NaNoWriMo, NaNoCryMo | A Pros & Cons Discussion Post

November 17, 2020November 16, 2020 ~ Jai Lynn ~ 10 Comments

Okay, okay if you are reading this and you are a writer then likely you are more than knee deep into this little thing called NaNoWriMo right now. We are either singing our victories or mourning our losses at this point.

For those of you who don’t know what NaNoWriMo is it’s basically a little event that takes place for the entire month of November where writers tackle writing that dreaded first draft and meeting a goal of 50,000 words by the 30th. But that’s not set in stone, any word count goal can be set or any other writing goal for that matter can be desired to be reached by the end of the month. Here’s the website for those interested in more information.

For this month’s discussion post I want to talk about some of the GREAT things about NaNo and some of the NOT so GREAT things. So without further ado…

PROS

(AKA The Bright Side!)

Taking Action

The whole foundation of NaNo is built on this simple concept. If you want to write a book, then write the book. No more procrastinating! No more daydreaming! Just do it already! Life is too short to not chase after your dreams and NaNo pushes you to start running.

Setting Up a Habit

Our habits become us. For real. They are the hardest things to make and the hardest things to break. To reach the traditional goal of reaching 50,000 words by the end of November that equates to about 1,667 words written per day. For me a month ago that was daunting. For me today it is still daunting. But the point of it is to get you used to making writing a daily part of your life! For all aspiring authors it’s essential 😀

Finding a Community

Other writers exist out there!! (Amazing concept, isn’t it? We are not as alone as we think lol!) And so many of them participate in NaNo!! I’ve been using Twitter and my blog a lot to document my writing/NaNo journey this year and everyone has been so kind to me!! The sense of community and support I’ve found here on WordPress has been amazing. On Twitter too I’m starting to break out of my shell there more and interact. Writers are not alone. I am not alone. You are not alone. We can do this!! Also, to anyone reading this right now who needs some inspiration and support, I’M REACHING THROUGH MY COMPUTER SCREEN AND SENDING IT TO YOU ❤

CONS

(AKA The Dark Side…)

Pressure

Oh yes, one of my favorite things. (*she types as she is, legit, crying inside*) Writing 50,000 words is not easy. When writing is not fun, it is stressful. Or usually both at the same time. Especially when you have a deadline. Everyone has a different writing speed and all writers can’t be fit into one neat little box. Artists in general, for that matter, are always OUTSIDE the box. Or making a new type of box. Or floating around and have no box. Or hanging out in a crate. Or are breaking the fourth wall. You know. WE HAVE NO LIMITS.

External Validation

Everyone is different. Every story is different. But when you’ve only written 1,000 words and your friend is banking on 15,000 you can feel a little defeated. Comparing ourselves to others in today’s technological and social media savvy world is too easy. We can get so hooked on other people’s progress that we lose our own. Remember you should go at your own pace and your story is just as important as someone else’s. Be proud of what you yourself accomplished.

Life

Life’s a bitch sometimes. Yeah, as humans we are no stranger to the universe throwing us random curveballs. We have no control over what happens to us in life, only how we react to it. It’s okay to have set backs. It’s okay to miss a few days of writing if your mental health is plunging. It’s okay to not write if your house randomly gets set on fire. Please. You will make up for it later, even if you don’t reach your goal by the end of NaNo. You win by just trying in the first place, and striving to reach the goal!

That all being said I do love NaNoWriMo for all its virtues and all its vices. I believe that this one is even going to be my best one yet. For the past three years I’ve never met my NaNo goal because life got in the way but this may be my year. Don’t want to jinx myself but fourth time might be my charm. My monthly WIP update will be coming up soon within the next week and I’ll provide all the juicy details. Till then, I want to hear about how NaNo is going for you guys!!

So tell me, what are our word counts? Are we feeling inspired or insipid?

Based on your experiences what more pros and cons would you add to the list above?

Stay strong my friends and may the muses be with us!

Sending you all the love and support you need,

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To Wear the Mask, or To Not Wear the Mask? | A Discussion Post about Halloween and Our Costumes

October 12, 2020October 9, 2020 ~ Jai Lynn ~ 6 Comments

‘Sup my pumpkins,

Happy October!! Only one of the greatest months of the year, only one of the most pleasant weather months in the year (at least where I live), andddddd the ONLY month in which we celebrate Halloween… you see where I’m going with this?

