Camp NaNoWriMo Results

I did two projects within thirty days.

The first one I was about my emotional health…my inner shadow work, my PTSD moments, and some anxiety.  I got over forty thousand words.

The second was a story was for NaNoWriMo anthology. I wrote over ten thousand words with notes, the actual story and several edits.

I only gave myself a word count goal of thirty thousand, but I made fifty. However when it comes to journalling and therapy …I never seem to know where to stop.

I’m impressed I got my goal, but now I feel stuck again. Sighs.

2024

After the 24th of this month, I’ll be down for a while as I’m getting carpel tunnel surgery.

I am frustrated as I was 11,411 words short of my 600,000 word goal for 2023.

https://rebekahquinne.wordpress.com/2023/01/

I did manage to write something everyday thanks to my boyfriend and writing partner. I love you and thank you my sweetie!

I didn’t finish the projects, but I am currently finish a book that I decided to make more therapy than one project to publish. (I plan to read the projects while I’m down and healing. It may be hard to turn a jar or lift more than a cup of coffee, but maybe I can at least turn a page or scroll down the screen.)

My hopes for 2024 (I’m not giving myself goals)

• Read at least 10 books (they are not mine) and review then.
• Read a new story each month and review it
• Eventually write between 400,000 to 500,000 words
• Research differences between self and professional publishing
• Heal my wrist
• Reread my novels
• Cut back on notebooks.

Milestone

It’s been a rough year for my writing. I’ve been fighting several health issues: carpal tunnel, migraines, nausea, depression and anxiety. I’ve been healing from my hysterectomy as well.

Most of my writings had been my therapy as the three therapists this year didn’t do much. The third one at least tried.

On November 27th of this year (2023,) I hit the million word mark.

However the milestone kind of feels mute, empty and a pointless victory, as I do have books written but only one book is technically published. (I pushed it too fast because create space gave me a deadline. It really needs a major edit.)

80% of my writing this year was either lists, spiritual, and therapeutic.

If it wasn’t for my amazing and creative boyfriend, then I wouldn’t have written much creative writing at all.

There have been days where I didn’t write, because of the pain in my hands or throbbing in my head. My headaches were so bad and got worst in the fall. They made my left eye get white dots and what I call sludgy eye fig. It made it hard to read, write or just watch TV. My doctors (talked to more than one) say it’s hormonal or seasonal and caused by dust and dry air.

I’m getting carpal tunnel surgery in January, but I’m not sure about the headaches.

Meanwhile I feel like I’m in a mental prison because I cannot get my ideas out.

But I did get my millionth word. The millionth word was ghosts. It’s irony as I am supernatural and horror writer.

My dream is to publish my books and make a living a creative writer/author. I also want my own podcast and work with on my own spiritual path and the occult.

Camp NaNoWriMo July 2023

I have several hand problems. . . I have had them for years. . .

Warts on my finger that are fighting back. . . .they will not go away. (I had to go to dermatologist just to get very strong cream that has made very sensitive to the sun and has messed up my skin badly. I honestly think that I got them holding a pen that someone else with the HPV virus. . . be careful what you touch. . . It’s been a throbbing, burning, and overall painful process. . . freezing them off is the next step. . . sigh.)

I have a small ganglion cyst, but it’s so small that they cannot do anything, but it feel like it’s pinching nerves up my middle finger. My middle finger twitches by itself which is kind of creepy.

I also have tendinitis and carpal tunnel. . . I wear a brace at night, but if that doesn’t help surgery will be the next option. Sigh. I get throbbing, aching, and sometimes it’s swollen.
Typing hasn’t been too bad. Holding a pen can get tricky, and have moments of spasming and I drop things.

I gave myself 30,000 words in Camp NaNoWriMo: April, but I had gotten sick and only got between 26,000 and 28,000 which wasn’t bad when I didn’t write at least ten days in April.

This past month (June) I did a 15,000 words in seven day and I did succeed in that. Yay!!! I will admit it was two projects that I was working on, but I did get the word count in.

If you asked me twenty years ago about word count . . . I would ask you why are obsessed about that, but publishers want to make sure novellas and novels have a certain amount of words.

My personal goals for Camp NaNoWriMo this time is to get a few of projects from my written word onto the computer and to work on a few other projects for my health and future issues.

I also gave myself a word goal of 30,000 words in 30 days.

Just hope I can keep my goals in spite of my hand issues.

Fears I have with Publishing

I will admit I am fighting a block. . . between my location and I’m traveling down a different path than most, I’m seeing the world at a different angle. Instead of the yellow brick road, I’m walking on the rocky marble road. . . pieces are there, but it’s more like a hop, skip, and jump instead of just walking. I miss walking, but it’s not meant for me.

I also have a few fears with publishing.

• I am afraid giving my work to many beta readers and someone is going to steal my work or I give my work out so much that no one will buy it when they can just get a free copy.
• I’m afraid of rejection, but that is a fear I will need to overcome. I need also edit before I put in a professional hands. I hate editing, but I cannot afford an editor.
• If I got professionally published, I am worried that they will rip it shreds. By the time, I publish it that it will sound nothing like what I wanted to say.
• I could go down the self publishing route, but my ghost and vampire stories will get lost into the sea of horror and supernatural books. And one bad rating is like a virus. I could have hundreds or four-five stars, but everyone read that one star.
• I use NaNoWriMo and the camps to get majority of my writing, but hitting deadline cause fear and anxiety. Even in school, I was either inspired and got it done early or I was cramping the last forty-eight hours on pots of coffee and no sleep.
• I am worried about how big the horror genre has gotten. . . I mean how will I make my stuff stand out. (I also write other genres in other names, and I know they will sell a bit better, but I am not always in the particular mood and my passion and happiness in with my ghosts, urban legends, and vampires.)

