Sonya Cheney

Writer. Witch. Creatrix.

nanowrimo 2020 | surivival kit + rewards

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November is closing in on us, fellow writers.

Like I mentioned previously, part of my prep for NaNoWriMo is setting myself up with a so-called “survival kit” and planning out some rewards to keep me motivated as I go along–because no matter how exciting it can be to write a whole-ass novel, it can also be a slog, and those rewards will for sure help to keep me going on the days I feel stuck.

Firstly, the survival kit:

  • Wite-Out + Post-Its // I prefer the tape style of Wite-Out, but I’ve also got liquid on hand just in case it becomes necessary.
  • My favorite pens // I am–unsurprisingly–very particular about pens. I’ve changed favorites over the years, but I do believe that the Uniball Signo Micro 207s are my new forever favorite as far as gel goes, and I’m a Pigma Micron 02 fan for a more felt tip style.
  • My Passion Planner // I’ve already blocked out days that I know I won’t be able to write and adjusted my daily word count accordingly. I also plan to write down each day’s word count and total at the end of the day as I go for a nice little physical track record.
  • My “story bible” // I bought this notebook at Michaels for, oh, five dollars or so one day when I first got the idea for this novel back in the spring and I honestly didn’t realize how much it would come in handy. It includes my physical mood board, character bios, various idea dumps. There’s an entire page dedicated to the idea of “New England Gothic” as far as my story ambiance goes. It’s possibly one of the most useful tools in my kit.
  • Scrivener // Now, Scrivener is just as useful and it is so fancy and handy, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary. Nonetheless, I love it. I’ve had Scrivener for seven years or so. I’ve written two novels on it (writing is as far as they’ve gotten). This novel is the first time I’ve really dived deep into what Scrivener can do, and I’m still learning how to make the best of it. Subtool? YouTube. I have watched–and still watch–so many YouTube tutorials on Scrivener, and I am so glad to have it in my toolkit.
  • Dropbox + a USB drive // Two copies–because better safe than sorry.
  • Earbuds + music // Obviously.
  • Fingerless mitts // The office likes to get coldcoldcold because our house isn’t insulated and the heating ducts only run along the first floor. Layers will be a necessity for November.

It’s still early, so I expect to come up with more things before November comes along. (In fact, I remembered my mitts after I started taking photos of my desk.)

And now, the really exciting bit: rewards! Of course, having a finished novel manuscript can be the reward in itself, but who doesn’t want a little extra motivation along the way?

  • 5,000 words // A cupcake from a local bakery or cafe–because who doesn’t love a little something sweet for motivation.
  • 10,000 words // A new horror DVD because who doesn’t love a little bit of inspiration when working on a horror story?
  • 25,000 words // Everyday Slouchy Beanie kit by Dragon Hoard Yarn Co–I think I think I think in the “Feather Fancy” colorway kit.
  • 40,000 words // A new book. Because obviously.
  • 50,000 words // A whole bunch of yarn for a Bigfoot yoke sweater I recently designed with the Tin Can Knits Strange Brew pattern.

I’m also planning to have a stash of Halloween candy on hand for a piece or two every, oh, thousand words perhaps. I have Clear Correct aligners for my teeth, so it’s a bit of an event to eat nowadays, but I think if I set aside a piece at every thousand and then just eat them at the end of each day, it won’t be such a hassle.

it’s just not my thing. (and that’s okay!)

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I think I’m quitting YouTube.

That’s not the biggest revelation given that I’ve only made three videos, but after making a couple of podcast episodes and a time lapse, I’m not sure I love videography. The time lapse was probably the most fun I had of the three, and I do hope to make more of those as I improve, but the podcast–it just isn’t my thing.

Working in video a few times reminded me of how much I love (and prefer) writing and blogging, and in fact it’s inspired me to approach my blog in a few new ways. I want to write more about my knitting. I want to write more about what I’m reading. I want to write more in general. Writing is my best mode of communication; my thoughts run much too slowly for video, I think, and that’s okay. The number of times I would just stare blankly while filming, trying to remember what I was saying or figure out how to say it was just not efficient enough for me. I much prefer the low-key, low-stress approach of sitting down with a coffee or tea and typing to my heart’s content without feeling the pressure of the silence as I think–in part because I can play music in the background as I work.

