NaNo: Lesson Learned

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Candace Ruffin, Candace Ruffin Author, Creating Cane, Holidays, NaNoWriMo, Write, Write on, writing

I made it through NaNoWriMo! . . . but . . . I didn’t win. Whoops. Oh well. As I compare last year’s experience with this year’s experience, I can’t deny that there are some lessons learned that are worth sharing. If this was your first NaNo experience and you didn’t make your word count I hope you’re not beating yourself up over it. There’s always next year. But just in case you’re in need of a little something to get you back in the swing of things, here’s a lesson  learned to carry on for future NaNos.

What is NaNoWriMo? (A Refresher) National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) is an writing challenge that takes place every November. It is an opportunity for writers to push themselves to write 50,000 words in one month. That’s right. 30 days – 50,000 words. Writers use the challenge in different ways. Some writers actually plan one novel per year and they use NaNo to write it. Others just like the challenge of it. Some begin a new book series using NaNo and others just do it for fun. Whatever the reason, if you love writing like I do, it’s a great way to push yourself.

Last Year vs. This Year Last year was my first time participating in NaNo. And of course by it being November, celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday presented some challenges within itself. But I persevered and stuck with it and celebrated writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I was so proud of myself. So, having gotten a taste of victory there was no reason for me to think I couldn’t do it again and have a repeat of the same success. There were a few factors this year that I had not accounted that were different a little different from last year and greatly impacted my writing.

Guest vs. Host There is a significant difference between being a guest for Thanksgiving and hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I wish I had gotten the memo. I had hosted before, but never as a writer. And as usual, that superwoman mentality kicked in and somehow the illusion of being able to do it all took hold.

I agreed to host both sides of our families for the holiday. No big deal. I had an elaborate, airtight plan for my NaNo writing schedule all worked out and I was ready to get those 50,000 words done before the first guest arrived. I started off strong and was feeling over confident until the reality of my hosting situation set in.

While being with family and friends is not all about impressions, there are certain things that are just unacceptable when hosting guests from out of town. For instance, when the shower faucet in the guest bathroom breaks, you kind of have to get that fixed. Pliers are fine if you live here, but guests and pliers? I don’t think so. Or when you look up and realize that the couch that’s been broken for months could suddenly swallow a guest and twist one of the elder’s backs, you sort of have to give that some attention. Basically, my home needed a few tweaks if I was going to host. And that was the monkey wrench that sent me on a downward spiral with NaNo.

Our old shower faucet literally crumbled to pieces in my son’s hand. Fortunately, it was a DIY project. Unfortunately, it took a while to get the right part to fix it. A little inside tip about me – I’m a DIYer. But that doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I love trying to fix simple things around the house and doing simple home improvement projects. I don’t wait for hubby to do it, I just jump in and get it done myself. Translation? 30 minute projects = 2 hour projects when I’m at the helm. Therefore, fixing the shower fell on my schedule. I probably lost about one day of writing with the shower, but I caught up. All was not lost . . . until we tackled the whole furniture issue for the holiday.

Our faux leather couch was ripped, parts falling off of it, and so badly broken that If you sat in it you literally slid off onto the floor. It was that bad. Kinda funny when it’s just you and your family. But the idea of other people coming into your home and having to sit on that – no. Plus, we needed general seating for everyone. Twenty people in one house need somewhere to sit, especially the elders. That meant shopping! Now, while I don’t like shopping, I do enjoy shopping for my home. And furniture is not one of those things you just go in, find what works, and walk out with something amazing. Not unless you want to replace it sooner than later.

The short of it is, I was in the midst of furniture shopping online and in-store, preparing a menu, deep cleaning (because some of our loved ones have allergies), and still trying to carry on with day-to-day parenting stuff. That may be easy for some writers to manage, but not this writer. And let’s keep in mind, some of the new purchases had to be assembled. And did I mention that our families would be visiting for several days? So that meant we were also having to put together itineraries.

By the time everyone arrived I was already a week and a half behind with my writing. But I was still hopeful I could make time to squeeze it in and catch up. Just because I was behind by 20,000 words didn’t mean all was lost. But as each day slowly got behind me I was losing my confidence of finishing. Then, when Turkey Day finally arrived and I was sitting around watching my sons, nephew, and my little cousins all playing and running around; as I laughed hysterically with my sister and cousins at our antics; as I stole a moment to hold hands with my husband; as I laughed and caught up with my brother; and as I chuckled at our moms and aunts with their “motherly” expressions taking it all in, I suddenly realized that I didn’t care about my word count.  I mean, I cared . . . but I didn’t. I focused on enjoying my family. Putting together that new lounge set; picking out and placing the new couch just right; checking to make sure my DIY plumbing project wasn’t leaking and exploding on anyone; getting the menu just right; slightly burning the cornbread; and enjoying every moment with my family made me care less and less about making that word count. That is – until they all went home of course.

