Ally Aldridge Blogging, Fiction, Goal setting, Goals, Novel, Writing

NaNo Progress Diary (week three)

Thursday, 15th November 2018

10:20 pm

I thought Aria would never go to sleep but, finally, she did.  I am super keen to make sure that week 3 goes better than week 2.  To stay on track for 25k I needed to write 955 words… I managed to write 973 word! *phew*

I did get a little distracted today looking up a name for my word cutter/huntsman character.  Then, I didn’t even use it!

Friday, 16th November 2018

11:00 pm

Tonight, I have been blogging and researching content for my blog. 

This week I have also been meeting with companies to discuss at home business opportunities as I am looking into ways to bring in a little income without compromising my commitment to my children.  I’ve got some serious thinking to do and it has been quite distracting.  

Saturday, 17th November 2018

11:00 pm

I didn’t feel motivated to write this evening as I feel stuck in my story and I’m still beating myself up about how poorly I did last week and that I didn’t write last night.

I’m so glad that I put my butt in the seat because I managed to write 1,352 words tonight and once I got into the chapter, I really enjoyed writing it.  I wrote in third person tonight which isn’t my usual style (I’m a die hard first person POV write) but I was writing from another characters perspective and I think using a different style helped me get past the point I am stuck. 

I’ve no idea where the story will take me tomorrow.  I didn’t have much time to plan an outline for this one and I have no idea where the story is going just an idea of what I want it to achieve.  The vagueness is now causing me problems. I used to be a pantser but with my limited writing time available, these days I really do need a plan.  

My 25k goal is still doable but there is no chance I will achieve 50k.  I’m glad I set a more realistic goal for myself.   

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqTBFrQFY1d/

Sunday, 18th November 2018

10:30 pm

Do you ever feel like everything is working against you?  I thought today might be tricky to write as it was also my son’s joint birthday party.

Unfortunately, my son woke up and was sick.  As it was a joint party it still went ahead but without him.  I ran around town making sure that my contribution (money, food, etc) was still made available to the other mums.  The whole point of a joint party was to share the costs. 

Once I got both little ones to bed I went to my PC, only to find that my cat had made herself comfortable on my chair.  She had that look on her face that told me she would not be moving.  After, coaxing her off the chair I logged onto the PC.  By then, my husband and his friend were watching a new TV series on Netflix – it looked pretty good and kept distracting me. 

However, I am pleased to say I did manage to write, even if it was only 607 words. 

Monday, 19th November 2018

9:00 pm

Noah had to be kept off school due to the 48h rule to prevent him passing on his tummy bug, however, he has been absolutely fine all day which meant he wanted entertaining.  There was no opportunity to sneak in a few extra words for my manuscript.  I made him do homework every time he said “I’m hungry,” before giving him a snack.  Which if you know any 4 year olds, that is a lot of homework.  

Now, both the little ones are in bed it it my time.  But, I am struggling to focus on my project when I can feel Christmas fast approaching and all the Black Friday sales have started early!  I’m always looking for ways to save money so I’m finding it hard to resist temptation to shop.

10:30 pm

I managed to write 1,022 words before being called away mid sentence by a hungry baby. I just felt like I was getting back into it too. It is too late to go back downstairs and I’m tired, so, sweet dreams all. Tomorrow, I’m going to try and double my daily word count. 

Tuesday, 20th November 2018

10:10 pm

Noah was well enough to go to school today.  Today was Stay and Play at school so I was there for the afternoon. 

Tonight, neither of the little ones wanted to go to sleep.  The oldest one kept claiming to need the loo and needs reminding about hand washing.  And, the little one seemed to know when I left the room, despite my expert ginger ninga skills and would start crying. 

So, despite challenging conditions, I have managed to write 927 words.  To get back on track, I currently need to be doing 1,029 words per day.  I am behind target but I’m no quitter!

Wednesday, 21st November 2018

3:15pm

I’m so pleased that this afternoon I got to write.  Noah is at school and Aria is asleep.  But, now it’s time to go and pick him up so I’m going to end there with my 359 words and hope I get a chance to add some more this evening.

