Let’s Start a Nano-Palooza!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

This month I was honored to pen the introduction to the November newsletter for Women on Writing, the prestigious and inspirational writing community. I’m reprinting it here, in the hopes that my fellow writing friends will take advantage of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo).

I was a skeptic. To put it mildly. In other words, I was the ultimate NaNoNayer (NaNo-Naysayer ☹). The idea had always seemed a little silly to me. Why write my heart out in November when technically I could do that all year long? And what’s with all the badges, tools, and community building? As an adult, I should be able to manage myself without all the hoopla, right? Besides, I wasn’t working on a novel anyway.

The truth is that I didn’t write my heart out all year long. And I couldn’t manage myself. In fact, among freelancing, taking care of three dogs, tending a garden, volunteering at church, and the normal kerfuffle of life, it was all I could do to set aside a few hours a week to finish a single essay. I needed a little push. In fact, I had been talking so long about finishing my memoir that the eyes of my writer friends glazed over every time I brought it up. So, when I found out that NaNoWriMo isn’t just for novelists, I decided to give it a try.

All writers, whether novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, essayists and memoirists, are welcome at NaNoWriMo. In fact, anyone aiming to write 50,000 words toward any project will find something of value at NaNoWriMo, from motivation and accountability to making new friends and gaining new skills.

Last November, I cleared my calendar and finally started pulling together the pieces I planned for my book, which would be a memoir in essays exploring love, faith, and healing. Although I’d already written many of the pieces, I had never seen them all together in the same file. Doing so gave me the opportunity to look at them as a unit, edit and tighten, as well as plan new bridge essays to cover any holes. I also created a framework that tied together the chronological arc of the narrative—my seven years of growing cherries. Before November ended, I even had time to begin drafting a few of the new pieces. Along the way I logged onto NaNoWriMo regularly, joined a regional group, and began checking in, and lo and behold, the word count on my dashboard started to tick up and up and up! It was a true NaNo-palooza!

At the end of the month, the momentum continued. Over the next year, I concentrated on finalizing my new essays and wrote even more, ending up with a total of 22. Later, I turned back to my behemoth of a manuscript, and that’s when I re-discovered my draft framing document. This turned into the four thematic sections of “Plant,” “Believe,” “Pollinate,” and “Love,” and presto, I suddenly had a table of contents and my essays became actual chapters. Thanks to NaNoWriMo, I now have a 200-page manuscript that I’m currently circulating among my writing partners and will be submitting for publication.

Are you a diehard NaNoficionado? Or like me, are you on the fence? Either way, the tips in this column are meant to help you take advantage of NaNoWriMo and meet your own writing goals.

Think big. As mentioned before, you don’t have to use this time to write a novel, but you sure can. This is perfect for writers like me who have a short story that yearns to be a novella or longer. Maybe you have a juicy flash fiction that’s just itching to be part of a collection. Or a poetry chapbook. Perhaps you have an essay collection, or a memoir, or like me, maybe both. Whatever you’re working on, take it to the limit, and imagine what you might do with 50K words. As for me, it wasn’t the writing itself that intimidated me. I suffered from the age-old commitment phobia. But once I gave myself permission to think BIG and actually envision my work as a book, the writing itself was easy.

Go a little wild. Consider your NaNoWriMo experience as your personal sandbox. This is your chance to break personal boundaries and do something new. For example, you could try writing in second person or maybe in present tense. Or perhaps you could branch out and turn a nonfiction article into the background for a novel or short story. Or shift a poem into an essay, one of my favorite “makeovers.” In my case, I literally went a little wild. With the title, that is. Calling my book “Cherry Wild, a Memoir in Essays” sets the tone from the beginning, reinforcing the theme of my reconnection with nature.

Quash the critic. The critic inside my head was NOT invited to my NaNoWriMo. While she will come in handy as I finetune my synopsis and coalesce all the feedback, I promptly kicked her out the door during my brainstorming and writing sessions. During the month of November, make sure that your creative and imaginative writer self is firmly in charge, NOT the critical editor. Send her on a month-long cruise! See ya later, you naughty infiltrator!

Meet a new writer. While you can easily connect with friends who are also part of NaNoWriMo by sharing your usernames, you can also meet new writers. In the “My Community” tab, you will find both discussion forums and regional groups to join. NaNoWriMo also sponsors specialized virtual meet-ups for writers of similar backgrounds or interests. 

Check in. Not only did I enjoy entering my word count into my dashboard and watching it rise, I loved keeping tabs on the progress of my writer friends. Witnessing their successes inspired me to work that much harder, and vice versa. Under the “My NaNoWriMo” tab you’ll see links to “My Buddies.” Here is where you can easily see the word counts of your friends and compare theirs to your own.

Get support. This year NaNoWriMo offers more support than ever before, from yoga for writers to guidance on all genres, from fiction to memoir. The “Resource Hub” (under the “Writer’s Resources” tab) is your headquarters for support, including pep talks from celebrated writers and links to writing tips and exercises to keep your creative juices flowing. 

Celebrate! Once you begin reaching your writing goals, you’ll automatically rack up badges for important milestones, such as the 5K and 40K word marks. You can also award yourself a bevy of personal achievement badges for efforts such as planning, “pantsing,” and eureka moments. In addition, you may expect frequent kudos from your writing buddies, which will also keep you motivated every step of the way.

