*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may get a small compensation. The opinions expressed are mine alone* Hello Writing Friends, It’s been a while since I have last written a tip for you guys, and for that, I am sorry. The truth is last quarter was a doozy. I took two simultaneous classes and had trouble keeping up with my classwork, homework, and this blog. I decided it would be best if I paused Writing Tips and Sips to better focus on what I was learning. The [...]

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may get a small compensation. The opinions expressed are mine alone* Christmas time is the happiest time of the year. Stores are decked out with pretty reds, blues, greens, fancy lights, and Christmas trees. The smell of pine fills the air—depending on where you live—snow adds an extra festive element, creating the perfect excuse to cuddle under a blanket and write with a warm glass of peppermint hot chocolate. The holidays are the perfect time to spend with your families and [...]

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase I may get a small compensation. The opinions expressed are mine alone* National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) taught me a lot about myself and writing. It forced me to form a writing routine, and I made sure I wrote every day. I managed my goals, reached my word counts, and it opened my eyes to what it means to be a full-time writer. When I started Writing Tips and Sips, I wrote an article about the five secrets to building a writing [...]

I lost national novel writing month. It is sad to say, and let me paint the picture for you. Week one begins, and I'm excited to write and finish the first draft of my novel. I hit my daily word count every day, and it wasn't a problem. You can read in detail how it went here. I had a fantastic start and was confident I would win my first NaNoWriMo. Though, like starting too fast in a distance race when running track, I quickly felt burnout the second week.  I was still hitting my daily word goals; however, [...]

I finished my first draft of my young adult epic fantasy debut, and it feels incredible. It has been in progress for 5+ years between world-building, character development, plotting, and actually writing the thing. NaNoWriMo made it possible for me to finally finish the draft, and I'm left thinking: What now? It's the third week of National Novel Writing Month, and I'm 32000 words in with a finished draft. I still need another 18000 words. Editing is not very conducive to reaching high word counts in a single session. I could consider finishing the novel an accomplishment and plan on [...]

NaNoWriMo week 2 is done, and I'm halfway to the finish, though that is not to say it has been an easy road. I'm right around 25k of the words done with the 50k goal and still have two more weeks to go. I was highly motivated over the first week—reaching my word goals and exceeding them day after day (minus the first). You can read all about my progress in week one here. I am getting worn out during NaNoWriMo week 2. I'm not used to writing 1800 words a day, and there are times I struggle to [...]

Hello happy writers! National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is well on its way. I am here to provide you with an update on how my NaNo is going and provides some lessons I’ve learned throughout the first week. First, for those unaware of NaNoWriMo, it is an event that happens every November with a singular goal; write 50,000 words in a single month. NaNoWriMo has also become a non-profit organization to help motivate writers to finish their novels while bringing awareness to the importance of artistic expression. On their website, they have tons of resources for writers to help [...]

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 [...]