10:15pm

I’m glad I got to write earlier as Aria has been difficult to settle tonight.  She is teething and experiencing her first cold, bless her, so really struggled to fall asleep – it could be a long night. 

I am not going to write tonight, however, I did chat with a friend about my project which helped generate some fresh ideas to work on.  I also drew a picture earlier today of one of the villains in the story.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqdVerMFNvK/

Reflecting on week 3

Obviously, I hadn’t anticipated a sick boy or a restless baby but despite these challenges, I feel week 3 has gone better than week 2.  But, I still want to do better!

Not writing an outline for my novel or doing any preparation is really taking its toll now.  I’m struggling to know what direction to take the story in and every time a new character is introduced I have to come up with a name and think about what makes them who they are.  

Plus, ‘Black Friday’ sales are cropping up everywhere and reminding me that it is Christmas next month and although we don’t go overboard… I haven’t done anything.

My motto for this week’s NaNoWriMo is “If you take time to plan, you save time in the long run.”  Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  How are you getting on?

If you like this post, then you may enjoy my week two diary for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or Week Four.  If you want to know what I have been working on then check out my NaNoWriMo Project post.

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Ally Aldridge Blogging, Goals, Novel, Tips, Writing

Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo

If you follow my blog then you know that on Mondays, I like to share posts by other bloggers that I have enjoyed.  Today, I am sharing with you an article by Stacey Jane McIntosh. 

Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo 

Stacey is attempting NaNoWriMo and attempting the the full 50k words.  This isn’t her first time and in her article she shares what she has learnt to help other writers.  If you are doing NaNo, this is worth a read!

staceyjainemcintosh.com/2018/11/09/tips-for-surviving-nanowrimo/

Who is Stacey

Stacey writes paranormal romances and Celtic fairy tales – she sounds like my type of girl and I should probably go check out her books.  She blogs about what she is reading and writing so if that appeals to you, then give her a follow.  

Would you like to be featured?

I am always looking for new bloggers to feature on my blog.  If you are interested, please comment to help me find you blog.  I often share articles on writing, blogging, parenting or organic beauty.

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Ally Aldridge Fiction, Goal setting, Goals, Novel, Personal, Writing

NaNo Progress Diary (week one)

Thursday, 1st November 2018

6:45am

The little one had me up bright and early but thankfully has breast fed. I probably should have tried making a start on NaNo even if it was just writing on my phone, instead I played Dragon Mania. There is still plenty more time today after the school run and house work… We’ll see…

10:22pm

Day one and I typed 939 words (daily goal is 834 words). I didn’t get to work on my manuscript until the kids were in bed. Plus, the hubby was out tonight so it was first time since Aria was born that I’ve I done it without help.

As I never found time to prepare, I also crammed in some character development and outlined the first three chapters. I wish I had a full novel outline but something is better than nothing.

I’m pretty impressed with myself. Today has been a good day.

Friday, 2nd November 2018

11:00pm

My husband was put this evening so I bathed and got the little ones ready for bed before I could make a start on my writing at 9:30pm. I’m pleased with the progress I made as I beat my daily goal of 830, with 1,326 words.

I am really enjoying writing it and could keep going if I didn’t have responsibilities. I need my sleep so I can keep up with the little ones tomorrow so that’s me done for today but I’m looking forward to writing more tomorrow.

Saturday, 3rd November 2018

10:00pm

Today has been a busy day. We visited family in the morning. Then, in the afternoon I got Aria to sleep and was able to support Noah with his homework (researching India and the Festival of Light). Then we visited more family and returned home late.

Aria has only just gone to sleep and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m frustrated I did not get to write today but we did a lot of family stuff today which is good for the soul.

Sunday, 4th November 2018

10:00pm

Today has been a great day. Not only did I get some time to write this afternoon but I also got to write more this evening. I managed to add 2,276 words to my manuscript.

Not only that, but we also watched the fireworks together as a family. It’s been a great day!

Monday, 5th November 2018

11:57am

I’ve had a busy morning with Aria. We went to a group and I got her weighed. She is now nodding off so I can get some lunch. I’m hoping to beat my word count from yesterday so if I get a chance to write before the school run, I will.

