Face Myself Friday

I'm telling you right off the bat that if you only visit me to read marketing tips, I don't have them today. Instead I'm doing a Face Myself Friday, or aka, What I've Learned From NaNo.

First, though, I have to share that last week I was given an award from the awesome, wonderful Kelly Louise, the Gene Pool Diva of Diminishing Gene Pool.  The rules of the award are to thank the person who gave it to you and link back to them (Hi, Kelly!), then list some of your favorite blogs.

I told Kelly I would post this last Sunday and I didn't because I can't seem to list my favorite blogs. I mean, I've told you before who they are, I ask many of them to be Savvy Sensations. And the others that I read - oh, it's so many. Hundreds. I'm mostly a lurker and comment very little - which goes totally against marketing advice - but it's me. Now to narrow down those blogs to a handful to pass this award on to? I'm having trouble. And I hate it when people say, "Just take the award if you want it." So here are simply the first ten in my Google Reader. They are lovely and deserve an award (as do all of you!) Check them out:

• Chandara Writes 
• Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
• Paper Mountain
• Perfecting the Craft
• Amie Kaufman
• Robin Weeks
• The Submission Process
• Callie Kingston
• Life By Chocolate
• Michelle Dennis Evans

Now Face Myself Friday - Here's what I learned from NaNo:

• I'm not a fast writer.
• That's ok.
• I like to write in spurts - a week of focus, then a week or so off.
• That's ok, it's just my style.
• I edit while I write.
• That's ok, too. Isn't it?
• My first draft takes a while, but when it's done, it is closer to a second or third draft because I'm such an editor.
• I think that's better than ok.
• So, obviously, I failed NaNo. 
• But that's ok because I realized things about myself as a writer and I am happy with those things.

How about you? Did you finish? What did you learn about yourself through NaNo?

NaNoWriMo = MeNoHereNow (AsMuch)

I am participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time ever. I should, after all, since I claim to be a writer, actually write something. Now, usually I don't post about such writerly stuff - I stick to the marketing - but I wanted to let you know that I am making that my priority for November. Usually this blog comes before my writing, but I am going to put this on the back burner.  I am not exactly going on hiatus. I have blog crits and Savvy Sensation interviews already lined up. I just might not be as active on the comment front. Who knows? This is my first time, remember?

I expect many of you are also doing NaNo and you might not be around as much either. Here are a few reminders for anyone planning to step back from blogging now or anytime:

1. Numbers may go down: Whenever you post less, comment less, or are less interactive on your blog, expect that you may have less visits and comments from your readers. 
2. It may take time to rebuild: When you return to your regular schedule, your readers may not automatically return. You may have to rebuild a bit, but it shouldn't take as long as it did the first time.
3. Tell people what's up: Let people know you are taking a break from the blog world and, if possible, for how long so they know what's up with you.
4. But not every day: One post saying where you are is all you need. Don't post several updates about sorry I'm not here, I'll return, I promise. All that does is clog up our Google Readers. We want to read content from you. Chances are with all the blogs we follow that we didn't really notice you were gone until you reminded us.
5. Priorities show: If your blog is your priority, that's awesome. I bet we can tell. If your writing is your priority, that's more awesome. That's how you're going to get an agent or published or win you that book award. Take time for what you need. You can always change your priorities in the future.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Good luck to all of you! I'll see you on the other side :)