A Complete Guide to Sprinting During NaNoWriMo

Happy Friday, everyone! Whew! Day three of NaNo and I'm sitting at 12.5k words (and I'm not done writing for today).

What's that you ask? How?

Easy.

I've been doing writing sprints.

What the heck is a writing sprint? Great question!

Writing sprints are set amounts of time where a writer produces words as quickly as they can. Once the timer buzzes, they stop and do a word count, then pick up again when the next sprint starts.

Person with the most words gets a round of applause (or sometimes, a prize, depending on the sprinting group--however, this comes with an issue: cheating to win--when there are no prizes, no one has a need to falsify their stats, and nothing needs to be verified).

Sprints (typically) last anywhere from 15-60 minutes. They can be done on any social media site, though the preferred space is usually a designated thread on Facebook.

Brought to my attention by fellow author Ali Winters (thank you, woman!), there's a sprinting page on the NaNoWriMo site that will accommodate individuals as well as groups. Click here to be taken to that page. If you look below, you'll see the two options at the top and a "Dare Me" button near the bottom. I'm the curious sort, so I clicked mine. Below are the results. It changes every time you press it, too. Fun stuff.

I didn't play around with the group sprint button yet, but I have half a mind to get some of my writing buddies together and do just that.

Now, here's how to get the most out of your sprints:

1. Know where your story is going. I like to plan a point about 10k words in that I know I want to get to, and build the prose up to there, but some folks go 2k. Whatever floats your boat, ya know?
2. Write furiously for that half hour. Turn everything else off and be with your words.
3. Give yourself plenty of time between sprints to refresh, go pee, or get coffee.
4. If you can, take your eyes off the page and look elsewhere (or just close them) while you type. This will prevent you from noting and backspacing out misspellings, bad punctuation, or other flubbubs we writers make.
5. Don't burn out. Take long lunch breaks or whatever other break you need when you need it.
6. Try not to write a lot during your lulls (the periods between sprints). Use that time to plan what you'll write when you come back to sprinting or to just veg.
7. Keep something to drink handy. Though you may not need it, it's better to have it and not use it. *grin*

Here's how my sprints are set up:

• In the morning, I set a block of 1-3 hours aside (lately it's been 10AM, 11AM, and NOON). 
• The first 30 minutes of those hours are used for sprinting, and the second 30 are used for tweaking, fixing my crazy misspellings I got from not looking at the screen, and marking things I want to take a closer look at later (during edits). 
• Then I break for a long time (like 2-3 hours--NOON-2 or 3PM).
• More time is set aside for later. Again, 1-3 hours (it's been 8PM, 9PM, and 10PM, but this week is a special one, so that will likely be cut by Monday.)

I'll show you next week's projected schedule so you have a better idea (life things have to happen on different days, but I'm not going to worry about it). I also don't write on weekends. Those are for my family. I refuse to succumb to writer burnout.

M-F

9AM - Sprint for 30 minutes

10AM - Sprint for 30 minutes

11AM - Sprint for 30 minutes

NOON-2PM - BREAK TIME (real break--no looking at my WIP)

3PM - Sprint for 30 minutes

4PM - Sprint for 30 minutes

Thing about it is, it works. I'm averaging 1k words every 30 minutes. If I sprint for 30 minutes, 5 hours a day, I've written 5k words. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but when you see that counter go down on your NaNo dashboard under "words per day to finish on time," you'll feel like a flipping ROCK STAR.

Any tips to add to the above?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

New Releases in the Othala Witch Collection - Alchemy and Winter Souls

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I have yet another release in the Othala Witch collection series! All the books available for purchase are linked at the bottom of this post. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Restating once again: Get the newsletter for all the Fallen Sorcery collection novels here. Follow FS on Twitter here. Like the page on Facebook here.

Follow the entire Othala Witch Collection on Amazon here, and get more awesome Fallen Sorcery release news by following that author page on Amazon here.

Now, on to the info!

About the Othala Witch Collection:

Many years ago, the Original Sixteen witches were able to contain an outbreak of demon-like creatures from overtaking the earth. But doing so came at a cost. For the human race to survive, the world had to be divided into sixteen sectors, trapping the Ravagers to the Outlands beyond, and trapping the humans in.