9:00pm

Famous last words… After, I typed the above, Aria woke up and went on a mad feeding frenzy where she kept emptying her bottles and crying for more. How could I say no when I’ve been desperate for her to get an appetite.

Now, she has finally fallen asleep, I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s an early night for me – sorry NaNo.

Tuesday, 6th November 2018

10:08pm

Today, has been nonstop but since my husband returned from work I have managed to have a bath and add 1,141 words to my project.

Wednesday, 7th November 2018 (My birthday)

1:00pm

It’s my birthday, although I’m not really celebrating it. This morning, I managed to hit my daily word count before lunch.

9:40pm

After my husband cooking me one of my favourite meals, eating cake and opening presents, we got the kids to bed and now I am back to writing and what a great way to end week one with 2,003 words.

Reflecting on week 1

7 days in and I’ve already written a total of 7,790 words.  I am really pleased with the start I have made towards my target of 25,000.  If I continue like this, I can easily achieve my goal.

In fact, I am only 3,876 words behind in achieving the NaNo goal of 50,000 words. To achieve that I need to write 1,759 words per day which I’ve proven I can do…

If you like this post, then you might like this one about the project I am working on for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or my NaNoWriMo diary post for Week Two.

 

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Ally Aldridge Goals, Novel, Software, Tips, Writing

How to prepare for NaNoWriMo? #amwriting

What is NaNoWriMo?

It stands for National Novel Writing Month. The event started with a November challenge to write 50k words in 30 days.

Now, the event runs on other months of the year and you can set different word count goals.

How to get started

Firstly, you will need to create an account on NaNoWriMo. Here you can record your progress and if you complete the challenge you get a certificate. There are also other benefits (keep reading to find out more).

One benefit are the free participant images that you can use to show you are taking part on social media.

Story idea

It’s best to have an idea of what story you will be working on before you start. Coming up with ideas is never a problem for me. Staying focussed on one is where I struggle – I’m confident NaNo will help fix that.

I asked Instagram and Twitter which project they thought I should work on as I was couldn’t decide.

Set it in stone

Update your NaNo account with details about the project you have chosen.

Write a blurb (the text on the back of a book) and, if you have already started the project, include a sample (I.e. first chapter). You can update this at any point during/after the challenge.

I like to use Canva to quickly make a simple book cover image. It’s also great for making social media pictures.

Outline

NaNo can be intense and it can really help if you know where your story is going. An outline is a brief overall plot for your story and helps you stay on track. It can also be useful at the end for writing your synopsis.

I shall be using the snowflake tool in Wavemaker to do this.

Character Development

It can help to know who your main characters are and their names. Especially, if like me, naming your characters takes time.

Click here for my article on naming characters.

World Building

Wherever your story is set there will be an element of world building. You need to consider where they live, the type of homes and people, jobs, education and how it is run.

If you are creating a new world then this will need more thought as you will need to consider everything from species to habitats and vegetation.

My story is set in a post-apocalyptic environment and therefore needs a lot of world building as the nature of our current state has changed drastically.

The setting of your story can be as vivid and diverse as any character. Places have history and can change a lot over time.

Software

By signing up on NaNo you will gain access to some great deals just for writers and some of these are for writing software.

This year, I have chosen to use Dabble Writer again as I love how easy it is to use and it keeps track of my word count so updating NaNo is a breeze.

Click here for my review of this product. I’ll review it again at the end of NaNo as I understand it’s even better now. It is free to trial during November for NaNo!

Writing Buddies/Camp NaNo

Sometimes they run a There are online camps for NaNo participants. It will group you with people that have similar goals or projects. Then you keep each other motivated as the challenge isn’t easy. I loved this during the July challenge but sadly it looks as if camp is running for November.

If you get a group that’s not very active, share how you are doing on social media. Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely business. Connect. Other writers are out there and want to see you succeed. You can do it.

Write

The charm of NaNo is that it gets you in the habit of writing. Try to write every day. Every bit you do is progress.

