twitter – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

My Weekly Update – JuNoWriMo

Published on June 3, 2013June 3, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle8 Comments

JuNoWriMo

It is that time of year, again; JuNoWriMo. This writing challenge is very special to me because it was this time last year that I wrote my first full length novel. I also meet some great blogging writers who are actually active in all stages of this writing process and are great resources for any writer. Special shout out to the creators of JuNoWriMo, A.E. Howard and Becca J. Campbell.

And, this year, I was asked to be one of the sprint leader for JuNoWriMo and I am honored because the sprint leaders from last year made all the difference in the world in me not only writing 50,000 words, but writing an additional 25,000 to finish the novel.

We are just on day three, it’s not to late to sign up and join me every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for some writing sprints. #junowrimo #wordsprints

Post to Ponder

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop – Flash Fiction – The Space Stations – Just a short piece I wrote. Hope you like it.

So, You Want to Write a Book? Let Go of the Guilt by Angi Black – Life is always there to get in the way, but no need to feel guilt when your doing what you love.

June is for New Goals & JuNoWriMo by Felicia Scotzig – More JuNoWriMo motivation.

Writing is Best When we Get out of our own Way by Kristen Lamb – Kristen say writing fast helps keep us out of our own way. Another yea for WriMo.

The Art of Milking a Critique by Jodi Thompson – Great tips if your ready to join a critique group.

Coolest Things

I participated in the coolest blogfest last week, The Whip It Good Blogfest where we shared our WIP. Here are the ones I would purchase.

Nick Wilford – Sci Fi – Man has neurosurgery to increase his confidence.
Tina at Life is Good – Worlds Colliding – Space Opera meets Tom Clancy
Hunter – Blue Popcorn – Psychological Thriller – nationality and generational clashes.
Silver Lining – YA Romance – it was this line in her synopsis that got me, “She buys fries from the McDonald’s on Dover Street; he can buy the McDonald’s on Dover Street.”
Kate Larkindale – Stumped – YA Contemporary -It’s American Pie meets The Sessions as a 16-year-old double amputee struggles to dump the burden of his virginity.
PK Hrezo – Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. – New Adult light Sci Fi romance – Anxious to attend that relative’s wedding you missed a few years ago? Or curious to see how your children invest their inheritance after you’re gone?
JE Fritz – Collapse – YA Dystopian/apocalyptic – Bullies used to be a problem for her. Now she’sslightly more worried about being gunned down by people she once called “neighbor”

Check them out and tell me which one look good to you.

Next Week’s Schedule

Wednesday – ~~The Casual Vacancy Cast of Characters~~ Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Thursday – Heroes & Villans Blogfest

Friday – SQM – Wreck it Ralph

My Weekly Update – I’m Back

Published on December 2, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Did you miss me? I know, I was only gone a week and you barely noticed I was gone. That’s ok. I wasn’t completely gone. I had an interview posted and a guest post on a couple of great sites. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: Sydney Aaliyah & Australia Interview – thanks Alex and the rest of the A to Z Crew

Is My Blog a Success? Guest post at My First Book – thanks so much Misha

NaNoWriMo Thank You I was thinking about doing a NaNo debriefing, but everyone is doing that. I am just going to send out a few thank you’s and leave it at that.

Felicia Scotzig, Amanda Fanger, Vikki, AM Schultz, Sevastian Winters, Donna McNicols, Shah Wharton, Audrey Austin, Jami Gold, Mark Ethridge, Anna Howard, Rebecca H. Campbell, Andrew F. Butters, Jennifer Gracen, Angela Goff, Sarah Thayer, Jeff Tsuruoka, Tia Siverthorne Bach, Meg McNulty, Miranda Gammella, Sarah Nicholson, Ruth Long, Cara Michaels, Bethany Miller, Candy Sparks, Molly Ahola, Alberta Ross, Artemis Leaena, Shan Jeniah Burton, David Swensen, all my tweeple, all my FB friends, all my blog followers, my WanaTribe and my Tribe Mates.

I could do this without you, but it wouldn’t be near as much fun.

And, if I forgot anyone, if you have ever writing anything, anywhere, anytime, in any form what so ever, thank you, too.

Congrats to all the NaNoWriMo Winners!

The last of the great NaNoWriMo Posts

Heck Yes.
NaNoWriMo – The Last Day – congrats Vikki
7 Things to Do When NaNoWriMo is Over – sleep sounds good to me.
How (Not) to Finish Writing a First Draft
I Wrote Another Book, if You’re Keeping Track – Lorca Damon is so much fun and this is one of my favorite post from here. Congrats Lorca
Success and Failure
How to Make NaNoWriMo Especially Difficult – congrats Ava
6 1/2 Things I Learned from NaNoWriMo
Failing Versus Quitting – This is from Chuck Wendig, so you know, the expletives will fly.
Winning is Great, but Learning is Better
Winning at NaNoWriMo

New Followers

From Page to Screen

Gabriel Lucatero

Through Crystal Clear Waters

Fabulous Realms

Hristina H. Vasileva

Matthew Blake

Michael at Vive la Rock n Roll

Ahamin

Next Weeks Schedule

Monday – And You Are Blog Hop

Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday – Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Needs our Help

Wednesday – A Good Kind of Knowing Blog Tour – My Road to Publication by Kathy Lynn Harris

Friday – The Fitzroy – An Update

Sunday – My Weekly Update

Quick Blog Break

Published on November 21, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle4 Comments

I didn’t want my friends out there to freakout like they did on Tina here.

