No, I’m not NaNo-ing.

November 4, 2021.Reading time 5 minutes.

If you’ve been here a while, you know I have a complicated relationship with “NaNoWriMo,” the shorthand for National Novel Writing Month. The premise of this event/challenge is simple enough: write 50K words in the month of November. When I “lost” in 2015, I actually did learn quite a bit about myself and my writing […]

My 2021 Word, and Some New Years Thoughts

December 29, 2020.Reading time 16 minutes.

Since 2015, in lieu of the standard “goals and resolutions,” I have picked a word for my year. It serves as a touchpoint or a north star — a simple, comprehensive reminder of where I’m trying to go and what I’m trying to do in that year (and ideally beyond). My past Words of the […]

Perhaps NaNoWriMo and I should Break Up.

November 30, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

This is the tenth year in a row I’ve tried and failed. When I try to force myself to write under fictitious pressure, it’s bad. It’s not fun. Writing should be hard work, but it should still be joyful.

How Taco Bell Changed My Outlook on Writing

February 28, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

OH HEY, I HAVE A NEW ESSAY PUBLISHED. Let’s just get that very, very important bit o’ news out of the way. That’s right, my creative non-fiction/memoir essay titled “The Bell Rings, or Four Key Life Moments in a Taco Bell” has been included in Volume 2 of Taco Bell Quarterly. What is TBQ? How […]

This Year, I Rebel.

October 28, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I honestly can’t remember the first time I tried NaNoWriMo. I think it was in 2004, which would make this the 15th year I make an attempt. Now, I’ll be honest – most of those attempts have gone exactly nowhere. Some I’m pretty sure I quit on day one with less than 1,000 words. Others […]

Closing Patreon (For Now)

September 26, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I say “for now” because while I don’t intend to go back to Patreon again, I have been known to change my mind once or twice (or thrice…). But yes, it’s true. I’m closing my Patreon page. I wrote a much longer note to my subscribers about it, but I know some folks here have […]

What Do I WANT To Write?

August 26, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

This is a large, looming question in my life. I find myself staring it down constantly, not just when working on pieces for my Patreon (now closed) or chipping away at my two in-process novels, but especially when I stare at this blog and website. Ever since I began blogging, I’ve tried to create some […]

Towards A New Ending

July 12, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

“You can’t go back to the beginning. But you can start anew from where you are and write a new ending.” I don’t know if that’s the exact quote, but it’s close, and it’s the sentiment I want to convey today as I do a quick little refresh on some segments of my websites and […]

On Losing NaNoWriMo (Again)

November 30, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

I know what you’re thinking. “Colette! It’s November 30! You could still finish!“ Y’all, I am not writing 34,285 words today. Because, yes, that’s what it would take for me to get to the minimum 50,000 words to declare myself a “winner.” Which means that even in a year when I felt more prepared, more […]

Happy Apostrophe Season!

November 12, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

It’s that time of year again, when you’re forcing your family into matching maroon plaid shirts and jeans and trying to figure out where in your town there’s a decent enough backdrop for a picture where everyone is hopefully maybe looking normal-ish so you can send it to all your loved ones… IT’S HOLIDAY CARD […]

Colette Marie Murphy

Category: My Writing Life