Book One is Done. Now What? Instawrimo Writing Challenge!

My book is out and I feel...weird, like it's surreal or something. I'm moving on to NaNo planning this month. Book 4 will be my focus for NaNo 2018. So I'm again using the writing challenges to help me prepare for that. I'll be posting on Fridays for certain and I'll share my IG challenge photos for those. This year is proving to be a tough one for time management and while that sucks for having an online presence, I'm choosing not to sweat it. I'm quite certain most people will understand. Read on to see this week's challenge posts.

Nano Prep With the Instawrimo Writing Challenge!

This is the challenge the Nano folks host each year. It's my first time participating in it, though. You'll notice in the following slideshow that Friday's post is conspicuously absent. I'll catch it next week because I usually share my challenge posts at the end of each day.

Day 7 - Doodle or Scribble - I thought I'd try to create some small cactus stamps out of erasers. It's a pretty fun craft if you've never tried it before. It's also pretty inexpensive. I got these from our local Dollar Tree store. I might give them to my youngest daughter who is all about the cactus theme these days. It has nothing to do with my upcoming novel but perhaps it will do for the doodle challenge, eh?

Day 13 - Working Title - My working title for book four in the Children of Y'Dahnndrya series is Bid the Fallen Rise. I can't wait to get started on it, though I'm kind of worried. These characters are unlike me in a lot of ways and I'll have to go far afield to study and flesh them out well. I hope I'll do them justice!

Day 14 - Author Signature - I have to admit to having some fun with this one.

• Signature Drink - Coffee
  
• Signature Keystroke - Backspace
  
• Signature Catch Phrase - Were you talking to me? or Did you ask me a question? or I can't believe I forgot that!

Day 15 - Nano Support Crew - I don't have a photo for it, but my Nano Support Crew are:

• My awesome family
  
• Under the Willow - A relaxed, sort of Zen atmosphere where writers and editors can meet goals together, conquer struggles together, discuss ideas together, and have fun doing it as much as possible.
• Two Discord Groups - Writ3r's Bl0ck (mostly RP'er's and writers of anything from sci-fi to webtoons) and another group that's getting ready for a name-change or a channel change.
  
• Plotter Life Writing Group - A Facebook group started as a support group started by a YA fantasy author for a small crowd, it's since opened up. The group is actually gearing up for the #NaNoHouseCup which is intended to help everyone meet their word count goals during NaNoWriMo. Here's the link to find out about those details or you can watch the video below. Click the name of the group to go to the facebook page and join the group.

Day 16 - Cast your main character - I created some photo inspiration boards for Sa Mye and Kai.

Day 17 - Cast Your Villain - My main villains are Sa Mye's intended groom (Ruu Yvii Nol), Kai's uncle (Kor Bahn Luu), and a gang headed by one guy named Ja Chi.

Day 18 - Cast a Secondary Character - I created an inspiration photo for Kai's parents for this part of the challenge. They are Aki Bahn Iil (dad) and Lai Bahn Rii (mom). As you can see, they took pieces of their own first names to create his.

Day 19 - Overheard Dialog - I'm not going to retype this. I will try to fix the slide show in such a way that you can pause it to read the dialog there. Also, please be kind since it's just a very basic scene sketch.

Day 20 - Map - Since I don't have a larger, more detailed map of Bot'ha yet, a close-up of the world map is what I shared.

Day 21 - Outdoor Setting - Bot'ha is a land of crops, gardens, hills, rivers, and waterfalls.

Day 22 - Seasonal Changes - I don't know if my characters are going to go through any seasonal changes yet, though mentally/emotionally they will. But my office has definitely undergone some (super happy) seasonal changes. I had to hang up my seasonal barrier on Monday. Our house isn't the best insulated and hanging curtains means I can use a tiny, more energy efficient space heater to keep my office warm. This is the first time I'm using this tapestry as something besides a tablecloth. I love it!

Day 23 - Mysterious Object - As of yet, there are no mysterious objects in my story. But there may be something mysterious about Kai.

Day 24 - Atmospheric Building - There aren't really any atmospheric buildings in my WIP, either, though the gate to enter Si'Yinte Falls is pretty high up.

Day 25 - Theme Song For Your MC - Well, that hasn't changed since I posted it for the #oktowrimo challenge...

Day 26 - What's In Your MC's Pocket - Sa Mye keeps a little red flower and a small first aid kit in her pocket. Kai hasn't got much in his unless he managed to earn a few coins from one of his random jobs.

Day 27 - Outline or Plan - I write out an outline, then use a corkboard and some index cards to lay it all out so I can see the progression.

Day 28 - Last Writing Related Search - I did a little research on some different religions.

Day 29 - #writingmood - When I'm in a writing mood, I'm entirely focused. Nano helps me do that.

Day 30 - Ready-to-Write Selfie - The photo in the slideshow is for day 29 and 30, but it shows me with my world building binder. That's where I keep all the details of the whole world of Y'Dahnndrya -- little things that I need to remember but don't always include in each novel.