a lot of ways. There's always been a lot of turmoil in my head and writing was the way I was able to sort it all out--it still is, if I'm being honest. It is something that gives me a lot of peace and helps me decompress and escape from reality when I need it. There is nothing more thrilling to me than creating a story and watching it unfold as I work on it.
Unfortunately, life does not always facilitate such hobbies.
Writing is difficult--ask anyone. It is time-consuming, stressful, and takes patience and self-discipline. These have always been hurdles I've been able to power through. Lately, though, they have become overwhelming. There is not one thing that has sparked this sudden struggle with writing. This has been a culmination of a lot of factors that have turned writing into a slightly-upsetting task to complete. This is one of the most difficult things for me to admit to myself.
My mental illness has reared it's extremely ugly head since the beginning of the year. It became debilitating for months and even though I am, once again, trying to claw back out of the dark hole that is my mind, every time I battle back, I end up leaving parts of myself behind. It is not something I purposely do. It feels more like parts of myself are beaten out as I try to survive these bad spells.
This time, writing has taken the brunt of my negative thoughts.
I don't like to complain, and I know I've used this excuse over and over again, but I am running myself into the ground with how much I have to handle day-to-day. Many who do not also have to battle debilitating mental illness would find my workload challenging. And it is wearing me down very quickly. The reason my workload has become particularly overwhelming as of late is due to family drama and me having to take over more responsibilities on the homestead and in the family businesses. While I am being paid for my work, it is only for a 40 hour week when I am putting in well over 100 hours of work in on all fronts (easily 17 hours a day). Despite getting some income, I am in one of the most expensive markets in the United States, which means it is impossible for me to support myself on that 40 hour week income. What is worse is that I am unable to take another job currently due to my responsibilities around here. All of this work has left me exhausted and unable to focus on writing.
Enter the other major hitch in my writing--support. No, I do not mean from readers. I am grateful for any attention my books get from readers, no matter how small. The support I lack is at home.
My family has not been accepting of my desire to be a novelist. That has been the case since I started writing when I was 14. My parents would brush it off as a nice little hobby but I should not devote any time or energy into making it a career. Months ago, whenever I said I needed to put some time in on writing, I saw how exasperated my family became, and within an hour, they were asking me to complete other tasks, telling me I could write some other time.
This has gotten worse as the middle of the year has come around and more changes in the family structure have started to come into being. When I told my family (in a very angry and upset way, I might add) that I should just quit writing, rather than ask me why I felt like giving up on my dream, they encourage it and said I needed to find something else that fulfilled my life.
After 15+ years of hearing that, I'm worried it's beginning to take hold.
I sit down to write these days and I feel as though I'm doing something wrong. That I'm a failure and there is no point to me writing anymore. It doesn't matter how badly I want to write or how many ideas I have in my head, I feel as though nothing I write will ever actually allow me to support myself, and I cannot think of anything else I want to do--let alone can do with my schedule, mental illness, and skill level.
As you might deduce, this has led me into a very dark place mentally. Unfortunately, considering everything that's coming my way in the next 6 months, I fear it will not get any better.
This is why I am afraid to say that I will likely be taking a long, if not indefinite, hiatus.
It is a very difficult decision for me to make, but I am afraid that it is no longer feasible for me to work on what I love. I say "taking a hiatus" rather than "I'm quitting" because I have to hold on to the smallest hope that, one day, I can try my hand at writing again. My only fear with that is that I will be even worse at it then than I am now.
Therefore, you can expect The Redemption, book 3 of The Faith Series, to be released sometime in July, and that might very well be the last book I publish. The Amiville comic will round out it's chapter, and then it too will go on hiatus, perhaps indefinitely. Even though I know I have ongoing series that are not complete (The Faith and Roadside Paradise), They were set up in trilogies. The first trilogy of Roadside Paradise is complete, and The Redemption will round out the first trilogy of The Faith. That will at least tie up some loose ends and give a small amount of closure to any readers who follow those series.
