Sydney Strand

This week has been all about prepping for NaNoWriMo. This year is the year I set myself up for success. No, the issue isn't whether I hit 50,000 words. As a girl determined to become a career writer, and as a girl who has already been published by NY, I know that I can write words. In fact, I have 3 manuscripts already completed. First drafts, though. So for this NaNo, I'm changing up the rules. I'm using it to benefit me and my goals. I'm using it to revise. And so I did some prep in order to get to this point. But first, a moment to see a Week in My Life: He wasn't in the aisle I was in. Found him at the bubble wrap. Of course. The temperate days of fall are going away soon--must make the most of them! I may have a slight crush on fall. And maybe this girl here, my La Petite. Costumes done! He was so happy with his Super Why. Hey, Fall. Stop with the cute  photo opps already! Off we go to get some cavity creat...

The confession behind this blog: Read here.  So remember how I had waxed on about working on other stories during NaNoWriMo? That I wouldn't be a slave to "50,000 Words in 30 Days!" arbitrariness? Well color me arbitrary. I started a new story for NaNo. And I planned it in two days. And it's pretty darn-near well-planned, too. But first I enjoyed the last days of what I like to call Fall with a Little Bit of Summer in It: Lapsit in Maine, where we dressed up as bees, lambs and Olaf Ghost windsocks made with soup cans festooned our burning bushes Olaf and Anna going in for candy. And notice the half door! Just like the door in my newest story. Celebrating my friend and critique partner's latest book at Barnes & Noble It is now what I call Fall with a Lot of Winter in It. The heat is on, the thicker scarves are around my neck, and I'm wearing mittens to bed. Yes, I'm a wuss. (But I'm a warm wuss!) Now back to NaNo an...

Twas the Eve before NaNo, when all through the house The strong smell of my coffee went 'round like a mouse The Word Doc was stark white, awaiting the start Of NaNoWriMo chaos...crazy, messy Art! So that's my plagiarized (ahem, I mean parodied) attempt at getting into the NaNoWriMo spirit. ;o) And I've decided that yes, I am going to write a new story. One that I haven't even outlined yet. EEKKKKKKK! It's not like I did NOTHING on it. I've been ruminating about this story for six month. Even started a Pinterest board for it. (Actually, I had two things on that board. Who knew? I went through and found my characters over the last hour: Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney, John Maroney, & Jamie Lee Curtis.) What made me decide to work on this story was because bits and pieces of scenes would come to me, and when they did, I was like, "Which story could I put these in?" And it always came back to This Last-Minute Story. And so on No...

This is Post #1 for How to Win at NanoWriMo! Join NanoWriMo if you haven't already. I'll be your buddy. ;o) I have two children, and one of the biggest mantras I live by when raising them is this: Don't set them up for failure. What do I mean? I mean, make sure Le Boy Bebe has been fed and diapered before I take him out for three hours of errands. Make sure I have his water and a cup of Chex in my purse so that when he inevitably gets hungry, I'm there with his "needs" before he gets cranky. See, I know he's not some idealistic image of a baby that has no needs or wants or moments of crankiness. The same goes for me as a writer: I know that I'm not the idealistic "write consistently each day every day" kind of writer. So as a writer, I tell myself this all the time: Set yourself up for success. This means preparing myself mentally for what success means to ME, not to the people at NanoWriMo. I can get there by making...