I’m back with another discussion post this month! This time I want to hear all about your costumes!! I want to hear from everyone. Those who have been planning their costumes months in advance, those who decide to dress up very last minute and even those who don’t like Halloween and definitely, will not, in no way dress up. I want to hear from you all and your reasonings behind why you don’t wear a costume (if you don’t) and why you do wear a costume (if you choose to!) and how you pick who you want to be. I’m honestly really curious about this and can’t wait to see your responses in this lovely autumn, candy induced coma, magic of a month’s discussion post!

Origins

The origins of Halloween reach all the way back to nearly 2,000 years ago when the Celts walked the earth, and celebrated the end of the year with their festival of Samhain as summer was coming to near death and winter coming to near breath. The Celts believed that the boundaries between the living and the dead were very blurred during this time and therefore they lit bonfires, burned crops, sacrificed livestock and wore costumes all for their gods. At least according to History.com. Winter marked the start of their new year and prophecies were told and fortunes read. The spirits that were said to walk on this night tended to cause trouble and mischief but their presence made it easier for the priests to predict the future of the coming year. The Celts wore costumes to revere the spirits and also to dispel or ward off the more undesirable ones.

To Costume, or To Not Costume?

So that leaves us today in the modern world. I know there are plenty of people out there who don’t celebrate Halloween. Maybe it’s too childish for some or maybe they just don’t like spooky stuff or maybe… for any other myriad of reasons. Everyone’s opinion is valid!!

Then that leaves the rest of us. Those who wake up, feel the disturbed magical air, and decide to put on the costume.

Now this is where I can get super philosophical and argue that there are those of us humans who put on the mask everyday no matter if it’s October 31st or not. Those who hide their true selves anyway. Those with uniforms of ties, lipstick and shiny polished shoes that don’t match who we are on the inside in the slightest. Does that make Halloween any different then any other day of the year then if you think about it that way?

(Everyone has their own personal demons or spirits to contend with.)

Everyone of us has worn a mask at some point in our lives. Everyone. Halloween though is the only day when it is outright encouraged.

Now this is where it gets interesting. I’m curious as to how everyone chooses their costumes. I know for me the last four years I have been Jessica Jones. No. Lie.

And I’ll tell you exactly why. Now I know Jessica is far from the true blue hero that is Captain America. (Trust me, I know and I love him too.) But Jessica is in no way true blue, she’s black. She doesn’t have an optimistic, can do attitude, in fact she is much more on the pessimistic side. Not to mention she is most assuredly, undoubtably, an alcoholic. Despite all this though, she is a character who impacted me deeply.

The core of the reason why I have chosen to be her for the past four years is because when I dress up for Halloween I pick someone who I resonate with. Despite all of her flaws, and she has plenty, Jessica is one of my heroes. Someone with qualities I wish were my own. (No, not the alcoholism or the pessimism or foul mouth or lack of self worth). Those flaws though are what make her relatable and make her human. Without them she probably wouldn’t’ have hit my soul as hard as she did, and make her other more favorable qualities shine. So what did sucker punch my soul about her? When I pick my costume I always make it personal.

Jessica had a rough upbringing. A traumatic childhood accident in losing her family at an early age, the rough experience and isolation of having super powers through her life, and, of course not to mention, all the strings attached to Killgrave and what he did to her. Despite that though Jessica, for the people she loved, found the will to have courage and face her fears. That to me is truly inspiring and is one of the greatest marvels of humanity that I will never get tired of. The power of love to make us rise above ourselves and have courage to face something near unfaceable. It gets me every time.

Also, growing up on the shorter and tinier side I’ve had my own fair share of experience of being overlooked. Then you have Jessica, a skinny smallish woman, who can fucking lift an entire 16 wheeler over her head. I mean, GOALS. Never underestimate us so called little girls. We are so much more powerful than the world will give us credit for, and when I saw Jess back in 2015 I really started believing it.

Not to mention, her tough personality. Jessica Jones sees your bullshit and looks right through it. I love that. Her personality has no hold for your mask, your lies. She is a private investigator and her job description is to legit find out all the dirty little secrets of who you are.

