I’m a Winner!

 I made it! I typed out 30,000 words during the month of February for the JeRoWriMo Challenge. What I have now is the rough draft of a novella, which I have to edit—a lot. I had an idea of where I was going with this short book as far as naming characters, giving the story a setting, a timeline, and a loose plot. However, most of it was written pantster style, which is definitely a fun way to write for me. Some people have a very detailed outline when they write. I don’t. I have a flexible idea of what I want. So, things can change as I go along. 

While I was writing with such determination during the month, my house got very dusty. Sigh. But having written 30,000 words was so much better than dusting. Now off to editing!

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Writing Challenge

Once again I am participating in JeRoWriMo, the New Jersey Romance Writers answer to NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is held every year in November. I've never attempted it because Thanksgiving is in November, which always includes a big family dinner. In addition, with Christmas looming ahead and all the hoopla that holiday involves I know I would be doomed to fail if I set a plan in motion to focus on writing. There are too many distractions in November!

But February's big holiday is Valentine's Day, which need not involve much preparation. February is usually cold and sometimes snowy, the type of weather I consider perfect for writing. I’ve finished several books with the help of JeRoWriMo.. The goal is 30,000 words. I never know if I will make it that far. One year I didn’t. Still, I managed to write more words than I would have without the other members of NJRW cheering me on.

Nancy Herkness started NJRW's writing challenge years ago. It has helped so many writers to accomplish more than they every thought they could. The challenge is open to those who are members of NJRW.

I am looking forward to finishing my current WIP!

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I Am A Winner!

 I revised and added words to my current WIP. I actually finished the book and wrote The End. It really helped to have cheerleaders urging me on to victory.  😊  I LOVE this February challenge. 

Of course, I'm not really done with the book because I have to go through the manuscript again to double check everything as well as do a thorough spelling and grammar check. I also have to write a blurb AND a synopsis. I am not fond of those tasks, but I will muddle through them. 

Then I have to hope someone will thinks it's good enough. Writing is a gamble. But I do enjoy the drama with my characters. They always entertain me. 💖 

JeRoWriMo--The New Jersey Romance Writers' 30,000 Word Challenge

 I signed up for JeRoWriMo again. This time I'm doing revisions on a book I started in the 2021 JeRoWriMo Challenge. Last year was difficult for me, so not much writing was accomplished, but I am going to finish the book this time. It's a historical romance set in 1903, which is considerably more contemporary than some of my other historicals, but still an interesting time in the history of the world. 

I haven't decided on a name yet though I have a few ideas for the title. But right now, I want to get everything nice and tidy. 

The JeRoWriMo cheerleaders are in high spirits and encouraging everyone to keep typing! Good times!

I’m A Winner!!!!!

 I LOVE this challenge. I’ve done it several times. Writers cheer for each other and encourage each other. It is the BEST. Of course, what I have is a rough draft, but eventually it will come together. I am so happy. 

Another Writing Challenge!

I’ve written a quite a few books—not as many as some authors—but the ones I’ve written are important to me. I wanted to write them. I had a story to tell and I wasn’t happy until the book was finished. All along, I have been self-motivated. I set goals for myself. I hold myself accountable for writing every day. I don’t watch television, I don’t play games, and there’s lots of dust in my house. Nevertheless, I am not a hermit. I go to writing workshops, I crochet with my prayer shawl group, and I have fun making oil paintings. Hubby and I enjoy the company of our friends. I like to try new recipes, but I enjoy going out to eat as well. My daughters aren't far away and we see each other often.

Like many others, I’ve found there is no end of things to do even though I have been retired from teaching for quite a while. I am busy. I have a schedule, but sometimes that schedule intrudes upon my writing time and I wind up not getting as much done on my work-in-progress as I would like.

However, the New Jersey Romance Writers hold an event every February they call JeRoWriMo—which stands for Jersey Romance Writers Month. During the month of love, everyone who signs up is encouraged to write 30,000 words. Cheerleaders offer accolades to the writers who report in every evening to note their day's word count.

A similar event occurs in November--National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo, but the challenge there is 50,000 words and it's in November. Thanksgiving happens in November as well as other Christmas preparations. I've never attempted NaNoWriMo because I doubted I would ever succeed.

But what happens in February? There's winter, where gloomy weather often makes a perfect writing day for me. There's also Valentine's Day, a great holiday where I get treated to dinner at a restaurant. No cooking for me! No cleanup! Plus there are gifts of chocolate. It's great to write while eating chocolate.

Also in February there's our Presidents' Birthday holiday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent. In other words, there are few social events. It's a great time to put other things aside and pump out words. So far, this month I've put down 16,451 words on a book I initially began writing five years ago, but set aside to write something else.

I have too many ideas. 😜 But it's fun. I'll be doing some spring cleaning in March, but for now it's time to write.

I Finished the JeRoWriMo Challenge

Last night, I soared over the finish line, typing past the 30,000 word mark in my current work-in-progress.  I didn't get to the end of the story--and I still haven't decided upon the title for this book, but logging in 30,000 words during the month of February was a daunting task.

