Tag: NaNoWriMo

Why are you shaking like a leaf?

Sara Mazariegos

The timing of this post turned out to be more prescient than I thought it would be. Good lord. I planned to write about how I feel less pressured/guilty when writing without NaNoWriMo or any other progress tracker looming over me. I’ve been keeping track of my word count each day simply by putting it into my calendar, and I gave myself a loose end goal of 2 weeks before NaNoWriMo+ starts…

Now I suppose I should feel even less concerned about using the official NaNoWriMo site. They’re apparently allowing their users’ writing to train AI and other such nonsense. 😲 I’ll stick to Pacemaker, thanks. I still plan to write/revise a novel in November through mid-December, but I won’t use NaNoWriMo’s website to help motivate me. It’s unfortunate for all the young writers who look forward to it each year. I hope a lot of users leave it and stop donating.

My current novel is easy to write, somehow. It helps that I carefully outlined it and I’m playing with some quirky fantasy ideas. It feels like there are fewer rules with magical romance. As long as there’s a happily ever after. (Of course there is!) Some people think it’s unnecessary for a romance to end happily, but they’re wrong.


Speaking of the rules of romance novels, I’ve noticed for at least the second time that the book I’m currently reading — this time it’s The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston — has such negative reviews on Goodreads that I keep thinking “Did we read the same book?”

I know different people have different tastes, but people can be so heated and mean on there. I happen to LOVE this book, if it’s not obvious. It’s a spooky love story with ghosts, gallows humor, and even a few Haunted Mansion references! What’s not for Sara to like?? I got a copy from my local library but I have since put it onto my gift wishlist because I feel I must own a copy.

Nine out of ten times, I want to own the book I’m reading.

Speaking of spooky stuff, we’re seeing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice this weekend! It got better reviews than I expected. I’m relieved. I still doubt it’s better than the first one. It’s hard to be better than Tim Burton’s best movie.

You don’t know what you just read.

Sara Mazariegos

Do you ever look back through the calendar and get hit with a wave of “Oh yeah! We did that!”?

My husband and I have a shared Google Calendar for everything from work stuff to personal events and planning. It helps us remember to do things, and it also helps give our days some semblance of structure. Otherwise, it’s so easy to fall into the YouTube hole or end up like the vultures in Disney’s The Jungle Book.


I’ve found lately that I’ll go back through things we’ve done and marvel at how swiftly things are forgotten or no longer appreciated. I try to live in the moment while I’m enjoying things, but it can’t last forever. Eventually, the moment passes and life goes on. Life is busy, and it often grinds you down, so it’s nice to have this little reminder of the places we’ve been and the things we’ve done. For example, we went to Disney World this year. That’s wild, man.

My college friend posted on Facebook yesterday, and it sent me on a similar wave of nostalgia. I don’t associate my time in college with too many good memories. (I spent a lot of it alone in my room watching things or playing online, because socializing isn’t fun for me.) But the friends I did spend time with are special to me. I had good times with them. It was nice to remember. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like the me from back then was the same me that’s me.

I’ve read a few novels recently that involve people remembering their friends from years ago. It might be fun to explore a plot about that at some point. I’m always thinking up the next idea.

My current story writing is going well. It’s been slower than usual, but I think it’s okay because it’s the first draft. I’ve spent a lot of my writing processes trying to cram a whole novel into about a month and a half, a la NaNoWriMo. But this story has said no and is making me take my time to let it breathe. I’ve hit a point now where the words are flowing more easily, though, which is good for my deadline-centric brain.

I hope to be finished with it before November, so I can give my NaNoWriMo novel revision the attention it deserves.

This weekend, we’re going to the National Book Festival, and then we’ll finally see Tim Minchin. I hope I come away with a lot of inspiration, but no more new books! 😆

Let’s take the whole day off.

Sara Mazariegos


I’m the type of person who schedules things. I have a Google Calendar for my personal plans. It contains everything from what we’re having for dinner tonight to our weekend activities to the novels I want to work on. It helps keep me on track, even if I only put “Write 2K” on a date. I think it might partially be guilt if I don’t do what it says, but I’ll take it. 😅

Aside from Calendar, I also utilize Pacemaker to keep my word count on track. I plan to write a NaNoWriMo+ novel this year since I don’t have plans to travel in November. The + means it will go past November because it will be longer than 50K words (unless I fail.) I’m going to tackle an old story I didn’t truly finish back in 2010, back when NaNoWriMo was the only time of year I really sat down and wrote stories. I got the story to 50K, but then just… stopped writing it.

I’m going to finish it and make it better this year! That’s one of my plans anyway.

So, my slate for the year is finishing/revising two romance novels and finishing/revising a young adult fantasy.

I’m ambitious. But it’s good to have goals.

So it goes.

Sara Mazariegos


Currently paused my writing at 48,484 to post this update. I do love it when my palindrome word counts look like that.

I didn’t reach the NaNoWriMo goal, but I plan to hit the 50,000 words today! Just have to knuckle down (well, fingertip down) and write through the mess.

The second draft will be a monster to edit and rewrite, but I’m looking forward to it because it will improve my story. That’s the point, right? I won’t even bother printing my first draft; there are too many changes to make. I don’t want to waste paper, darn it.