When all was quiet (as quiet as quiet can be with a husband, a rabbit, and two boys) only then could I focus on that word count again. With three days remaining before the deadline, I pretty much knew I wouldn’t make it. So, what I decided to do instead was focus on what I could do. I set a goal to at least finish November with a 30,000 word count and that’s exactly what I did.

I can’t say that I wasn’t disappointed about not reaching 50,000 words. I felt empty. But I would be lying to myself if I said I didn’t feel that I’d brushed off my writing for a good cause. Half of our family we see only once per year. The other half we had not seen in two years. As much as I love writing, I love my family more. Though I’ll have the memory of not making 50,000 words in November 2016, I’ll have an even sweeter memory of spending a wonderful, love-filled holiday with family.

Lessons Learned My take away for 2016 is a simple one. Squeezing in NaNo when you just have to show up for dinner with a dish, is much more feasible than squeezing in NaNo when you have to host a large group of family members from out of town.  I won’t be doing that again. In the future, if I decide to host for Thanksgiving, I won’t participate in NaNo. I’ll just support all my writer friends by cheering them on. Though I’m disappointed about this year’s results, I can honestly say I have no regrets.

If you didn’t make your word count this year for NaNo, don’t beat yourself up over it. Whatever your reasoning for not winning, just learn from this experience and make adjustments for next year. If you’ve never won NaNo but you enjoy the experience, relax. You will be victorious. Just not this time. There is always next year.

Congratulations to all the NaNoWriMo participants and those that won this year! I’m looking forward to NaNo 2017. I hope to be victorious with you. For now, let’s get ready for the holidays. Eat. Drink. Be merry. But make sure you set a little time aside to write on!

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The Revision Hump

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Candace Ruffin Author, Creating Cane, Revising, writing

It’s that time of year again! When school supplies, school clothes, ziplock bags, hand sanitizer, schedule pickups, and debates with school administrators over the placement of kids have completely monopolized the lives of moms across the country. And still life goes on for the working mom – including the writing mom. This is the time when writer-moms reflect on summer achievements in writing.

Fortunately for me, this summer has proven to be my most productive summer in writing yet! I didn’t meet my goal, but oh how close I came and it feels good. As summer break draws to a close, time steadily slips away from writing and more toward back-to-school preparation. But unlike past years, this time I’m not fretting the lack of writing time because my discipline is steadily strengthening.

My goal this summer was to make significant gains on revising my chapter book. This is not a new project by any means, but still one I intend to see through to publication. Regardless of best efforts however, there still tends to be some challenges that can negatively impact writing progress and getting to the finish line. So, in hopes that you will find yourself comforted if this is a similar experience for you, I’m sharing one of the greatest challenges I’ve faced with writing/revising my chapter book this summer.

There are days that I literally set up my writing space and prepare to work on my revisions and still walk away having accomplished nothing. It’s all right there, staring me in the face. I sit – I stare – I get up – I do something else – I come back – then repeat. It’s a classic case of procrastination, which we all face. But what I continue to learn about myself as a writer, I’ve figured out that I procrastinate because I feel stuck and overwhelmed. Eventually, that procrastination leads to walking away from writing.

Some days the motivation to write just isn’t there and there’s nothing wrong with that. Taking a break from a stressful or frustrating project can help give a writer a fresh perspective on the project upon returning to it. BUT, as refreshing as it may be, walking away from a manuscript (MS) is not without its consequences.

What matters when taking a break from a MS is the length of time you choose to leave it alone. Two hours or two days – no harm done. But try not to make it much longer than that. Once your time away gets to be as much as two weeks, two months, or two years, the real problems begin. Long periods of absence from your manuscript can result in two important things happening:

• Tone changes; and
• Spending too much time re-reading to try to remember where you left off and what important revisions you were meaning to incorporate prior to walking away.

The problem with changing tone This is something to avoid at all cost. The danger with tone change is your story becomes inconsistent which is sure to result in losing the interest of your readers. It would be as if two different people with two different styles of writing, wrote one confusing, weak story that isn’t fit for publication. When the tone changes, the characters change, the direction of the storyline changes, and hence, the story itself changes, sadly, not for the better. Characters end up speaking and doing things that are inconsistent with their original personalities. Readers instantly take notice when a character acts “out of character”. It becomes painfully clear that your story has lost direction and vision leaving you (the writer) frustrated, overwhelmed, and ready to walk away from it again – permanently.

