I recently posted on my writing blog that in just less than a month, NaNoWriMo will begin. I know I've mentioned it a few times before, but I feel like I ought to explain it further and dedicate this entire post to it.
It stands for National Novel Writing Month. Since 1999, during the month of November, writers (also known as wrimos) all over the country make a goal to write at least 50,000 words in just 30 days. Let me repeat that: 30 days. 50,000 words. Minimum. If you wanted to do the math, you would have to write about 1,666 words a day. Which is about two pages in a Word document. Piece of cake, write?
Wrong. Oh so hilariously wrong.
Writing is a skill that isn't easily forced, and you can't exactly press the pause button on life to wait for inspiration to come knocking on your door. There's still school, homework, work, and all of the various house work to be done. Try cramming an hour of writing into your busy schedule and hoping that you write something J.K. Rowling would be proud of reading. It's the hardest darn thing ever.
Yet, NaNoWriMo is one of the most fun and exciting months of the year for me. There isn't a better time of the year for me to focus on my passion for writing than November (except for maybe those warm summer months or a rainy spring day). There is nothing more elating than watching a seed of an idea grow into something so much bigger than even yourself. You create worlds with your words. Your creation takes on a new life, it wouldn't surprise me if it even started to breathe, that's how real it becomes to you. It engraves itself into your heart and mind. As you leave each day for school and work, your characters leave with you, follow you wherever you go and whisper bits of their own personal story to you; little facts that only you as their creator would ever know. I'm the only one who knows Liz, Grace, Stacey, and Adalia inside and out. They are a piece of who I am, just like I am a piece of them.
With NaNoWriMo, it's like a marathon. You have a goal, and you have a limited amount of time to complete that goal. You have got to write and you can't stop for nothing. There is no time to go back to trim and spruce up what you have, you just go and go and go. Forget that there is such a thing as sleep on the last week of November, because you'll be desperately cramming the last 10,000 words in. And when your muse walks out and leaves you with absolutely no inspiration at all and you're 7,000 words behind, you just keep writing even when every word you type feels like a dry and dead leaf that crumbles as soon as it glides onto the page. Trust me, I've looked back on my writings during those times and laugh at the absolute nonsense I write to try and rejuvenate my inspiration. Once the only thing I could think about was a princess party sleepover, and so I wrote about a princess party sleepover simply to get my words in for the day. It had nothing that pertained to the plot lines, my characters aren't the type to involve themselves in a princess party sleepover, but that was all my mind was giving me for that day. That scene is no longer in existence.
Believe me when I say there are days when you are going to write absolute crap. There are going to be days when you pull your hair out and you just want to cry because you start to doubt yourself. You think, "I'm not a writer, I can't do this!" There was once when I was especially struggling with my confidence in my story. My brother took me to a write-in (a meeting where local writers meet and write their stories together and then critic and share each other's stories) and after hearing everything my peers were planning in their own stories, I felt so inferior. Why would anyone want to read my story with a stupid princess party sleepover? Would they like anything about my story? I wanted to quit, and give up even trying to be as good as all of those people. It wasn't the first time and it certainly wasn't the last time I felt that way. I feel that way all the time. I doubt that I will ever make a story that makes my readers desperate for more. But those kind of thoughts are absolute poison, especially during NaNoWriMo. Your story is going to be filled with errors, inconsistencies, and those moments of absolute nonsense. Accept that, and keep writing. You'll have time in December to fix all of that.
If you don't make the goal, it's okay. At least you did it. You are a winner simply for braving something as big as NaNoWriMo. You attempted no small thing and faced a very large task. You are successful as soon as you put words on that "blank page." The only way to progress is to not stop. Don't ever stop writing, don't ever stop creating. To stop creating will only stump your progress as a writer. As long as you keep writing, you will never lose. The only bad writer is the one that doesn't write. Write. Use your words. Set your characters free, let them take over your life and let them roam in your thoughts. Pick at their brain, let them pick at yours. Allow yourself to immerse in your creation and don't let any ideas or opinions of anyone else sneak in. It's just you and your characters. Write about them, don't let them down. Don't let yourself down.
To anyone who writes, I encourage you to try NaNoWriMo. It isn't just for the new writers or the local closet writers, it's for everyone, even professional writers. Published authors such as Ally Carter, Merissa Meyer, Melissa Landers, Erin Morgenstern, Veronica Roth, John Green, Brandon Sanderson, Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman and Rainbow Rowell have participated in NaNoWriMo! Some of their published works were written during NaNoWriMo, like Cinder by Merissa Meyer and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This isn't a small town function on the world wide web, it's a national event involving everyone. You may be taking the challenge along with your favorite author, isn't that a crazy thought? NaNoWriMo isn't just about writing, it's about supporting your other fellow wrimos. Published authors will write pep talks to keep you from giving up. They encourage you, comfort you, and urge you to keep writing. They remind you that writing isn't easy, that sometimes you fail, but that in the end, everything will be okay.