I know that there are probably less than a dozen of you who even follow my novels and read them, so I know I'm not letting a whole lot of people down. Some of you who read this and are close friends of mine might find this announcement to be out of the blue, but I have not discussed this with any of my close friends because I know that they would try to convince me to keep writing anyway, but I do not have the strength for it anymore--physically, mentally, or emotionally. My life is just not conducive to this kind of work, I know a lot of people who know me personally will understand what I mean by that.
Now, I am not removing any books from market, but I do not plan to put anything new on the market other than The Redemption for a while--at least through 2018 and possible 2019.
Anyway, after that very long, rambling explanation, I do want to say I am sorry to anyone upset by this decision. I know there aren't many of you out there, but I want you to know that I really appreciate all the support you've shown me as readers and fellow writers. It really has meant a lot to me, and I am sorry that I will not be part of this amazing community for...well, I don't know how long.
To all my readers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity, love, and support through the years. To my fellow indie authors, keep pushing. Keep writing, keep chasing your stories, keep bringing your incredible ideas and stories to the world. You are all amazing and talented and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. (Don't follow my example!
I've noticed lately that I've really been struggling with writing. That's not to say that I've struggled with inspiration, story ideas, or desire to write. It's (unfortunately) a bit more existential than that.
While it's not something I generally talk about (who am I kidding? I am a ghost on social media and blogging) writing has saved me in a lot of ways. There's always been a lot of turmoil in my head and writing was the way I was able to sort it all out--it still is, if I'm being honest. It is something that gives me a lot of peace and helps me decompress and escape from reality when I need it. There is nothing more thrilling to me than creating a story and watching it unfold as I work on it.
Unfortunately, life does not always facilitate such hobbies.
Writing is difficult--ask anyone. It is time-consuming, stressful, and takes patience and self-discipline. These have always been hurdles I've been able to power through. Lately, though, they have become overwhelming. There is not one thing that has sparked this sudden struggle with writing. This has been a culmination of a lot of factors that have turned writing into a slightly-upsetting task to complete. This is one of the most difficult things for me to admit to myself.
My mental illness has reared it's extremely ugly head since the beginning of the year. It became debilitating for months and even though I am, once again, trying to claw back out of the dark hole that is my mind, every time I battle back, I end up leaving parts of myself behind. It is not something I purposely do. It feels more like parts of myself are beaten out as I try to survive these bad spells.
This time, writing has taken the brunt of my negative thoughts.
I don't like to complain, and I know I've used this excuse over and over again, but I am running myself into the ground with how much I have to handle day-to-day. Many who do not also have to battle debilitating mental illness would find my workload challenging. And it is wearing me down very quickly. The reason my workload has become particularly overwhelming as of late is due to family drama and me having to take over more responsibilities on the homestead and in the family businesses. While I am being paid for my work, it is only for a 40 hour week when I am putting in well over 100 hours of work in on all fronts (easily 17 hours a day). Despite getting some income, I am in one of the most expensive markets in the United States, which means it is impossible for me to support myself on that 40 hour week income. What is worse is that I am unable to take another job currently due to my responsibilities around here. All of this work has left me exhausted and unable to focus on writing.
Enter the other major hitch in my writing--support. No, I do not mean from readers. I am grateful for any attention my books get from readers, no matter how small. The support I lack is at home.
My family has not been accepting of my desire to be a novelist. That has been the case since I started writing when I was 14. My parents would brush it off as a nice little hobby but I should not devote any time or energy into making it a career. Months ago, whenever I said I needed to put some time in on writing, I saw how exasperated my family became, and within an hour, they were asking me to complete other tasks, telling me I could write some other time.
This has gotten worse as the middle of the year has come around and more changes in the family structure have started to come into being. When I told my family (in a very angry and upset way, I might add) that I should just quit writing, rather than ask me why I felt like giving up on my dream, they encourage it and said I needed to find something else that fulfilled my life.
After 15+ years of hearing that, I'm worried it's beginning to take hold.
I sit down to write these days and I feel as though I'm doing something wrong. That I'm a failure and there is no point to me writing anymore. It doesn't matter how badly I want to write or how many ideas I have in my head, I feel as though nothing I write will ever actually allow me to support myself, and I cannot think of anything else I want to do--let alone can do with my schedule, mental illness, and skill level.