Nevertheless, I had fun. This is the third time I've tried the challenge. I finished PATRIOT'S HEART and PATRIOT'S PRIDE with the challenges in 2013 and 2014. Nancy Herkness is the head cheerleader and truly encourages everyone in our group.

The idea with a challenge like this is to silence the inner editor--that annoying part of the brain that wants to quibble over syntax. My book is a rough draft--and I know it. It will need to be revised, but it's hard to fix an empty page of paper.

Many people avail themselves of NaNoWriMo challenge in November--a 50,000 word challenge. I've never tried it because November is a busy month with Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations.  I find February fits in better with my schedule. Not only that, but since I am a member of the New Jersey Romance Writers, I know all the other members in the group.

Writing is a solitary endeavor, but with a challenge like JeRoWriMo it doesn't feel that way.

It Takes Courage

Writing takes courage. Writing a book takes a lot of courage--along with commitment. In the beginning, it is doubtful whether any writer will actually sell books. The process of getting to the end is long. Once the end is reached, it is necessary to go back to the beginning to revise and edit.

I write romantic fiction. I make it up but it still has to approximate reality. It must make sense and that's not easy.

This month, I joined the New Jersey Romance Writers' writing challenge, JeRoWriMo. I am attempting to add 30,000 words to a novel in which I had already had 20,000 words. I did the same thing last year and finished Patriot's Heart. I received a contract from Prism Book Group for that book and it is now available everywhere (with a gorgeous cover). :-)

A blank page is a scary thing. To compose the book, it helps to turn off the internal editor that questions every word, every comma, and every plot twist. A writer has to just let it go and write. The book can be fixed later--but there has to be something to fix.

Being a member of this challenge pushes me to throw the words down without quibbling over which word is exactly the right one. In the end, I will have a rough draft and it will need fixing. I'll turn my internal editor back on for that.

I've more than doubled what I started with on this project. The plot took a few unexpected turns, but that's fine. A few surprises can be fun.

My house is dusty and meals are usually leftover leftovers, but with one week to go, I am on target to reach 30,000 words. Wish me luck. :-)

Preparing for the Challenge

I have signed up again for JeRoWriMo again, the New Jersey Romance Writers' writing challenge. I am going to attempt to write 30,000 words during the month of February. I did it last year. The result of that effort was Patriot's Heart, which will be released soon by the Prism Book Group. For this challenge I hope to finish a sequel for that book. I already have 20,000 words invested in Patriot's Pride. So I've got a head start.

Last week and this week I've been preparing for the challenge. I use a simple character sheet, which you can see here. This is not detailed, but it helps me keep track of the basics while I'm writing. (There are spaces in case I need to add more characters.) I also make up a calendar to keep track of events in the story.

It seems every writer has their own methods. This is the method that works for me.

Wish me luck.

I Finished!

Yesterday I finished the JeRoWriMo challenge, the New Jersey Romance Writers' version of NaNoWriMo. I wrote a total of 30,148 words during the month of February. I actually wrote more than that since I deleted 800 words where I had written myself into a corner. On Wednesday, I came to the end of Patriot's Heart, but I I went right on to the sequel, Patriot's Pride.

Now I need to go back and edit. Once it's ready, I'll have to send the manuscript around and see if a publisher is willing to offer me a contract for it. It may be quite a while until it is up for sale. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to accomplish so much in just one month.

I did not come in first among the other writers in the group. There were many who surpassed me, but it did help to have a cheering squad. My thanks to Nancy Herkness for setting the challenge up. It was great!

Over the Driscoll Bridge

The New Jersey Romance Writers conference began today in Woodbridge, which is not far from home. I zipped up the Parkway to get there and crossed over the Raritan River on the Driscoll Bridge. The bridge was named after Alfred E. Driscoll who was governor of New Jersey from 1947 to 1954. The Driscoll Bridge has expanded over the years. It now has 15 lanes, making it the world's widest bridge.

The view from the top is impressive--though I always like the southbound view better. Maybe because that means I'm going home. :^)

I have a connection--sort of--with Alfred E. Driscoll. On the evening I was born, my father was covering an important press conference given by Governor Driscoll. The phone rang during the proceedings and my father was told my mother was on her way to the hospital. My father stayed for the rest of the press conference.

A few years ago, my father gave me the aging newspaper clipping that had the story he wrote that night. He described Governor Driscoll as a "tall, lanky man dressed in a light brown gabardine suit" and noted how the governor fingered a pair of rimless glasses as he talked to the newsmen.

My father could have been a romance writer. :^)

But he choose instead to be a romantic man who has always loved my mother devotedly--even now when she is so very frail.

I've learned about love from my parents. I'm sure that's why I became a romance writer. I believe in the magic of true love.

And sharing the weekend with a bunch of other like-minded romance writers is awesome--even if the conference is on the other side of a very wide bridge.

Red Bank Street Fair

I spent most of yesterday at a street fair in Red Bank with four other members of the New Jersey Romance Writers. The weather was perfect and plenty of people walked by our booth. Many insisted they don't read, but there were some interested in our books. A few were interested in joining our illustrious organization. :^)


We all sold books. There were some readers who bought our books in previous years and came looking for us again to buy our latest releases. Here's a photo of me with my best fan!



















Red Bank is a great place for a street fair.