I am taking a break for a few days in order to complete some projects that will put me back on track for the end of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy last few days of NaNoWrimo.

See you on November 28th.

My Weekly Update – Reflections on Campnano

Published on September 2, 2012September 2, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

Well another writing challenge done and another win. Yea me. Not an enthusiastic win, but a win, nonetheless. It was not as easy or as successful content wise as June. But, again, I won. I have to keep reminding myself there are more words on the page today then there was 30 days ago.

I learned a few things about myself as a writer during this challenge. I learned I can write even when I’m not 100% certain whether the story will work, not 100% certain that the story even makes sense and not 100% certain there is enough content to even be a story. Those concerns were rolling around in my head all month and still I won.

I missed not having the daily connection and support from other challenge participants during the process. I just felt more connected to other writers during Junowrimo. You could always go online and find a sprint to participate in. It wasn’t as easy to nail down writing groups this month. I also enjoyed getting to know the other participants during June. My cabin mates were not the most talkative people. I guess they were busying writing.

But, I now except the fact my mind seems to like deadlines. And, the 50K in one month challenge is still the best opportunity to get a novel written in one month for me. Now I am looking forward to finishing this story in September and on to the next one in November.

I have to admit, after November, I hope no one creates another monthly writing challenge. I think I will need a break until Junowrimo starts next summer.

Here is a small excerpt from my 2nd novel. Enjoy, because that’s all you are going to get:

“Be careful getting up.” When the blood rushed back to the rest of my body and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to pass out I walked over to the mirror. I couldn’t speak. And, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It was beautiful. I looked beautiful.

“I look fucking hot.” The shop started howling. I turned to Thomas. “What do you think?”

“Wait, what the hell are you asking him for?” Sebastian said. He looked defeated, like I kissed his best friend.

“You don’t like girls with tattoos.” Bass scrunched up his face and shook his head.

Two of the shop guys high fived, laughed and pointed at me. “She’s got you down, Bass.”

“Shut up,” Bass said and walked over to me. “Who told you I don’t like girls with tattoos?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I was enjoying myself. “Ok, what do you think?”

Bass was standing to close behind me. To close for someone who I just meet and I realized I was standing in the middle of shop with no shirt on and my bikini top tapped on. “This tattoo was made for you. You look beautiful.” We held each others stare in the mirror to long for two people who really didn’t know each other. But, I wasn’t going to look away first.

Post to Watch

Ironic because two posts that caught my attention this week were on people watching. It is one of my favorite past times. When I move to a new city, I always scope out the best locations to people watch. It gives me such insight into characters, dialogue and even the nonverbal way people interact with each other. Plus, I am a nosey person by nature. You can learn a lot about people just by watching them.

Snotting Black is one of the first blogs I started to follow and last week she posted an interesting letter to the guy whose date she observed from a distance. Check out Notes I Took While Watching Your Date.

Carol Kilgore wrote an interesting guest post on My First Book blog about people watching, event watching and names that as a writer I found helpful.

My New Followers

I hit over 4,000 followers on twitter last week. How cool is that? Thank you to my tweeps and to my new followers; The Inner Wild Kat & E.K. Espinoza.

Next Weeks Schedule

Monday – Summer: Fact or Fiction – Post #1

Wednesday – Summer: Fact or Fiction – Post #2 & Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Friday – Summer: Fact or Fiction – Reveal Post

Sunday – My Weekly Update

*Tattoo Tuesday will return next week.

My Weekly Update – Write Club, Workers, Watch Out

Published on July 22, 2012July 21, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle15 Comments

WRiTE CLUB

1^st rule of WRiTE CLUB, you can talk about WRiTE CLUB, but just this once. I have been in search of motivation to start writing some short stories and I came across this contest and had to participate. Plus, Fight Club is one of my favorite movies and Tyler Durden is one of my all time favorite movie characters. If you want to learn more about WRiTE CLUB and join the competition, click on the badge to the right. Thanks to our WRiTE Master DL Hammons for creating the opportunity for the WRiTE of the Century. First WRiTE is held on July 30^th. Bring it on.*

*Get it? I am replacing the word Fight with the word WRiTE. Pretty clever, huh?

“F–k off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let… lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.” Tyler Durden

Workers

I wanted to give a special shout out this week to some of the people who are putting in work for me. Your simple click of a button has been so valuable to me and I want to say thank you.

First, a few of my diligent Tribemates – If you aren’t on Triberr, what are you waiting for?