As you might deduce, this has led me into a very dark place mentally. Unfortunately, considering everything that's coming my way in the next 6 months, I fear it will not get any better.
This is why I am afraid to say that I will likely be taking a long, if not indefinite, hiatus.
It is a very difficult decision for me to make, but I am afraid that it is no longer feasible for me to work on what I love. I say "taking a hiatus" rather than "I'm quitting" because I have to hold on to the smallest hope that, one day, I can try my hand at writing again. My only fear with that is that I will be even worse at it then than I am now.
Therefore, you can expect The Redemption, book 3 of The Faith Series, to be released sometime in July, and that might very well be the last book I publish. The Amiville comic will round out it's chapter, and then it too will go on hiatus, perhaps indefinitely. Even though I know I have ongoing series that are not complete (The Faith and Roadside Paradise), They were set up in trilogies. The first trilogy of Roadside Paradise is complete, and The Redemption will round out the first trilogy of The Faith. That will at least tie up some loose ends and give a small amount of closure to any readers who follow those series.
I know that there are probably less than a dozen of you who even follow my novels and read them, so I know I'm not letting a whole lot of people down. Some of you who read this and are close friends of mine might find this announcement to be out of the blue, but I have not discussed this with any of my close friends because I know that they would try to convince me to keep writing anyway, but I do not have the strength for it anymore--physically, mentally, or emotionally. My life is just not conducive to this kind of work, I know a lot of people who know me personally will understand what I mean by that.
Now, I am not removing any books from market, but I do not plan to put anything new on the market other than The Redemption for a while--at least through 2018 and possible 2019.
Anyway, after that very long, rambling explanation, I do want to say I am sorry to anyone upset by this decision. I know there aren't many of you out there, but I want you to know that I really appreciate all the support you've shown me as readers and fellow writers. It really has meant a lot to me, and I am sorry that I will not be part of this amazing community for...well, I don't know how long.
To all my readers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity, love, and support through the years. To my fellow indie authors, keep pushing. Keep writing, keep chasing your stories, keep bringing your incredible ideas and stories to the world. You are all amazing and talented and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. (Don't follow my example!
March 4, 2018
March 4th Word Count Update
Whew! It's only been 4 days since I challenged myself to get back to writing regularly. While it feels like I could have done a lot better than I did, I am still impressed that I nearly managed 14,000 words in the last four days!
Here is an updated list of the word counts
-Inside, Alternate Part 3: 70,513 [+0]-Inside the Silence: 104 [+0]-Hiding from Sight (Roadside Paradise 4): 6,027 [+4,111]-The Redemption (The Faith Book 3): 11,857 [+3,254]-Project Preservation (New Project!): 481 [+0]-“Secret Project”: 21,823 [+6,584]
To learn more, visit: www.kjamidon.com
Here is an updated list of the word counts
-Inside, Alternate Part 3: 70,513 [+0]-Inside the Silence: 104 [+0]-Hiding from Sight (Roadside Paradise 4): 6,027 [+4,111]-The Redemption (The Faith Book 3): 11,857 [+3,254]-Project Preservation (New Project!): 481 [+0]-“Secret Project”: 21,823 [+6,584]
To learn more, visit: www.kjamidon.com
March 1, 2018
Gotta Get My Act Together
Okay, everyone, this is just a test through March (for now) but I gotta get my act together.
For those of you who are subscribed to my monthly newsletter, you have a longer description of everything I'm working on lately. If you are not subscribed, you absolutely should be!
Click here to subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
I need to hold myself accountable, so it is time to start posting my word counts every week. I may do daily word count updates on Twitter, but here and on Facebook and Instagram, the updates will be every Sunday.
Here is the starting point:
-Inside, Alternate Part 3: 70,513 -Inside the Silence (Inside Prequel): 104 -Hiding from Sight (Roadside Paradise Book 4): 1,916 -The Redemption (The Faith Book 3): 8,603 -Project Preservation (New Project!): 481
Happy writing everyone!!
