Writing for Camp NaNoWriMo, Snow In April, More Reading, Less Internet

It’s April and snowing like December. It’s lovely, however, I have fruit and nut trees in bloom and we are supposed to get a hard frost for two mornings according to a neighbor that called this morning. She wants help covering her peach tree. We have so many trees, I’ll have to get some netting or something to cover them today. It would be a shame to miss out on a nice harvest this year due to late April frost.

I’m enjoying a delicious cup of coffee before I start homeschooling the youngest and working on my novel. I’ve joined April’s camp NaNoWriMo because the November, April and July NaNo’s get me in the mood. There is something about having a deadline that keeps my little fingers typing. When I start to criticize my work or feel stuck, I have to keep moving forward because I need to get so many words in a day. This helps shut down the inner trouble maker and editor. It keeps the flow going. I have written and published two books from my time in NaNoWriM. It works for me.

I’ve been reading Shut Up And Write The Book by Jenna Moreci and I would strongly suggested it for new writers and seasoned writers as a refresher. I’m only 31 pages in but I’ve covered the pages with yellow highlighter and it’s helped with my outlines.

I’m trying desperately to stay off YouTube. I wasted over an hour yesterday on trying to find a video to inspire me. When I go on there I need to know exactly what I’m there for or it turns out the same way a trip to the store turns out when you don’t know why you’re there; wasted time and money and a bunch of junk that you bring home.

There is a new channel by a seasoned writer that I absolutely love and I’ve watched every single one of her videos, which is so rare for me, although she just started her channel so I only had a handful to go through. The Cozy Creative. Check her out, you won’t be disappointed. She is genuine, different, interesting and I love her personal stories and perspectives. She is very different from what the norm is on YouTube. She is a breathe of fresh air.

I also enjoy Loch’s Library. She and I read very different books, but she reads like crazy and she devours fat novels and series. She loves her library and is always building it. She also sells a lot of books, which funds her purchases. She loves books with gorgeous covers and artwork for her shelves and annotates like no one else, even using theme music libraries with her favorites. Her love and immersion in the reading world inspires me to read more. It feels like a safe, cozy place to be, like way back in the day before internet when that is what we had for entertainment: books or movies.

The internet has a lot of wonderful things and spreads good works, but it also has a lot of dark places and ghettos and is set up to be addictive. Everything in our world seems to be set up to be addictive. Packaged foods, internet, gaming, YouTube, shopping…it is rigged to keep us there scrolling, playing, buying, eating. We are fortunate to be here in this time because there is so much good stuff, but we must protect ourselves and our children, learn to use things responsibly.

I have no interest in news, many things trigger me, thus it is best, for my personality, to be off line as much as possible or only go to specific zones. Here, on my blog, is a safe place and I have my library of subscriptions on YouTube and I only go there as I know it’s all good, positive stuff. When an influencer starts to do click bate or get into the negative or fear mongering to get views, I unsubscribe and replace them with someone gentle and light filled.

And yes, I have found that not having social media and staying off line and off news has lifted a huge weight and transformed my inner self into a happy and content person. Daily. I rarely feel off or in a funk and when I do, it is because I need to do some inner healing work.

I also feel that going back to plant-based and keeping the junk foods and sugars to a dull minimum has also helped boost my happiness. And daily exercise. All these combinations have cured me of what I thought was perimenopause, but now I’m not so sure. I think I just needed to cleanse my body and mind of the toxic stuff and here I am today, content and peaceful.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!