Writing Sprints - The Creative Process

WRITING SPRINTS

I feel like I've been living under a rock because for a long time, while I knew about writing sprints, I didn't really think they did much. I'd never tried them and kinda saw them more as another solitary part of writing that didn't appeal to me. And then, while on a deadline and needing to finish the chapter I was on, I hopped on youtube and joined a livestream chat where sprints were going on.

And boom! My mind was opened to the whole thing, and it allowed me to get a bunch of words written, finish the chapter and still have some time spare. And it just opened my eyes to the whole process. I didn't partake in the chat, but it was there if I wanted it. On top of that, having a whole group of other people trying to do the same thing I was, was empowering in a way I hadn't realised before.

So what are writing sprints and where do you find them? The first is an easy answer, writing sprints are basically when a group of writers get together and set a timer with the plan to write as many words as they can in that time. It's a fun activity and can help you connect with writing buddies, find a writing family and are especially useful during NaNoWriMo and other times when you want that personal connection, but also need to get some words written.

Where do you find them? ALL over the internet! From Twitter to YouTube and beyond. I'm sure there are loads on Discord too, though it's not a platform that I've been able to use to any success because it slows my computer down. However, when you find some good ones, you'll usually discover that there's a schedule as to when they're posted and how often. You'll get the occasional people who livestream often, and then those who only do it for special occasions, but however you find your writing buddies sprints are a super helpful resource.

Here are some of the reasons I can think of as to why they are helpful!

#1 - WRITING IS USUALLY LONELY
Generally speaking, most people who write do so alone. There's always exceptions to that rule, but I'm thinking mostly of myself and the writers that I know. We might have a loved one with us if we're writing in bed or at home, but the act of writing is done in solitude. Sprints and livestreams make you connect with people who have a common goal. The internet has made it so easy for people to bridge the gaps over the miles between them and make good friends who they can then write with online. This is a HUGE positive!

#2 - COMPETING WITH YOURSELF HELPS PRODUCTIVITY
It's not just the thought of beating yourself in the writing sprint, but having people around you to celebrate when you do. Yes, you can compete against the others in the sprint, but so long as it's a nice and friendly one, there shouldn't be a problem. Overall, being around people who are excited and happy about your project will make you want to write more, and not doing it alone, will add to that.

#3 - CHATTING IT THROUGH CAN HELP WORK OUT PLOT HOLES
Let's face it, there will be times when you can't think of what happens next, or how to deal with a plot hole, and having other writers, who completely get that, is going to help you move forward. I'm not someone who really suffers from writer's block any more. I used to be, and I did a piece about that here, though I plan to update that in the new year, but my point is, that having people to talk things through with both adds to the enjoyment and gives you a chance to talk it through and work from there.

And finally, #4 - FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS A BONUS!
This is a big one. For a long time I just didn't have writing friends who I could actually chat with. I knew people who were authors and I would sometimes speak to them on Facebook in comments and such, but I didn't have a writing group, my people who I could go to and talk about anything with. I tried on Twitter, but I kept doing it wrong, and I tried elsewhere and just ended up a bit of a loner when it came to writing.

Enter Authortube (channel here) and even then I didn't really manage to make any friends there. I was more active on Twitter and I made a few friends there, and then they joined Authortube and from there it all blossomed. On top of that, I did signings which made me friends there as well. All in all, having friends in the writing community are only a good thing. Having people you can talk to about either writing or anything else, is great, especially when they're coming from a similar position or even if they're not. Variety is a good thing!

So there we have it, my awakening towards writing sprints and all you can learn from them. Try and give them ago during NaNoWriMo and of course, may the writing go easy!
Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Review of A Legacy Witch By Ashley McLeo

Magic and espionage run in my blood.

But my parents don’t want me attending their alma mater, Spellcasters Spy Academy. They think I can’t hack it. Of course, I plan on proving them wrong.

If I can stay alive long enough.

Someone is attacking witches in my year, and I seem to always be nearby when they strike.

I swear I have nothing to do with it. Shoot, I can barely get my magic to cooperate. But convincing some people of my innocence is impossible. Like hot-as-hell Alex Wardwell, who despises me because of one dumb mistake.

So between proving my parents wrong, passing the trials Spellcasters has in store, trying to convince Alex that he has me pegged wrong, and simply staying alive, it looks like I’m going to have a busy year.

Thank the universe I’ve always been up for a challenge. 

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars
I picked this up because of the blurb, and the cover. I wanted to know more and I'm so glad I did. Odette is going to Spellcasters Spy Academy and her parents are pretty against it, but she can't figure out why. And as the story goes on, you start to see the reasons, more and more danger and the threats to the students. I adored the characters, I loved Odette and loved Eva too, and as the story got more intriguing, I got more hooked. I couldn't put it down and had to read to the end! Overall, an amazing story beautifully told. I can't wait for the next book. Highly recommended!

You can follow Ashley on Twitter or her website.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Life Of Joey & Bi-Monthly Goals - November 2019 [CC]

Telling you all about what I've been up to in the past month. #Authortube

DYING THOUGHTS - FIRST TOUCH BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYJyA4QoWg8
DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn83HHzWi8
BUY DYING THOUGHTS - EIGHTH ENDING: http://www.books2read.com/DTEE
BUY LIGHTS OUT: http://www.books2read.com/LOUT
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
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BLOG: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/
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#TeaserTuesday

Tara has never gotten used to seeing death, especially in places she never expected them...

BUY HERE: http://www.book2read.com/DTTW

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A graphic with sunflowers on a green background. Small text at the top: Out Now in Paperback & eBook, with the title: Dying Thoughts - Third Wish. The excerpt reads:

She probably learnt to sleep through medications like this one. Except this was different, the person delivering the medication was not a nurse, nor were they a doctor. They wore black and I couldn’t see their face, but I had a feeling something wasn’t right.
May gasped as the medication hit her system and then as if by magic, she drew her last breath and died.

END ID]

Why I Hate Editing - The After Process

WHY I HATE EDITING

This is something I've been asked a lot, both here and in my other social media platforms. I'm an author of sixteen books published and another ten finished, or more, I keep losing count. But anyway, I'm an author, and I obviously go through an extensive editing process, so why do I always say that I hate editing? It's not that I don't do it, I have betas and then onto my editing team which comprises of a developmental editor, a line editor and a proof-reader, so I do go through the process, but what makes me hate it so much?

Glad you asked, because I'm going to go into a little bit more detail today about why I dislike that side of the writing process and basically, what I've done about it since I first realised. I'll try and break it into points, but I'm not one hundred percent sure that'll work, so we'll see how it goes!

#1 - I LOVE DISCOVERING NEW PARTS TO MY STORY
This can be linked back to me being a planster or a hybrid, though I tend to lean more to the panster side than anything else. Alexa Donne calls this 'discovery writing' and I adore it! I love drafting, I love sitting down at the keyboard and banging out the words and learning the story as I go. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and that's okay, but my process is one that thrives without too much confinement. And when it comes to editing that project, I realise just how much I dislike having to pull it apart.

I know that it's for the best, I know that it's a necessary part of writing and publishing, but I loathe it. It makes me anxious and unsure. Imposter syndrome comes in and sits on my shoulder while I read, and while I do edit as I go, I find that leaving that drafting stage where literally anything can happen, just doesn't appeal to me. I still go through it, but I don't enjoy it the same way that I do drafting.

#2 - STRESS AND ANXIETY DON'T DO WELL
As I said above, I find that imposter syndrome pops up a lot when I'm editing. Either as a voice saying that even though I thought that chapter/scene/whatever was good, my editors won't. It's an internal battle and I actually really struggle with it. I know that I will get through it and I have some tricks of my own to make sure that I don't get lost in the pit of despair, but it's something that I really find hard to do. And that's another reason to hate the process that puts me in that place.

#3 - DEADLINES ARE HARD FOR ME
I've mentioned this before, but as someone who's chronically ill and has limited energy, meeting deadlines is hard. I am also highly anxious about them. I love the release process, but that first step, the editing of my work, sometimes knocks me for six. Especially when things go wrong along the way. Like this year, my editing team kinda fell apart. I had one editor who was both developmental and line, and then a proofreader. Due to health issues, my editor had to bow out. The problem was, this was in the middle of edits. I had to scramble to find someone who could both help, and meet those deadlines. It didn't help that I was already stressed out because of three books in one year, but it just made life extremely hard for me.