For those of you who are subscribed to my monthly newsletter, you have a longer description of everything I'm working on lately. If you are not subscribed, you absolutely should be!
Click here to subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
I need to hold myself accountable, so it is time to start posting my word counts every week. I may do daily word count updates on Twitter, but here and on Facebook and Instagram, the updates will be every Sunday.
Here is the starting point:
-Inside, Alternate Part 3: 70,513 -Inside the Silence (Inside Prequel): 104 -Hiding from Sight (Roadside Paradise Book 4): 1,916 -The Redemption (The Faith Book 3): 8,603 -Project Preservation (New Project!): 481
Happy writing everyone!!
October 30, 2017
NaNoWriMo is Almost Upon Us
Hey everyone! Long time no see!
If you follow me on social media you know that I've been super busy lately with responsibilities on the homestead, from canning over 200 jars of food, jams, and jellies, to winterizing the property. Also this month, I have been very hard at work on a very big project called Amiville. The preliminary website will launch this Friday that will talk more about the project. To learn more, visit: www.amivillecomic.com.
I dedicated October to preparing for the comic's release, so having NaNoWriMo start this Wednesday will finally get me back on the writing track. While I have many book projects I want to work on, I will write Until Dawn Breaks, Book 3 of the Roadside Paradise series, as my NaNo project.
I have been a participant and winner in NaNoWriMo for 5 years now (this is my 6th) and I always use the event to hold myself accountable and push myself to work on projects that I may need more motivation on.
Recently I've seen a lot of amazing posts about all the preparation writers go through with their novels. I've seen blog posts about plot outlines, character development tools, bullet journals and tons of other tools writers use. That's the wonderful thing about NaNoWriMo. The community gets together and shares ideas to help new writers and connect to other ideas.
While I would love to share my own process and means for staying on track when it comes to NaNoWriMo, I am sad to say that I do not actually have a process. I do all my work in my head before I start writing, and I find it difficult to put that down on paper before I begin writing. That only makes me believe that I am far more sloppy about my writing than most.
Therefore, rather than explain how I come up with my stories and get through them, I want to offer a different sort of advice to everyone doing NaNoWriMo--be kind to yourself.
50,000 words is quite a goal to achieve in one month. As an example, The Significant is 210,618 words long. Following NaNoWriMo pace, I should have been able to write the book in just under 4 months. It actually took 9 months, that means I was writing about 23,402 words a month. On an even larger scale, Inside (the entire novel), is approximately 520,718 words. NaNoWriMo pace would finish that book after approximately 10 months. It took 18, with about 29,000 words a month.
Writing a book takes time and patience. For NaNo, it's great to push and strive for 50,000 words, but if you don't get it, do not beat yourself up about it. November is a month just like any other. Real life will get in the way, you'll have bad writing days where you don't put down a single word, but never get discouraged. If your word count is not where you think it should be, don't be too hard on yourself. National Novel Writing Month is meant to be a push to get projects started and connect with the writing community, not to be a judge of your talent or ability as a writer.
So, even though I will be taking part in NaNoWriMo again this year and pushing myself to finish 50,000 words in one month, the real challenge I think writers should take part in is engaging with the community and trying new techniques to find a method of writing that works well for you, weather that is character interview sheets, plot cards, web diagrams, bullet journals, or any of the amazing and creative tools that other writers have shared about their process.
Again, please be kind to yourself and give NaNoWriMo a shot, even if it's just to connect to the community and learn a few new things. All the best to those participating! I'll be joining you. If you want to follow my word count, follow me on Facebook or Twitter. I will do a daily word count update at the end of the day to show my progress.
All the best,
K.J.
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If you follow me on social media you know that I've been super busy lately with responsibilities on the homestead, from canning over 200 jars of food, jams, and jellies, to winterizing the property. Also this month, I have been very hard at work on a very big project called Amiville. The preliminary website will launch this Friday that will talk more about the project. To learn more, visit: www.amivillecomic.com.
I dedicated October to preparing for the comic's release, so having NaNoWriMo start this Wednesday will finally get me back on the writing track. While I have many book projects I want to work on, I will write Until Dawn Breaks, Book 3 of the Roadside Paradise series, as my NaNo project.
