NaNoWriMo: How I Wrote 18K Words in One Month // Tips for Reaching your Writing Goals

Hello, blogosphere! I haven’t been active on my blog lately because I’ve been busy with writing. But since the month of April is over, my writing challenge is complete. I will be refocusing on blogging this month.

Update: My two year blogaversary is tommorow, which is very exciting! I asked those who follow @katiethatbookishgirl on Instagram questions for tomorrow’s Q&A blog post, and have already gotten a couple of responses. If you are interested in me asking any questions about books, writing, bullet journaling, life, or blogging, be sure to submit some before I post my two year blogaversary special. 

In this blog post, I will be sharing with you my personal experience with NaNoWriMo last month and advice to help you reach your writing goals.

My goal last month was to write 18,000 words. I am happy to say that I completed my desired word count! 18,000 words is the most I’ve written on a single project in my entire life, and I couldn’t have done it without NaNoWriMo. Although I am not close to being finished with my WIP (work in progress) novel, I’ve made a lot of progress this April. I started off the month attempting NaNoWriMo for a second time, and surprisingly, it was a success.

I was on track during the beginning of April, but then fell behind towards the middle. I got a little bit discouraged but slowly picked it up and as able to write a lot on the last day.

If you are interested in reading a synopsis of my WIP read my “Venturing Into the World of NaNoWriMo” blog post.

Writing Tips to Kick Off Your WIP and Reach Your Goals

1. Plan your WIP ahead. For me, this included sketching a quick plot chart and making a map of the world. However, this may not be enough. Another option would be to fill out a character chart and have it out with you as you write.
2. Start off your story with a bang. Include a lot of action and foreshadowing in the first few chapters so you have something to work off of if you struggle with writer’s block.
3. Don’t give up. If you find yourself at a period of time in your story where you hit a wall (also known as writer’s block), don’t give up your WIP. Instead, take a short break from writing and hunt for inspiration. Go on a walk/run, garden, read, or search apps like Pinterest for writing prompts. After that, come back later and try something different. Once you get through that writer’s block, you’ll find that writing is a lot easier, and the words begin to flow and come together again.
4. Know that a first draft is a first draft. Don’t spend hours editing your first chapter when you could be writing your tenth. In my experience, it’s better to spend minimal time editing in the earlier stages and focus on spitting out your first draft.
5. Manage your time. When writing, focus on writing. I find it helpful to use timers/alarms and set goals on how long you want to write that day.
6. Have reasonable expectations. This is one of the most important things about working on a novel/story. It’s better to have gradual progress than no progress at all. Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t reach your word count goal within the given time frame. Instead, just keep on working and complete as much as you can. Having realistic expectations will help you remain focused towards your goal. There is no way to fail in writing other than neglecting the pen. when you’re making an effort, you’re making progress. You can do it!

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. I really appreciate all of the support! 💛🌷

Are you a writer? Have you ever attempted NaNoWriMo? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

 

Plan With Me: April 2020 Bullet Journal Setup

Hello blogosphere! I’ve been really active lately on the blog, but I haven’t had the chance to showcase my April bullet journal spreads. My bullet journal theme for this month is water droplets and umbrellas.

I was inspired to choose this because it has been particularly rainy this past week, which is unusual for where I live. Typically, rainy days are my favorite; what’s better than captivating storm clouds and curling up to read a book? However, as I’ve been in quarantine for more than three weeks now, rainy weather is more dreary than dreamy.

Supplies

• Bullet Journal: Paperage Dotted Journal
• Calligraphy Pen: Tombow Dual Brush Pens
• Markers: Crayola Supertips
• Highlighters: Zebra Midliners
• Fineliners: Sakura Pigma Microns
• Washi tape: Typo

Cover Page

Here is my cover page! I doodled a couple of umbrellas and water droplets surrounding the cover page to tie in the theme. I used Crayola Markers to color them in. I wrote the quote “the storm will pass” to remind myself that even when times are tough or life is dull, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. ❤︎

Monthly Calendar

The next spread is my monthly calendar, which is a quick glimpse into the month of April. I haven’t filled it out yet, but that’s because I prefer to keep my spreads plain when posting them on social media, to protect my privacy and keep a minimalist look.