Jessica Jones is my hero. She is someone who has qualities I admire and hope to one day incorporate into my own personal being. The courage, the strength, the no time for your bullshit attitude. These are all characteristics I wish I had more of. So every year, I try to harness her energy for Halloween and I’ve come to find each year I get a little closer to being the person I want to be. That’s how I decide on my costume, at least.

What about you guys though? If you don’t dress up, tell me why. If you do dress up, tell me why. Do you pick your costume on someone who inspires you (like me)? Do pick a character arbitrarily? Do you pick a costume based on humor? Do you pick a costume for the scare factor? Do you pick someone or something that has no resemblance to you whatsoever?

I’m really so curious!! To each and every one of you, thank you for reading my ramblings haha! May Autumn’s reign be long this year and may you each have a very happy, or haunted, Halloween!

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All the Autumn Vibes…. | A Discussion Post About the Ethereal Thing That is Fall

September 14, 2020September 11, 2020 ~ Jai Lynn ~ 18 Comments

Happy Pumpkin Time Everyone!!!

I don’t really write discussion posts on my blog but they are something I always wanted to try so why not start now? The inspiration came like a lightning bolt and before I knew it I was already typing this post out. As you guys are well aware my outlook is all about seeing the magic that life offers in everyday occurrences which births a lot of my poems and vignettes. Magic can be wonderful! But alas, it can also be terrible. So what I wanted to talk about today was all my favorite (and some not so favorite) things about fall. That season that comes and goes so quickly, so quickly.

Apple and Pumpkin Picking

The feeling I get from picking my own apples is unreal. I imagine I’m out in the country on my own farm and harvesting all the best, sweet juicy apples that I can’t wait to eat when I get home. Of course this all happens in my head, lol, as I’m climbing the trees and subtly not noticing the signs saying “DO NOT CLIMB THE TREES”. Oops.

Picking out the best pumpkins is also one of the nicest feelings in the world. I always pick out two. A big one I can carve and a little one I can keep on my desk all through winter.

School Starting Again

September used to be my least favorite month out of the entire year. Growing up, I hated school. HATED it. And I honestly never hate anything. But school. I was super shy and super insecure and never wanted summer to end. (This is probably a big reason why summer is my favorite season overall.) So when Autumn rolled around so did my anxiety.

Now that I have been out of school though for a few years and working, I find I enjoy September more and more as the years go by. I haven’t completely shaken the negative feelings but maybe as more and more time goes by…

Scarves and Sweaters and Boots, oh my!

I’m all about the summer sun and shorts and flip flops. No lie. But the change over to scarves and sweaters and boots just… makes me feel so safe and comforted! Since the weather is picking up too, it also makes me feel really warm which is a very GREAT feeling for someone who is usually cold.

Winter’s Impending Arrival

I do appreciate the existence of every season. For there to be summer there has to be winter. I do not hate winter at all but I do tend to get a bit down during the darkest days of the year. Winter is not my least favorite season (spring is believe it or not) but the cold really does get to me. I can feel it in my bones and I never seem to get warm enough. But, I will admit there is no feeling quite like watching the first snowfall. As long as it’s just enough that I don’t have to shovel it in the morning, lol.

Pie

This speaks for itself.

IT’S PIE SEASON Y’ALL. I am pro all kinds of pie. Please, yes, give it all to meeeeeeeeeee! My favorite though is blueberry crumb! The only downside to pie is that I wish I could EAT a whole one at once but alas then I would get severe indigestion, my dears, and that is no fun.

Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash

Halloween

There is nothing bad about this. All good vibes here. Halloween is just the epitome of MAGIC. The costumes, the candy, the tingle of something extraordinary in the air… Halloween is just indescribable and it makes me feel so alive whenever it rolls around. I just… I just love Halloween okay?

I want to try to hold onto Autumn this year. It makes me feel a bit better about life in these weird times. We all need any little bit of happiness we can find. So I toast this post to Autumn. May your reign last long this year.

What are some of your favorite and not so favorite things about fall? Hopefully by talking about it we can all be more present in this ethereal season and make it last.

Till next time,

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