It’s also been months. . . even years since I have finished anything. . . I am giving myself a personal goal to finish at least one of my projects.



I am also working on physical and emotional health and spirituality as well, so I have a lot on my plate, but having my books in a book store and signings is one of the dreams of mine. I just do not know how to overcome this writing block and face these fears.

Camp NaNoWriMo

My results are in….26,178 words in 30 days …. My goal was 30,000 words.

I was sick with cold and sinus issues for the first two weeks. I was exhausted and I barely got up to do my normal chores and errands. (It was not COVID)

I didn’t keep up with my spiritual blog every day. I will post the rest of the blogs when I can.

Then today I was listening to one of my favorite tarot readers on YouTube and I was told I need to write….https://youtu.be/p4X16QrYMbQ

It says I need to write and write my story now. Or I’ll end up passing up on an opportunity. Of course on a very busy month. May is going to be very busy..

I hope to find some inspiration.

Updates and Camp NaNoWriMo April 2023

Between mental issues and sinus problems, has been giving me a challenge to get any writing done. I’ve tried to organize a bit more.

My amazing boyfriend has help me writing a few short stories with him. It really does help.

I was on my Instagram when I found out camp NaNoWriMo was next month. Yay!!

Camp NaNoWriMo April 2023

My Goals…
30,000 words written in 30 days
Posting in several of my blogs: including this one.
My theme is memoir …. My personal story.

I’ve been having issues with finding a therapist and friends who understand my issues, so. . .until I find someone who can help me, I am working through my own issues

Things I’ve learned in 2022

1. I get distracted easily (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and phone games, even coloring … when I should be writing.) 
2. Most …I mean 90%of Instagram is fake people and scammers. It seems like everyone is out for money.
3. I’m obsessed with health research. Google chrome is my search engine of choice. (It’s a distraction as well.) 
4. My complex hyperplasia was dire and half of my extreme female problems were caused by it. My hysterectomy went well physically as I have more energy and less brain fog, but I’m still working on mental and emotional issues (more on health blog: https://rebekahs.health.blog/) 
5. I’m now 40 years old and my social circle is practically non-existent. (I hope to change it next year.) 
6. Expect less from most people. They can still shock and devastate me though. (More about that in my spiritual blog: https://spiritualbeck.wordpress.com/)
7. Life is short: you never know when your time is up. A friend of mine passed on unexpectedly, and I hope she is resting in peace. 
8. Enjoy what you can: writing is my Bliss. Without my brain fog so thick, I can focus and write more. 
9. I know more than anything I want to be with my guy and write together for a living. 
10. It’s easy to keep things simple. Don’t let possession rule your life. 

It’s been a while..

It’s been a while since I have been writing. . . I will admit this kills me deep down. I will admit I miss my characters and my worlds. (I have so many excuses in my head to why I do not write, but biggest one is my health. . . exhaustion, no focus, discomfort, and the bit of energy I do have goes into cooking.)

I get maybe a good day, maybe two out of a month. I try to get some writing when I can. However I haven’t really gotten any thing finished or started for that matter.

I’ve tried to write in Camp NaNoWriMo in April, but I couldn’t focus, and I was fighting exhaustion.

In January-March I did post a short story in a contest, but I didn’t win. I am trying to work on a contest on http://www.bardsy.com/

However. I can only get a bit out and I get distracted or exhaustion or both, grrrr.

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If it wasn’t for my amazing, creative, patient boyfriend, I may not be writing almost daily at all. Yes, he is real. (I’ve had several ask.)

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(I do not normally post this stuff on this blog. . . here is a blog about my health. . . https://rebekahs.health.blog/ if you want to keep up. . . )

My health issues. . .

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Between my PCOS, my diabetic meds, (side effects are crazy), and scheduling therapist and doctors for my hysterectomy. . . I am get exhausted and overwhelmed so easily. I have complex hyperplasia, and if I do nothing it can get cancerous. No one wants that.
I am really fighting health physical and mental. I was okay, until my doctors said I need a hysterectomy. I’m 39 years old and have no kids. I’ve also had writer’s block for several years.

I will post more about it in my health blog. I’m sorry that I haven’t been on here more. I hope to write more soon.

Things I have learned in 2021

1. It’s hard to write when you cannot focus due to pain and health issues. . . I have PCOS, arthritis, gout pain, and depression. I have been trying my best and my boyfriend did help me write a few stories just to get out of my head. I managed to write 504,551 words. . . diary, blog, stories, lists etc. It averaged 42,046 words per month. (It wasn’t my goal of 600,000 words, but I am impressed that I got that many.)
2. Writing and my boyfriend are my bliss. It’s a double bonus that I get to write with him.
3. I’ve learned that I need to be comfortable to get my writing done or I regret writing awkwardly and get extra pain, and then I am down for several days.
4. I write better when I sleep well. (Some nights are better than the others; I noticed I am usually tired by 7 -9 at night.)
5. I am trying to get inspired by everything around me. . . including my inner demons and my locations to inspire my work.
   I am even thinking of writing a health blog. https://rebekahs.health.blog/