Welcome to HEA Writing Week 2023! We are so excited to kick off this week (and NaNoWriMo) and get everyone writing.
What is HEA Writing Week?
‘Happily Ever After’ Writing Week, or HEA Writing Week, is 5 days of writing tips, activities, and events to help you write a romance novel. From Monday, October 30th to Friday, November 3rd, a daily newsletter will arrive to your inbox with themed blog content and activities to keep you on track to complete your writing goals (Subscribe to the Newsletter here). Then you can head over to the Write for Harlequin Facebook Community to chat with other writers about your progress!
Wherever you are on your writing journey, we welcome you to join in!
To kick off HEA, we wanted to focus on creating writing goals for the week (or the month!) and how you can bring them to fruition. Many writers are filled to the brim with ideas, but when it comes to turning those ideas into written pages, you’re going to need a plan. It can be hard to find the time and discipline to create a consistent writing routine, but we’ve got some tips to help lead you towards success.
Find a time that works best for your life:
Every day is different, but if you can set the same writing time aside each day or a few times a week, it becomes easier for it to become a part of your routine without even thinking. Whether it’s early morning, over lunch, or in the evening, whatever time creates consistency, is the best time to write.
Add your writing time to your calendar:
By putting your writing time into your daily planner or to-do list, it makes your routine feel a little more official. By scheduling it in like you would an appointment or event, you’re more likely to keep the appointment with your writing desk.
Set a word count goal:
The idea of writing 50,000+ words in a month is an overwhelming thought for many people. By breaking it down into smaller daily goals, it makes the task feel more achievable. Having a minimum word count for each day or schedule writing session can motivate you to put pen to paper and feel good for meeting your goals.
Have a plan for writer’s block:
Writer’s block is common and can zap your motivation. These tactics may help you move forward. Take a walk, change your writing location, or work on a different hobby for a while to free up some brain space. If you prefer to work through a writer’s block, go back to your plot or character notes and see if you can develop your ideas more to by-pass the problem.
Join a writing group:
Whether you’re looking for inspiration or accountability on writing, a writer’s group is a great place to start. Join like-minded romance writers over on the Write for Harlequin Facebook Community!
Reading Material:
Before you head into today’s writing activity (down below!), here is some inspiration from our authors and tips from our editors to set your HEA Writing Week journey off on the right foot.
Don’t Worry, Just Write! – Write for Harlequin
Advice from Harlequin Authors – “Never Give Up!”
Advice from Harlequin Authors – “Keep Writing & Keep Learning”.
A Romance-Writing Reminder: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff! – Write for Harlequin
Today’s Challenge:
In a recent Roadmap to Writing Romance post, we covered the 5 questions that you should ask yourself before starting to write your romance novel. Your challenge for today is to answer these 5 questions and share your top goals with the Write for Harlequin Community on today’s post.
Looking for more of a challenge? To get your writing wheels turning before NaNoWriMo kicks off on Wednesday, write 500-1000 words on what you hope to accomplish this week or year with your writing.
