Q&A Video with Teen Author, Caroline George!

A few months ago some of you sent in questions for me to answer in a Q&A video {which you can find here}. Since I wasn't able to answer all of them, I decided to get with Caroline George--the 17-year-old author that I am on a book tour with this fall--and answer them together.

I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to let us know if you have any more questions or ideas for future videos. =) {And subscribe to our new YouTube channel here!}

Some of the questions we covered in the video:

• What is your writing process like?
• Do you keep writing goals?
• How does self-publishing work?
• Where did you get your book's inspiration?
• Who are your favorite YA authors?
• Do you have a new book in the works?
• Are you a planner or a panster?
• And more!

{PS: I was recently interviewed by Author Katy Kauffman and Photographer David Wahlman! Check them out here and here.}

Currently... {Fall 2014}

Currently Reading . . . 

• Take One by Karen Kingsbury
• Soul's Gate by Jim Rubart
• Islands and Insulin by Erin Spineto
• Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Can't Let You Go by Jenny B. Jones
• Just Strength by Caroline George

Currently Listening To . . . 

• 1989 by Taylor Swift
• Bethel worship music

Currently Sipping On . . . 

• Homemade sugar-free, dairy-free, and organic lattes: pumpkin spice, Mexican mochas, peanut butter mochas, cinnamon, etc.

Currently Watching . . .

• Holy Ghost
• Todd White sermons
• The Normal Christian Life Youtube channel

Currently Working On . . . 

• Editing/rewriting the sequel to Purple Moon
• Working for Devozine as apart of their Teen Advisory Board
• Continuing to write articles for Whole Magazine
• On a book tour with teen author, Caroline George
• Creating a new design for my website

Currently Taking Pictures Of . . . 

What my life has looked like recently since my last "currently" post:

When I visited my sister and her husband in NY last August--don't worry,
I'm not usually that small. This was before my diagnosis.

Visiting my other sister & brother-in-law in Charleston, SC last July.
(And no that horse is not my sister.)

My article is on the cover of Guide magazine! =)

The first stop on my book tour this fall at a homeschool group in Charleston, SC. 

The second stop on my book tour at the school I used to attend. =)

Peanut butter mocha at one of my favorite coffee shops.

When my sister visited recently. =)

Third stop on my fall book tour, at the FreshTaste event in my hometown.

Fourth stop on my book tour with author Caroline George in Forest City, NC.

Currently Looking Forward To . . .

• Halloween! Or as what I like to call, "fall celebration day".
• Thanksgiving--my second favorite holiday!
• My 21st birthday. =)

~ ~ ~  How has your fall been so far?  What is it that you're currently reading, listening to, watching, etc.?

10 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

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NaNoWriMo is to writers what marathons are to athletes: an exciting goal to have, but not always one that is achievable.

Perhaps you’ve tried NaNoWriMo in the past. Maybe you started out full of inspiration and determined to finish—but two weeks into November and you started to lag behind. 

Although NaNoWriMo is not an athletic competition, I don’t see why it shouldn’t require just as much preparation as one.

Just as a healthy diet is essential for the person who hopes to run a marathon, inspiration is essential to the writer who hopes to complete NaNoWriMo.  

Inspiration is the fuel that will bring us to the finish line. 

However--just like it is important for an athlete to run even when he is tired, it is also important for the writer to work even when we do not have the inspiration.

But wouldn't it be much easier for the athlete if he was full of energy?

Inspiration is to writers what energy is to athletes. 

And because of that, we need to make sure that we are filled with enough inspiration before we set out on this race. 

We need to prepare for the days when our inspiration levels are running low and we are tempted to give up. 

Here are 10 ways you can do this:

1. Make a poster 

of your favorite writing quotes.

Or fill the pages of a journal with your favorite writing quotes. Or pin them on a board on Pinterest.

That way, if you ever come across a writer's block, you can open this collection and be reminded of all the reasons why you love to write.   

2. Make a sign for your door 
that tells others you’re writing.

It is important that your family understands that you are treating this time to work on your book as if it were your job.   

3. Plan your rewards and consequences.

Many people reward themselves when they meet their word count. But why not give yourself a consequence when you don’t meet your daily word goal?

To do this, first write a list of rewards on strips of paper and place them in a container, then write a list of consequences and place them in a separate container. 

Every evening during NaNoWriMo, if you do meet your word count goal, randomly draw a reward from your reward bowl. But if you didn't reach your goal then draw a consequence from the consequence bowl. (And yes, you will have to actually follow through with them!)

4. Make your book cover.

Since I am a visual writer, it is easier for me to finish a book when I can picture the cover in my mind. Doing this reminds myself that I could some day see this book in print—but only if I continue striving forwards.

I recommend creating your book cover and uploading it to your computer desktop during the month of November. Click here for a list of free online picture editing websites.

5. Find latte recipes.

If you are a coffee-drinker, go ahead and print out various latte recipes. Tell yourself that the only way you can make these lattes is if you are writing at the same time. (In other words, no writing, then no sipping!)

Click here for a list of my favorite autumn-inspired latte recipes.

6. Create a snack-stash pile.

Nothing is more frustrating than having your writing interrupted by your growling stomach.   

To prevent this from happening during NaNoWriMo, make sure that you have some snacks on hand (and not far from your writing space).

7. Clean.

You probably weren’t expecting this one! However, it has been proven that working in a tidy space enables us to think more clearly.

So go ahead and clean the area(s) that you will be writing in, then make sure that they remain spotless every day throughout the month of November.

8. Plan your writing spaces.

When you have a certain place in which you force yourself to write every day, it’s easier to become more disciplined.

Ask yourself: Is this spot inspiring? Is the chair comfortable to sit in for hours? Does this area offer any possible distractions?

9. Create a music playlist 
and Pinterest storyboard.

If you are like myself and have to listen to music as you write, go ahead and make the playlist for your story. Make sure that it relates to your book, is music that you enjoy listening to, and only allow yourself to listen to it when you are writing.

Also, I’ve discovered that creating a board for my book on Pinterest not only helps me to visualize my characters and setting, but it also inspires me to keep writing when I face a writer’s block. When doing this, remember that you have the option to make this board private instead of public. (Click here for the story board for my novel, Purple Moon.)

10. Plan your breaks, 

schedule, and word counts.

If you have a plan, then you will be more likely to stay disciplined and less likely to give up.

When will you write? How often will you take a break, and what will you do during that break?

And finally, what are your daily/weekly word count goals?

♡ ♡ ♡

The key to achieving a nearly impossible task often lies in the preparation that is done beforehand.

Don’t become the kind of writer that wings it without a plan; instead, go into November completely prepared, determined that your fingers will not rest until you have reached that 50,000-word mark.

♡ ♡ ♡ 

Have you participated in NaNoWriMo, and did you reach your word count goal? Are you participating this year? What are other ways that writers can prepare for this challenge?