Husbando and I had a successful first week of NaNoWriMo. The week wasn’t without its struggles though. While Husbando is struggling with a few character motivations, I have been struggling with my own motivation for the story.
I love my characters and both critique groups seem excited about the story (which is great). I think, though, this might not be my future series. I can see this as merely a standalone (sub)urban dark fantasy.
I’ve been dabbling in bookbinding and papermaking as well. I love being crafty so this is a great way to incorporate my love of books into my crafty side as well.
Last week was rough. I was going through some personal stuff at the beginning of the week, which (I assumed) would set the tone for the rest of the week. But–as it turns out–I have a great support system. With Husbando, Teddy, and some close friends, I was able to salvage the week after all.
Doing a vlog is a weird thing. For the past few weeks, I was busy enough that I spend a chunk of the weekend editing my vlog instead of working on it a little each night. What I’ve realized is that I often forget a lot about what has happened at the beginning of the week. Even important things. For example, how awful the start of my week was.
Anyway, here’s last Sunday’s vlog!
Next Sunday’s vlog is going to be full of writing stuff since it is the week before NaNo 2021!
So I’m a boring human being and I do absolutely nothing all day, which is why it makes no sense why I’ve been dabbling in vlogging.
And yet, I find it therapeutic.
It’s like journaling. I get to record the things going on in my life for posterity. I also get to play in a new medium. As of right now, I’m still just using my “not so up-to-date” smartphone and the default video editor that came with Windows, so it’s not fancy.
I get over the frustration of older technology by telling myself that this is some sort of trial or that I’m “paying my dues” and will eventually level up. Then I can get a better camera (and not a smartphone that consistently tries to refocus, even though it was already focused) and a video editing program (and not one which offers me the use of 3D emojis, only to tell me that none of them are actually available to me. WHY OFFER IT THEN?!).
*clears my throat*
Anyway…
I like to think I’m getting better.
My friend and I have been trading vlogs each week. We’ve been playing with our formats and layouts, testing what types of vlogs we want to make. I’ve decided I like the format of weekly vlogs. Sometimes they all of the footage is themed. Most of the time, it is a log of the interesting things I happen upon each day. They always cover Sunday through Saturday, starting with errand day and ending with cozy critique days.
It’s been ten straight weeks of vlogs so far and I still like it, which is promising!
Here is my latest:
We’ll see how the content changes in November when NaNoWriMo starts. I may try my hand at a few “write with me” style videos.
Having lived through it, the past week feels hectic, but it probably doesn’t appear hectic from the outside. Here at The DeVore Business and Industrial Park, we’ve been slowly decorating our house in fall and Halloween décor. Since we probably won’t get trick-or-treaters again this year, we haven’t really decorated our front porch.
NaNoWriMo 2021
Last year, I was disappointed we couldn’t do the midnight write-in on October 31st, at our local diner. This year most of the restaurants in town are open again, but–for obvious reasons–they have cut back their hours. So no midnight write-in again this year. Having a virtual option is nice but it’s not the same. The turnout last year was lackluster and we were all pretty Zoom-fatigued at that point.
My project for this year has changed a few times already. I want to choose something I’ll be able to market. The first book in a series, hopefully. We shall see.
My indecision probably stems from my insecurities about publication. Part of me just wants to write what I want. Don’t write to market. Just write what I would want to read. The problem, however, is I really need to focus on my writing goals which–at this point–are twofold:
Write something which will make people laugh and make people smile.
Eventually make enough money from my writing, that Husbando doesn’t have to work… which will make him smile. LOL
These two things don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I should be able to write something that makes people smile and can make me money. However, my genre of choice would be “weird fiction” and that’s not super marketable. So I’m having to compromise on genre to meet these goals.
Luckily, I like writing in different genres. I just need to narrow my focus on the genre that would make me happy and hope that I write well enough to meet these two goals.
WE SHALL SEE
🙂
Why can’t writing be the hardest part about writing?
I love being able to watch a new show and feel inspired to write. Not necessarily inspired to write something similar to the show. Just something. Create something. When there’s a show that is so creative and so inspired and it forces me to go, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”
That is the best feeling.
This past week, I finished watching both Midnight Mass and Only Murders in the Building. I loved both and they both left me with that same feeling. If you feel like something incredibly atmospheric, thought-provoking, and dark, I highly suggest Midnight Mass. If you love true crime podcasts, watching things a little off-beat, and feel like you want to be a part of something bigger, I suggest Only Murders in the Building.
Only Murders in the Building made me feel pangs in my heart, I didn’t realize were there. I think the line I want to eventually speak (even now) is “It’s been the most alive I’ve felt in a decade.” I don’t want to sound morose. I’m complacent but not unhappy. I’m finding ways to try new things. I do feel alive. But I know that I will eventually fall into another rut. And I hope that I happen upon something that makes that line ring true for me too.
Aaaanyway, I hope you find something that makes you feel that inspired as well. So it’s back to the word mines for me. It’s a little early for Preptober, but I’m really excited for NaNoWriMo this year. I hope I can come up with something amazing.
