Maggie Hemlock's Blog, page 14

OMG! Guys! The O.W.L.’s are this month and I’m running late! (O.W.L.’s Magical Readathon)

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Seriously! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this readathon before today! (Well, likely yesterday by the time you read this!) Seriously! I’m psyched! As some of my readers may or may not know I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd! J.K. Rowling and Anne Rice were the first series writers I read and fell in love with! I’ve been a proud Slytherin for many years now! So, I really can’t believe it took me this long to discover this readathon!

For the full details watch this video by BookRoast. She’s an awesome person and since this is her brain child she’s the best one to explain in detail! Also, all of the important links are in the description below her video if you just want to skip to reading the details I don’t mention in this blog.

The basic details of the readathon is that it is a two parter hosted in April and August. April is for O.W.L.s and August is for N.E.W.T.s this year they’ve added the addition of career paths. Both of these tests are set to measure magical accuracy and are set up to be particularly challenging.

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Basically each subject has a prompt correlated to the subject and to achieve each ‘career’ you must complete those prompts. You can always be an overachiever and complete more, but you may be more like Fred and George.

I’ve read the Wizarding Career Guidebook (2019 Addition) cover to cover and have decided this year I best make sure my career can translate when I move to the Wizarding World. So, I will be pursuing the Writer/Journalist career path.

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So I will be focusing on the following 3 requirements so I can keep up writing if I ever find my way into the Wizarding World:

History of Magic : Read a work published at least 10 years ago

Muggle Studies : Read a contemporary book

1 Other Subject of my Choice: I’m going with Charms which is performing the age line spell (Reading an adult work of fiction.)

Of course, I’m a classic overachiever so if Camp NanoWrimo leaves me with time I’ll be aiming to fulfill some more of the requirements for other exams as well. I’ll post updates as I pass exams. Tomorrow, I’m reading a book that meets my Charms requirement!

Are you taking the O.W.L.’s this month? Let me know how you’re doing!

Of Plots, Ideas, and Trying NOT to Write on the Story: Day 5 Camp NaNoWriMo Recap

At 9:46 AM this morning I felt like I was chronically running behind schedule from a much needed lie in this morning. I was up and eager to get plotting. My first step to finalizing and tweaking my plot was to read through what I’d already written. I knew any of my official word count today would come from this and I had to walk to the fine line of only fleshing out what was necessary to connect the beginning to the plot that was to come.

What I accomplished today:

What I learned from Bane and Lee is that quitting smoking changed the way I write and plot. I now divide my plots into 3 sections. (Yep. The 3 Act Formula). Today I finalized the plot for the first 3rd of the book. This means there will be more days of plotting in my future, but I think overall it saves me time on tweaking a million times throughout the process.

Snags Along the Way:

My biggest snag was that I was breaking my normal schedule of writing and rest. I usually write for 3 or 4 days and then take a day off. It was day 5 of working straight and my brain was ready for a day of reading and just not thinking about the book. In the spirit of camp and with the promise of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon tomorrow (Well, today by the time you read this and if you’re reading this why not participate? Reading is a great way to spend a Saturday!)

The other snag was simply having too many ideas of how to take Blake and Jonah from point A to point B. Before I ever sit down to write a book I know two things: Where my characters start and where I want them to end up. The middle is a riddle until the first few chapters are written and I finalize a plot. I also had this problem with Bane and Lee in Healer’s Oath.

Bane and Lee taught me a few things, though. There are many roads to travel and as a writer plotting I should take the most direct path that also has the most interesting sights to see. Yesterday I wrote a scene where Bane interacts with Blake and Jonah and I missed him so much. He was one of my favorite Alphas to write. Maybe I need to read this blog post again myself. As evidenced below of what I caught myself typing. It was meant to be Blake, but I typed Lee. lol

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How today went:

Starting Word Count: 11,053

Total Words Written: 143

Ending Word Count: 11186

After thoughts:

I’m enjoying camp so far, but I am so ready for the break tomorrow brings! I’m ready to shove my nose in the book and refill my fingers with some words!

Happy writing fellow campers!

 

 

 

My TBR For Dewey’s

I’m only beginning to recover from my post-publishing slump . Most of my time since publishing Healer’s Oath has been spent sleeping, reconnecting with friends, and just vegging out watching Netflix and Hulu. Recently, I started working on book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga and am happily moving towards Blake’s HEA, but I’m 7 books behind my reading goal for the year and it’s only April! Good thing I decided to participate Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon tomorrow. If you plan to participate be sure to sign up.