The problem with memory boosting re-reading Even if it’s only been a few hours since you last picked up your MS, naturally, you still re-read the last part you worked on in order to keep the story flowing smoothly as you continue to revise. However, this is a brief process that just serves to get you back on track. This can take as little as 5 to 10 minutes, then writing/revising resumes with little to no disruption in tone and storyline.

When leaving your MS for longer periods of time, re-reading becomes more of the day’s tactic than the next step in the process. You may find yourself having to re-read an entire chapter (or two) just to remember where you left off. Then you run the risk of double-revising because you can become side-tracked with making changes and revising sections of the book you weren’t meant to be working on in the first place. This neither has weight nor does it advance the story in any way. In the end, you will be at the exact same finishing point you were the last time you picked up your MS. How frustrating is that?

The Solution No matter how frustrated you get with your MS, don’t leave it for more than a couple of days. It really is that simple. The less time you’re away from it, the smoother the revisions will be. Getting stuck will happen no matter how good you are, but it’s important to stick with it. Take a breather if you must, but come back – soon!
In my limited experience, I’ve found that even on my most frustrated days, I can still get through my revisions as long as I continue working on them within a short amount of time. And as always, don’t commit yourself to more than you can handle in a day. Some writers do well devoting 8 hours per day to writing/revising; some do well with 4 hours per day; and still some do well with 1 to 2 hours. No matter how much time you can devote to writing/revising, just make it count.

Now go pick up that manuscript again and write (revise) on!

A Good Time to Write

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Make Time, writing, Writing Process

Time is a precious commodity that some of us writers just don’t have. Still working to meet that minimum daily word count? So am I. But saying that it’s been a challenge would be an understatement. Weeks of schedule alterations upset writing progress. But there is a good news!

Recently I read a blog post by guest blogger, Lee Kelly, on the Writers Atelier blog series, The Write Place, that absolutely put my gears in motion. Lee Kelly pin-pointed the very thing that has been the underlying cause in my inability to avoid repeated writing slumps and I am excited about following her lead.

Once upon a time when my life was perfect and everything went according to schedule, I somehow developed the idea that I needed to be in a certain space – in a particular mindset or mood – at a particular time of day – with a specific caffeine drink in-hand, to write. But not just write children’s stories, or novels, but anything. This had to be the setting for me to write anything – a blog post, a journal entry – anything.  Without these particular ingredients, the end result was empty pages and a growing time deficit.

Well, thanks to Ms. Kelly, I realized that I’m far beyond the stage of needing to have the perfect, inspirational space to write. I need to be ready to write at any time, any place, any mood, and any space. While I have a firm grasp of this concept during the holidays, applying said concept year-round just hadn’t worked it’s way into my day-to-day schedule. Time for that to change!

I have been forcing myself to get some writing in whenever time presented itself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be able to write in the perfect, quiet setting with coffee in hand. But reality is, that’s just not a realistic view of a writer’s life… at least not this writer.  Reality is that writing has to get done whenever and wherever possible. In the kitchen, on the job, in the car, even while (eh-hem) indisposed. Knowing this is one thing. Putting it in practice consistently in something else.

The bottom line is, as writers we are continuously met with challenges that impact the writing process. Our responsibility is to rise above those challenges. It’s been a pretty productive week here at The Writing Cane workshop, even if the “workshop” hasn’t necessarily been the actual location for getting things done. I have been in my car, on my bed, in the dining room and the workshop, just trying to make sure I am making some much-needed progress. And the beauty of it is, the kids haven’t felt my absence one bit simply because I’ve been making the most of the time in-between their time.

It’s the summer, but that doesn’t mean writing has to be put on hold because of it. Enjoy the summer and write on in-between!

More Writing, Less Blogging

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Make Time, writing, Writing Process

One of the most difficult things as a writer for me can be flexibility. I absolutely consider myself a flexible individual…so long as that flexibility falls within my personal realm of what and how I choose to be flexible…crazy right? I know. But I love the me that I am. Sue me.

However, despite my limited scope of flexibility, I have learned that regardless of my preferences, I have to learn to be, well – flexible. After all, I am still growing and learning who I am as a writer.

So what’s the big change? So in the spirit of being flexible, here’s the new change that’s essential to me as a writer: I MUST change my blogging schedule! I love to blog. But, I don’t seem to have the time for it as I once did. On the contrary, I love to write. But there doesn’t seem to be much time for that either. So what gives?

