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MIGHTY PEN: A. B. Henderson

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Wow! Another newbie! Congrats, A.B. Henderson! You pulled off your first NaNo win, and we’re so glad to have you here for the Mighty Pens this year. Hope we didn’t scare you off. 😉 Way to go on your 50,186 words. Just your title “Teacups and Curses” has us hooked!

Check A.B. out on Twitter and pester her into coming back next year, too!

Is this your first time winning NaNo?

Yes.

Have you participated in the Mighty Pens before?

No.

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I was determined to win Nanowrimo this year (for my third attempt), and the fundraiser was for such a good cause, I thought it would help motivate me. And it did!

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

It was sometimes frustrating just trying to get my brain to focus. Sometimes it took a lot just to achieve my writing goal for the day, but I got there in the end.

I feel like this month has helped me develop a solid writing habit, which I hope to continue doing more regularly, and not just for one crazy month every year.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

I love how much of a mess it is, and I have lots of ideas to clean it up during editing.

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2022?

Don’t worry so much about the word count. Just make sure that you are enjoying the story, and the words themselves. It’s ok to take your time, just keep writing.

Congrats again, A.B.! Keep up the great work and we hope to see you around next year!

MIGHTY PEN: Sevannah Storm

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PROBABLY our last Mighty Pen (we keep saying it but y’all keep proving us wrong–keep it up!!) is Sevannah Storm, clocking in for November at 50,117 words! THAT’S AMAZING. It was great to see her involved in the social aspects of the Mighty Pens this year, and also to help cheer her on in her writing goals. Congratulations!!

Find Sevannah on Twitter or her Website.

 

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

Searching for support.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

My muse abandoned me. Donating for the first time and secret santa milestone gifts.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

“Leaving him settled like lead in the pit of her stomach. Between the remnants of sinusitis and unfulfilled sexual tension, she wasn’t able to sift through her emotions without bias.”

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Don’t give up, aim higher than 1667 words per day, and exchange milestone gifts with writer friends.

 

 

That quote is gold, Sevannah, and I hope it ended up being a rewarding NaNo for you! So glad you joined the Mighty Pens 🙂

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-Kat

MIGHTY PEN: Courtney Brown

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I’m very excited to introduce a couple more of our Mighty Pens winners for 2020! It is THE BEST to see everyone winning, reaching their goals, and telling 2020 to go suck it (my words, not Courtney’s). 

You can find Courtney on NaNo!

 

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I had already planned on doing NaNo this year, and I loved that the Mighty Pens meant that my writing would also raise money for a good cause.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

It was frustrating to not make as much progress with my draft as I had hoped, but I’m trying to stay positive because I still have a lot more done than I had before.

It was really rewarding to focus so much on my novel. Even though I was exhausted at times from balancing school, work, and writing, I really love what I’m working on, and NaNo pushed me to dedicate time to it.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

It’s hard to choose a favorite part, because I love my NaNo project so much! But it’s been really fun writing my main character and seeing her voice come to life.

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Don’t care so much about the 30-day streak badge. While it was a great motivator for writing consistently, it can also be helpful to take a day off to recharge. I also hope to get more involved with the Mighty Pens community.

 

 

We hope to see you for the next NaNo & Mighty Pens too! It’s really inspiring to see how we can make such a difference personally and together. Thanks for joining us, Courtney!

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-Kat

MIGHTY PEN: Megan Miller

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Last but definitely not least, our Blog Posting Potentate (yes I wanted a p-word) Megan Miller! She has been on top of coordinating all the updates, making entries and keeping us on schedule. The Mighty Pens runs on volunteers and we’re very grateful for her!

Find Megan on NaNoWriMo / Twitter / Instagram.

You’ve already heard how she overcame COVID, which makes it even more impressive that she joined the ranks of the Mightiest Pens! Here’s some more about how she did it.

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I’m trying to get more involved in the writing community and this seemed like an awesome opportunity to do just that!

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

Well, dealing with COVID-19 was kind of a weird struggle. Overall, though, it was a really good year for me. And finishing a little early always makes me feel pretty good haha. Meeting new writing friends definitely put this year above the rest.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

Not gonna lie, I love the romance in this story. It’s a lot different than ones I’ve written before and I can’t wait to make it into something really special. I also am so excited for the vibes of this story. My vision for it is to be really dark and visceral and I can’t wait to really dive into the story and my main character’s voice.

Here’s a single quote that kind of sums up where my story is going:

“We die together.”

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Find a story you really love and can sink your teeth into. It makes all the difference. AND SPRINT WITH FRIENDS. I am never sprinting alone again hahaha.

Sprinting isn’t limited to November, folks! It’s never too late to keep going. Thank you, Megan, and we can’t wait to see where that story goes!

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~AbigailFair

MIGHTY PEN: Lizzy McCormick

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We’re so proud of all our Mighty Pens this year! Way to go, Lizzy, for crushing your goals!

Follow Lizzy McCormick on NaNoWriMo and Twitter for more shenanigans!

Keep reading for a few words to give you hope for the future. And a really good writing tip!

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

Sooz talked so highly about the Mighty Pens in the past, and after hearing what she went through with childbirth, I was eager to help contribute words and donations.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

Frustrating: I still haven’t written an ending; I always get caught up with the middle. Rewarding: connecting with so many other writers!

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

The danger isn’t in the imagining, the vision of what could be, it’s letting yourself believe in the impossible dream. I’ve had a strong enough dose of reality to counteract my ability to hope.

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Write a small blurb for where you want the scene to go at the bottom of your page so it’s always there to reference as you write.