The Original Sixteen served as Regents over each of these sectors, and when they died, the strongest of witches took their place, using their own personal enchantment abilities to protect their sector. In the process, communication was lost. The only solace that remains is the knowledge that if another sector fails, their own may still survive.

But what happens when your sector is the one to fail? What happens when the world inside your walls is just as bad as the one outside them? In this collection of sixteen adult dystopian paranormal romance tales, each and every one of the sixteen sectors is about to find out.

Alchemy - Othala Witch Collection - Sector 9

Author: Noree Cosper

Genre: Adult Dystopian Paranormal Romance

Length (print): 196 pages

Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Blurb:

Zoe Delarey has been hiding her entire life.

She's not a normal girl, even by witch standards. Created by her father with forbidden experimental magic, Zoe is an alchemical child.

When the Regent suspects her father has broken sector laws, he hides her away in a secret stasis chamber protected by powerful magic.

But it isn't her father who wakes her. Instead, Bastian, a handsome stranger after her father’s secrets, releases her from the chamber. With her father arrested, Zoe finds herself on the run from the Witches Council. She has no choice but to accept Bastian's help, even though she doesn't trust him. He might be rescuing her; he might be using her... Zoe is not sure.

Thrust into the real world for the first time in her life, she needs to learn to control her magic and, at the same time, get a handle on her feelings for Bastian. Neither of which is going to be easy. Especially when Zoe turns out to be the key to saving the sector from the savage beasts that prey on the lives of the people.

Will she fulfill the secret destiny that runs through her blood?

Alchemy is the thrilling 9th part of the Othala Witch Collection. This is a paranormal romance that you won't be able to put down.

Winter Souls - Othala Witch Collection - Sector 10

Author: Angela Fristoe

Genre: Adult Dystopian Paranormal Romance

Length (print): 205 pages

Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Blurb:

To reclaim his soul, they will risk everything…
 
For six years, Elora has been confined to an island with the Ice Witch, Niobe. When her captor dies, Elora flees across the ice bridge back to Mason, the man she’s kept in her heart all these years. But Mason isn’t the same man she left behind. In his place is a cold and emotionless stranger.

Mason will never forget the day Elora disappeared over the ice bridge. It was the day the Ice Witch tore out his soul. He has settled into his life as a Tank Guard, protecting the small inlet at the northern edge of the sector from ravagers. But with Elora’s return, he has an opportunity to reclaim his soul and the life he thought lost forever.

It’s a dangerous task that will lead Mason and Elora to the depths of the Underworld. It’s a journey none has ever returned from.

All books in the collection (if they're linked, you can buy* or preorder now):

*Sector 1: Origin by Rebecca Hamilton
*Sector 2: Mystic Storm by Bella Love-Wins
*Sector 3: Hybrid by Apryl Baker
Sector 4: Immortal Winter by N. R. Larry and Rainy Kaye
*Sector 5: Under by Conner Kressley and Rebecca Hamilton
*Sector 6: Red Magic by J. C. Andrijeski
*Sector 7: Savage by Conner Kressley
*Sector 8: Dark Elements by L. J. Swallow
*Sector 9: Alchemy by Noree Cosper
*Sector 10: Winter Souls by Angela Fristoe
Sector 11: Star Crossed by J. E. Taylor
Sector 12: Forbidden by Shannon Eckrich
Sector 13: Sea Cursed by Amy Lee Burgess
Sector 14: Forgotten by Heather Marie Adkins
Sector 15: Wildfire by Jaret Martens
Sector 16: Faye Magic by Jo Michaels

Get them while they're HOT. After release, the price goes UP.

Gonna check 'em out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

How to Win NaNoWriMo in 7 Easy Steps

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Wow. Just wow. I started NaNoWriMo yesterday, and I'm pumped. I missed NaNo the last 2 years, but I won in 2012 and 2013. Not only did I win, I did so while taking days off to spend with my family and getting down time. I'll show you.

I've marked the days I had no progress with a red bar over the top.

These were my stats for The Bird in 2012:

As you can see, I took Thanksgiving week off.

These were my stats for I, Zombie in 2013:

Your eyes aren't fooling you. I wrote that book in just 10 days.

HOW DID I DO IT?