If you don’t hit your goal, keep writing. If you only achieve 20k, that’s still 20k more than when you started. Don’t quit. Writers don’t quit.

November is notoriously a busy month for me and if it wasn’t for NaNo I’d likely not get any writing done. I never shy away from the challenge and one year I will achieve… maybe, this year.

Good luck

Let me know if you are taking the challenge and wish to be NaNo buddies.

Links to articles regarding my previous attempt are:

  If you want know how I got on read my NaNoWriMo diary entries for Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four or NaNo Done.

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Ally Aldridge Fiction, Goal setting, Goals, Novel, Writing

Reflecting on Camp NaNoWriMo (July 2018)

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. You set yourself a word count goal and attempt to write often (ideally daily).

I thought NaNoWriMo was only in November.  November is full of birthdays and we often take a family vacation which means I get very little time to write that month. It turns out there are now more months throughout the year to take the challenge and July is one of those.

Challenge over.PNG

Sadly, I did not achieve my goal of 25k. It was rather ambitious considering I’ve had a lot on this month with:

  • Noah finishing at both his nurseries (2 x sports day, graduation and leaver parties)
  • Taster days at his new school including homework
  • Continuing to work up to 39 weeks pregnant was exhausting most evenings I just wanted to sleep
  • Hypnobirthing classes were so relaxing, afterwards I was too chilled to write
  • Increase in midwife appointments as my due date nears

Things I hadn’t anticipated affecting my goal:

  • Noah catching a sick bug
  • My husband getting Labyrinths (swelling inside the ear drums)
  • Myself catching a cold and I can’t take any meds (a week on and it is almost gone now)
  • Referral on my last CIPD assignment so I had to work on resubmitting that
  • The opportunity to write for Ginger Parrot!

As I’ve not done this challenge before I had no idea what was a realistic goal. I decided on 25k as I felt that would be achievable and yet also challenging.  Perhaps, ordinarily that would have been true but I hadn’t anticipated the germs about to invade my home or how tired pregnancy and keeping up with work and a 4 year old would make me.

Putting that aside, I am super impressed with what I have achieved *pats myself on the back*.  I’ve also identified from my daily word counts that certain days I am more productive and other days I don’t write at all.  It could be that these are the days that I am working on my blog posts.

chart

At points, I fell back in love with my story and was excited and proud about scenes I created. Other times, it was a struggle and I know I’ll need to return to fix some parts lacking in lustre.  I also discovered I don’t have to write my novel in chapter order, I can skip ahead and return to parts later and this sometimes makes things more clearer.

I also managed to keep up with my blog posts (just about), however, I have drafted a new schedule to reduce posting as I think blogging will be more challenging with a newborn.  I’ve also agreed to keep writing for Ginger Parrot and they’ve added me to their team page – this is a big achievement for me and I don’t want to let them down.

Novel writing is my first love and I’m hoping that in the coming months I will find a way to make more time for this. I don’t quite know how yet but perhaps setting myself monthly word count goals would be a good start.  I think I’ll start low and try to beat it each month…

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Did you do the NaNoWriMo challenge?  How do you manage to juggle life and your writing goals?  I would love to hear how you got on.

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Ally Aldridge Fiction, Goals, Novel, Writing

Camp NaNoWriMo (July 2018)

I literally signed up yesterday! This challenge is inline with my July writing goal. Wish me luck…

5 Tips for achieving NaNoWriMo

When I attempted NaNoWriMo back in November 2017 I blogged 5 tips to help you achieve. The only thing I’m doing different this time is my goal is 25k words and I’m going to use Google Docs so I can write anywhere! If you’d like to read my tips, please click here.

What I learnt from failing

Well November 2017 was a very challenging month for me and I didn’t achieve NaNoWriMo despite my top tips. November is always busy month for me but last year’s November was awful!

I don’t think you should see failure as a reason to give up. It’s a chance to learn and grow and become even better. If you’d like to learn from my mistakes, please click here.

Ally Aldridge Novel, Tips, Writing

How to Write a Synopsis

I always value when other writers share their tips and methods regarding the writing process as I am a stronger believer that we can all support each other and learn from each other, whatever our level of experience.