What I realize about myself as a writer is I will procrastinate ’til the cows come home before I’ll sit down and focus on the very thing that I’m passionate about – which usually results in nothing getting done. I’m a hot mess, I know. But I also realize that I experience anxiety when I overwhelm myself with too many things – and I am not one of those fine individuals who is a master at balancing 39 things in a day. This drives me stir-crazy and leaves me feeling inadequate. Therefore, change is inevitable.

But Cane, blogging is writing! How can you not have time for it? It’s simple. Mentally, I separate blogging from what I consider to be ‘writing’. Not that blogging isn’t writing, but I don’t feel accomplished when I blog. It’s fun for me. Relaxing. It’s equivalent to playing your favorite video game or watching a good movie. When I’m gaming or watching t.v., I’m freeing my mind. That’s what blogging does for me. So when I blog, I haven’t actually penned anything toward my manuscripts in progress, or made any revisions on existing manuscripts. Not accomplishing this leaves me feeling pretty low. I don’t feel empty inside when I don’t get a chance to play my favorite gaming app on my iPad, just as I don’t feel empty if I don’t get a chance to blog. I look forward to it. I love to do it. But there’s no pressure to do it. Story writing on the other hand is different for me. I love it! I feel invigorated when I get the story out of my head. But there is pressure if it doesn’t get done. Granted, this is self-inflicted pressure, but pressure all the same. So while blogging is writing, it’s not the kind of writing that helps me achieve my goals as a storyteller.

Keep in mind, this may differ for other writers. Some writers blog for a living, so obviously blogging would hold a different weight in their writing arena. For me, storytelling is the priority for me.

I’ve changed my blogging schedule several times already! I’ve gone from daily blogging, to 3 times per week, to twice per week, to weekly blogging with gaps of inactivity in between. I’m still not satisfied. So my next attempt is MONTHLY! (Big surprise). It took a while to reach this long overdue conclusion, but it’s the best thing…for Cane.

In short, Creating Cane is switching from a weekly blog (which sort of stopped happening anyway) to a monthly blog. This will make it much easier to bring you the latest and greatest on this ongoing journey of mine. I miss you guys!

But what about that daily word count thing? I have still worked tirelessly to achieve my daily word count as discussed in my March blog post: A Daily Word Count that Works, and I am still very pleased with the results of applying this technique to my writing life. But I can’t help but feel that something is suffering when I still don’t fit it all in. And reality is, when I’m doing one, I’m not doing the other. I don’t want my blog to suffer simply because my book writing is gaining momentum. It all needs to get done. I think the monthly blogging schedule will give me an opportunity to have my cake and eat it too…just not in such large proportions.

Do you blog? How often? What schedule works best for you? Whether you’re blogging, screen writing, story writing, song writing, journaling, reporting, or any other form of writing, just be sure to make it work for you!

Write on! Write on!

A Daily Word Count that Works

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Make Time, writing

The seasons are changing and spring is upon us. With spring comes the desire for cleaning, weeding, changing, and reorganizing. Writers fall into this mode as well. Writers may desire to try a new genre, begin a new manuscript, finish a lingering manuscript, reorganize creative spaces, or weed out distractions. In my case, my urge has been to weed out distractions and try something new to keep me focused and make greater progress in my writing.

Recently a writer-buddy of mine gave me some advice that I thought I’d attempt since what I had been doing hadn’t been working up to this point. Listen up Newbies, this one’s for you.

We attended a school function together that was a “Celebration of Reading” if you will. When I first met this fellow writer/author a little over a year ago, he had a few books and I thought to myself, ‘One day that’ll be me‘. Well, as we’re setting up our table displays, I noticed his works had multiplied significantly (as I set up my only title with bells and whistles to make it look fancy). Being the conversationalist that I am, I lean over to him and ask (as only I can),

“Uhhh…What have you been doing? You didn’t have that many titles when we first met. You’ve been busy! How do you get it all done?”

I’m sure this is a common question for those new to this whole writing thing.

“How do you get it all done?”

I have read countless blogs and spoken with many writer-friends about writing and making time to write. By far, I felt this particular advice was the most practical. So I put it to the test.

He advised me not to set an astronomical daily writing goal. So many suggest a daily goal of anywhere from 1800-2500 words. Which, many of us can do, but can we do it consistently? He told me he set a goal of about 750 words per day. I immediately thought, that’s pretty low. I’ll never finish my next book with a goal that low. But I continued to listen.

He went on to explain that 750 words was a more realistic writing goal for the busy writer. Many days he would exceed that goal, but if not, at least he knew he had met the goal for the day and he could feel accomplished. Eventually, he created a habit of writing (which we have all been told is essential in this business). But the difference was his goal was realistic and attainable. He said he started aiming for this lower daily writing goal everyday (or at least almost everyday) and before he knew it his table was boasting three or four more titles than he had when we first met just over a year prior.