I have been a participant and winner in NaNoWriMo for 5 years now (this is my 6th) and I always use the event to hold myself accountable and push myself to work on projects that I may need more motivation on.
Recently I've seen a lot of amazing posts about all the preparation writers go through with their novels. I've seen blog posts about plot outlines, character development tools, bullet journals and tons of other tools writers use. That's the wonderful thing about NaNoWriMo. The community gets together and shares ideas to help new writers and connect to other ideas.
While I would love to share my own process and means for staying on track when it comes to NaNoWriMo, I am sad to say that I do not actually have a process. I do all my work in my head before I start writing, and I find it difficult to put that down on paper before I begin writing. That only makes me believe that I am far more sloppy about my writing than most.
Therefore, rather than explain how I come up with my stories and get through them, I want to offer a different sort of advice to everyone doing NaNoWriMo--be kind to yourself.
50,000 words is quite a goal to achieve in one month. As an example, The Significant is 210,618 words long. Following NaNoWriMo pace, I should have been able to write the book in just under 4 months. It actually took 9 months, that means I was writing about 23,402 words a month. On an even larger scale, Inside (the entire novel), is approximately 520,718 words. NaNoWriMo pace would finish that book after approximately 10 months. It took 18, with about 29,000 words a month.
Writing a book takes time and patience. For NaNo, it's great to push and strive for 50,000 words, but if you don't get it, do not beat yourself up about it. November is a month just like any other. Real life will get in the way, you'll have bad writing days where you don't put down a single word, but never get discouraged. If your word count is not where you think it should be, don't be too hard on yourself. National Novel Writing Month is meant to be a push to get projects started and connect with the writing community, not to be a judge of your talent or ability as a writer.
So, even though I will be taking part in NaNoWriMo again this year and pushing myself to finish 50,000 words in one month, the real challenge I think writers should take part in is engaging with the community and trying new techniques to find a method of writing that works well for you, weather that is character interview sheets, plot cards, web diagrams, bullet journals, or any of the amazing and creative tools that other writers have shared about their process.
Again, please be kind to yourself and give NaNoWriMo a shot, even if it's just to connect to the community and learn a few new things. All the best to those participating! I'll be joining you. If you want to follow my word count, follow me on Facebook or Twitter. I will do a daily word count update at the end of the day to show my progress.
All the best,
K.J.
If you want early access to information about my books, including early cover reveals, then please sign up for my mailing list!
Click here to up for my mailing list!
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August 25, 2017
New Book, New Projects, Same Old Stress
Hello everyone!!
I figure it was time I gave an update on what is going on over here in my crazy brain.
For starters, today a new book has been released. Wander the Lost, Book 2 of the Roadside Paradise series is now available for purchase! If you have followed my blog for a while, you'll remember that this series was a fun little project for me to write and was a welcome relief from the intense concentration that had to be put into The Faith. Book 2 of this series was finished faster than I anticipated, so I moved up the release date by 2 whole months!
Click here to get your copy today!!
While it is nice to have the book finished so early, that does also mean that I need to take some time and breathe for a bit away from the books. I pushed pretty hard to get The Sacred done on time, and it meant burning up a lot of my creative energy. I'm going to take a little bit of time to regroup before I start on the third book of The Faith series, which I am still hoping to release before the year is over.
However, not to worry, there are 2 other really big projects that I am working on in the mean time. While they may not be more books to put out, they are related to my books. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already know the 2 other projects I am working on (hint-hint: That means go subscribe to my monthly newsletter so you can stay ahead of the curve, too!).
Now, for one of these projects, I am only going to share a picture. It should be pretty self-explanatory what is going on.
Hmm....wonder what this set-up could mean.....
As for the other project, it is a large art project that will be released January 2018. I am hoping to devote the next month and a half to finishing the groundwork on that. In October, I plan to finally bring it to my readers and let them know what in the world I've been up to when I'm not writing these books.
So, keep an eye on the blog and social media over the next few months. There's bound to be some exciting stuff coming around!
