NaNoWrimo 2014 Winner!

Today from 11am-2pm I worked solely on my NaNoWriMo novel and finished it. I cannot believe it, but I've finally finished my fourth book, Bloodline Inheritance. It is complete at 54k words, which is very short for my books. Now that it is finished I plan to start on revisions right away and add much more to the book. Since a lot of the chapters were handwritten I did not realize how short some chapters were compared to others. With revisions I am certain I can add on another 25-30k more words. The main point is that I have the entire skeleton of the book written down.

After writing three books I did not know what to expect from my fourth. As I shared earlier this month, Bloodline Inheritance is told from Dyanna's POV. So once again I was working with a new story and a new narrator. Honestly the hardest part about this book was deciding where I wanted it to go. I spent a lot of time looking at art work and finding inspiration. When I first started writing I had no idea how I wanted the book to end. Now I do have an ending, though I will most likely rewrite it during revisions. 

Quote directly from the book!

Now as for how I wrote for NaNo this year... Well that was interesting. I really kept myself writing no matter what. If I didn't have my laptop I would handwrite chapters. At night I usually typed up chapters on my iPad (using Werdsmith) if I did not feel like using my laptop. The only problem I had with having such a variety of ways to write was that sometimes my chapters were split in parts. When I went to type up chapter 11 for instance I found 3 parts of it: one in my journal, one in Google docs, and one in a different journal. Next year I definitely do not want to run into this problem again because it ended up as more work for me. Handwriting chapters might not be as efficient as typing, but it actually was very efficient against writer's block. I find writing in a journal is less intimidating than staring at a blank computer screen.

Now that I've reached the end, what's next? Well, I have a lot of work ahead of me in regards to this book. I want to work on revisions and add in a lot of new scenes. It also needs to go through editing stages. This book will still not release until 2015, but I'm hoping now that I have the skeleton finished the entire book will be ready for publication by early 2015. November has been such a busy month for me, but I'm glad I was able to dedicate the time to finish the first draft of the book. Also I am excited that once December 1st comes around I can receive two free copies of my book from Createspace. This will be great to use as proofs before I actually need to order proofs of the final draft. Once this book is released for publication then I can start thinking about my next project (that won't be part of the Magicians series). 

Overall, I am very happy with my choice to participate in Nano this year. I updated my Twitter and Instagram throughout the weeks with my progress. It definitely was not easy, but I am glad I did it and am farther than when I first started out. While revisions might not be as exciting as writing the book, I will be updating my social media with my progress. Perhaps I will even share teasers of any new scenes I add in. 

Last but not least, I hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful for my boyfriend, our home, and my readers. I doubt I will post tomorrow because of the holiday, but on Friday I am considering a special giveaway in honor of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Be sure to leave a comment below with what you are grateful for, and also tell me about your Nano project if you participated this year. 

Lindsey R. Sablowski

NaNoWriMo: Day 4

 
Two hours ago I started at 5921 words, and just a few minutes ago I reached 7047. Nano definitely makes November more stressful than usual. I've stayed in comfy clothes all day, and after some other work around the house I finally sat down and wrote. Lately I've been reading a lot of the Nano email, the ones they send you to remind you that you can do it. Truthfully they have been helpful. In one I read that you just have to keep writing, even if at some point you think "what a minute, this isn't good enough." That's something I find myself running into a lot. There are times when I want to go back to a previous chapter and change everything. For right now, however, I need to stay the course. First I need to reach 50k, then I can go back and change whatever needs to be changed.
So how are you getting through NaNoWriMo? Here's some of the things keeping me afloat:

• Keeping a journal and pen nearby -that way whenever an idea strikes me I can jot it down for later. No need to be neat, but it will help so that I remember later on.
• Rough outlines -outlining in Nano for me means keeping it to the point. Everything else is extra detail that will be in the book. If you're like me and need some kind of outline before you just jump into the chapter write down several ideas of what you would like to happen. Outlines I've used for one chapter sometimes even help with the next one.
• Inspiration of some sort -usually I keep pinterest (with fantasy related pins) or just my Nano page up in the background as a reminder for me to keep going.
• Drink lots of water -stay hydrated and don't forget to eat too! Writing is hard work
• It's okay to take a break -every now and then I just need a break from writing. I cannot write for hours on end. It would probably drive both me and my characters insane. Instead I take short or long breaks, depending on how much time I need. Then when I return to my book I have new ideas and a fresh slate to work with

Today was all about reaching the daily goal of 6666 words for me. I like setting little goals for myself because thinking that I need 50k to make it to the end is overwhelming at times. The book has been coming along. Since I already starting working on Bloodline Inheritance before Nano, I'm only including new chapters in my word count. This way I'll have an entirely new 50k words added on to the book at the end of this. With that in mind I've made it up to chapter 18 and am about midway through that chapter. This morning I came up with a new plot twist I am slowly weaving into the book, which has been really exciting. I love that a new idea can give me new motivation to keep writing. I might write more later tonight, but all in all I am very happy with the speed I am going at.

If you want to stay updated with my progress, check in on my Twitter. I usually update it throughout the day when I am writing. I also have been posting pictures on my Instagram as well.

While this is a busy month I do plan to continue posting on the blog. Hopefully if times permits I can make a few posts that don't relate to Nano at all. In the meantime best of luck to everyone who is participating in Nano. Just a reminder to you and myself: we can do it. 

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Book 4 announcement and NaNoWriMo

mock cover 1

mock cover 2

NaNoWriMo 2014 officially started three days ago, meaning my project is up live on the site. This year I have decided to work on Bloodline Inheritance as my NaNo project. Since the release of Thicker Than Blood (book 3) I've written about 30k, but the goal with NaNo is to add an additional 50k (or more) to the book. If I do reach this goal I should ideally come to the end of the book, meaning I can start working on revising as soon as I'm finished.
Ready to hear what the fourth book in the Magicians series is all about?

Above is the synopsis and a brief excerpt, which you can also view directly on NaNoWriMo. As mentioned in the synopsis, Bloodline Inheritance will be the final book in the Magicians series. Since this book follows the war and the aftermath I do not foresee any chance of a fifth book. Years ago when the series first began I thought there would be enough room for five books, but it looks like this one is the last. As I write this book I also come to the realization that after this the magicians end their story and I must start a new one entirely. What a challenge that will be when we reach that point.

Currently I'm a bit behind on my word count, being at a little over 2k so far. Fortunately I have today and tomorrow to catch up. It has been both exciting and challenging to write this book so far. If you're curious about more don't forget to catch up on my latest release, Thicker Than Blood.

All in all, I expect November to be a very busy month. For those of you participating in Nano this year I wish you the best of luck. I've buddied up with several people from reddit who are also participating in hopes of keeping each other motivated. Inspiration and motivation are essential during this challenging month. I will post as often as I can with my progress, and until next time enjoy your writing.

Lindsey R. Sablowski