Despite my doubts, the table didn’t lie. So I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s my take-away:

1. 750 words per day turned out to be a very reasonable and realistic goal for me. I was hitting my word count in no time and when I exceeded the goal, it made me feel as if I had really put in significant time with my writing each day. I could move on to get other day-to-day responsibilities done without the guilt of having not reached my word count for that day.
2. Mentally, I didn’t feel drained by the end of the day stressing and obsessing over having not met my daily writing. I felt relaxed, accomplished, and more eager to finish the story I was trying to tell.
3. By the end of the week, I had made progress on my manuscript that I had been longing for for weeks. No burnout, no frustration, PLUS rewards. By far my most successful week as a writer.

It’s been a few weeks now, and I have continued to apply this writing method – successfully!

Here’s the point – daily goals of 1800-2500 words are realistic goals . . . For someone else. Not for me. If you’re struggling with forming a writing habit, maybe your goals aren’t realistic given your personal schedule and/or your writing muscles. It takes time to transform our physical bodies and build muscles. Writing muscles are no different. I’m not saying aim low, but maybe you’re not being honest with yourself. While I met my 750 wpd many times, most days I was hitting 1400-1800 wpd anyway – without the pressure. This created a freedom for me to write, thereby nurturing my love for writing instead of fostering a dread for doing it, which would often lead to avoidance. I don’t want writing to become a chore, but at times the effort feels labored when I consistently fail to accomplish my writing goals.

Thanks to readjusting my daily goals, I have rediscovered myself as a writer and again look forward to tackling old and new manuscripts.

Are you setting realistic goals for yourself or are you losing sleep and hair trying to meet others’ expectations of you? If you need to write more – want to write more, but it’s just not happening for you, try scaling back that word count a bit and watch your story (or stories) come alive! Try it and share your results.

Scale back and write on!

5 Ideas for Writing through the Holiday (Repost)

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Creating Cane, Holidays, Schedules, writing

Since November is in full swing and I am busy, busy, busy trying to meet my daily writing goals for NaNoWriMo, I thought I could cheat a little bit with my November posts. This repost offers some great tips to prepare you for getting around time commitments with family while still making time to write through the Holiday. Have anything to add or a great suggestion that helps you write through the holiday? Leave a comment below. Enjoy!

Traveling to visit with family can be fun, entertaining, and nerve-wrecking all at once. One of the things I look forward to most about the holidays is not just getting together with family, but also the anticipation of seeing them. It’s no secret that I am a lover of road trips. The building excitement of packing, loading the car, and the hours upon hours of spending time with the kids in the car with their mounting excitement for the holiday, is truly what makes the trip so worth while. But, as fun as traveling is, it can still be difficult to write while traveling, especially if you come from a family that plans out every waking moment of your visit (fortunately I don’t). So what are some ways to get some good productive writing in while traveling without taking away from time with the family?

1. Passenger Seat Writing. The most obvious of answers is writing if you’re not the one driving. If you’re the passenger and have a long road trip ahead of you, there is no reason why you can’t knock out some pages or do some editing, revising, journaling, and/or brainstorming instead of sleeping or staring out of the window. If kids or other passengers are a distraction, take advantage of all technology has to offer and plug those ears with your most inspirational sounds and get to writing. UPDATE: If you have a smartphone, use it! Even if you are driving, use the record features on your phone to voice record your thoughts as you’re driving. If you can do it to send a text, you can do it to advance your writing.

2. Plan Ahead. If you are from a family that plans out every moment of the trip, take advantage of that Type A personality planner and be sure to include your writing time in the plan. Personally, I don’t commit to doing any work that is not directly related to the holiday celebration on the holiday itself, but if you’re die-hard and don’t want to miss a beat, plan to write while everyone is snoozing after overindulging on turkey and dressing. If you’re a big football fan and just can’t miss the games on turkey day, then plan to devote a couple of hours to writing while the turkey’s in the oven. If however you are like me and no matter what the holiday is just that – a holiday – and you refuse to work on that day, then plan an hour or two of writing while the family sleeps in, or while you’re waiting in the parking lot for stores to open their doors for Black Friday. Either way, there is no reason you can’t get your ideas down just because you’re traveling.