I recently shared my tips of synopsis writing (click here to read it) but really enjoyed how Lorraine broke things down and her tips such as giving character names in capitals when you first introduce them.

Follow the link to read Lorraine’s guide to synopsis writing: http://lorraineambers.com/2018/02/10/how-to-write-a-synopsis/

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Review: Agent Hunter

Agent Hunter.png

What is Agent Hunter

Agent Hunter is a resource you can use to find agents that may be interested in your manuscript.  If you want to be able to search the directory and save results then you will need to subscribe.  Different subscriptions offer different benefits.

Subscriptions

I contacted them to see about a discount as a blogger and they offered me a 6 month trial with basic access in return for my review.

There are four plans:

Agent Hunter Subscriptions

For comparison, in the past, I have bought The Agents and Writers Yearbook.  This book is updated every summer and is a directory of agents and publishers.  The book also contains useful articles of interest to writers.  Unfortunately, the market and agency needs are constantly changing and the book quickly becomes out of date.  The cost of the book is about £16 to £17 when it is 6 months out of date.

My initial impressions

During January, I used the site to create a list of potential agents that might be interested in my manuscript.

Agent Hunter hom

Search

You can search by:

  • Agent:  You can search for a specific name or by the genre they represent.  You can also narrow the list further by selecting options such as agent’s experience, number of clients, size of the agency, or include keywords.  There is also a way to search for an agent that represents a specific author.
  • Agency:  Search by the name of an agency, size of an agency, whether they take email submissions and if they are an AAA member.
  • Publisher: Search by a publisher’s name, type of publisher, if they accept unrepresented submissions or by a keyword.

Favourites list

If you find an agent, agency or publisher you like, you can add them to your ‘favourites list’ so you can find them easily again.

Saved search

I did an agent search for ‘Children’s fiction’ as I would like to query for my YA novel.  The result was about 8 pages of names, like a directory of literary agents involved in representing this genre.

Being able to save the search was really useful as I only have a limited amount of time.  Whenever I had time to research my long list to create a shortlist, I focused on one page a session.

I clicked the name to read the agent’s profile.  I’d identify what agency they work for. I would open their page and check that they are currently still interested in YA fiction and if my novel would meet their tastes.  I’d also check that they are accepting queries and what their requirements are.  I then recorded my research on a spreadsheet on my Google Drive.

Saving the search, meant I could return to the site at a later date and continue working through the list (you can’t do that with a search engine). I just made a note of where I got so I wouldn’t forget.

If I liked an agent (and thought they had potential), I added them to my shortlist.

Profiles

The profiles on the site vary.  Some are quite detailed as the agent has cooperated in providing information or has a strong online presence making information easily accessible.

The profiles talk about works the agent has been involved with previously so you can get a feel for their tastes, together with information about what they have said they are looking for.  For example, if they are interested in Picture Books or hate fantasy, then I know we will not be a match.

Conclusion

So far, I have found the site to be a good resource with a wealth of information.  I could have searched online for literary agencies and found the information myself, however,  I have tried this and it is a much slower process as the results are not as defined.

Being able to save my progress has been a huge benefit too.  The profiles are pretty up-to-date but agents are constantly changing their needs and preferences, so you still need to do your research once you have a name and agency.

The website is incredibly easy to navigate.  I can’t imagine anyone struggling to use it.

Their packages are honest with no hidden costs – I love that. I think they are good value for money. The information is constantly being updated.

Yes – I recommend Agent Hunter for anyone looking for a UK Agent, Agency or Publisher.

Video review and tutorial

Please check out my video review and tutorial for using Agent Hunter.

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Seven tips for querying agents

So, you’ve written your masterpiece and created a shortlist of potential agents.  Now, it is time to start querying.

What not to do

In this article I am going to encourage you to create a template cover letter with common content themes, however, do not send this template to agents.  Sending a blanket email will not impress.

What you must do

Take time to make it personal

First, make sure you have time for each agent.  Do not rush your query.  Read their requirements and personalize the template to show them that you choose them for a reason.  This will make them feel more special than if you ignore their guidelines and send them flowers and chocolates.