 

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That is some amazing advice, Lizzy! Congrats again!

– Megan

MIGHTY PEN: Katelyn Shacklock

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Another first-time NaNo winner! We are so excited to so many of your crushing your goals and doing hard work.

Follow Katelyn Shacklock on NaNoWriMo and Twitter for some fun adventures!

You won’t want to miss Katelyn’s advice and awesome excerpt.

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I have had an idea for a story for ~6 years now, and I just needed some accountability. I tried doing NaNoWriMo before, when I first had the idea and I made it maybe 25k words before just working on the project sporadically since then. But I think this story could be really good, I just need to actually focus on it, and that’s what the Mighty Pens helped me do!

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

I don’t think there was anything frustrating actually. I felt much more confident in my story this time, which is essentially a re-write of what I had before. Turns out you forget things working on something only occasionally over six years… So sitting down, writing every day, and actually getting something that makes more sense was super amazing and rewarding. I am super pumped and proud of myself right now.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

Hmmm… I was pretty excited with the last few words I wrote. I was finally able to introduce some lore and a prophecy to the story. It actually finally gave me a tentative title. This story has been completely untitled for 6 years! I even called it “Untitled: The Re-Write” for NaNo this year…

Here’s a small excerpt from what I did tonight:

There is a prophecy about you. It is rumored that The Goddess herself made it when she learned of Queen Lareia’s treachery. The gifts were not hers to give and The Goddess punished her for it, then disappeared.

“Are you going to tell me the prophecy?” Ali asked, not sure if she wanted to know.

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

More prep! I mean, I am mostly a pantser and not a planner, but knowing my characters better makes it easier for me to write, so I can at least prepare by getting to know my characters before November! Also, maybe I should start planning now…

 

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Keep going, Katelyn! We believe in you and can’t wait to see where the rest of your story takes you.

– Megan

MIGHTY PEN: Sasha Kielman

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HUGE congratulations to a first time NaNo winner!

Follow Sasha Kielman on NaNoWriMo for winning inspiration and keep up with her journey on Twitter, too!

Keep reading to learn more about how Sasha overcame NaNo struggles with the support of her fellow Mighty Pens!

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I heard about the Mighty Pens through Susan Dennard’s newsletter. As soon as I decided to commit to NaNoWriMo this year, I knew I wanted to be part of such a special group.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

It was frustrating for me to come down with a migraine the first week, which halted my writing progress for a few days. But I was able to make up for it in the end, with the Mighty Pens’ support! Overall it was a great month and I feel so proud of what all of the Mighty Pens were able to achieve, both writing and fundraising!

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

I’m really proud of how it all came together in the end, and how real my characters feel to me. My favorite scene is one in which my main character meets an Oracle–and must face her fears to uncover some truths.

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Trust yourself and your instincts! You did this once and you can do it again.

 

We love seeing Mighty Pens success stories and we’re so happy we were able to cheerlead you to victory, Sasha!

– Megan

MIGHTY PEN: CJ Listro

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There are so many great writers and fun stories out there this year! Congrats to another NaNo winner! You are awesome!

Follow CJ Listro on NaNoWriMo and keep up with her journey on Twitter, too!

Some pretty good advice in here, keep reading until the end.

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

I wanted to help out Sooz and a great organization.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

Frustrating was when I got to the end but the story wasn’t ready yet.

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

I love my eccentric prince!

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Start fundraising earlier and be bold.

 

Closing remarks

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Yay, CJ! We love eccentric princes, too, and can’t wait to hear more about yours someday!

– Megan

MIGHTY PEN: Samantha Flicker

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WOW! Another Mighty Pen! And we have to say, just based on one of the answers below, this novel sounds awesome! Way to go, Samantha!

You follow Samantha Flicker on NaNoWriMo for some winning inspiration (I mean, 79k!!!) or on Twitter to follow her writing journey the rest of the year!

Now on to the proof that writing buddy peer pressure is a good thing 😉

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

Amy Ripley!

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

I kept bugging people to donate on social media, but no one did. I felt bad I didn’t bring in any money 🙁

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

All of my chapter titles are slang phrases from the 1920s, which tickles me to no end. Nothing like having a chapter titled “Lousy with a Guy” or “The Bank’s Closed.”

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

Don’t worry so much about the historic details in the first draft. You can use placeholders so you don’t lose writing time going on a deep dive through the history of RVs.

 

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Congrats again, Samantha! We hope Amy can trick into coming back again next year!

– Megan

MIGHTY PEN: Liz Griffin

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Big congratulations to another NaNoWriMo winner! This may not be her first time winning, but every year that she write 50k is a huge success in our book.

Follow Liz Griffin on NaNoWriMo or on Instagram to keep up with her current reads and writing process.

We all have years that are a struggle, but the important thing is putting in the work! Keep reading to learn more about Liz’s journey this year.

What made you want to join the Mighty Pens this year?

Needing more community since my local NaNo group couldn’t meet; wanting to learn from Susan.

What was a frustrating part of NaNo/the Mighty Pens this year? What was rewarding?

Learning curve of discord, difficulty in other life areas that bled over and kept me from enjoying NaNo, tempering my own expectations after doing so well last year

What’s currently your favorite part of your NaNo project? 

None. It needs so much work 😭

What advice would you give yourself for NaNoWriMo/the Mighty Pens 2021?

For myself: you won’t be able to write 100k every year on every project. Keep your head down and don’t pay attention to others’ milestones.

 

 

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Congrats again, Liz! We can’t wait to hear more about your story when you’re ready to dive into revisions!

– Megan

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