Writing is fun, it is so much fun! I love writing! I love experimenting with words and planting seeds of ideas. I love creating worlds, I love creating people and molding them into who they are. I love seeing my blobs and blurbs smooth themselves out, and watching it grow and grow. It's fun to look back and see that arc of progress and then say "Oh my gosh! I wrote a book!"
So again, to anyone who writes, or to anyone who has a desire to write, I urge you to try. You don't have to do NaNoWriMo yet, but maybe take some time on a quiet rainy day to take your laptop or a notebook and pen and just start to write. Empty your thoughts and ideas onto a page and see what you can create. You might be amazed at what will happen. You may meet a new friend that day. I know that as long I write, I am never alone. When I write, anything is possible. The pen is mightier than the sword they say; that's something I truly believe. You are powerful, dear wrimos. With just 26 letters, you can change the world.
So what are you waiting for? Get writing!
Yours Truly,
Kenra Cook
P.S. Did I mention this was all totally free? Because it is!
To Learn More About NaNoWriMo, here are some links:
The History of NaNoWrimo here.
About NaNoWriMo and How It All Works here and here.
October 11, 2015
July 20, 2015
The Barbie Project
So I follow Barbie on Instagram.
Yep, you heard me correctly. Barbie has an instagram. It's pretty rockin' if you ask me, there is a lot of pink. And I generally hate the color pink.
As a child, (that sounds so weird to say, I still feel like a child sometimes even though I'm 19) I loved to play Barbie. Ask anyone who lived with me, and they will nod their heads, I loved Barbie. In fact, I still do. I still watch all of the latest Barbie movies that come out and I have kept my Barbies. Sometimes I pull them out and stroke their silky hair and put on a new pair of shoes (that never seem to stay on) and a new outfit. Each doll had a name and their own unique personality.
Stacey, a brunette doll, was my favorite. She was everything I wanted her to be. Some days she was a princess who had no memory of being one, and would go on a long quest to find herself with her horse companion. Other times she was a rockstar, donning leather pants and a red plastic guitar to rock her audience along with her band and dealing with the everyday drama of being famous. Other days she was a warrior, a paladin that fought for her people against the evil magics of her kingdom and rebelled against the wicked king. And sometimes, she was just a regular high school girl who dealt with everyday high school dram, the biggest drama of all always revolving around Prom. And I
always added a touch of romance.
Stacey had her two best friends: Rachel and Kara and her boyfriend/friend Logan (named after the X-Men). And then there was her rival Dominique, a distastefully fashioned girl who somehow was still the most popular girl in school. And she also had a mother, who was always just Mom, and two little sisters: Yasmin and Kelly.
You're probably wondering, "Why are you telling me all of this?"
Because of the Barbie Project. One day, I went onto Instagram and Barbie's Instagram had hash tagged #BarbieProject. The Barbie Project is something Mattel started after Barbie's named and image began to be labelled as an influence in self-esteem issues and the wrong role model for little girls. I proceeded to watch every YouTube video that Mattel posted on Barbie's YouTube channel about the Barbie Project. I found that I was seeing myself in the little girls featured in the videos and I also found myself giggling at how sweet the message is in the video.
For me, Barbie meant bonding time. I remember that my favorite time with Barbie was when I played with family and friends. My sister especially, she would always help me dress Stacey and braid her hair in just the way I wanted it. I felt loved by my sister, because she took the time to play Barbies with me. She even had her own special Barbies too, I'm pretty sure she kept them too. I remember being so excited when my cousins were old enough to play with Barbies. I took my precious troop of dolls to my cousins and shared my magical world with them. We would spend hours on heroic quests and we'd never finish the story in just one day, so I'd come back another day and another and another, until the quest was completed. And then we'd just start all over again with a brand new cast of characters and a brand new story. I loved seeing my cousins, it was a special time for me and I hope that they feel the same looking back too.
I have Stacey and her crew to thank for my spark to write. When I played with my cousins, I would go home afterwards and write down the adventures Stacey had gone through, and I had so many plans to write amazing adventures that I hoped to publish when I was older. Looking back, those stories were far to childish to ever publish, but Barbie was a major influence on me becoming a writer, she helped me to love writing.
To me, I never saw Barbie as an influence to be something I wasn't. I never felt like I was proportionally incorrect compared to her. I was raised by amazing parents who taught me that Barbie was not a standard to look up to, that she was only a toy. But Barbie was also my friend. Friends come in different packages, and for a long time, Barbie sort of was my only friend. My parents taught me never to judge people based off of their appearance, and I never did. I applied those same morals to Barbie too. I didn't care that her feet were way to small to hold her up. I didn't care that her waist was small. Just like I never cared if my best friend was skinnier than me, or maybe a bit chunkier than me. It isn't the package that matters, but what's inside.