Trackers

I honestly really love how this spread turned out! I think that the wash tape tied in really well to the theme. The tracker on the left is a writing goals sheet for writing contest NaNoWriMo. My final word count goal is 18,000 words. Although I am much further along than displayed in this image, I decided to keep it blank! The next tracker is my exercise/running tracker. With quarantine, my goal is to work out at least six days a week.

Weekly Spread

Lastly, I have my daily spread for the week of April 6th-12th. I kept a minimalistic style with bubble letters for the date. Honestly, I’m really happy with how this spread turned out! 😀

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. I really appreciate all of the support! 🤩

Do you bullet journal? What did you think of this month’s theme? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

 

22 Things To Do During Quarantine // How to Pass the Time and Have Fun

Hello, blogosphere! I hope everyone is safe and healthy. ❤︎ I love lists, so I complied 21 cool ideas to try to pass the time during quarantine. I also included a couple of tips and tricks to stay happy and productive during lockdown time at the end.

22 Ideas

Staying inside all day can get pretty dull. These activities are guaranteed to brighten your day.

1. Bake – Treats like cookies, brownies, or cake are a fun activity to fill up the day and a delicious desert at the end.
2. Write poetry – Get creative and practice sonnets, haikus, or free verse!
3. Bullet journal – Whip out those snazzy new markers and some washing tape and get to work!
4. Read – Have a book that you’ve been wanting to read, but it keeps dusting away, simply lying on your shelf? Quarantine is the perfect time to snuggle up and dive into a great story.
5. Draw – Practice makes perfect.
6. Paint – Create a masterpiece.
7. Do at-home workouts – There are a ton of at-home exercise tutorials on YouTube, or you can just to sets of push-ups, crunches, jumping jacks, lunges, and squats.
8. Go on a run – It’s a great way to get outside and stay fit!
9. Go on a walk – Going on a walk with a family member and just taking, even just for a couple of minutes, can be very refreshing. Just remember to casually avoid others when walking, or go at a time where less people are out.
10. Go on a bike ride – It’s an adventure, and traveling by bike is pretty quick.
11. Yoga – Meditating is very relaxing.
12. Complete a puzzle – Putting together a jigsaw puzzle is a fun intellectual challenge.
13. Fly a kite – If you have a kite, go out on a windy day and let it swirl through the sky!
14. Garden – Water and fertilize your plants, or start a home vegetable garden.
15. Have a dance party – Compile a playlist and challenge your family members to a dance battle!
16. Practice photography – Go outside during golden hour and take a picture of the beautiful peony in your backyard.
17. Play a board game – Monopoly, Scrabbled, The Game of Life, Connect 4…
18. Play cards – Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Kings in the Corner…
19. Trivia Night – Compile trivia about family, or a particular topic or subject.
20. Organize – Take time to clean out an absurdly messy desk drawer, or closet, or kitchen, or garage! You’ll feel a lot better when the task is complete.
21. Watch Netflix – Odds are that you’ve already done this, but still kick back, relax and watch your favorite series. Some of my favorites are The Office and Stranger Things.
22. Practice a musical instrument – Learn a new song and perform a concert for your family.

Tips

Being productive and happy during times like these can be difficult. Here are a couple of my tips and tricks!

• Go to bed and wake up at a reasonable time. Although it may seem silly, if you stick to a schedule, even if it’s more lenient than your regular one, you’ll be more productive.
• Don’t procrastinate on the important tasks. You’ll feel happier if you get it done and then relax.
• Get your body moving every day. Exercise has been proved to positively influence mood and mental health!
• Interact with other people every day! Talk to your family, FaceTime friends, and Zoom colleagues. It can be easy to shut out from the world, but instead use this as a time to reach out to loved ones.
• And lastly, stay safe! Exercise caution and follow the recommendations of scientists and doctors. 

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post. I really appreciate all of the support! 🙂

What have you been doing to keep yourself entertained? Did this list give you any ideas? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