What's Your Story?: Forming a Community, Writing, and/or Journaling Group

Do you write or journal? If so, which and why?

Are you working on a project right now? If so, what?

Do you have a writing or journaling blog? I would love to link your blog with this one.

And, are you part of a writing group? Do you want to form one?

Are you a journalkeeper and would like to form a journaling group?

Let me know. I would love to hear from you, interact, and start a community on this blog.

Add a comment at the end of any blog post or use the contact form.

Writing books, education, and learning

As a writer, I know the necessity to learn more about writing and then to hone my skill of writing. Consequently, I study up on writing every day. I read books and blogs on how to write. Therefore, I will share them with you. It will be a regular feature on this blog. I will call it: "Always Learning: A Writing Class."

Why call it a class? I hope to get multiple degrees in writing, whether I ever step foot into a classroom. I can learn and have my own writing class here at my home. I just have to put in the time.

So, what are the texts/books on writing I am reading right now? I will share the tidbits I learn from them. They are:

~ "The Writing Group: Creating and Sustaining a Successful Writing Group" ed by Lisa Rosenthal

~ "The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing" by Writer's Digest

~ "The Productive Writer" by Sage Cohen

~ "The Breakout Novelist" by Donald Maass

If you want to read any of these with me, let me know. We can do the book club and writing thing over the internet and/or through email. 

If you don't have time to read these books, I hope my notes in this blog will help. 

--

~ Stacy Duplease

Author of Historical Fiction (of Virginia and the U.S.) & Journalkeeper

Fiction Writing Group

My purpose of this blog is to share my passion with writing and to form a group where we can come together and learn from one another. So, I would love to hear from you if you write.

--

~ Stacy Duplease

Author of Historical Fiction (of Virginia and the U.S.) & Journalkeeper

of Remembering Your Present, LLC

  

Email: hisfiction@gmail.com

NaNoWriMo: Join the Fun: Write a Novel... Why?

First of all, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is 34 days away. Yep. 34. The clock is ticking.

Are you, as writer, going to participate?

Are you thinking about it?

Have you ever dreamt about writing a novel? 

Or have you written a novel or done NaNo before? 

I highly recommend doing NaNoWriMo. Why? First of all, you're actually writing a very short novel of 50,000 words. Most novels are between 80,000 and 100,000 words. So, it's not as daunting as you might think. It's more of a novella. 

Next, if you've always wanted to write a novel, or are in the middle of doing so now, what a perfect opportunity to throw all caution to the wind and write like a crazy person, as fast as you can--not caring about editing or perfection for an entire month. It's more like a stream-of-conscious writing for a month--where you write as much as you can as fast as you can and you don't censor yourself. You just throw it up on the page and you can correct it later? NaNo is actually extremely nonthreatening for just that reason. It doesn't have to be polished. 

Also, you don't have to finish 50,000 words in a month. It's just a goal. You can finish your novel later. You won't be judged if you don't finish it. The point is to throw all of yourself into writing for one month. Make the appointment and do it. Then, try that again the next month. The next thing you know, you'll write several novels. 

Why else should you do NaNo? It's fun! 

I don't know about you, but I love a challenge. I love to push myself. 

So, sign up for it at www.nanowrimo.org and join me in writing like crazy for a month. I would love to support you and chat with you about it. 

NoNoWriMo is a contest. But, you don't compete with others. You compete with yourself. Do you know how a winner is classified in NaNo speak? It's if you achieve the goal of writing 50,000 words in a month. That's it. Simple. Really. It's only complicated if you allow it to be. It's only stressful, complicated, dreaded, or anything toehr negative word if you choose. Make it be a fun goal to see how far you get. Take the pressure off of yourself and write. 

I will write suggestions for NaNoWriMo on this blog, along with my preparation, in the next four weeks. 

What do you have to lose? You actually lose more if you don't try and you've always wanted to do so. 

--

~ Stacy Duplease

Author of Historical Fiction (of Virginia and the U.S.) & Journalkeeper

of Remembering Your Present, LLC

Latest Book: "Yorktown's Dawning" (Book 1 of 7)

Latest Historical Fiction Series: "The Chronicles of the Siege of Yorktown"

Next Book Planned: Jamestowne (Book 1 of 3) (NaNoWriMo Book 2011)

Email: hisfiction@gmail.com

Writers

Does anyone want to form an online writing group? Let me know. I would love to start one of our own where it's all led by one another. What do you think?