I like routines. I like spontaneity. I like fingerless gloves. I like old dime store novels. I like–Oh wait, there was a point to this. Routines are something I need to establish in order to be more productive. Because in order to knock out a few of those bucket list items, I need to be able to produce results.
*smacks desk to show I mean business*
Remember a couple weeks ago when I said, “This is not a vow“? This isn’t one of those either. Instead, consider this a letter of intent… which sounds much more ominous than I planned. Each week, I want to:
Publish a blog post
Publish a vlog
Have takeout without feeling guilty
Spend an entire day reading books
Finish a short story
Adopt a dog
Maybe sometimes publish one of those short stories here on my website
Now, I won’t be able to do all of those things, but I’d love to do at least two of those each week. I’d love to publish either one vlog or one blog each week, for example.
This is when my Passion Planner Daily will come in handy. I’ve been spending the last quarter getting used to it and trying to find my own system.
Tomorrow is October. It is a glorious time where I don’t have to feel guilty about doing all things Halloween. It’s also the start of a new month, which means a new 30-Day Challenge. Now, I’ve been spending most of September thinking about what to do for October. In addition to it being Preptober (the month before National Novel Writing Month, which is dedicated to planning out your NaNoWriMo project), it will also be my month to:
“spend 30 days stepping away from toxic relationships”
Why not spend my favorite season surrounding myself with positivity and people who make me happy? Instead of being around people who make me feel bad about myself, due to some misplaced sense of (blind) loyalty?
I’ve been feeling a little lonely lately and I think it’s because I am waiting for and watching toxic friends instead of focusing on myself and on the other healthier friendships in my life.
I do want to note that while I’m stepping away from these relationships, I’m not cutting ties fully. From past experience, I know that each relationship has its boundaries. Sometimes, depending on those relationships, the boundaries change. I just need to find where the boundaries of these relationships are. That’s not usually difficult but, when those boundaries shift a significant amount, it can be much harder and take more of an emotional toll. So that’s where I am now.
Since I’ve already come to terms with this, I feel like October should be easy on me. This initial realization (which happened about mid-July) was heartbreaking. But such is life.
In addition to the 30-Day challenge, it’s a new quarter which means new quarterly goals! I’m currently finalizing those so more on that later.
TL;DR – October 30-Day Challenge is to shoo away toxic relationships. Routines are hard but I have my-
You’ll have to bear with me as I flood my website with blog posts. I have a lot of stories to share. After all, before this week, it had been a year since my previous post.
For example, there was that time that I accidentally bought single-ply toilet paper for the house and the bathroom experience was the most depressing thing for nearly an entire week, before I could no longer stand it. So now we have a whole bag full of single-ply toilet paper just sitting in the cabinet. Of course, I have since picked up the hobby of papermaking. The thought of using the single-ply to make paper, and then binding said paper into a guest book for the bathroom, had crossed my mind. But then we saw a bathroom guest book at Cost Plus World Market, and it was much prettier than anything I could have made. So here we are. With a bathroom full of single ply paper and a guest book for you to record your pooping experience in.
Then there was the time that I hired Fabio to work our dry bar and now he just spends all his time there. It’s like we can’t get rid of him. Not that we want to; he’s part of our family now.
Also, Cornelius Bones.
Yes, our family has grown quite a bit since I stopped posting regularly. But this post isn’t about any of those things. Those stories are for a different time.
Anyway.
The other night I was pondering my existence (as one does) and I was suddenly reminded of my bucket list. I hadn’t thought about that list in so long. Since then my goals and dreams have changed. So I started a new list from scratch. It has the typical “skydiving” entries but also:
Host a monthly poker night with friends
Cross country train trip with Husbando
Midnight picnic to look for UFOs
An entire section devoted to 30 Day challenges
Get my private investigator license
…just to name a few.
However, the portion I want to talk about today is the writing section. I have accomplished some of the things on the list already. I’ve done the spoken word poetry thing. I’ve published short stories in magazines. I’ve written and published an audio drama. There’s so much more I’d love to accomplish, though:
Compile and publish a book of short fiction
Publish novels in the weird fiction genre
Write a mystery
Write a book of personal essays
Write a book about creativity or writing (in hopes that it will inspire someone)
Write an over-the-top satirical trashy romance novel
Get published in The New Yorker
And that’s only a third of what’s on the list. I know I just have to work at it, one story at a time. There is one thing on the list. It’s far-fetched. Quite the pipe dream. But why not have a pipe dream?
Have a writing career which will pay for our lifestyle, so Husbando no longer has to work, and I can spend my time writing novels.
It’s been done before. Not by amateurs, but by people who know what they’re doing. People who hone their skills. People who live and breathe the written word. I want to be one of those. One of the chosen.
What about you? What are your writing goals? What sorts of things are on your bucket list? Would you like to purchase a basket full of single-ply toilet paper?
On a scale of “pajama pants at noon” to “owning a blazer,” how adult are you?