Since I’m not planning to read for the whole 24 hours (My pillow would miss me!) I likely won’t make it through every book on my list, but I like to be prepared for all possibilities. I’m currently working through the Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay it’ll be my go to book to start the day. It’s rather long and I’m only about 10% through it. It’s really interesting so far. I just haven’t had much time to read recently. The others are combinations of short novels, stories, and just some books that have lived on my TBR list for a long time.

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I know I won’t read all of these in one day, but they’re what I’ve set aside for the day. Chances are I’ll finish the first one and read some of the short stories from Only the Animals. After that, I’ll likely be read out.

What’s on your TBR list for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon?

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 4 Recap:The Day of Good Distractions

At 7 AM this morning I felt better than I have all week. I slept like the dead last night and woke up with Blake and Jonah on my mind. No, Blake didn’t steal all of my avocados this time

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 3 Recap: The Day I Wrote Anyway

This morning the universe conspired to keep me away from the keyboard or at least away from my Camp NaNoWriMo project! But alas, as a writer I have learned to laugh at the universe and jump over boulders. lol

But no really. If this morning happened during any other month (well maybe not Novemeber) I would have stayed away from my book for the day! But it’s April. It’s Camp NaNoWriMo! So, I carried on like a good like book zombie. After switching the weight of todays and tomorrows word count I only needed to write 900 words to stay on track. There was no way 900 words was going to stand between me and staying up to date!

What I accomplished today:

Today was all about chapter 3 and 4! Both of which are finished. I think tomorrow I’ll be ready to go ahead and work out the rest of the plot. If not tomorrow then definitely Friday which was my original plan. I sprinted past my word goal for the day and came in just at 2k words. I can feel myself settling into my main characters and really getting inside their heads.

Snags Along the Way:

Today errands sprung up out of nowhere and a reader messaged me to say Healer’s Oath isn’t showing up on Amazon.au! I’m so sorry if any of you reading this have been patiently waiting in Australia for Healer’s Oath! I’ve contacted Amazon to find out what the problem is. I’ve published four previous books without any problems and this morning I discover Amazon is hiding my book from a whole country!

How today went:

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Starting Word Count: 6,578

Ending Word Count: 8585

Total Words Written: 2007

After thoughts:

I’m a little on the nervous side about figuring out just how many chapters book 5 will have. Once I do I’ll have a better idea of how long the book will be. If the chapter lengths so far tell me anything I think it’s going to be *slightly* longer than just 50k words.

Happy writing fellow campers!

4 Ways To Make the Most of Your Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon Experience

If you haven’t heard of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon it’s a readathon hosted two days a year (in April and October) when readers across the world come together to stick up their noses at adulting and spend the day reading. While many readers choose to read for most of the 24 hour period it’s not required to participate.

For the last few years my writing/publishing schedule has kept me away from readathons, but this year I’m determined to reach my goal of 75 books read and participating in a few readathons is just the fun motivation I need to catch up. Yep, I’m giving up a day of Camp Nano writing to read! *Laughs Manically* The lost writing day is a problem for the future me of April 7th to deal with.

Basic Information

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When: April 6th, 2019

Where: Your favorite reading spot and the interwebs. Volunteers host mini-challenges throughout the day and you can update your social media with your progress too. There are a lot of fun bookish things going on when you need to take a break from reading.

How: Sign up here.

Now that you’ve signed up here are 4 ways to make the most of your readathon experience.

1.Pick a Reading Strategy

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While there is no right or wrong way to participate in a readathon if you’re planning to read for most of the day you’ll want to ensure you have enough books and enough variety (and some back ups) to ensure you’re not bored or burnt out.

Strategy One: One of my closest friends always saves a really big novel she’s put off reading for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. It takes her all day to read it, but it’s become her twice yearly ritual.

Strategy Two: Other readers enjoy a variety of short or medium length books or graphic novels. This strategy is advantageous to those who don’t enjoy longer novels or just want a varied readathon experience.

Strategy Three: Decide on the fly. Some readers don’t enjoy planning ahead at all. They choose their books as they read and enjoy the excitement and freedom of choosing books as they go.