In the mean time, I've got a lot going on in every day life that keeps me pretty busy. You know how people clean out their garages and have a yard sale? I'm doing that, but on a much bigger scale! It will feel so much better when all that stuff is cleaned and organized!
Follow this blog for more updates on projects and follow me on social media for more regular updates about what I'm up to on a day to day basis!
If you want early access to information about my books, including early cover reveals, then please sign up for my mailing list!
Click here to up for my mailing list!
All the best!www.kjamidon.comFacebookInstagramTwitter
I figure it was time I gave an update on what is going on over here in my crazy brain.
For starters, today a new book has been released. Wander the Lost, Book 2 of the Roadside Paradise series is now available for purchase! If you have followed my blog for a while, you'll remember that this series was a fun little project for me to write and was a welcome relief from the intense concentration that had to be put into The Faith. Book 2 of this series was finished faster than I anticipated, so I moved up the release date by 2 whole months!
Click here to get your copy today!!
While it is nice to have the book finished so early, that does also mean that I need to take some time and breathe for a bit away from the books. I pushed pretty hard to get The Sacred done on time, and it meant burning up a lot of my creative energy. I'm going to take a little bit of time to regroup before I start on the third book of The Faith series, which I am still hoping to release before the year is over.
However, not to worry, there are 2 other really big projects that I am working on in the mean time. While they may not be more books to put out, they are related to my books. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already know the 2 other projects I am working on (hint-hint: That means go subscribe to my monthly newsletter so you can stay ahead of the curve, too!).
Now, for one of these projects, I am only going to share a picture. It should be pretty self-explanatory what is going on.
Hmm....wonder what this set-up could mean.....As for the other project, it is a large art project that will be released January 2018. I am hoping to devote the next month and a half to finishing the groundwork on that. In October, I plan to finally bring it to my readers and let them know what in the world I've been up to when I'm not writing these books.
So, keep an eye on the blog and social media over the next few months. There's bound to be some exciting stuff coming around!
In the mean time, I've got a lot going on in every day life that keeps me pretty busy. You know how people clean out their garages and have a yard sale? I'm doing that, but on a much bigger scale! It will feel so much better when all that stuff is cleaned and organized!
Follow this blog for more updates on projects and follow me on social media for more regular updates about what I'm up to on a day to day basis!
If you want early access to information about my books, including early cover reveals, then please sign up for my mailing list!
Click here to up for my mailing list!
All the best!www.kjamidon.comFacebookInstagramTwitter
July 21, 2017
July 15, 2017
What a Day....
Hello, all.
I meant to post about The Sacred pre-order release yesterday, but it was a very trying and emotional day at home.
I had to say goodbye to a tree that I have loved dearly for many many years. She was the largest cottonwood in the state of Nevada. Not only that, she was the largest tree in the state of Nevada. I was amazed by how much life this tree supported. She had nests that were occupied by both Red Tail Hawk and Great Horned Owl. There was always so much activity among her boughs. I had planned to be married under this tree. Through the years, we had noticed stress and lost a few big branches, but about a month ago, we lost an entire section of the trunk around 1 in the morning. Two days ago, we lost the biggest section of the trunk, and it hit the house around 1 in the afternoon. Thankfully, of the 10+ people working the property that day, no one was near the tree and no one was hurt. The arborist came out and told us that heart rot had started in her trunk years ago. It was only a matter of a few weeks before the other 4 large sections would fall, and we could not ensure anyone's safety.
So, the very difficult decision was made to take her down professionally to avoid any injuries or damage to property. I learned a lot about this tree I loved so dearly today. She was not 200 years old, as we had first thought, but at least 500, possibly older. She was also not a group of trees that had grown together, but a single tree that had sprouted many stems from an enormous root system. After looking at the wound at the base, we also found out that she had been through a wild fire close to 300 years ago and survived enough to continue growing. We have found Native American artifacts all around this tree and know that the tree was a popular wintering spot for local tribes. She saw an enormous amount of history.
It was heart wrenching to watch her be taken down. Over 500 years to grow. 12 hours to dismantle.