Well, I stuck to the following seven rules:

1. Know where your story is going. Something not a lot of folks realize is you can plan ahead, and even create an outline, before November 1. Even if you haven't sat down and thought about it yet, there's no time like the present. Even rough plot points you want to hit over the course of the novel will help more than I can say.
2. Don't shoot for the word count NaNo says you need per day. Double it. If you can, triple it.
3. Set aside time to write each day. UNinterrupted. No social media. No email. No work. You'll be surprised what you can do in fifteen or thirty minutes when you're focused. Schedule around things you have going on in your life. Stick to the schedule like glue.
4. Have a NaNo survival kit ready. Even if you haven't put anything together, take a day and do it now. It'll save your forehead later on. I no longer use Evernote. I now use MS Word 365 with the sync across devices feature. I have my MS on my phone AND my iPad, and it updates to my computer automagically. Here's a link to my kit: Jo's NaNo Survival Kit
5. Do NOT panic. If you fall behind, you CAN still catch up. If you need that break, take it, but be disciplined enough to come back when you're done.
6. Make sure friends and family know what you're doing so they can respect your time. 50k words in 30 days isn't a joke.
7. Stay on task. Tack these on the wall behind your computer. I know that may sound hokey, but looking up the tiny details will bog you down as you write. Take some time and make them now. I swear it helps. Don't edit. That can come later. To go along with that: Don't read the whole story until December 1. Make notes of changes and put them into action later.

I'm pretty sure I didn't miss anything, but it's early, and I'm eager to write today. *grin*

Several groups have write-ins, so check the forum for your local chapter. You can also scour Facebook to find people doing writing sprints. Those are AWESOME.

This year, I'm not shooting for one novel; I'm working on several novella-length titles for the current F5 project. Using the NaNo dashboard to keep up with my progress. No, I won't validate once I'm done. I'm just in it for the fun of writing.

Here are my current stats:

Abysmal. LOL! But I'll get there.

How are you all doing? If you wanna be my writing buddy, add me here.

Well, that's all for today, folks! WRITE ON!

Jo

New Release - Red's Tangled Tale

Everyone knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Well, at least they think they do. History would have many believe Red was a naïve little girl who brought treats to her grandmother in the dark of the forest. History had it wrong.
After the curse of the wolves came to Timbergard, Red’s father was the only soul brave enough to enter Blakx Forest. However, when the wolves claimed his life, his young daughter took up his bow and began hunting the beasts to fill her need for revenge.

When Captain Hook shows up in the village in search of the rare burning ash that lies on the far borders of the cursed forest, Red agrees to help get him safely through the dangerous land.

The trek through the forest becomes precarious when the group is cornered by a pack of wolves. Red is forced to make a decision that will alter the lives of everyone, including individuals she has yet to meet.

The cover of the much anticipated "Red's Tangled Tale," book two in The Untold Stories, has been revealed!

With only two weeks until publication, you can now preorder your copy at Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and Smashwords (Amazon will not have a preorder for this title but will carry it on November 1 when it is released).

In addition to the cover, fans will get exclusive teasers as well as a teaser trailer over the next two weeks, building to the anticipation of the release.

If you would like to join in the fun of the release, be sure to join the Facebook Party wherein numerous authors have come together to celebrate the release and will be giving away amazing prizes.

Lastly, you can help spread the word by participating in the Thunderclap campaign which will announce the release to social media on November 1 (link below).

What's That? A Cyclops? More Creature a Day Fun from the Enchanted Souls Tour!

Enchanted Souls

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

A Saint’s Grove Novel, Book 11

Publication Date: 10/21/16

Welcome. To celebrate the release of Enchanted Souls, we are featuring a creature from the book every weekday from 10/24-10/31, including daily giveaways.

Synopsis:

Two Souls Tethered. An Unbreakable Bond.

A rare occurrence brings the planets into alignment, causing the seals that separate the universes to break. Lost souls search for home while two hearts that were shattered try to find their missing pieces. 

When Alyxandria Duvall meets Micah, sparks fly, and their hearts burst into flames. They welcome their daughter not long after; then Micah goes missing under mysterious circumstances, leaving a path of heartache, death, and destruction in his wake. Still, Fate has more in store for them. 

Galactic anomalies are propelling their lives toward their destinies. Light years separate them, but their souls gravitate toward one another. Can love overpower the universe’s boundaries?  

