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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

NaNoWriMo

nanowrimo books

What Is This NaNoWriMo Thing All About?

I blame MSN Messenger. Well, maybe it was my friend who used the messenger as the conduit for her crazy idea.  Okay, so it wasn't exactly her crazy idea, but she did tell me about it. Millions of people writing fifty-thousand words in thirty days.  During the month of November.  Yep, November--you Continue Reading

2020 nanowrimo parody

Winking, Blinking, Nod(ing): A 2020 NaNoWriMo Parody

It happens every year... the annual NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) parody. I've done a few of these, of course! The Night before Nano (A "T'was the Night Before Christmas" parody) The Raven (as in Poe's, of course) Tease (as in Joyce Kilmer's "Trees") Till November (A "My Continue Reading

All the Preparation in the World Won't Write It for You

All the Preparation in the World Won’t Write It for You

Anne Shirley once said, "I am so glad that I live in a world where there are Octobers." Well, I happen to agree with her. Here in America, though, October isn't just a month full of harvests and pumpkins, crisp autumn nights and vibrant trees.  October is that month.  You know the one... The Continue Reading

When Your Novel Is Awful, Shovel A Little Death into It

When Your Novel Is Awful, Shovel a Little Death into It

I made this video the other night.  It says it all.  I’ll wait while you have a laugh at my expense. … … … Yeah.  So after I finished with that, I did just what I said.  I went for the classic NaNoWriMo scene generation ploy… The Traveling Shovel of Death.  This little bit of NaNo Continue Reading

The Best Formula for Destroying Beloved Poetry in 3 Easy Steps

The Best Formula for Destroying Beloved Poetry in 3 Easy Steps

It happens every year. I get an idea, and I run with it--a parody to celebrate the coming of NaNoWriMo--the national novel writing month.  This is when crazies like me decide to write 50,000 words in 30 days--during the Thanksgiving holidays, no less. Now really, for me, that's not a lot of Continue Reading

NaNo's Raven

NaNo’s Raven Is Rapping:

It's become a habit of mine to write a parody of different poems or stories as a prelude to NaNoWriMo each year.  Some I posted on Facebook or private message boards, but you can find two of past years' parodies HERE and HERE.  This year, I played with Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven."  It's not a good Continue Reading

Conquering NaNoWriMo

Conquering NaNoWriMo: How I “Win” Every Year

Just days before November 1, 2006, a friend asked, "Have you seen this NaNoWriMo thing?" My response?  Totally predictable.  "NaNo-what, what?" But, of course, when I heard it was about writing--you know, that "wri" part?--I went to look it up. And signed up.  Needed a book idea.  I went Continue Reading

Night Before Nano

Night Before NaNo: A parody

It's that time!  Time for this year's NaNoWriMo poem! T'was the Night before NaNo T'was the eve before NaNo And all through the house We were frantically cleaning-- Even my spouse. The blue bowl was filled With candy to spare In hopes that costumed darlings Soon would be there. The Continue Reading

Just One More…

I promise I won't turn this into a "woe is me" blog. There was a question on the NaNoWriMo forums tonight.  I often don't get involved in discussions there, but this one tugged at me.  The question that prompted the discussion was a simple one.  "Anyone else just not... feeling it?" I thought Continue Reading

Camp NaNoWriMo!

Tomorrow I climb on the cyber bus to Camp NaNoWriMo.  Well... for me it is almost today.  I'll be starting at 12:00:01. Here, I'll join my other campers around the campfire and swat at the mosquitoes that try to suck the life from our stories.  I'm sure there'll be a few letters written "home" (i.e. Continue Reading

What If…

The glass is just a glass?  What if it isn't half anything?  I mean, it was a nice little object lesson once upon a time.  Now it's just annoying.  I hate it when people ask me if I see life with a half full or half empty glass. Wanna know the truth?  I don't see it either way.  It's life, not a Continue Reading

For example, while writing Meddlin' Madeline, I al For example, while writing Meddlin' Madeline, I always play @AdamGSwanson on YouTube so I can stay in touch with her favorite music: Ragtime (I still have CDs of his to use for giveaways with Looks Can Kill. Must get that written. Stay tuned for more about THAT.
While writing Be My Inspiration, I listened to every love song I could stomach (they get old fast. I don't know how Linus does it). I even listened to Taylor Swift's old break up songs (again, not my cuppa). But... at least I got to listen to Roger Miller's "That's Why I Love You Like I Do"  Now THAT is a love song.  hee hee.
If I'm in hyper Get-er-done mode, THEN... I put on a Hogwarts Pomodoro study session and type like the wind. Or get on Discord and join a few writing sprints.  It all depends.
If you have a question you want me to answer, leave it in the comments OR... zip me an email at chautona@chautona.com.  I'll try to work them in (and will probably combine those that are really similar.
#AuthorLife
#WriterLife
#AuthorsOfInstagram
#CharacterDevelopment
#AmWriting
Ever notice how you best know yourself--and know y Ever notice how you best know yourself--and know yourself the least?  We humans are weird that way. Sometimes I think the Lord allows us to be blind to parts of ourselves for a time so as not to drive us too crazy too quickly. Or something.
Characters most like me are hard because they're so very convicting to write AND... because I don't usually know it's me until that conviction its.  I tend to have an idealized picture of who I am until reality strips away those rosy glasses and leaves me with crystal-clear vision.  Blech.
Second to me... I'd say nasty people. They give me such an ick feeling. Sure, it's cathartic... but it's so hard because I want to redeem everyone, and that's just unrealistic and frankly, arrogant.  So... there you have it.
If you have a question you want me to answer, leave it in the comments OR... zip me an email at chautona@chautona.com.  I'll try to work them in (and will probably combine those that are really similar.
#AuthorLife
#WriterLife
#AuthorsOfInstagram
#CharacterDevelopment
#AmWriting
Okay, it's actually a short story, but... IYKYK. Okay,  it's actually a short story, but... IYKYK.
#AmWriting
Going nuts over here waiting for yet ANOTHER Lord Going nuts over here waiting for yet ANOTHER Lord Edgington by @benedictbrownauthor novel. Sigh. I dont think this is what Solomon was talking about when he said, "A virtuous woman, who can find?"
Clearly,  he wasn't talking about me, considering the whole patience being a virtue thing.
Sigh
#AmWaiting
#AmNotReading
#ChrissysFanClub
Life as a podcaster... #AmRecording #BecauseFictio Life as a podcaster...
#AmRecording
#BecauseFiction
Sometimes, things just combine in a way that make Sometimes,  things just combine in a way that makes my heart sing. Today, @archerandolive knocked it out of the park. I think this might be 3 different collections in a journal from a sub box. Well done, guys.
#journalsupplies 
#journaling 
#ArcherAndOlive
One of the best things I did for my prayer life wa One of the best things I did for my prayer life was to learn to "pray on the page." So glad the Lord showed me that. Seeing answered prayer weeks, months, even years later... so cool.
#Journaling
#PrayerJournal
#ArcherAndOlive
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