With NaNoWriMo starting today, I don't have much of a status report of my progress. I'm currently typing away at my manuscript, hoping to get through my first 1700 words. Goodbye, world, I'll see you again in December! All kidding aside, The NaNoWriMo challenge brings a lot of fear, stress, and anxiety along with it. It is a big commitment to take on the challenge and requires discipline to finish successfully. The challenge is meant to be fun and allows your creativity to flow as writers around the world are trying to finish a novel at the same time. [...]

The time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is upon us. Starting November 1st, writers of every skill level will take the challenge of writing 50k words in the span of a month. Many aspiring writers (including myself) feel overwhelmed by this daunting task ahead of them. Wait, I hear you asking, "C. D. Baron, what is NaNoWriMo?" It's a non-profit organization that officially started in 1999 but got its status as a non-profit in 2006. They share the same goal I do: help aspiring writers start and finish their novels. They began with the singular challenge of writing [...]

If you're anything like me, you'll often find it hard to find the motivation to write. Everything else sounds more fun. I'm currently obsessed with Call of Duty: Zombies, and I want to complete an easter egg on at least one of the maps before the year ends. I also want to write two different books and a weekly blog article. But what does that have to do with writing? It is a distraction that calls me away from my writing. It's not inherently wrong if I use playtime as a reward for getting work done, but it is [...]

Many writers ask themselves the questions; what is my story concept? Do I have a strong premise? And, can I pitch this to a publisher with confidence? You must have a firm answer for the first question to answer yes in the next two. First, you must define what a story concept is and know the difference between the concept and the premise. The two terms are not as interchangeable as they seem on the surface. They are two entirely different things. For example, your premise can easily turn into your logline and/or elevator pitch. Yet, your story concept [...]

Some of the most memorable stories involve a well-written villain. Everyone was raving about Thanos when Marvel's Infinity War was first released. He was a well-rounded character that the audience related to and understood the reasoning behind his motivations. Viewers followed his line of thought and even agreed with him. Now, this article isn't going to be about praising infinity war and it's incredible writing; it's about crafting your villains and getting the readers to love them. Readers love a villain they can relate too and fear. It's crucial to create a sense of dread or suspense every time [...]

Magazine submissions are an aspiring writer's most ambitious goal. When starting, I had no idea where to begin. I wanted to get my short stories out there but had no way to go about it. While studying in my master's program, I stumbled on the idea of submitting my work to literary magazines. They even give the possibility of getting paid for your work. It's the first step to becoming an established author, and the good news is anyone can do it. All it takes is a little research, manuscript formatting, and a cover letter. Though the prep can [...]

A writing space is a temple for a writer. It's the place we go every day to type away on our work in progress (WIP) until we have a final draft. A ritual of sorts. Every writer's writing space is different, and it is supposed to make you comfortable and ready to write. By entering your temple, you immediately access your flow state and write for hours at a time. Writing becomes a meditation, giving your subconscious permission to communicate with you. When you are comfortable in your writing space, the words flow smoothly from your mind to the [...]