Buy Links:

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ iBooks 

Teasers:

About the Author:

Tia Silverthorne Bach has been married to her college sweetheart for twenty years, has three beautiful girls, and adores living in the breathtaking state of Colorado. Her daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She believes in fairy tales and happy endings and is an avid reader and rabid grammar hound.

She is an award-winning, multi-genre author and an Editor for Indie Books Gone Wild. From an early age, she escaped into books and believes they can be the source of healing and strength. If she’s not writing, you can find her on the tennis court, at the movies, reading a good book, or spooning Jif peanut butter right out of the jar.

Connect with the Author:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram ~Wattpad ~ Amazon Author Page

Sign up for her Author newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bif19P

Available Books:

Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1)

Chasing Shadows (Tala Prophecy, Book 2)

Chasing Forgiveness (Tala Prophecy novella)

Chasing Destiny (Tala Prophecy, Book 3)

Chasing Eternity (Tala Prophecy, Book 4)

Fractured Glass: A Novel Anthology

7: The Seven Deadly Sins

Heart Chatter (women’s fiction)

Coming Soon:

The latest Ferocious Five project

Check out Tia Bach, Author on Facebook for today’s creature giveaway.

HOSTED BY:

Enchanted Souls Presents: A Creature a Day in October

Enchanted Souls

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

A Saint’s Grove Novel, Book 11

Publication Date: 10/21/16

Welcome. To celebrate the release of Enchanted Souls, we are featuring a creature from the book every weekday from 10/24-10/31, including daily giveaways.

Synopsis:

Two Souls Tethered. An Unbreakable Bond.

A rare occurrence brings the planets into alignment, causing the seals that separate the universes to break. Lost souls search for home while two hearts that were shattered try to find their missing pieces. 

When Alyxandria Duvall meets Micah, sparks fly, and their hearts burst into flames. They welcome their daughter not long after; then Micah goes missing under mysterious circumstances, leaving a path of heartache, death, and destruction in his wake. Still, Fate has more in store for them. 

Galactic anomalies are propelling their lives toward their destinies. Light years separate them, but their souls gravitate toward one another. Can love overpower the universe’s boundaries?  

Buy Links:

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ iBooks 

Teasers:

About the Author:

Tia Silverthorne Bach has been married to her college sweetheart for twenty years, has three beautiful girls, and adores living in the breathtaking state of Colorado. Her daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She believes in fairy tales and happy endings and is an avid reader and rabid grammar hound.

She is an award-winning, multi-genre author and an Editor for Indie Books Gone Wild. From an early age, she escaped into books and believes they can be the source of healing and strength. If she’s not writing, you can find her on the tennis court, at the movies, reading a good book, or spooning Jif peanut butter right out of the jar.

Connect with the Author:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram ~Wattpad ~ Amazon Author Page

Sign up for her Author newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bif19P

Available Books:

Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1)

Chasing Shadows (Tala Prophecy, Book 2)

Chasing Forgiveness (Tala Prophecy novella)

Chasing Destiny (Tala Prophecy, Book 3)

Chasing Eternity (Tala Prophecy, Book 4)

Fractured Glass: A Novel Anthology

7: The Seven Deadly Sins

Heart Chatter (women’s fiction)

Coming Soon:

The latest Ferocious Five project

Check out Tia Bach, Author on Facebook for today’s creature giveaway.

HOSTED BY:

Now Available for Pre-Order: Faye Magic - Othala Witch Collection Sector 16

Happy Friday, everyone! Super surprise, Faye Magic is now available for pre-order! Plus, I'm gonna give you a super (unedited) sneak peek. *grin* Get your clicking fingers ready and let's get going!

First, the info about the book:

Title: Faye Magic (Othala Witch Collection: Sector 16)
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Adult Dystopian Paranormal Romance
Length: 60k words
Buy Link: Amazon $0.99 (preorder price ONLY)

Blurb:

Prepare yourself. It’s a competition like no other.

Think: The Hunger Games meets The Selection.

The last one standing wins the man.

Meet Morgan LeFaye Woodenson. She has her life planned out. She’ll marry Sawyer, the love of her life, and they’ll run into the sunset to be nomads, surviving off the land, not reporting to anyone, free to live their lives as they see fit.

