✍️little.lemon.writes✍️

So, this year for November I'll be participating in an assortment of writing challenges. Like so many others, I'm migrating away from NaNoWriMo after having participated on and off for the last 6 years. I want to share the challenges I'll be following and my personal goals in case you're also looking for options.

My overall writing goal is to write 75k words by December 31. This means I'd like to write 37.5k words in November. I'll be working on my Project Cafe Crime, and you can follow me for updates, writing sprints, and more.

There are three main challenges I'll be interacting with:

The first is @roughdraftmonth. This challenge focuses on writing a novel rough draft by the end of November. They have a few different options for word count goals, including a "set your own" style goal. They seem to be one of the more streamlined challenges I've found.

The second is @novella-november. They're focused on writing a 30k novella by the end of November, but the creator says all word counts and project types (poetry, novels, etc.) are welcome. I like the flexibility of this one.

The last challenge I'll be following is @yournovembernovel. They're focused on the popular 50k in a month format, but they do have the option to choose your own goal. This one seems to be more casual and community focused which I enjoy.

hello hello! this november bianca (@beeanca-writing ) and I our hosting our very own writing and productivity challenge!

this is an indie (and slightly more lax) alternative to NaNoWriMo, where the focus is routine, accountability and above all else progress!

the rules for this challenge are simple:

prior to friday, november 1st 2024 choose a writing goal. this can be a total word count, daily word count, a page count, a certain number of chapters or an amount of time spent writing. remember to choose something attainable for you in thirty days. make a post on tumblr, discord, substack, twitter...(somewhere) presenting yourself (basically who you are as a writer!) your goal and discussing your writing projects or plans using the tag #novemberwripro!

plan and establish a routine. productivity isn't so much about time management, a packed schedule or any sort of fancy tools. productivity is about consistency. by establishing a writing routine for yourself you'll put yourself into a familiar enough rhythm that not only will you be able to write when you don't necessarily want to--you're setting yourself up to produce the best work you can possible put forth.

use your routine to help you work on your writing goal daily throughout the month of november. the goal of any writing challenge is to show some sort of progress on your current projects after all.

document your progress in some way. whether this be through a month long journal, a vlog on youtube or tiktok or even just posts in the discord server or on tumblr--it's important to reflect on all the work you've done and help build a community of accountability!

all are welcome to join--whether that be novelists, non-fiction writers, interactive fiction developers, fic writers, essayists, poets, screen-writers, academics or those simply looking to do more writing!

helpful links you may need:

Please re-blog for reach and to help a writer who's pulling out her hair a little on figuring this out with a current WIP. All discussion and advice welcome.

Stubbornness, Unyielding in one's own views, even when wrong.

Impatience, Difficulty waiting for long-term results.

Self-doubt, Constant uncertainty despite evident abilities.

Quick temper, Excessive reactions to provocations.

Selfishness, Prioritizing one's own needs over others'.

Arrogance, Overestimating one's own abilities.

Trust issues, Difficulty trusting others.

Perfectionism, Setting unreachable high standards.

Fear of change, Avoiding changes.

Haunted by the past, Old mistakes or traumas influencing the present.

Jealousy, Envious of others' successes.

Laziness, Hesitant to exert effort.

Vindictiveness, Strong desire for revenge.

Prejudice, Unfair biases against others.

Shyness, Excessive timidity.

Indecisiveness, Difficulty making decisions.

Vulnerability, Overly sensitive to criticism.

Greed, Strong desire for more (money, power, etc.).

Dishonesty, Tendency to distort the truth.

Recklessness, Ignoring the consequences of one's actions.

Cynicism, Negative attitude and distrust.

Cowardice, Lack of courage in critical moments.

Hotheadedness, Quick, often thoughtless reactions.

Contentiousness, Tendency to provoke conflicts.

Forgetfulness, Difficulty remembering important details.

Kleptomania, Compulsion to steal things.

Hypochondria, Excessive concern about one's health.

Pessimism, Expecting the worst in every situation.

Narcissism, Excessive self-love.

Control freak, Inability to let go or trust others.

Tactlessness, Inability to address sensitive topics sensitively.

Hopelessness, Feeling that nothing will get better.

Dogmatism, Rigidity in one's own beliefs.

Unreliability, Inability to keep promises.

Closed-offness, Difficulty expressing emotions.

Impulsiveness, Acting without thinking.

Stubbornness, Reluctance to accept advice.

Wounded pride, Overly sensitive to criticism of oneself.

by Sharon Crosby

It often seems that there are not enough online resources for writers. There are a lot of good books on the subject, but they cost a lot of money because the writing community is a relatively small niche. Here are 7 resources you can use whether you are a professional writer or a young content manager to improve your writing, to make your content more interesting or to get published. All the websites have something different to offer writers.

Writer’s Digest

Get your hands on lots of writing and research advice. The homepage is a little too crammed with links for most people’s liking, but once you get used to how the website works you can find plenty of tips and lots of pieces of advice on writing. The great thing is that there are lots of different types of help available on the website. If you want help with your spelling, sentence structure or use of words, then there are resources for that. If you want to be published, improve your blog traffic, or write for websites, then the Writer’s Digest will help you as well.

Positive Writer

This is probably one of the best-put-together blogs on the Internet. The formatting, setting and visuals are perfect for the type and style of blog the author has created. Get on this blog and read the advice given on how to become a good writer. Sign up for the RSS feed and read the new posts every week. So if you want to both get practical tips on writing and enjoy website navigation start reading this blog.

Guide to Grammar & Writing

However it is such a hard website to love because it is poorly constructed and has a terrible navigation system, it is crammed with very good information. It is like a gold nugget that has dropped in a muddy bog. If you really want to learn from it, then use the text-only functions to get rid of most of the old-fashioned design and read the sections and categories as if they were chapters in a book. If you can find a way of getting to the information you need, you will be far better off as a writer.

EssayMama Writing Guide

This guide has a wealth of information you can use for free, and there is plenty of advice for both budding and experienced writers. However it gives tips mostly on writing essays, all pieces of advice are general and can be used by anyone who deals with writing on regular basis. If you are writing for fun, for profit or for your education, then the Essay Mama writing guide can help you.

Pro Blogger

This is a blogging website that does have posts relating solely to writing, and the writer is clearly good at marketing his or her writing skills. Some of the posts are so enticing that you have to respect the fact that the blogger knows something about how to keep his or her readers—and that sort of advice can help you when you are writing. Check out the website and prepare to both love and hate the content (many posts will be worth your while reading).

Write to Done

This is a website with truly helpful articles about writing. It is worth a look when you have some free time. The paid functions are not worth your time. It is better if you use this website when you have an hour or so to kill and you want some easy-but-education reading.

Writing.com

This website is lauded by a minority of students, and it would have far more followers and users if it did not insist on making people sign up and buy memberships. Signing up for a paid membership is not worth your time and money, but the free content is worth reading if you want to improve your writing skills.

Grammar Monster

This is another website that part of you will want to hate and part of you will love. The grammar lessons it provides have been split into very small sections, which has over-simplified the process a little too much. On the other hand, if you need a simple grammar question answering, then all you have to do is look through the categories listed and find the one that is the most suitable. This website is perfect both for young and experienced writers.

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