ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo & Good News

I passed state boards this weekend! I'm now a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant). Next up will be a First Aid & CPR class (my certification for this is long expired). I wish we actually got a score instead of a pass/fail, as I think I kicked ass, but I'll take it, anyway.

Moving on to ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo...

Yep, it's almost November, signaling time for everyone to start discussing NaNoWriMo. I'm not in a place to start a new novel at this time, but I enjoy the kick in the pants NaNo gives me. A goal shared publicly is a heck of a kick for someone like me who does better with deadlines. With as distracted as I've been lately, I really need to get back into a routine. Any routine will do, really. I'm sort of a leaf floating at the whim of the river currents at the moment, so why not embrace something that could prompt me.

I made a solid start in NaNo last year. It was the first time I officially signed up for NaNo and started a new novel. However, I was derailed when I found out my dad was dying. I think that might do so to a lot of people. Since I enjoy the energy that accompanies the month of November, I'm going to hijack it for myself while setting my own goals.

Thus, I present to you: ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo.

What the heck does that stand for? Shannon's Novel & Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month.

I've got one novel in desperate need of some re-writes (only one of my villains has enough heart, methinks, and it isn't the main guy), another novel waiting for me to finish it, plenty of short stories needing editing and submitting, and some shorts clamoring to be written.

I'll be aiming to write 30,000 words in November, a combination of the novel needing wrapping up and short stories. I'd like to edit and submit one short story per week. And I'd like to get some editing done on Novel #1.

November is bounce back month!

What about you guys? Participating in NaNoWriMo? Doing your own thing? Do you set goals every month or wing it?

May you find your Muse.