I guess to say I’m “quitting YouTube” is a little overdramatic. I was pretty flexible and uncommitted from the beginning. I am taking the thoughts and ideas I had for the channel, though, and planning to find ways to incorporate them here. Also, I’m still considering the idea of live streams while writing and knitting–but maybe I should just join in other people’s streams instead. Maybe I’m not the hosting type for this kind of thing. I’m okay with that. I’m not going to lie; it’s a little disappointing to realize it’s not my “thing,” but I’m also not in love with it, and at least I tried.

To be honest, my biggest concern is that no one is interested in reading my blog. It does take more effort than watching a YouTube video (or twelve, as I am known to do during nap time), and it’s not always as easy to subscribe these days to keep up with posts. As usual, I have a lot of thoughts and I don’t know how to communicate them all–which is part of why I’m leaning into writing and blogging more than the more immediate craft of vlogging and podcasting. I’m much more eloquent in the written form.

I have a lot going on at the moment–oh, how hard I am working on Preptober!–but I want to finallyfinallyfinally sit down and make something of a schedule because, honestly, I kind of just forget about my blog sometimes. I have so many ideas but get distracted by other things (including Finn, which is totally reasonable, but still). What I really need is, as usual, a list. A list and a routine. A daily check in to remind myself of my goals because I spend a lot of my time doing laundry and I do not want to spend all of my time doing that.

preptober + nanowrimo 2020.

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October 1.

Preptober is here and that means we are now on a thirty-one-day countdown to NaNoWriMo 2020. If you were someone thinking, “Quarantine will give me all the time I need to write a novel,” only to…not do it, allow me to recommend the mind numbing race to fifty-thousand words that is National Novel Writing Month.

But first: Preptober.

I might have been looking forward to this month even more than November–not just because it is Officially Spooky Season but also because I like planning and scheduling, note taking and productively procrastinating. And that is what Preptober is all about. For the past few days, I’ve even been planning for Preptober, making a To Do list of ways I want to get ready for NaNoWriMo. Some items might be silly (create a survival kit; make a novel playlist/soundtrack) and some are pretty reasonable (write an outline; figure out my November schedule), but my fingertips are itching at the thought of each one of them.

Let’s hash them out, shall we?

Preptober 2020 To Do

Write character bios // I love writing character biographies and taking the opportunity to flesh out a character before actually committing them to a page. I never quite get past the main character or two before starting to write, but I feel like this time around I want to really understand my side characters just as much as my MC. And any reference I can create for myself as I go along is going to prove useful. (I’m imagining something along the lines of the “show bible,” if you listen to the Office Ladies podcast.)

Fill out NaNoWriMo website profile + create project // Nothing too strenuous here; just updating my NaNoWriMo profile (I even changed my username), creating my project on the site, and then having a little fun with Pinterest and Spotify. I’ve dabbled in mood boards and playlists/soundtracks for novels, but I’m really committing to the idea this year. In between the more “serious” Preptober activities, I need to be sure to throw in a little fun here and there.

Plan milestone rewards // We can all agree that motivation is good, and what’s more motivating than finishing a novel? Treating yourself along the way. I’m thinking small things as I reach certain word count milestones, i.e., a new book at the halfway mark, and then something a little bigger and more exciting upon completion. I’m not sure what that big reward will be, but I’m already kind of excited about it.

Meal prep // I already tend to (try to) plan weekly meals on Sundays, even if I cook them throughout the week. My goal here is to go a little bigger and plan all, or most, of November’s meals early on, even making some to freeze beforehand so they can be easily heated up in the oven by Dan or myself while I get writing in. I spend most of the day with Finn, aside from nap time, and I’m pretty sure he’s getting more active each day, so I’m already thinking most of my writing will get done after Dan is done work for the day, which brings me to my next point…

Figure out (and/or clear) November schedule // I try to write appointments and events on our kitchen calendar far in advance if I can remember, so I’m hoping this will help make this to do item relatively quick. If there’s nothing on the calendar already, then I’m hoping to avoid adding much, if anything, for the month.

Create a daily writing schedule/ritual // My days are, generally, predictable, so this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. The rough idea right now is to set aside about two hours at the end of the day to get writing in. This might be after Finn goes to bed (so between about 7:30 and 9:30) or I might give Dan and Finn some guy time in the afternoons (between 5 and 7). Honestly, I might even rotate between the two. It’s a work in progress. I do know that I’ll be selecting myself a special writing candle that I’ll burn as I work because why the hell not?

