Search Results

Chapter 3: My Accountability "Partner" Once I decided to write my novel, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) became my best friend. They were my accountability partner. I set my goal for the total word count I wanted and the time frame. This was my main driving force. In addition to using the tracking resources within NaNoWrimo, there were 3 main questions I asked myself to assure I would not falter on my writing journey. 1. Why do you want to write this story? 2. How will this work help you or others? 3. What do I want to achieve from my work? These were the three most difficult questions for me to answer and the most impactful. It was not all sunshine and rainbows as I wrote throughout the year. I transitioned from a hospitality position in HR back to the classroom as an Academic Interventionist. This was mind altering as I suffered from severe anxiety and PTSD from previous school locations. But this would not alter my course. Which lead me to the answer to my first question. Why did I need to write this story? I needed the story for my own mental health and self-care. It was my escape from reality and distraction from all that was buzzing in my head. On my worst days "Solasta" saved me. I could escape into the Scottish Highlands and create fairy portals with a maniacal dark fae with a grand escape. The second question I needed to answer was how would my book help others or myself. The creation of this blog is how I have decided to answer this question. I want other individuals to know they can do this. The first round may be difficult but if you have a Sherpa guide the journey will be fulfilling. As I continue to work through the final stages of self-publishing my novel I will share my journey. The pitfalls I encountered and the amazing resources that I found. The final question I needed to answer was what did I want to achieve. This was my biggest motivator. Superficially I want to be on the New York Times best seller list. Deep down this is my legacy. I want my children and grandchildren to know how much of a rockstar I am. To never be limited or torn down by others. To pursue their dreams no matter the odds. In addition I need this to work. It is my side hustle. As an educator the salary is not the best but I have a passion for teaching. I want this to be my retirement plan. My legacy will provide for my family long after I am gone and hopefully inspire them to reach for the milky way.

Join me on my Journey as a first time author Welcome to the chaos that is my mind. My name is Nita. About a year ago I decided to embark on a new adventure in the mist of tremendous change. I decided to return to the classroom as an educator and begin writing my first novel. As I juggled 2 children, the loss of a job, and gaining another; My world was in utter disarray. The one thing that kept me stable was my writing. As I begin to make the final preparations to launch my first novel I want to share the journey to my final product. My hope for this blog is to help others who may have always wanted to write but something or someone has always held them back. Know you can do this and I am your biggest supporter. I will be your cheerleader with the bullhorn screaming your name. What Will You Experience? As you explore my blog I will be writing about my resources, inspiration, and revealing details on the progress of my novel. Be the first to see my book cover reveal or even better, be the first to experience Solasta: The Highlander Fae before anyone else in a free giveaway. Release dates will be coming soon. Explore the gallery with my digital art of inspiration (with the help of NightCafe). These images helped me develop my characters and provided some much needed relaxation. What Next? If you'd like to be in the Now, Subscribe to my blog. Learn when my novel will be released and how I went from a blank page to a manuscript. I promise to not spam your email. Stay tuned for my origins story and updates on my upcoming novel. Until we meet again, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow." -Shakespeare

Chapter 1. Introduction A blank page. A million thoughts running through my head. Am I really going to attempt to write a novel? "Yep", that is what I told myself a year ago. My journey has been long. There have been numerous pitfalls that I can vividly still see and feel. Yet they did not hinder me. I have always been a story teller and now I am taking the leap into this new chapter of my life. I am no expert in the matter and the only background I have in writing is the simple joy of writing essays in college on Greek Mythology, the Romans, and discovering hidden mysteries in the United Kingdom. So, here I am sharing my journey from Blank page to Novel. Perhaps inspiring another to take the same leap. Welcome to the World of Chaos and Research as I delve into writing my first novel. Hopefully the fruits of my labor will lead to a New York Times best seller. Chapter 2. How did this all begin? As I sat waiting for my daughter at gymnastics I was able to make a mom friend. She is fabulous and writes tons of fan fiction. As we spoke and learned about each other she introduced me to the world of NaNoWriMo. For those of you who do not know about NaNoWriMo, it is a complete game changer if you ever desire to write a novel. She explained National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWrimo (https://nanowrimo.org), is a creative writing platform that allows you to write your story with tons of resources and even a writing boot camp. I was intrigued and thought "Why not." I needed a distraction. My world was in chaos and writing would be my escape and self-care. As an active mom with 2 kiddos and a full time job as an educator. I took every spare moment to write. Whether it was at the dance studio waiting for my daughter's classes to end or the gymnastics training center, I lugged my chromebook everywhere to write a few words. Sometimes the writing bug hit me hard and others, let's just say were more two words and done. It was liberating to sit and create my own world, characters, and brush up on a little of my history. First was NaNoWriMo boot-camp, followed by setting goals using the platforms resources. I do want to mention, I am not an ambassador or spokesperson for NaNoWriMo. I simply love to share all the resources I used to finish my manuscript for any aspiring novelist. The boot-camp in the beginning was overwhelming, as I tend to go OCD overboard in anything I do. Once I organized myself, completing the camp led me to completing an entire world with characters. I believed it would only be one novel but as I soon realized my story was becoming a series. Next week I'll cover how I kept myself motivated and tracked my progress. Stay tuned for Chapter 3.