So much for that idea...

I actually DID sign up for Camp NaNoWriMo, and wrote for three whole days in a row. Of course I didn't meet the word count goal on any of those three days, which was disappointing and un-motivating. Then I didn't get a chance to write on day 4 (I can't even remember why), which led to me not writing on day 5, or day 6, or... you get the point. I got a total of 2,531 words written in those three days, and since then I have only written 73 more (one whole paragraph). I have been doing some plotting exercises for a workshop I am taking on savvy authors called Quilting 101: Patchworking the Perfect Plot. It's a cool, informative workshop and I'm glad I signed up for it. But unfortunately I haven't been progressing with my WIP.

I bought a book called Write Your Book Now! because I read a review for it on some blog (I can't remember which one). It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. The product description says: "Ideal for aspiring authors who only dream of actually finishing their works in progress, this guide features proven, field-tested tools guaranteed to successfully complete that romance, expert guide to business success, or great American novel..." First, I felt like the book was geared much more towards non-fiction writers than novelists. Second, the "tools" were basically (a) outline your book and (b) make a writing schedule for yourself, two things I already knew. I would recommend the book to anyone writing non-fiction, but not to a novelist.

Then I found a review for Shut Up and Write! in this month's "The Writer" magazine. So I ordered that. I'm still waiting for it to be delivered so I can't give you my opinion on it. I hope it'll be more inspirational than the previous book. It has all 5-star reviews on amazon and I liked what I read about it on the author's website (here if you're interested). As soon as I finish reading it I'll come back and let ya'll know what I thought of it.

Do any of you have "motivational" writing books to recommend that have helped you break through a slump? I'd love to hear about them if you do! I know a lot of people rave about Stephen King's "On Writing", which I have read and I did enjoy. But I wouldn't say that once I finished it, I was filled with a great urge to go put pen to paper and get going on my story. I liked it, but it's not my favorite book on writing of all time. I like his fiction a lot better... but that's a whole other blog post! 'Till next time...!