I just sent out my 2nd newsletter today. Didn’t get it? That means you’re not on my mailing list! Click on the “Subscribe to Newsletter” link above to get on my mailing list and not miss anything.
Here’s what was sent out today:
Happy December! I hope everything is going smooth as you gear up for the holidays. Here’s what’s happening in my world…
At the beginning of last month, I was just starting on an idea I had for a novel, and gearing up for a month of writing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Fast forward 30 days, and I had a 71,500 word rough draft of a novel staring back at me. I did it! I won NaNoWriMo for the 4th year in a row!
If you’re not sure what NaNoWriMo is, it’s basically a whole month dedicated to writing at least 50,000 words (because that’s how many words a small novel would have) to create a novel. It’s a great way for aspiring novelists to write their very first novel, and maybe even get it published. And it’s always held in November because, well, it’s a cozy month for writing just before the crazy holiday madness of December.
Some of you might remember when I took part in NaNoWriMo last year. I was just coming off the heels of my wedding, and ready to add 50,000 words to a work I had started in the summertime (and had to put down because weddings have a funny way of ruling your life). At the end of last year’s NaNoWriMo, I had a full-length novel that held a lot of promise, and that I was really proud of. I spent the next few months editing it, designing a cover, and working with an editor to clean it up. And in March of 2013, I published my very first novel, titled A Symphony of Cicadas.
That is why I love NaNoWriMo so much – it creates possibilities for those of us who have always dreamed of writing a novel, and even coming up with something worth sharing with others.
This latest book I just finished for NaNoWriMo will sit on the backburner for a while since I have a few projects I am working on now – namely, the follow-up novel to A Symphony of Cicadas, titled Forever Thirteen. I’ve begun the second round of edits, and it should be ready for my editor’s hands come January. It’s an understatement to say I’m super excited about this book!
A few other things worth sharing:
– I have added a discussion guide and the first chapter of Forever Thirteen to A Symphony of Cicadas. If you have a book club, A Symphony of Cicadas is a great book to discuss in your group.
– I have lowered the price of my poetry book, Everything I Am Not Saying, (print) to $15.95 for the month of December (eBook is $3.99). It kills me to have to charge even that much for it, but necessary because of the printing costs for a full-color book. And to keep it this low, I had to take it off sale everywhere but Amazon (oh, how they rule the world!). But it’s worth it, if it allows you to purchase the print version for gifts, or even for yourself. Amazon has even reduced it a tiny bit more, so make sure you take advantage of the price before it goes back up!
– Enter to win a free autographed copy of Everything I Am Not Saying at Goodreads by CLICKING HERE. Contest ends December 8.
– My birthday is on Saturday, Dec. 7th. That’s tomorrow! Come on over to my Facebook Fan Page and send me a birthday greeting. And if you really want to shower me with some love, (prepare for shameless plug…) buy one of my books or share news of my books with your friends. You can find them on Amazon at amazon.com/author/crissilangwell, or on my website at crissilangwell.com.
Before I close, I want to thank you for all the support you have given me toward my writing and my books. I began this journey with a love of writing, and a lot of hope as I entered the publishing world. It’s definitely been a time of ups and downs. But when I think about all of you who have stood behind me and cheered me on, who know the stories I’ve written and are eager to share them with your friends, my gratitude meter overflows. That’s what keeps my dream alive – your eagerness to share the news about any of my books with people you know so that they might read it too. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Have a wonderful rest of your December, and a happy holiday season!
Love Crissi
Related articles
- Writers Wind Down NaNoWriMo (thekenyonthrill.com)
- NaNoWriMo Review (writerkimberlyhill.com)
- I’m a WINNER! – NaNoWriMo Day 30 (fangsandlasers.wordpress.com)
- End of NaNoWriMo Thoughts – What’s the Point? (bethrhodesfl.wordpress.com)
- You: NaNoWriMo results: 42,008 new novels written in November (latimes.com)