How Drawing Can Help You Write

    Last year during NaNoWriMo, as I was writing my manuscript, I sketched and even colored a number of pictures. Drawings of characters, room layouts, sketches of tools, and outfit designs.
   It really helped me visualize the story, and when I was debating on how to describe something's color, comparing colors on the drawings really helped. Not to mention that looking at a picture of the characters, seeing their faces and having a picture of them doing things, was encouraging and cool.
   Even if the art isn't exactly a masterpiece, it can help the creative juices flow. And if you don't like drawing but have a friend who does, giving them a description and asking them to draw the character is really awesome!
    Does anyone else out there draw pictures of their characters or scenes from their stories? Would anyone want to design the book cover of their story?

NaNoWriMo Begins!

    Two days ago, National Novel Writing Month officially began.
    NaNoWriMo. A month where the eager, determined writer writes like crazy to complete their first draft. Some writers spend long hours of their day writing for this--especially when they have Thanksgiving Break. Others just do a little bit every day and accumulate their word count goal gradually. But the goal for everyone remains the same: to finish that first draft by the end of the month.
    It's a considerably short deadline. Finishing a manuscript in a month is no easy feat! Writing challenges like this can be really difficult, but they're also fun, and they help people grow as writers.
    Deadlines tend to give extra incentive to finish the first draft. Whether it be a personal goal or something assigned by a publisher, typically a writer has strong determination to not miss that deadline. There's more on the line with a race against time. More reason to work harder.
    Is anyone out there doing NaNoWriMo this year? Does anyone have other personally set deadlines for their writing?

Let It Begin!

    Ah, April is here. A new month. New things to do.
    Today just happens to mark the start of Camp NaNoWriMo. I'm not attending this year, but I am trying to write the first draft for a new story this month.
    Starting a new story can seem thrilling, daunting, or both. You're thrilled about the new adventure awaiting, but maybe doubts are also floating around. Will this story be dull? Will the plot sound stupid later on? Will you run out of ideas to keep the events coming? Will this thing work out?
    If you do have these doubts, don't worry! All great things usually start out this way. The most talented and successful authors have doubts about their newest stories. It's a part of the writer life.
    If you're starting a new story, congratulations! Enjoy the experience! Get to know your awesome, friendly (or maybe not so friendly) characters, see the sights, jump the fences. Have fun!
    Let it begin!

Wrapping Up NaNoWriMo

Well, today is the final day of November and National Novel Writing Month (or if you prefer, just NaNoWriMo).

    Have any of you participated in NaNoWriMo this year? If so, awesome! Have you completed your Word Count goal?
    I have, and NaNoWriMo has helped me immensely--if I hadn't had to finish the story in a month, I would have trailed on through the middle of the story, creating unnecessary scenes that would be useless. So NaNoWriMo really pushed me in the right direction.
    Has NaNoWriMo been helpful to you? Even if you didn't complete your Word Count goal, has NaNoWriMo helped you in another way?