2.Balance Reading & Online Participation

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Every reader has their own reasons for participating. Some enjoy a full day of relaxing reading, some want to beat their high record of pages or books, others want the shared experience, and some readers want a bit of everything. I tend to fall between enjoying a day of reading and sharing the experience with other readers. For the first few hours I just read until I reach the place I’d naturally take a break. After that, I set an alarm on my phone to check in every hour online to see what’s going on. Sometimes I check in sooner. Other times I’m so engrossed in my book that I turn off the alarm.

If this is your first readathon experience try out different reading stretches, but ensure you take breaks to move around and get your blood flowing. Little breaks like this ensure your brain stays working throughout the day and you won’t find yourself drifting off as the day wears on!

3. Figure Out How Much Time You Can Devote to Reading and Plan Accordingly

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In a perfect world, everything would slow down and we’d all sit down and read for the day. Reality isn’t so perfect. So, plan ahead for how much time you can actually read. I’m hoping for 6-10 hours depending on my mood and what’s going on that day. I don’t have plans, but life pops up without notice. Some of that time will be devoted to participating in online discussion, posting, and maybe some mini challenges. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to reading without distraction.

4. Have Fun!

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At the end of the day, Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is about having fun and coming together to enjoy a day of reading. There are many ways to enjoy it and challenges along the way, but whatever way you participate make sure you’re enjoying yourself! If you’re not into a book or you’re bored. Switch books. Get up and walk around the block. Listen to an audio book or read some short stories! Don’t be afraid to mix it up!

Are you looking for books to read for the readathon? Check out my books from the Hemlock Mpreg Universe.

Have fun and I’ll see you at the readathon!

Camp NaNoWriMo Recap: Day 2

At 6:31 I was awake, but dreading sitting down at my keyboard. I have a huge love/hate relationship with starting a new novel. I’m always itching to write, but getting the ball rolling is easier said than done. It’s hard to get out of your own head and quit thinking about the finer details and just get some words on the page. That’s what Camp NaNoWriMo is all about: Getting words on the page. Which is exactly what I did today!

What I accomplished today:

I whipped chapter 2 into shape! Then I wrote chapter 3. Most of my word count came from chapter 3, but chapter 2 was my victory for the day. I’ve barely started chapter 4, but I’ve already had one fight! Yay! I love writing fight scenes. There’s nothing quite like a fight scene to get the blood pumping and the words flowing.

Snags Along the Way:

Today I was just tired. I’m in the process of refining in my caffeine intake and it’s trying to kick my butt. Chapter two was still a struggle. It’s the first chapter I’m writing in the POV of my second (Alpha) main character. In most books I have more trouble tweaking the omega partner to fit what I need, but this Alpha is just a cave-Alpha today and doesn’t want to play nicely for me. Let’s hope Blake likes a cave-Alpha in the bedroom!

Now Available: Healer’s Oath Book 4 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga

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Just when the Hemlocks thought Jeb was through causing trouble, they discover their work isn’t over yet.

When
omega Lee Knight wakes up in a strange bed he doesn’t remember crawling
into, his life takes a turn for the bizarre. It’s not only the strange
house and faces he doesn’t recall. It’s everything he experienced before
waking up. His whole life is gone. Unsure of even his own name he must
trust the man who calls to his soul to guide him through the perils of
his past to reclaim his memories and the lost part of his soul.

Alpha
Bane Hemlock is best known for his medical practice and loyalty to his
pack, but when new information and old memories test the bounds of
kinship, he’ll have to decide what’s most important to him. Hours after
meeting his true-mate he’s faced with the most challenging medical
dilemma of his career. The true-mate he spent centuries waiting for
doesn’t recall their first meeting. Their connection is undeniable, but
Lee’s amnesia leaves Bane knowing more about his mate’s troubles than
even Lee does.

When medicine and science fail to provide answers from Lee’s strange amnesia, he and Bane must journey to the Other World to discover a remedy. When the past and present collide, what does the future hold for these true-mates?

Catch up on the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga with Healer’s Oath!

Camp NaNoWriMo Recap: Day 1

I was up early this morning and ready to get a jump on things. Last night I dreamed that Blake (my omega main character) came to my house and ate all of my avocados (my current breakfast addiction.) I got so mad at him, but then he said they were his pregnancy craving and I couldn’t be mad at a pregnant person. It wasn’t until I woke up I realized that he wasn’t pregnant yet. Yep, it’s day one and my characters are already dream trolling me. #Lifeofawriter

What I accomplished today:

Chapter one was more or less written before today rolled around, but I needed to flesh out a few of the finer points of the beginning of my novel. I took most of my writing time today to smooth out Blake’s rough thoughts (my whole series is first person pov.) Chapter one is done!