3. Be Realistic. No one knows your family better than you. No one knows YOU better than you. Don’t commit yourself to a schedule you know you can’t realistically keep. If you know there are certain traditions that your family simply will not compromise on – don’t. Avoid committing to working on days that will just be impossible to do. You’ll find yourself feeling unaccomplished and will spend the next several days beating yourself up over your lack of commitment to your craft. Spare yourself, your family, and the writing community (because you know you’re going to blog about it) from that unnecessary drama and try this instead. Set a number of (realistic) hours you want to write for your entire trip. Then work those hours in over the span of the trip rather than committing to a day-by-day schedule. If you set your goal at five hours of writing, you can spread those hours out in any way that fits your family’s holiday schedule. Flexibility is the name of the game.

4. Accept All Forms of Accomplishment. When I first started into this venture, I thought that writing was the only way for me to feel as if I accomplished anything in my craft. I was extremely hard on myself if I didn’t write at least 1500 words of something every day. What I know now is there is more that goes into writing than just, well. . . writing. Jotting down some blog ideas; drafting a blog entry or two; journaling an inspired poem that popped into your head; a new story layout; editing/revising current works in progress; laying out a new project plan or plan of action; catching up on emails and correspondence related to your current or future works, are all a part of your writing career. One doesn’t happen without the other. It’s great if you can write thousands of words per day no matter what. But just in case you have these other things on your plate that contribute to getting that masterpiece manuscript in front of your readers, you need to accept that these things also count as being productive and getting you closer to publication. It all counts in my book.

5. Have Fun. The most important rule of all. Some of my most inspiring moments come from life itself. I find that I do some of my best writing when I just relax and let the ideas pop into my head from day-to-day activities. Just plan to enjoy your trip and you’ll end up finding yourself inspired in more ways than one.

Celebrating the holidays with family and friends is obviously a priority. But like most of our American holidays, despite taking multiple days to celebrate, reality is, the holiday itself is just one day. You can still use your time wisely to advance your writing career without sacrificing the much needed time with your loved ones.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! And (when you have time) write on!

What the Prep?

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Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Write, writing, Writing inspiration

I still can’t believe I’m about to do this! The first of November is Sunday. I feel strong going into this, but whoa! This will certainly be a new experience for me and I’m looking forward to it. But every time I think about that word count goal . . .

I’ve spent the last several days getting ready for the big NaNoWriMo event in hopes that a little prep will go a long way toward meeting my goal.

Feeling the Energy As the weather begins to cool here in sunny Florida, I’m revamping a space in my garage (don’t mind the dead plant) because that’s where I’m feeling the most creative these days. I love doing household projects and crafts in this space, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually tried writing in it. Boy did the juices start flowing. I’ve determined that this is where I seem to be most inspired and this will definitely be my “go-to” studio through the month of November, and possibly beyond.

Author Head Spaces Attending local writing events and workshops is always a great way to get your head in gear for writing. I attended a NaNoWriMo panel that really lit a fire under me, not just for November, but in general. I can’t stress enough how being around other writers is always refreshing and inspirational.

I also tuned into an authors panel via Spreecast. This was just as inspiring as the live panel and though I wasn’t able to attend the live event, I love that I could at least replay the panel from the comforts of my home at a time that was suitable for my schedule. The bonus was getting additional tips to help me throughout my writing career.

The Work I narrowed my novel ideas down to two concepts and just decided which one I’m going to run with for my first NaNoWriMo. This will be a case of starting from scratch and rewriting that novel that’s just been collecting dust for over a year now. One thing I’ve learned from attending writing events is – sometimes you just have to start over. The work isn’t going anywhere because I’m just not passionate enough about it. So, regardless of how much I’ve already put on paper, this is a must-do-redo and I’m ready. I’ve revised my characters to include more in depth character sketches, thought out the worlds in which my characters will live and interact, and have a general idea of where I want the story to go. I think I was missing some of these elements before, but the gaps are filled in, and there’s nowhere to go but through the pages.

The Distraction Plan I am prepared for that pesky Something Shiny Syndrome to rear it’s ugly head and keep me from meeting my daily writing goals. But not to worry. I’m prepared with a plan to write that incorporates all those planned and unplanned distractions – that holiday road trip, field trips and events at the kids’ schools, neighborhood events and functions, even running low on my caffeine supply and budget. Whatever the distraction, I’m ready to write – in the car, before the field trips and events, and during the kids’ practices. And just in case my caffeine stash and/or budget runs low, those quarters and nickels I’ve been dropping in old jars for years are ready for me to take to the conversion machine at the nearest supermarket so I can turn my coins into cash and restock and reload. No excuses people!