Ready to dive in? I hope so! My NaNo handle is “memwarrior” and I’d be honored to be your writing buddy. I hope to get some traction on a couple of new projects, including a creepy seaside novella. But if you’re still not sure, check out NaNo Prep, which offers a crash course in essential elements such as story development and time management.

For more inspiration, including craft articles, interviews and markets for submission, check out the complete WOW newsletter.

No matter where you are in your writing journey, I wish you all the best, and I hope you write your heart out this November. 

Tips on Publishing Short Pieces

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Writers! Let’s finish 2023 on a strong note. Join me and Charlotte Lit on Tuesday, November 7, from 6 – 8 p.m. for a Zoom class on where and how to publish your short pieces. We’ll survey the most exciting open calls and contests seeking your work now, whether poetry, fiction, nonfiction or hybrid.

Hope to see you there!

Make it a S-U-M-M-E-R to Remember!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

This summer is a milestone for many reasons, but as you may have noticed, I officially changed my last name from “Memory” to “Harris!” I was thrilled to learn that my one-sentence flash essay “Pedal, Pedal, Pedal” won Off Topic Publishing‘s June 2023 contest on the theme of “Moving,” and I was so grateful for the opportunity to debut my new byline.

This piece wouldn’t have been possible if not for the support of Ang and Marilyn, my fellow “Memwarriors.” In fact, this piece was inspired by my love of Ang’s own masterful and riveting one-sentence essay, “Girls Like Us,” which appeared in Exposition Review. I’m linking it here so you can read it, too, and also fall in love with this unforgettable piece.

Why not try to write your own one-sentence flash? For more inspiration, I’m reprinting an excerpt from my column in the July 2023 Women on Writing newsletter, “Writer, Stop and Smell the Roses.”

As someone born in July, I’m a summer baby through and through. With so much inspiration around me, new ideas are springing up like clover. But it’s SUMMER! Gardening, swimming, dining on the deck, watching the baby birds…. What’s a writer to do?

As I thought about it, I realized the answer was right in front of me, in the form of an acrostic for the word S-U-M-M-E-R. If you’re like me, and you’re also suffering from a bad case of SWD (Seasonal Writer Distraction), I hope the pointers below will help you too.

S. Soak It In. As my puppy Tulsi reminds me, summer abounds in sensory pleasures—sights, scents, sounds, textures, and tastes. There’s the evening primrose with its velvety blooms, the myrrh fragrance of my roses, the eerie melody of the wood thrush, the sweet tang of my black raspberries, and more. Ahh! This is the time of year to let these sensations wash over you, and later, jot down those metaphors that will invariably come to mind. And don’t let those new ideas get too far away before acting on them.

U. Be U. Enjoying the summer is all about finding what works for “U.” While I should get back to my edits and revisions, I know that I must also reward myself along the way. After all, a dangling carrot is much more effective than a stick. For every hour spent on more difficult work, I’ve resolved to give myself the gift of 10 minutes to work on something new. And to satisfy my inner planner, I’ll set a mini goal or two for the summer, such as learning a new word or trying out a new style of sentence. But this is what works for me, and you are certain to find your own system. Whatever it takes, let “U” be “U” this summer.

M. Move. We writers know only too well how easy it is to park ourselves in front of a computer or notebook for hours. This is as bad for the mind as it is for the body. Think back to the frigid temperatures of January and how you longed for warmer weather and if you’re able, get moving. Take a walk around the yard in the morning. Breathe in the fresh air and revel in the scents of the season. Something as simple as lounging on the porch swing and feeling the sun on my face is all it takes to refresh my body and mind. Find a way to engage with the outside world and stretch your limbs, even for a few minutes. Your writing—and your health—will thank you for it.

M. Marvel. Awaken your inner child. Take some time every day to wonder about the world around you with fresh eyes. I like to imagine that the rustle I hear every morning as I walk by the bamboo grove comes from a family of fairies. Or that the dragonfly that just flew by shimmers with wings of stained glass. Whether it’s on your deck, in the woods, or at the park, spend some time marveling at nature. If you’re a poet, draft a new poem every day for a week. And if prose is your specialty, try to write a poem anyway, and use the language in your fiction or nonfiction.

E. Enjoy the Moment. Not only should you cherish the delights of summer, you should seize them too. As an example, I recently spent an entire morning laboring over the ending to a short story that just wasn’t working. Reluctantly, I took a break and heeded my husband’s call to witness one of our bee colonies swarm to their new home. Boy was I glad I did! This magical moment stirred my creative soul and generated a new metaphor that gave my conclusion that special little oomph. Don’t let your work keep you from experiencing the special moments of summer. They may never come again, and they may be just what you need.

R. Relax. The idea of summer is synonymous with napping in a hammock and paddling down a lazy river, but if you’re like me, you’re probably very busy trying to juggle it all—pets, gardening, family gatherings, and of course, writing. The extreme heat of summer can be exhausting, especially with more than twelve hours of sunshine, and it’s important that we take care of ourselves. Don’t feel guilty about taking a breather every now and then. Not only will it make you feel better, it just might improve your writing too!

If you like what you’re read so far, I hope you’ll check out the entire July WOW newsletter. It’s full of terrific writing advice and markets galore.

In the meantime, here’s wishing you a S-U-M-M-E-R to remember, full of endless joy and writing inspiration.