Write a novel outline // Possibly my favorite part, and if I’m honest, one that I’ve already started in earnest. I’m planning on working on the novel I started earlier this year, around May or June, and October is going to be a time for tightening up the outline I’ve already made. The first version was written in the three-act story structure outline style, which I love. However, I also finished reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel recently and am enamored with the beat sheet, so I intend to combine the two to come up with a really solid outline to move into November with.

Create a survival kit // Snacks. Hydration. Ambiance (see the aforementioned candle). Simple things that, I think, will make a world of difference when the time comes.

Plan how to save/back up files // I think we can all agree that this is the most important on the list. You can go into November completely blind–no NaNoWriMo account, no outline, nothing. But to go in without some way to save your work? That’s just foolish. One of my biggest fears–at least as a writer–is losing any of the work I hold dear and/or have put a lot of time and effort into, so I’m thinking of having multiple backup approaches.

This is far from my first year doing NaNoWriMo, but it is the first in which I’m taking advantage of Preptober and going hardcore Planner. Other years I’ve done a combination of approaches, and my most successful are always the ones with at least some planning done. (All of my Pantser years have been Epic Fails.) I think, if I really put the effort into Preptober, I can take a lot of the pressure off of myself in November to maybe, just maybe, get myself another win in the…books. (Ugh. Yeah. I said that.)

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? If so, how are you preparing?

dilettante.

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I’ve been dabbling in photography off and on for years now. It’s one of my eight million and one hobbies that I never quite seem to practice consistently, which I’m mostly okay with at this point. Maybe I should focus on just one to become exceptional, but I like dipping my toes in a little bit of everything. I don’t have the attention span to focus on one. The only time this tendency becomes an issue is when I’m writing because I can’t seem to finish a long-form project, but I try to stay optimistic about that despite my past shortcomings.

Anyway.
Photography.

I made it a point to ask for nothing but a new camera lens for my birthday in March, an auto focus 35mm. I’ve been using a manual 50mm for years now because, generally, the older manuals are more in my budget–which is why I asked for the auto as a gift. Boy, has it already made a huge difference. I’m not sure if I just have bad eye sight or what exactly, but my photos feel so much clearer and, honestly, I’m having more fun. I finally figured out how to use my camera remote and even got my tripod out of storage to start adventuring into selfie territory outside of the front facing camera of my phone. My interest in the craft has been reinvigorated, and with every sunny day that we’re blessed with, my enthusiasm grows even more.

Sometimes the pictures are mundane–the ladybugs that have claimed our new house as their own, or a lunch smoothie, or a knitting photo for my Ravelry projects page–but that’s fine. Not every photo has to be an artistic masterpiece. None of them do. To be honest, I don’t think any of them really are. Photography is another item on the list of creative activities that bring me joy through the sheer act of creating, much like knitting or scrapbooking.

The last time I fed my sourdough starter, I decided to try my hand at timelapse photography. There were some hurdles–figuring out how the setting worked on my camera and the battery dying before I was able to finish capturing the growth cycle–but it was fun just to try. I already have so much in mind for my next attempt as far as improving my skills, but I’m still excited at my own effort.

As I branch out and push myself deeper into the arts that make me happy, I find myself being inspired by the following quote:

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Samuel Beckett

(As it happens, this quote is also very on point as far as anti-racism work goes…)

Because there will always be failure, but it shouldn’t keep me–any of us–from trying something we thing seems interesting or fun. I don’t need to know everything or be perfect to practice photography or witchcraft, cooking or knitting, gardening or home decor. Theory is a good way to learn, but sometimes practice is the best–and practice includes failure.

There are few things I do anymore in an effort to make money or become some kind of professional–and even in my writing, money is far from my end game these days. Austin Kleon has written some great words (and linked to others’ great words) regarding monetizing hobbies, and I recommend reading them. I’m grateful to have started shifting my mindset to focus more on hobbies for the sake of my soul rather than my wallet. (No shade to anyone whose hobby is also a side hustle, of course.)

Even with my plans to publish two books in the next year and a half–my essay collection and YA novel–I’ll be doing it all DIY just to put them out in the world. I don’t expect much if any return on investment. I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m doing these things because I love them, pure and simple.