Within Reach Things I’m prepared to have within reach while writing this new novel: CHOCOLATE! Coffee, tea, or my favorite dark soda (pop for my northern folks); My favorite cheddar popcorn (I have to have this stuff); CHOCOLATE; A quick meat source for protein (peanut butter doesn’t always do it for me); paper and pens; any type of mobile device; and last but not least… did I mention CHOCOLATE? (Okay, I admit this is the candy we’re supposed to be passing out for Halloween, but they don’t need all those cavities anyway…right?)

Well, hopefully I can secure an emergency chocolate stash after Halloween. I’m sure the kids won’t mind.

There you have it. This novel is getting done! It has to. Wish me luck. If you don’t hear from me in November, hopefully it just means I’m lost in a good book – my own. Happy writing and write on!

Journal Shopping

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Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Journals, NaNoWriMo, Notebooks, writing

I know it’s been a while, but trust I haven’t abandoned you! November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and it’s fast approaching. In the scramble to prepare, I’ve found myself focused on writing more than ever.

With that, I’m always on the lookout for notebooks and journals and came across this deal that was too good not to share. While I’m usually pretty particular about color and I typically prefer the more flexible styles because they travel well and can easily sustain a lot of abuse, I had to make an acception in this case. This week I came across these lovelies for $5.00 at my local Staples and I just couldn’t pass them up. From the binding to the magnetic clasp, this was an instant winner for me. I grabbed the last two in stock and would have purchased more if they had them. After all, writers can never have enough journals. 

 Click to find out more about NaNoWriMo, stock up on those journals, and write on!

Upload to Launch Part 2: The Proof Copy Process

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Becoming a writer, C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, Self Publishing Process, writing, Writing Process

Now that you’ve settled on a printer, it’s time to apply your print selections to your manuscript so you can upload your manuscript and order your proof copy. Remember, quality is everything and there’s no feeling like seeing your book in print for the first time, even if it has errors.

Proofing and Formatting
Speaking of errors, this is the point in the process where you want all of your i’s dotted and all of your t’s crossed. Whatever POD you choose PLEASE make sure you follow their formatting instructions to the letter. Formatting can be frustrating and confusing. If there is any part of the instructions you do not understand call the helpline (if one is offered) to be sure you have no formatting errors. If you are not the most tech-savvy writer, it’s okay to pay a little extra for the formatting service offered by the printer. In my case, I had someone handle this for me. Yes, I paid to have this done. But most PODs offer formatting for an extra fee.

The good news is if there is an error that falls on the POD service, then more than likely, the printer will correct it and reprint your proof at no charge. However, if the error is yours, prepare to pay for another proof. I’ve done this!

So what type of errors might you make on your own proof? Text alignment, font inconsistencies, font effects such as bold facing, italics, etc. These are the types of tiny errors that make you scream and if they repeatedly slip through can end up being costly in the long run.

Now, you’re almost ready. But there is one more very important step that needs to be done. Surely, the more you publish, the sooner this would be done in the process. But just in case you’re still like me and certain details were just confusing and blurred in the research process, I’m going to make this piece clear right now:

ISBN numbers and Barcodes

YOU NEED YOUR ISBN and BARCODES! Was I clear enough? If you have not completed this portion of the process, you can not afford to put this off any longer. This is the point where your ISBN number gets assigned (by you) to your book and the barcode must be on the back cover in order for it to appear on the printed book.

First, notice I mention them separately – the ISBN numbers AND barcodes. This is because they are separate purchases. I’m sure you’ve heard or read that it’s best to purchase the ISBNs in bulk. I couldn’t agree more and this is why. You don’t purchase a batch of ISBNs because of the price break per ISBN. You purchase the batch because you need a separate ISBN number for each format you will be printing the book. So, hardcover, softcover, and in some cases digital, though your POD may provide ISBNs for your digital uploads. NOTE: Research this thoroughly to decide what option is best for you.

Second, they can be purchased at any point in your process prior to printing. Therefore, if you plan to publish multiple works as most writers do, then it is beneficial to have your ISBNs on standby and ready to move your printing process forward.

The barcodes are priced and purchased separately but are inexpensive. You need to have a barcode for each hardcopy version of the book. You can purchase the barcodes in bulk or a la carte, but either way, you need them for your upload process. Again, be sure to follow your printers formatting guidelines. To learn more about ISBN numbers and barcodes or to make a purchase visit http://www.bowker.com.

So, in sum, check and recheck, get the formatting right, purchase your ISBNs and barcodes, and now you’re ready to upload.

It’s Upload Time!

You’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s. Now it’s time to upload and wait…and wait…and wait. Your POD will scrutinize and analyze your upload and contact you with any corrections or formatting irregularities. My experience has been that this can occur over one week and may entail some back and forth between you and the POD. Be patient. This was a nit-picking part of the process, but you do want your book to be perfect.