Then I moved onto chapter two. I won’t go into a lot of detail about Blake’s love interest because of SPOILERS, but at the start of the day he wasn’t as well fleshed out as Blake. He still needs some work and so does chapter 2. That’s future (Tomorrow) Maggie’s problem, though. I know the goal of NaNoWriMo in general is just to write, but I’ve always had my own style of doing things. If I’m not satisfied with the beginning of a novel I can’t move on.

Snags Along the Way:

Whether you’re participating in Camp NaNoWriMo or writing a book any other time of the year you’re going to hit a few bumps in the road. Okay, usually it’s more than a few. I’m usually the no excuse get your words done sort, but I’m the first to admit life loves tossing curve balls at my head during the start of a project.

This time it was a sinus headache from the heater and of course nicotine issues. For those of you who don’t know I quit smoking after 15 years on January 13th of this year. I’m still on the gum and sometimes still struggle to get things done. Before I quit, I chain smoked my way through every book I wrote.

Healer’s Oath was well underway by the time I quit. Yes, there was a learning curve to writing without smoking. I write slower now than before, but not as slow as I worried I would. Though, this book is still a learning curve for me. It’s the first book I started without smoking. Now that it was time to put my nose to the grindstone I caught myself reaching for my smokes every time I paused to think about a line. My word count for the day reflects as much.

How today went:

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Starting Word Count: 2739

Ending Word Count: 4242

Total Words Written: 1503

After thoughts:

Today wasn’t the grand start of Camp NanoWriMo I had in mind, but I’m still ahead of schedule. The hardest part of writing a novel is getting started. In a couple of chapters I can sink into calmer waters and really get some words onto the page!

Happy writing fellow campers!

My Camp NaNoWriMo Starting Point/Plan

If you’ve missed my previous blog posts on Camp NaNo I’ll use this time to catch you up. For Camp Nano this year I’ll be attempting the full NaNoWriMo experience. Well, almost. I’ll explain that in a minute.

With Healer’s Oath recently published it’s time for me to get to work on Book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. I’ve been itching to write this novel since Blake walked onto the page. Okay, before he walked onto the page. When he walked into my mind before the book was ever written.

Blake isn’t the normal style of omega wolf shifter I would write about. I won’t go into too many details about Blake yet because of book 4 spoilers. What sort of writer would I be if I spoiled my own book? But for those of you who have read Healer’s Oath you know Blake is a little out of the ordinary for me. No two of my omega main characters are the same, but Blake’s situation is unique from the others in a huge way! I’m really excited to see how that plays out in the plot I’ve very loosely put together. I always tweak my plots as I go which I’ll explain more a little later in the blog.

I say I’m going full NaNoWriMo, because I have every intention of doing my utmost to finish book 5 (yet to be titled!) during Camp Nano. But – I’ve already started working on my novel. I’m about 2,300 words into the book. I’m not worried about that, though. Traditionally the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50k words. Yep. You read that right. Fifty-thousand words. My books vary in length, but it’s likely I’ll write that much anyway if I meet my goal and win Camp NaNoWriMo.

As of right now I plan to post daily writing recaps here the following day. If blogging and writing become too much I’ll likely slack on the blogging. So, in this case no news is likely good news!

My plans for the first few days are as follows:

April 1st: Go through the words I’ve already written and flesh them out. I tend to write the first chapter very quickly and just vomit words all over the page. Then I go back through and flesh out the details before continuing on to Chapter 2.

April 2nd: Finish writing chapter 2 and try to squeeze in some of three and maybe 4. I plan to come in strong and get as much written as I can during the first part of the month. That way if I get tired or slow down later in the month I can still meet my word count goal.

April 5th: By April 5th I hope to make the first tweaks to my plot. Yes, this might cost me a writing day, but will save me so much time later in the month. By the 5th I hope I’m far enough into the story to see if anything major needs switched around. This is the method I use for all of my novels. Healer’s Oath was my most tweaked novel ever. Though, it was also my longest.

April 6th: I’ll be taking the day off to participate in Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. I’ll post updates on Facebook and here on the blog.