The largest single piece hauled out was 15,000 lbs. This tree was enormous. Pictures will never be able to do her justice. I wish we had been able to save her, but the arborist said it was a miracle she was still standing at all since her entire base was hollow. She lived a long and exciting life! And I am sure that all the cottonwoods in this valley are her children!
However, on a different note, The Sacred became available for pre-order on Kindle yesterday! It will be fully released on July 21st, so you won't have to wait long!
Get your copy here!
I meant to post about The Sacred pre-order release yesterday, but it was a very trying and emotional day at home.
I had to say goodbye to a tree that I have loved dearly for many many years. She was the largest cottonwood in the state of Nevada. Not only that, she was the largest tree in the state of Nevada. I was amazed by how much life this tree supported. She had nests that were occupied by both Red Tail Hawk and Great Horned Owl. There was always so much activity among her boughs. I had planned to be married under this tree. Through the years, we had noticed stress and lost a few big branches, but about a month ago, we lost an entire section of the trunk around 1 in the morning. Two days ago, we lost the biggest section of the trunk, and it hit the house around 1 in the afternoon. Thankfully, of the 10+ people working the property that day, no one was near the tree and no one was hurt. The arborist came out and told us that heart rot had started in her trunk years ago. It was only a matter of a few weeks before the other 4 large sections would fall, and we could not ensure anyone's safety.
So, the very difficult decision was made to take her down professionally to avoid any injuries or damage to property. I learned a lot about this tree I loved so dearly today. She was not 200 years old, as we had first thought, but at least 500, possibly older. She was also not a group of trees that had grown together, but a single tree that had sprouted many stems from an enormous root system. After looking at the wound at the base, we also found out that she had been through a wild fire close to 300 years ago and survived enough to continue growing. We have found Native American artifacts all around this tree and know that the tree was a popular wintering spot for local tribes. She saw an enormous amount of history.It was heart wrenching to watch her be taken down. Over 500 years to grow. 12 hours to dismantle.
The largest single piece hauled out was 15,000 lbs. This tree was enormous. Pictures will never be able to do her justice. I wish we had been able to save her, but the arborist said it was a miracle she was still standing at all since her entire base was hollow. She lived a long and exciting life! And I am sure that all the cottonwoods in this valley are her children!
However, on a different note, The Sacred became available for pre-order on Kindle yesterday! It will be fully released on July 21st, so you won't have to wait long!
Get your copy here!
July 7, 2017
The Sacred - Cover Art Reveal!
Check it out everyone! We're getting close to a new release!!!
Check back soon for more information (hint: probably a week from now!)
Check back soon for more information (hint: probably a week from now!)
June 16, 2017
What's Up, Everyone??
Hello, everyone! Guess who is (tentatively) back?
Is anyone else thrilled that summer has finally showed up? Although, two days ago, we did get a freak snow storm that our local news stations called #Juneary, but the sun is shining now and summer has finally arrived!
It has been a slow few months for me on the writing front, even with the release of Into Oblivion (which you can read HERE!). However, I am pushing to get projects done and hope to start releasing with more regularity soon. Of course, if you are subscribed to my mailing list, you know exactly how the projects are going and some new and exciting things that might be coming out in a few months.
You can sign up for my monthly newsletter here!
Anyway, during my blog hiatus I joined a few author communities and spent some time talking to starting indie authors. It renewed my inspiration and made me remember how excited I was when I first started writing and publishing books. Therefore, I have made the decision to come back to the blog, and to start working on some more projects.
First and foremost, I would like to tell everyone that I am now offering my services as an editor, cover designer, and book trailer designer!
With (almost) 15 books on the market, I know a lot about the self-publishing process and would like to help other indie authors get their novels out there for us to enjoy!
My website has a breakdown of all the services I'm offering. Click here to learn more!
Secondly, I plan to launch a new, big project January of next year. Around October, I will reveal the project and I will be posting links to my Patreon and other platforms where you can enjoy this monstrous project I have been working on over the past few months, I'm pretty excited. Again, subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get more information faster!
And now, onto book projects.
The Sacred, which is the sequel to The Faith is getting close to being ready for release! In March, I released the first of The Faith series, and have been slowly working on the sequel. Right now, it is not clear how many books this series will be, but the first three are completely mapped out and ready to be written. Stick around, this summer is going to have a new release!