Now you could argue that since I have a whole new team in place, it's likely that I'll have a smoother release year in 2020, and I'd agree with you, but that doesn't change the fact that deadlines, especially when they're hard deadlines that can't be changed, adds to my work load and makes it hard for me to focus. I've always been like that, always been unable to manage to meet deadlines. If it's just myself I'm relying on, I have the control about what happens when, but when I hand my book over to someone else, I have to rely on them and I know the possibility of outside factors having an impact on them.

Overall, it's basically just a high stress time for me.

And finally, #4 - EDITS REQUIRE A LOT OF ENERGY
I've touched on this with points two and three, but editing is a hard process. I know a lot of writers who hate the drafting stage, but love edits and revisions. I also know people like me who struggle with them. It's not a case of not wanting to do them, or thinking they're unnecessary, it's just the way we work. And that's okay. I don't always have the energy to go through edits, but that's when the deadlines come into play and I find myself pushing to meet them, even when I should probably rest up.

So there we have it, my reasoning for why I hate editing. It's very much a necessary part of the process, but having learned from my mistakes, I won't ever be releasing more than two books a year again. I am simply not built for doing rapid release or anything above the two. And even then, they take a lot out of me. I know that releases themselves take a lot out of most authors, but that's a piece for another day!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Review Of Squad Goals: Hot By Halloween by Jessica Bucher & M. F Lorson

Summer may be over, but she’s ready to bring the heat.

When her boyfriend shattered her universe last spring, Addy convinced herself that if only she were a little hotter, then she could have kept him. Which is why her senior year goal is to get revenge.

Step one: Join the swim team and get seriously fit.
Step two: Find some gorgeous new arm candy to take to ex’s big Halloween party and make him crazy with jealousy.
Step three: Try not to fall super hard for said arm candy.

Gray Turner is a California transplant with goals of his own: get the swim team to regionals, get the scholarship he needs, and get out of this town. Too bad some girl with zero swim skills just joined the team. Private lessons seem like a good idea...until lessons start to feel like something more.

Addy and Gray started the season with specific plans, but falling for one another wasn’t one of them.

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars
I picked this up for a light-hearted read and I was not disappointed. The story is engaging from the first page and you find yourself drawn into it to the point where you forget about sleep and other such things. I loved Addy, the way she threw herself into things and wasn't about to give up no matter what. Gray was an awesome character, filled with that need you have as a teenager and that want to succeed. I adored the story, it was cute and a quick read, but that may have been because I couldn't put it down! Overall an amazing story and one I recommend to anyone who loves a good romance!

You can follow M. F. Lorson on Twitter, Facebook or her website.
You can follow Jessica on Twitter.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

#NaNoWriMo: Yes/No? [CC]

Should you do #NaNoWriMo? I'm weighing up the pros and cons! #Authortube

BUY DYING THOUGHTS - EIGHTH ENDING: http://www.books2read.com/DTEE
BUY LIGHTS OUT: http://www.books2read.com/LOUT
THE BOOK ROBIN HOODS: https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/thebookrobinhoods
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#TeaserTuesday

Tara hasn't had the best luck with new friends, but she likes Cassie and is willing to take the risk.

BUY HERE: http://www.books2read.com/DTSS

BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn83HHzWi8

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A graphic with a sky blue background and green and yellow leaves, with a header of Dying Thoughts - Second Sight, just above it the words: out now in paperback & ebook. The excerpt reads:

I knew there was no point in arguing it with him. Cassie seemed like a nice girl, she had no necklace for me to get a vision from and as long as her clothes hadn’t been worn by somebody who’d died recently I should be okay.
I mean, lightning never strikes in the same place twice, right?

END ID]

Planning For #NaNoWriMo 2019 - The Creative Process

PLANNING FOR #NANOWRIMO

It's that time of year again and #NaNoWriMo 2019 is already four days old! I thought about doing this piece earlier on in the schedule but I just couldn't find the time to slot it in, so even though we're all knee-deep in words and such, I thought I would still do a piece about how I plan for NaNoWriMo and see if it helps for anyone else who might be in the middle of something and realising they need to rethink things.

#1 - KNOW YOUR STORY
I've never really been a full out planner, though I do do some. I have my chapters plans and all of that, and since this year I will be finishing the end of two projects and starting two new ones, this meant that I had to start thought dumping plots for the next two way before November started. Since both of them are either standalones or a new series, I didn't even have to wait to finish my other two projects. I could jump right into the chapter plans and character notes and go from there. So my first tip is to make sure you know what you're going to be working on. For me that's, usually, two projects at once. Everyone is different.

#2 - KNOW YOUR PLAN
I more mean, know whether you need one or if you're able to pants the whole thing without any kind of plan. If you don't know that, then maybe see about making an outline at the least so that you have a better chance of actually finishing your project. I was pretty lucky in that when I wrote my début novel, I already had a pretty good idea of how I worked as a writer from other projects I'd done. But if you don't know, then plan anyway just in case, it might be that you find it's too much and stifles you, in which case, go pants the rest of it, there's no rule that says you have to stick to your plan one hundred percent.

#3 - KNOW YOUR WEAK SPOTS
I know that I am going to be pretty okay with the endings for the two projects, but I also know that since I edit as I go, and have done for a number of years, that I will spend some time doing that. So I've made sure to plan my writing time a little earlier in the day so that I can hit my goal for the day without losing time. This can also be something like having a playlist to write to if that's what you need, make it in advance so that you don't lose time searching for songs.

#4 - ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY
This happens both before, during and after NaNo. Make friends, get to know people, find others in your area, or look at live writing sprints on Authortube, anything that will help you feel part of the masses who are taking on this task, and also have some buddies who can write with you, are interested in your story and all the rest.

#5 - ACCEPT IT WON'T BE THE VERY END
For me, my books are generally longer than 50K, like a lot longer, so I know that I won't finish it in the month. I also know that since I write two at once, I definitely won't get further than maybe the first act of the two new ones. But for those of you who are writing 50K, the book isn't done at the end of the month, even if you finish the first draft you still have revisions and edits and all of that to go through, so while yes you should celebrate hitting that 50K, prepare yourself for the rest of the work that will go into getting your novel published, should that be your end goal.

And finally, #6 - HAVE FUN, SLEEP, AND EAT AND ALL THE REST
I know that because the needed word count per day is something like 1,667, a lot of people don't have a lot of time to get those words in, so they forgo other important things to make sure they hit goal. My final point, and tip, is to remember that this is for fun, that you need sleep, you need to eat and sometimes, you also need to take a break. Don't burn yourself out, it's not easy to come back from that!

Overall, I wish you all a very happy #NaNoWriMo19, lemme know in the comments what you're working on, if you're doing it!

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books

Review of Love Lessons by Daphne James Huff

One semester. No distractions.

Simple, right?

On the verge of winning the biggest literary prize at Shelfbrooke, Rex swears off all girls and parties, and prepares for a distraction-free semester.

It's the perfect plan.

But when his grades aren't good enough to participate in the contest, he ends up in tutoring with the new exchange student.

Zara's been banished to a boring boarding school in America to work on her English.

She's willing to do whatever it takes to get back to France as soon as possible--even if it means teaming up with the one guy who wants nothing to do with her.

But as the weeks go by and feelings grow, will he realize some things are more important than winning before time runs out?

Amazon

My Review: 5 stars
I picked this up without realising it was book 5 in a series, but thankfully they standalone and I was able to jump right in and get into the action. Rex is sure he's going to win and to do that he has to make himself concentrate which means no girls or parties. Meanwhile Zara is unsure of herself and not sure if she'll ever belong there. The characters were engaging and well-written. I was able to lose myself in the pages and go along for the ride with their love story. It was beautifully done and the kind of book you read and read and don't notice the time ticking away until it's over. I loved it! A nice light-hearted love story was just what I needed. Highly recommended!

You can follow Daphne on Facebook, her website, on Amazon, or even on her podcast!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.