I think Mattel did a great thing starting this Barbie Project, because it shows that a doll literally has no power over a child except for fueling imagination. The little girls featured in those videos never once mentioned that they when they grew up they wanted to be a model or Barbie herself. They wanted to be rock stars, teachers, doctors, vets, authors, scientists, astronauts, costume designers, beat boxers. Those girls had big and powerful dreams and Barbie doesn't inhibit those dreams, but enhances them.
A mother herself said, "There is no such thing as one perfect female form and every form is beautiful. Barbie is beautiful, and so am I, and so is my daughter and so are all the strong, wonderful women I know. If anything, what Barbie can teach us about our bodies is to not allow ourselves to be defined by how someone else sees us but rather, break down those stereotypes and become dreamers, leaders, and history makers. You know, kinda like what Barbie does across the world." (I highly suggest reading this whole article here).
Barbie isn't just one thing, she is infinite, so many possibilities. She is who you want her to be.
Wow, I think this article may have just beat my Hobbit blog post on cheesiness. Sorry guys!
Yep, you heard me correctly. Barbie has an instagram. It's pretty rockin' if you ask me, there is a lot of pink. And I generally hate the color pink.
As a child, (that sounds so weird to say, I still feel like a child sometimes even though I'm 19) I loved to play Barbie. Ask anyone who lived with me, and they will nod their heads, I loved Barbie. In fact, I still do. I still watch all of the latest Barbie movies that come out and I have kept my Barbies. Sometimes I pull them out and stroke their silky hair and put on a new pair of shoes (that never seem to stay on) and a new outfit. Each doll had a name and their own unique personality.
Stacey, a brunette doll, was my favorite. She was everything I wanted her to be. Some days she was a princess who had no memory of being one, and would go on a long quest to find herself with her horse companion. Other times she was a rockstar, donning leather pants and a red plastic guitar to rock her audience along with her band and dealing with the everyday drama of being famous. Other days she was a warrior, a paladin that fought for her people against the evil magics of her kingdom and rebelled against the wicked king. And sometimes, she was just a regular high school girl who dealt with everyday high school dram, the biggest drama of all always revolving around Prom. And I
always added a touch of romance.
 |
| Kara, Rachel, Stacey, and Logan (can you see the resemblance???) |
You're probably wondering, "Why are you telling me all of this?"
Because of the Barbie Project. One day, I went onto Instagram and Barbie's Instagram had hash tagged #BarbieProject. The Barbie Project is something Mattel started after Barbie's named and image began to be labelled as an influence in self-esteem issues and the wrong role model for little girls. I proceeded to watch every YouTube video that Mattel posted on Barbie's YouTube channel about the Barbie Project. I found that I was seeing myself in the little girls featured in the videos and I also found myself giggling at how sweet the message is in the video.
I have Stacey and her crew to thank for my spark to write. When I played with my cousins, I would go home afterwards and write down the adventures Stacey had gone through, and I had so many plans to write amazing adventures that I hoped to publish when I was older. Looking back, those stories were far to childish to ever publish, but Barbie was a major influence on me becoming a writer, she helped me to love writing.
To me, I never saw Barbie as an influence to be something I wasn't. I never felt like I was proportionally incorrect compared to her. I was raised by amazing parents who taught me that Barbie was not a standard to look up to, that she was only a toy. But Barbie was also my friend. Friends come in different packages, and for a long time, Barbie sort of was my only friend. My parents taught me never to judge people based off of their appearance, and I never did. I applied those same morals to Barbie too. I didn't care that her feet were way to small to hold her up. I didn't care that her waist was small. Just like I never cared if my best friend was skinnier than me, or maybe a bit chunkier than me. It isn't the package that matters, but what's inside.
I think Mattel did a great thing starting this Barbie Project, because it shows that a doll literally has no power over a child except for fueling imagination. The little girls featured in those videos never once mentioned that they when they grew up they wanted to be a model or Barbie herself. They wanted to be rock stars, teachers, doctors, vets, authors, scientists, astronauts, costume designers, beat boxers. Those girls had big and powerful dreams and Barbie doesn't inhibit those dreams, but enhances them.
A mother herself said, "There is no such thing as one perfect female form and every form is beautiful. Barbie is beautiful, and so am I, and so is my daughter and so are all the strong, wonderful women I know. If anything, what Barbie can teach us about our bodies is to not allow ourselves to be defined by how someone else sees us but rather, break down those stereotypes and become dreamers, leaders, and history makers. You know, kinda like what Barbie does across the world." (I highly suggest reading this whole article here).
Barbie isn't just one thing, she is infinite, so many possibilities. She is who you want her to be.
Wow, I think this article may have just beat my Hobbit blog post on cheesiness. Sorry guys!
 |
| The Whole Mattel Barbie Family |
 |
And I regret to say that in the process of this photo shoot,
Dominique was brutally murdered.
She had it coming.
|
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