Query IG.png

Common themes

I’ve been querying one of two agents a week.  This enables me to think about what I am sending them.  I am focused on that agent as an individual rather than as another query.

However, although requirements differ between agencies there are common themes in the content requests.  I have created a ‘cover letter ideas’ document with headings for the different content requests.  This helps me find the paragraphs I need for the agency and then amend to personalize it for them, saving me a lot of time.

Here are the themes:

Letter opening

Okay, no agent has requested this as content in the letter but it is a basic requirement for letter writing.  I just state the reason I am contacting them ‘please represent me’.

Tagline

In the age of social media, more agents are requesting you to pitch your novel in one sentence!  You can use your tagline to promote your book on sites like Twitter or Instagram.

About me

Finding an agent is a bit like dating.  They want to know a bit about you to see if you are someone they want to work with.  They are interested in what makes you-you.

Writing Bio

This is a paragraph or two about my writing experience.  They want to know if you have ever been published, won a literary contest, completed a writing course.

About your novel

To start with they need to know the basic credentials of your book like the word count and genre.

They also want to know things such as why you wrote this novel and what is it about.

Brief pitch (Blurb)

Check what they mean but this as one agent said ‘brief pitch’ and when I read what they wanted it some described a short synopsis (see below).  More agents who requested a brief pitch wanted me to sell them my story so I shared my blurb as I type of teaser to encourage them to want to read the manuscript.

One paragraph synopsis

They want you to sell the story to them and the plot in one paragraph – if you thought writing a synopsis was hard then you are going to enjoy this… Actually, I found this easier than condensing the whole plot to one page because I knew they had the full synopsis to read if they wanted so I just had to make it enticing enough for them to want to know more.

Book marketing

They may request who you think the target market is and what books it would be placed alongside in a bookshop.  They need to know if the book is part of a series or have the potential to be.

Why you?

Some agents wished to know why I had chosen them.  You can’t default this content as will be a unique element of the query for that individual or agency.  Instead, I created some prompts:

  • why did they make my shortlist
  • what authors or titles have they been involved with that is similar to mine

Letter closing

This is a simple ‘look forward to hearing from you’ together with my valediction and contact details.

Check before you send

Before you send your query to make sure it is as perfect as you can make it before you send it:

  • Spell check:  There are no excuses with modern processors that will check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.
  • Proofread:  Sometimes the spell checker will miss words that are spelt correctly and make sense but are wrong.  For example, ‘people go to church to worship their dog’.
  • Grammarly:  There are apps to help check that your writing is as at it’s best.  A quick scan online using Grammarly can find mistakes you otherwise could have missed.

Contact method

Many agencies today will request you send them an email or use an online form on their site.  Make sure you follow the instructions for the format of documents correctly.  For example:

  • If they request, all attachments must be .doc files, make sure you ‘save as’ and chose the correct file format.
  • If they ask you to send it within the body of the email then copy and paste the content into an email.
  • If you must paste into the online form or attach the document to their online form, please follow the instructions.

If you don’t follow the instructions, they may not be able to open your documents, it may get blocked by virus protection or their server.  If you cannot view what you have sent, then you’ve wasted your time as well as theirs.

Common attachments

Preparing these common attachments before you start will save you time.

Query manuscript versions

I have a few versions of my manuscript prepared for querying to meet the most common requests.  These are:

  • Full manuscript
  • First three chapters
  • First 10,000 words (to a suitable breaking point)

Query synopsis versions

I have a few versions of my synopsis prepared for querying to meet the most common requests.  These are:

  • Full synopsis
  • One page synopsis
  • 300-word synopsis

 

Keep a spreadsheet

You can get free online spreadsheet software from Google or Window Live and many smartphones even had free spreadsheet apps.

I keep a spreadsheet with the name of the agency and agent I contacted, the date I contacted them and when I expected to hear back – check their sites for details on response times.  When they responded I recorded the date they replied.

I hope you have found these tips useful. I would love to hear how you got on and if you have any tips to help me too.  

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