November 1st is only a weekend away. One more weekend to prepare for the insanity that is about to befall me and other writers across the country. I heard about it on college but had forgotten about it until I started following Replendence and Ishana encouraged me to give it a shot. So I will.
To help me reorder my thoughts, here’s my checklist for the weekend:
1. Get things situated with work.
So far, everything that I can do ahead of time for November is ready to go. All I have to do is study up again on each lesson before I teach each week.
2. Buy tea.
And lots of it. Darjeeling for the morning. Earl Grey for the afternoon. More Darjeeling for at night.
3. Write all ideas down in the story’s journal.
I have one for every major work–and another one for unassociated observations as I notice them. They contain everything about the world from characters and relationships to the subtleties of the culture I’m working with. If I think it, it gets jotted down. And if I change my mind later, it’s just like the US Constitution: things are updated, not removed. That way, I can see where I’ve been. There are still LOTS of things to ponder and jot down before I start…
4. Assemble some good playlists to write to.
Soundtracks are one of the best methods for ordering mood music. I have a playlist for every type of mood I could need: happy, contemplative, sad, tragic, menacing, etc. They make a world of difference as I get into the moods of my characters.
5. Keep priorities in the right place.
While I would love to write every waking moment of the day, keeping my priorities straight is vital. (As a teenager, I would find myself in moods where I literally wrote every waking moment of the day besides during dinner.) So as I dive into this, I need to make sure I know what needs to come before writing–like housework, work, and spending time with the people I love–and keep those things first.
I think those are all the things I need to do. I suppose I’ll see as the weekend continues. Undoubtedly, there’s something I’ve forgotten…
If you’re still on the fence about participating, take a look at Ishana’s thoughts on how it can improve you as a writer. She may end up convincing you too.
The Everyday Epic 
Only one word sums up my thoughts: Yay!
Tea sounds like a terrific idea. I currently only have a stock of decaffeinated green tea (my body doesn’t handle caffeine well). Perhaps I’ll try Darjeeling.
: ) Thanks for encouraging me!
Darjeeling is nice and strong, and it should come in decaf. I know Twinning’s Irish Breakfast tea comes in decaf for sure. At least, it does here. Oh, and if you want something unusual to go with cheese or pears or something salty, try lapsang souchong. It’s unusually smokey and great with a touch of cream and some sugar. (And, believe me, you want at least some cream to tone it down!)