The Proof Copy

After verifying that everything is properly formatted and ready to go, your POD service will notify you that your upload is ready for printing. This is the point where you need to actually purchase your proof copy from you POD service. Decide on your delivery method and wait for it to arrive. When it arrives cry, scream, shout, party. You’ve received the first ever copy of your book in print. Celebrate! Have a drink! Then, settle down and go over the proof with a fine tooth comb. Be sure to scrutinize every letter, word, image and page because once you approve this copy, it’s the copy the world will read.

Hopefully, there will be no corrections and you can begin setting up the book for distribution through your POD. Otherwise, resubmit any error corrections and the process will repeat from the upload step.

Preparing for Distribution

Everything you need to know for distribution will be provided by your POD. Be sure to read through the distribution information carefully when first deciding on your POD service. This will be one of the determining factors in making your initial decision on a POD.

Also, be sure to check with your POD service to make sure you understand if there are any extra steps involved in making your book available to other distributors such as libraries and bookstores. Unfortunately, I erred in this department and it may have cost me significantly as far as marketing the book to other distributors. As frustrated and disappointed as I was upon learning this, there is nothing I can do about it now so I just have to carry this lesson with me for future publications. Learn from my mistakes. Make sure you thoroughly understand your PODs distribution setup process.

Next, decide how many books you want to have in your personal inventory and order your books. This is truly a matter of budget and preference. Some authors order as many as 2,500 and some order less. I thought it best to be conservative for a few reasons. 1) I wasn’t confident that I did a good job marketing my book prior to this point, so I didn’t want to overdo it; 2) I wanted to have enough copies for the book launch; 3) Enough copies for complimentary thank you distribution; and 4) Copies for any additional appearances before or immediately following the book launch. Additionally, I figured if I started with a modest amount, I wouldn’t overwhelm myself with having to figure out how to move so many books. To date, I don’t regret my decision. Do what makes you comfortable. There’s nowhere to go but up at this point.

As tedious as the upload process can be, it is not impossible to get through it and trust me, you will get through it.

Questions? Anything to add? Leave a comment below and write on!

Next in this series: Part 3: Planning the Launch

The Little Things

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C. M. Ruffin, Candace M. Ruffin, Candace Ruffin, Creating Cane, writing, Writing inspiration

One thing about vacationing is it forces you to relax and do things out of the ordinary. So many of us get caught up in our day-to-day grind that we never take the time to just pause and appreciate the small things that we’re grinding for in the first place.

While vacationing in the Dominican Republic last week, I decided it would be a waste of a trip if I didn’t take in that beautiful Atlantic Ocean view. So, despite having no daily commitments or reason to awake early, I made it a point to get up early anyway to enjoy the sunrise (something I don’t normally do).

Surrounded by peace and quiet, my body automatically  relaxed and my mind reflected on life. I was appreciative of having an opportunity to view such a beautiful sunrise in such a serene setting. Something so simple became so big. You don’t have to pay to watch the sunrise. Little things.

I thought about this journey of mine and how blessed and fortunate I feel having had an opportunity to write a book, let alone, being able to share it with others. The fact that I have the option to sit and do what I enjoy doing is overwhelming. I’m grateful that a simple little act turned into an encouraging story for children. Little things.

As we enjoyed different experiences on our trip, I had an opportunity to see some of the Dominican’s poor population. I struggled with this, but not for obvious reasons. I was more frustrated with how this community seemed to be put on display, like an exhibit. Excursions come through these poor neighborhoods multiple times a day, and it made me curious to know if any of the proceeds from these excursions go back into these poor communities. Considering that bottled water is the only recommended drinking water in the Dominican, including for residents, and considering that I didn’t see one resident in these poor communities with any bottled water, I doubt it. I feel that the malnourished children in their broken down shacks supports my theory of proceeds not going back into that particular community. Again, I was counting my blessings and appreciating having drinking water readily available whenever I need it. Little things.

I decided to bring one thing back with me on our return home. I promised I would take time out to enjoy the morning sunrise. Even if I don’t do it daily, there’s no excuse not to enjoy such a simple blessing from my own home. It’s just as peaceful here that early in the morning as it was taking in that ocean view. Now, there are certain things that take away from the ambiance such as instead of enjoying the sunrise over the ocean, it’s over my neighbor’s roof top, but it’s still the sunrise all the same.

We get tired and find ourselves questioning why we stress over doing something that others could probably care less about. But if we pause for a moment to reflect on all the wonderful little things in our lives that either led to this very moment, or act as reminders of why we do what we do, then it truly makes it all worth it.

Take pause to appreciate the little things, then write on!