At least, that was the plan until the imprisonment.

When reagent Orinthal’s wife dies suddenly, Faye is forced from her home and thrown into an arena to compete with every other nineteen-year-old girl in Sector Sixteen for the highly coveted place at his side. If she doesn’t win, she dies; if she does win, she loses everything she loves.

Deception and ruthlessness fill her, and she’s determined to find a way to hold on to her dreams—even if that means becoming someone she never thought she’d have to.

Excerpt:

Someone was pounding on the front door. It was also light outside, and Sawyer wasn’t back. Her window was still standing wide open, and she thanked Odin there hadn’t been a ravager attack in the night. She would’ve been toast.
“I’m coming!” Her father’s voice boomed in the hallway. As he passed her door, he knocked. “Time to get up, sweetheart. Odin’s beard, they’re making a racket.”
“I’ll be right there, Daddy!” She leapt off the bed and rushed to the window, wiping drool off her cheek. Everything was just as she’d left it the night before. No sign of Sawyer. Positive something bad happened, she quickly whispered a message and released it, only to watch it spin out of control and pop in mid-air a few feet away. Her heart hit the bottom of her stomach.
“She said she’d be out in a minute! You don’t need to go—”
Boom!
Boom!
“Open the door, miss, or we’re going to break it down.” A rough male voice, muted by the wood and steel it was passing through, wafted into the room. “Just a minute! I’m not decent!” Shoving her bags under the bed, she whipped off her clothing and wrapped a towel around her body.
“Now, miss!”
“I’m coming!” She unbolted the door and cracked it open to peer out.
Three ginormous, armed soldiers stood in the hallway. One had his hand poised to bang on the door again.
As his fist moved forward, she yanked the door back the rest of the way, causing him to pitch into the room. She let him stumble and planted her left hand on her hip. “Seriously?”
He turned fifty shades of red and scurried back out. “We’re sorry, miss, but we have orders. You need to get dressed right now and come with us.”
“I was trying. But you seemed hell bent on breaking down my door. I figured I should probably answer it as soon as possible.” If it weren’t such a serious feeling situation, she would’ve laughed at the way he blushed and averted his eyes.
“Please, miss. Put some clothes on. And do it quickly,” he muttered.
As she moved to close the door, he stopped it with his hand. “No. You can’t do that.”
“Then how am I supposed to stay decent!” she yelled.
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” He lifted his hazel-green eyes, and they locked with hers. “Again, I’m sorry. It’s a necessary precaution.” Her breath hitched, and she couldn’t move for a moment. His eyes were stunningly beautiful, the green so vivid it resembled blades of grass in a summer meadow. She felt a strange pull to do exactly as he suggested. Magic bubbled through her, wiping whatever enchantment he was using away. Eyelids fluttering, she nodded and moved to put clothes on.
A bra went on over her towel, then she pulled on panties underneath—cute, lacy ones that made the soldier blush again—then her jeans and a loose top. Finally, she pulled the towel out and threw it into the hamper. “Ta-da! Just like magic, am I right?”

End Excerpt.

Teasers!!

Annnnd, the full wrap cover!

So? What the heck are you waiting for? Go grab it :D

Want more? Here are the links to the other books:

All books in the collection (if they're linked, you can buy* or preorder now):

*Sector 1: Origin by Rebecca Hamilton
*Sector 2: Mystic Storm by Bella Love-Wins
*Sector 3: Hybrid by Apryl Baker
Sector 4: Immortal Winter by N. R. Larry and Rainy Kaye
*Sector 5: Under by Conner Kressley and Rebecca Hamilton
*Sector 6: Red Magic by J. C. Andrijeski
*Sector 7: Savage by Conner Kressley
*Sector 8: Dark Elements by L. J. Swallow
Sector 9: Alchemy by Noree Cosper
Sector 10: Winter Souls by Angela Fristoe
Sector 11: Star Crossed by J. E. Taylor
Sector 12: Forbidden by Shannon Eckrich
Sector 13: Sea Cursed by Amy Lee Burgess
Sector 14: Forgotten by Heather Marie Adkins
Sector 15: Wildfire by Jaret Martens
Sector 16: Faye Magic by Jo Michaels

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo