Life After NaNo

Picture of me and Princess Bubblegum

Above is what my life has been since NaNo has ended. I've been writing a little bit, but not nearly as much as I should be! We had a new rule sprung on us that basically told us we had to have all of our stuff ready for the next 'phase' at work. A bunch of blah stuff that you don't care about!

So let's go back to writing. I have been reading Veronica Roth's blog (HERE) lately, and she makes me feel... inadequate I guess is the best word. She's only a few years older than me and yet, she has an agent, publisher, movie deal, and is on her third book to be published. I know I'm young, and she is young for what she has, but still, it makes you feel like you aren't doing as much as you should.

I have tried getting things published in the past, through my school's literary magazine, and just literary magazines I've found through Poets and Writers (Here). The life of a writer is full of rejections, I know that, but damn, they really mean it! One day, I know I will get my first 'yes' and it will be amazing, but until then, what am I doing with my writers career?

Sorry if this depressed you, I don't mean to. This is more of a pondering of life post. I guess what I'm saying is, I need to kick myself into gear.

What do you guys, and gals, do when you need to pick up the memento?

Distractions, Distractions (How to overcome!)

Dear people reading my blog, I must confess. I keep falling more and more behind on my NaNo. For those of you who don't know what it is (CLICK HERE). Anyway, I keep running into things that keep sucking away the time for me to do it.

I have real reasons though. I mean, I don't have reasons like having a child (which the NaNo's on the forums talking about getting it done with a toddler I give my props to!), but I am a Resident Assistant at the University I attend (SIUC). I've been trying to stay creative for my job through NaNo, but it's draining me!

Some of the things I make for my job!

My creations (the flash really white washed Peach!) can took me hours a piece, because they're made out of all construction paper. By the time I'm done making these things it's past midnight and I'm 500 words behind for the day! When I'm not making things for bulletin boards I'm out enjoying nature.

Squirrel on campus enjoying nature!

I don't mean to fall behind, but it seems like it happens almost every day. (Then every few days I bang out 1200 extra words.) Anyway, I've come up with some ways for me to enjoy nature and still do my job while writing. I have found that the recommendation on NaNo of doing small spurts for 20 minutes really works well. I usually end my scene in the middle of something so that way I have something to work off when I come back. I also write literally any extra time I have (For example, when my boyfriend is in the bathroom).

So just a couple of ideas:

1. Small spurts of writing for 20 minutes every hour or so, more if you'd like.
2. Try to leave off with something for you to jump off with.
3. Write every extra minute you have!
4. Have fun with it. If you don't enjoy what you're writing, why would anyone else? (Not really a way to counteract distractions, but still a fundamental rule!)