Wander the Lost, which is the sequel to Into Oblivion which released last month, is moving along at a nice, steady pace. This Series, Roadside Paradise, is really fun for me. It's nice to have a new project under the name K.J. Amidon.
Also, Into Oblivion got its first review over the weekend!
You can start reading Into Oblivion here!
These are the two series I will be pouring the most work into in the coming months, as well as the brand new project.
If you look on my author services page, you'll see that I'm taking requests for blog posts that you would like to see about the writing/publishing process. You can email those suggestions to inquiries@kjamidon.com and you might see them pop up here!
When I have more news about each project, I will be sure to post here, but until some of these projects get a little more steam, the updates might be a couple weeks apart.
The point is, I'm back, just not on a regular schedule! At least, not yet!
Hope everyone starts enjoying summer! We'll be complaining about the excessive heat soon enough, but let's enjoy the fact that it's no longer cold, dark winter!
Follow this blog for more updates on projects and follow me on social media for more regular updates about what I'm up to on a day to day basis!
If you want early access to information about my books, including early cover reveals, then please sign up for my mailing list!
Click here to up for my mailing list!
All the best!www.kjamidon.comFacebookInstagramTwitter
Is anyone else thrilled that summer has finally showed up? Although, two days ago, we did get a freak snow storm that our local news stations called #Juneary, but the sun is shining now and summer has finally arrived!
It has been a slow few months for me on the writing front, even with the release of Into Oblivion (which you can read HERE!). However, I am pushing to get projects done and hope to start releasing with more regularity soon. Of course, if you are subscribed to my mailing list, you know exactly how the projects are going and some new and exciting things that might be coming out in a few months.
You can sign up for my monthly newsletter here!
Anyway, during my blog hiatus I joined a few author communities and spent some time talking to starting indie authors. It renewed my inspiration and made me remember how excited I was when I first started writing and publishing books. Therefore, I have made the decision to come back to the blog, and to start working on some more projects.
First and foremost, I would like to tell everyone that I am now offering my services as an editor, cover designer, and book trailer designer!
With (almost) 15 books on the market, I know a lot about the self-publishing process and would like to help other indie authors get their novels out there for us to enjoy!
My website has a breakdown of all the services I'm offering. Click here to learn more!
Secondly, I plan to launch a new, big project January of next year. Around October, I will reveal the project and I will be posting links to my Patreon and other platforms where you can enjoy this monstrous project I have been working on over the past few months, I'm pretty excited. Again, subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get more information faster!
And now, onto book projects.
The Sacred, which is the sequel to The Faith is getting close to being ready for release! In March, I released the first of The Faith series, and have been slowly working on the sequel. Right now, it is not clear how many books this series will be, but the first three are completely mapped out and ready to be written. Stick around, this summer is going to have a new release!
Wander the Lost, which is the sequel to Into Oblivion which released last month, is moving along at a nice, steady pace. This Series, Roadside Paradise, is really fun for me. It's nice to have a new project under the name K.J. Amidon.
Also, Into Oblivion got its first review over the weekend!
You can start reading Into Oblivion here!
These are the two series I will be pouring the most work into in the coming months, as well as the brand new project.
If you look on my author services page, you'll see that I'm taking requests for blog posts that you would like to see about the writing/publishing process. You can email those suggestions to inquiries@kjamidon.com and you might see them pop up here!
When I have more news about each project, I will be sure to post here, but until some of these projects get a little more steam, the updates might be a couple weeks apart.
The point is, I'm back, just not on a regular schedule! At least, not yet!
Hope everyone starts enjoying summer! We'll be complaining about the excessive heat soon enough, but let's enjoy the fact that it's no longer cold, dark winter!
Follow this blog for more updates on projects and follow me on social media for more regular updates about what I'm up to on a day to day basis!
If you want early access to information about my books, including early cover reveals, then please sign up for my mailing list!
Click here to up for my mailing list!
All the best!www.kjamidon.comFacebookInstagramTwitter