I’m at a solid five since I am currently wearing pajama pants at noon but I also just got a blazer in the mail. My very first blazer. Like a freakin’ grown up. Now all I need is a pair of (non-pajama) plaid pants and I’ll be set. Yes, this comes with a story.
The other day, I was talking with a few writery friends about what an author’s uniform would look like. We looked up a number of “author lookbooks” and I noticed that the one thing they had in common was… plaid pants. Is that the equivalent of a badge? Maybe the pattern or color depicts what type of writer you are. Does the red/black plaid mean you write horror? And the beige/black say you’re a literary writer? But then I thought, What kind would I wear?
Why… these, of course:
But then, What type of writer would I be?
The comfortable type.
So what color/pattern of plaid would you wear? Do you have a blazer? Where are you on the pajama-blazer scale?
I was thinking about my various creative outlets and remembered that I had a blog once. One that had been filled with words, purged, then filled again. Over and over. This never-ending cycle of wordvomit and embarrassment. Then I thought, Is blogging still a thing? No. I don’t believe it is.
So here I am! While the world is enamored with TikTok, I chose to jump in my time machine and start blogging instead. Maybe I’ll bring it back. Maybe I’m a hipster at heart and I love all things old and quirky. Maybe it’s just me that’s old and quirky.
Anyway.
The other day I was thinking about my writing goals and realized that most of my goals have been long since forgotten, having been replaced by the complacency of having a regular job. I’m still working freelance but as far as freelancing gigs are concerned, my current contracts are ones I’ve held steady for two to three years. This is as “regular” of a job that I’ve had in a long time since I normally opt for short contracts so I can test waters and experiment with writing styles.
But these steady gigs have also made me realize, since I have regular paychecks coming in, I should have a regular routine. One which is filled with the type of creativity I crave. Right?
…yes?
I am fortunate enough to be able to write every day. I have the time to read every day. If I so choose (and if I can stay off YouTube–my social media poison of choice these days), I can spend valuable time honing my craft. So why hasn’t that happened?
I’ll tell you why… It’s because I’ve become complacent. Oh wait, I said that already, didn’t I? Well, I guess we all knew the answer then.
It’s around January 1st when I aim to dedicate valuable time to this website. I’ll post weekly blogs, I say. I’ll steadily post on social media, I say. I’ll write like the wind and I’ll finally get the guts to query and submit. Then, after failing to meet one of those goals, I’ll just give up on the lot.
This isn’t a vow.
I can’t tell you that I’m going to do those things now. I can say that I will try. I’ve been working hard at trying to maintain a steady schedule for work, writing, and for vlogging. It’s been six weeks of vlogging each week. A fellow creative and I have been practicing and trying to strengthen our vlogging muscles with videos (kept private, while we experiment with technique, content, and style). This week has been my favorite video by far. If it turns out right, I might even make that video public.
So look forward to random updates, an occasional vlog, maybe a short story or two, and me.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. While I’m not super consistent about posting on this blog, know that there is always a lot going on around me.
Just to help this go by faster, let’s do another lightening round update!
Our house may be haunted by a ghost. In reality, it’s probably just a hallucination from lack of sleep because I just did a 20-hour writing challenge. To clarify, it was actually supposed to be a 24-hour writing challenge but I am lame and crashed at around 4:30AM and took a four hour nap before finishing off the challenge. Seriously though… The Director of HR and I both saw the ghost in the hallway. Just a big mass of white moving from one end of the hallway to another.
The air plants have upgraded to an office with two floors. I’m debating on whether or not I should add a third floor before I start building cubicles for them.
Remodeled my office including: smart bulbs, smart outlets, cleaning off my desk, adding snazzy glass monitor risers, getting a stand for my fountain pen collection, and adding a wiretap (an AI assistant) for my desk. I think I mentioned last time that I also got a new desktop and speakers. And if I didn’t mention that…. I got those things.
I’m continuing to write short stories with a couple of friends. We’re having a ton of fun with the whole prompt-swap-critique thing and I am slowly amassing a collection of short stories which (hopefully) I can compile into two or three actual collections for sale. YAY!
I FINALLY came up with a novel idea that I love.
The podcast is officially in the works. I’ll be posting a trailer or two here this week. Episodes will be available here, on Podbean, and on YouTube as well. Episodes will go up on Tuesdays. I’ll put up two teaser trailers this week and next week, I’ll put up my first official episode. Yay! I’m so scared.
The Great Husbando, The Director of HR, Husbando’s parents, and I went out for a hike a few weekends ago and saw some beautiful waterfalls. It was so nice to go out in nature once again.
I’ve started using the HB90 planner system and I’m loving it. I’m still trying to find my groove with some of the set-up but so far my productivity has increased and I’ve been feeling a lot better about my goals and direction.
As far as posting here on the blog, it’ll probably be a little sparse but I’ll also be replacing written content with weekly or bi-weekly audio content. I really need to come up with a posting schedule and a plan for what I want to do. I’ve been watching a lot of Authortube vlogs because I like the feel of a vlog versus other types of writer-y content. My hope is to emulate that enthusiastic, personable, friendly writer energy in my podcast.
Jocelyn DeVore 