Tag Archives: NaNoWriMo

From NaNo to Ninny: Downsizing Expectations

Posted on November 9, 2021 by jfkaufmann

I made quite a strong statement a while ago saying that participating in NaNoWriMo was my worst writing decision. It was four or five years ago. At the end of that agonizing November, I had the required number of words. … Continue reading →

Posted in Home, Reviews | Tagged Excerpts, NaNoWriMo, Naomi Novik, Reviews, Spinning Silver, Tameraire, the Temeraire series | 4 Comments

Merry merry, happy happy, ho-ho-ho! Happy New Year!

Posted on December 23, 2017 by jfkaufmann

There are a few writing/reading-related things that made 2017 a good year. I had the pleasure of reading three wonderful books written by friends: Betrayal, the fifth installment in the Gift Legacy series by Jo-Anne McLean, One Woman Island, the second book … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged Game of Thrones, J. P. McLean, NaNoWriMo, Once Upon a Night, Reviews, Susan Toy, Writing Academy | 1 Comment

Post-NaNoWriMo blues

Posted on December 7, 2017 by jfkaufmann

I feel I owe it to myself to record my first NaNoWriMo experience. I’m glad I took the challenge. I like competing against myself. All the support I needed I found inside me and in a few friends who knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged Calum Scott, Dancing On My Own, NaNoWriMo, plotting, story structure | Leave a comment

50052!

Posted on November 26, 2017 by jfkaufmann

I. Did. It. Yee-Haaa!!!

Posted in Home | Tagged NaNoWriMo | 1 Comment

Who was J. R. R. Tolkien’s writing coach?

Posted on November 23, 2017 by jfkaufmann

My free seminar saga – the conclusion. But before that — I’d like to tell you I’m doing NaNoWriMo, for the first time ever, and I’m four days AHEAD of schedule. Steve Alcorn, my instructor from several Gale courses I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged Annie Proulx, common marketing mistakes, George R. R. Martin, indie publishing, J. R. R. Tolkien, Kazuo Ishiguro, Leo Tolstoy, Living Next Door to Alice, Marguerite Yourcenar, mentor, Mikhail Bulgakov, NaNoWriMo, Sandor Marai, self-publishing, Smokie, Stephen King, Umberto Eco, writing coach | Leave a comment

You are the only one who can tell this story

Posted on November 1, 2017 by jfkaufmann

In the last week of October, a week before NaNoWriMo, I got an opportunity to watch a series of presentations aiming to make a profitable author out of your shy, writing-for-the-pleasure-of-it self. It was a five day event, each day … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged believe in yourself, common writing misconceptions, Luke Skywalker, NaNoWriMo, writing tips | Leave a comment

Find the cover. The story will follow.

Posted on October 20, 2017 by jfkaufmann

There is no right or wrong way to start writing a book. It could be from the beginning. It could be a specific scene–I did it with Asanni –and then building the story around it. You could even start from … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Tagged beautiful book covers, book covers, Cinderella, NaNoWriMo, Once Upon a Night, Santana, sexy covers, Smooth, Unsplash | Leave a comment