NaNoWriMo Week 2: Snowball Effect

November 12, 2018November 11, 2018 / Sonora / Leave a comment

It is week 2. Day 12. Technically week 2.5. Already, NaNo participants, you have done incredible things. For example, Germany who have a combined total of 31 MILLION words from 3,787 people so far (I didn’t realise this region scoreboard existed–it’s really cool!). Week 2 is all about rolling out from week one with a purpose: you know your characters, you know what they want, you know their world–now you can get down to creating drama; the beautiful snowy hill is in front of you and it’s time to get on that sledge.

If instead of this, you’re still struggling with the actual forming of your snowball story, don’t worry. As the data from the region scoreboard indicates, there are so many people in your shoes. But you’ve started and you’re going to do this thing! I’ve compiled some games, some tips, and some very fun quotes from authors to try and help all of you, struggling or not, to stay motivated. Hope they help! Continue reading →

Writing Prompt #9

November 8, 2018November 8, 2018 / Sonora / 1 Comment

As some of you know, we’re 8 days into NaNoWriMo. So far, I’m just hanging on by the skin of my teeth. And yes, I’m counting every word of this intro as a word because otherwise, this post wouldn’t exist–sometimes you just have to compromise. Now, I usually write whatever comes into my head for these writing prompts, but today I’m going to try to tie in the prompt with my novel and use it to inspire wacky new plot ideas. Feel free to join me in trying to weave in your NaNo novel, or just write whatever you feel like! Continue reading →

NaNoWriMo 2018

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018 / Sonora / 4 Comments

From the exact moment this is posted, it will be two days and fourteen hours until NaNoWriMo. Or exactly 3,720 minutes.

It’s coming.

And I’m so excited!!!

For those of you who pay attention: yes, today is a Monday and I usually post on Thursdays. But not this month, folks. For November I will be posting every Monday with NaNo themed content–prompts, pep-talks, and commiseration galore–as well as my usual Thursday posts. For me, NaNoWriMo has always been about trying something new–this bi-weekly posting is new for me, we’ll see how it goes!

What will your new be? A lot of people’s reasons for not doing NaNo is based on incorrect facts. I’m not here telling you that you have to do it–I’m just going to tell you how you’re missing out, and why your reasons for not doing it are wrong. Because I’m nice like that. Continue reading →

Writing Prompt #8

October 25, 2018October 24, 2018 / Sonora / 4 Comments

Time for another writing prompt! It doesn’t feel like it’s been two weeks since the last one. The British weather is still confused, the trees are still easing into various shades of red and gold, and I’m still behind on my reading (there’s a very large stack of scientific papers staring at me right now).

But here we go. Another image that holds a story. Or ten stories. Or 100. Or…

Anyway, let’s do this thing. Continue reading →

Writing Prompt #7

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018 / Sonora / 1 Comment

October. Colourful trees, pumpkins, the return of thick blankets and that annoying sound the radiator makes at 3am. Three weeks into my second year at uni and goodness is it hard to fit writing into my full workload. But here I am, doing writing prompt #7.

Whatever pile of revision or deadlines or life obligations are eating away at your soul, just step away for a moment. Take a deep breath. Set a timer for 10 minutes and just write. Lose yourself in another world. When you’ve finished, your work will still be waiting, but you’ll be stronger and ready to conquer it. Continue reading →

My Current Writing Projects

October 4, 2018October 3, 2018 / Sonora / Leave a comment

Early cover sketches

So it’s October, and I’m still slogging on, trying to keep up work on my writing. I thought I’d give an update on where I am at the moment and where I hope to go. This includes an entirely new novel, B Like You, which up until this spring, I was planning to keep hidden under my bed. But then I read it, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. So I decided to try and make it into something presentable. So here we go, my current projects: Continue reading →

Writing Prompt #6

September 27, 2018September 27, 2018 / Sonora / 1 Comment

September is nearly over, autumn is in full swing, and let’s not forget November is only a month away–you know what that means. NaNoWriMo is coming!! Yes, it’s still ages away, but the time will pass before we know it, so why not start limbering up with writing prompts?! Or, if you’re just here to join in and have fun, that works too!

Today’s game: Double Up

Fusion of Snap Shot and Fire Starter!! Use both the sentence and the image to spark an idea for a flash piece. Continue reading →

Dialogue 101

September 20, 2018September 5, 2018 / Sonora / 2 Comments

IMG_20180812_172236_01_01 Dialogue is a powerful writing tool. It can help your writing in endless ways–build your characters, further the plot, spice up boring descriptions, develop empathy, draw in your reader. Honestly, if you aren’t writing dialogue, you should be.

That said, several people have told me they feel dialogue is their weak point–they can’t make it interesting, it doesn’t work, their characters sound stiff, it’s too much effort, etc. This isn’t how it should be! Dialogue isn’t that hard once you figure it out, and written well, it brings so many bonuses, you owe it to your writing to figure it out.

Here are my tips. Continue reading →

Writing Prompt #5

September 13, 2018September 12, 2018 / Sonora / 3 Comments

Another Thursday rolls around and I don’t about the rest of the world, but summer seems to be truly slipping away in England. Here’s a summery(ish) writing prompt so we can all pretend the weather’s lying!

Name of the game: Snap Shot.

The rules: Stare at the picture. What does it make you think of? What story is it telling? Okay–thought of something? Good. Now set a timer to 10 minutes and start writing that story. Ready, set, go!

Screen Shot 2018-08-15 at 6.40.56 PM Continue reading →

5 Things I Do When Attempting to be Productive

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018 / Sonora / 5 Comments

Sometimes, I feel like the hardest thing in life is deciding what you want and then working towards those goals. I’ve been told I have good commitment, but when another evening rolls in and all I’ve done is eat and watch YouTube, it sure doesn’t feel like it.

When uni ended for the summer, I had all these great plans regarding my novels and this blog–I was going to work hard on my drafts, start getting friends to give me feedback, start posting weekly again… However, by the end of July, I’d basically done nothing. I then decided I was fed up with half-heartedly chasing my goals and I was ready to make a plan and get out there with that butterfly net.

So far, it’s going well. I know that a one-size motivation-plan doesn’t fit all, but getting me moving sometimes feels like beating a rock with a stick. So I’d like to share with you 5 things I’ve been doing this summer that (as of yet) seem to be working: Continue reading →