How did your NaNoWriMo go? Did you participate?

Until next time,

Don’t give up, no reason to be ashamed.

Sara Mazariegos

I always knew NaNoWriMo would hurt, but I’m going to be 10,000 words away from winning and it sucks, even though I knew I’d never get to the 50K during November. The progress graph mocks me.

Anyway, I’m on track to finish my novel draft on December 20th! Unless something goes awry. I haven’t had the most motivation this week, since I just got back from a really nice vacation in Guatemala.

I’m determined to edit this one the right way. I was all over the place with my last novel (I’m still going to work on that one! I refuse to give up.)

Here’s a video update from last week, since I wasn’t around to post it. 🙂


Razzamataz,

Best laid plans of mice.

Sara Mazariegos


Happy week three of NaNoWriMo! How’s your writing going?

I had an advanced Thanksgiving struggle last week, because we celebrated Thanksgiving/Veterans Day with my family on Saturday. (We’re going to be in Guatemala for Thanksgiving with my husband’s family this year.) Long story short: I ended up only writing 200 words on Saturday.

Not my proudest moment. But 200 words is better than 0 words! I’m still in it to win it (in December.)

Currently, I’m sitting at 26,162 words but I plan to turn that into 34,000 words before we leave on Sunday. *Tazmanian devil noise*

…I can’t actually make a Tazmanian devil noise.

With any luck, I’ll be able to write some (SOME) on my phone while I’m away, but I have family to visit and museums to see and a wedding to attend. It’s okay that I’ll be busy.

My goal for this NaNoWriMo, and future WriMos, is to be kind to myself.

As I said in my video up there, writing is supposed to be fun. That’s why it’s something we enjoy doing, right? Sure, it’s challenging at times, but if it’s not fun and exciting, what’s the point? Even published authors who do it as a job are supposed to love writing, right? So don’t beat yourself up about it if you have to take a break. Just don’t stop writing! Write when you can and get back on track as soon as you can.

Some advice for myself and for you.

Until next time,

The second week is the grindiest.

Sara Mazariegos


This week has been substantially busier than last week, but I keep pushing myself to hit those word count goals. I’m currently sitting at 18,081 words but I will be up to 20,002 by the end of today, unless something catastrophic happens.

One thing I’ve learned is that it’s difficult to make a mean character nice. That is a challenge for this novel go-around. I’m still enjoying writing it, even if it is sometimes harder to find the motivation than my previous one. I think it’s shaping up to be a good story. 🙂

There’s no way I want anyone to read my first draft this time, though. It needs editing for sure. But thus is the way of first drafts.

Until next time, good luck in your writing ventures!

It starts…

Sara Mazariegos


Happy First Day of NaNoWriMo 2023!!!

I’ve written 1,025 words so far but my goal every day* is to write at least 2,000 words. I have to see how much I can do at work versus when I’m at home. Both have their distractions — that totally make sense, by the way, like having to do actual work and wanting to spend time with my husband whom I miss all day.

I’m hopeful, while trying to be realistic, too!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?


*Except the week I have to take off. I’m not pretending I’ll finish the 50,000 words by the end of the month. My goal is to finish 80.000 words by the end of December, though!


There’s no foot inside, but there’s candy.

Sara Mazariegos

Halloween is next week. Am I the only one who thinks this month has gone by really fast?

That means NaNoWriMo starts next week! Ahhhh~ As I mentioned last entry, I’ve been watching Christine Riccio’s YouTube channel (particularly her writing journey vlogs) and it’s been inspiring me so much. I have my outline and characters all written down and organized. I feel so ready to start working on my next novel!

My plan is to start reading through the latest draft of my other novel, Doors Opening, at the beginning of December. I’m not giving up on it, even though it might feel like it. I feel like I’m in a better place with it now that I’m giving myself a chance to breathe and think about it before reading it and working on fresh edits/rewrites.

Wow, I said “it” a lot just now.

Oh! I made a playlist for my new novel project. Check it out if you’re interested. Also, add me on NaNoWriMo if you’re participating. 🙂 We can cheer each other on.

Happy Halloween-eve-eve-eve-eve-eve-eve!

I’m Going Slightly Mad.

Sara Mazariegos

Now that our trip is over and I’m back to being able to think about writing, I’m finding it’s all I can think about.

I’m planning to complete my recommended writing pause and start writing something brand new on November 1st, for NaNoWriMo. I must take a week off to go to a family wedding, but no sweat because I’m planning to write through December to get to at least 80,000 words anyway. NaNoWri2Mo?

I wish I hadn’t written out a detailed outline already, because now I’m just sitting around like, “What do I doooo??” I’ve become inspired by Christine Riccio’s writing journey. I started paying attention to it because I started reading the book she was working on — Again, But Better. It’s pretty fun to watch her progress on the story I’ve come to know well.

There were some moments yesterday when I felt pretty low and self-doubty. I want to publish the novel I worked so hard on for 3+ years, but I have to be realistic and move on to the next project… at least for now.

Who knows? Maybe writing my next novel will help me improve the last one in the next edit/rewrite stage!

I’m trying to channel Christine’s positive energy. We’ll see if it works when I’m allowed to write again.