To NaNo or Not NaNo

July was Camp NaNoWriMo. Writers set a goal and fight to accomplish it before the end of the month.

I spent July pushing toward a goal of 40,000 words in my current WIP. And did I meet it? You bet! Though I went through some serious ups and downs, illustrated by my handy chart below.

During the 31 days of literary abandon, I went through a plethora of emotions:

Determination. July 1st. 40,000 words. Psh, I could totally do this.

                                     

Pride. I'm ahead by 2,000 words. Say whaaat?

                             

Laziness. Yeah, I'm so not writing today. Or... for, you know, four days in a row...

                             

Panic. Needing to catch up ASAP!

                                        

Awesomeness. Keeping a steady pace. You know that's right.

                                           

And, at the end. Pure and utter accomplishment. I couldn't believe I actually wrote 40,000 words!

                               

So, would I recommend Camp NaNoWriMo (or just NaNoWriMo) to writers? Absolutely! Before July, I'd been struggling for months to get myself to write. Camp NaNo gave me the push I needed. I also got to connect with some really supportive writers.

And, okay, getting this certificate at the end was pretty awesome.

Also celebrating with a round of mini golf was great too.

The next time NaNo comes around, I'd heartily suggest that you hop on the writing wagon. It's an awesome experience. The only thing you'll regret is looking back and not participating.

Congratulations to everyone who entered and persevered!

It's Official

First. Post. Ever!

This is pretty much the most exiting thing to happen to me all week. Not that there's much competition. I do work at an accounting firm. But still. Yay!

                                        

Actually, it was pretty ridiculous how thrilled I was to even have my own domain name. It's the little things.

To celebrate my first post on my new blog, I'm doing a giveaway! Check out the nifty PunchTab Giveaway box to your right. $20 Amazon gift card. You know you want to enter. The giveaway will be running from today (July 1, 2014, so you don't have to check your calendar. You're welcome.) to Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 3 p.m. EST.

Self-centered, Emily Layne time. Since you wonderful darlings will (hopefully!) be reading my future posts, you should know a bit about me. Or, really, the "About Me" that you can't find stalking social media sites. Don't worry, I've limited myself to five facts.

1. Emily Layne is actually a pen name.

2. I once ate so many cherries that I had an allergic reaction and got hives. We're talking 100+ cherries in less than 24 hours. Clearly I have a problem.

3. Sunscreen is disgusting. I avoid wearing it whenever I can. Summer started two weeks ago, and I've already been majorly burned four times. I know I need to wear it, but... Bleh. When I was a kid I could throw a temper-tantrum and avoid the sticky stuff. But apparently that's not acceptable anymore.

4. On that note, I love the sun. Scratch that. I love being outside. During my lunch break at work, I will sit in my car with the windows down and eat, even if it's 85 degrees outside.

5. Though I love the traditional flowers: roses, lilies, orchids, my favorite is a weed, typically known as a flowering clover. They smell like summer and can be tied into pretty awesome jewelry.

...Annnnd finished! Not so bad, was it? Now you know how weird quirky I am. But don't let that stop you from entering the giveaway. Or from reading my future posts. This blog will focus on the Journey of Infinite Perils, otherwise known as writing. You'll join my adventure as I finish my current WIP (work in progress), tackle that nasty query letter, and hopefully snag the representation of a fantastic agent.

So, what are you waiting for? Come on! The Journey of Infinite Perils (JIP) awaits!