Halloween, Daylight Savings and NaNoWriMo — oh my!

This MAY be my favourite weekend of the whole year.

It kicks off today with a costume party at my school, and then of course, tomorrow is Halloween. 

I’m trick-or-treating with some friends, and then going home to help Mom hand out candy. Dad is taking Amelia out this year—lucky him. <eye roll>

Saturday night, we roll the clocks back! Yup, it’s Daylight Savings and for SOME of you, that means an extra hour of sleep. Not me. I plan to use that hour to get a head start on National Novel Writing Month (AKA: NaNoWriMo) I have my outline drafted, my characters selected, and my research done. I am READY to start writing.

Remember, throughout November, I’ll be putting up new blog posts EVERY day with writing tips to help you cross the NaNoWriMo finish line. Need a writing partner? Email me at chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com or leave a comment below. We can be NaNoWriMo buddies.

Gotta jet! Have a SAFE and HAPPY Halloween. And may the words be with you!

— Chase Superman Duffy

Will you be NaNoWriMo-ing?

National Novel Writing Month is right around the corner, and this year, I am the most prepared I have ever been!

Obviously I won’t write 50,000 words over the month of November, but I have set my target at 5,000—that’s just 167 words per day. Easy, right?

Well, it’s definitely easier than writing 50,000 words, but it still requires some planning. Which is why this weekend, I am taking time to OUTLINE my story. I’ve already come up with a cool character (an everyday superhero), and I’ve figured out where I’m going to set my story (Canada, obviously!). Now for the details—the beginning, middle, and the end. I already have some ideas.

On Sunday, I’m going out to buy my new notebook and a couple pens. I can hardly wait to get started!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Keep an eye on my blog for the whole month—I’ll be re-posting the writing tips from last year’s A-Z Blogging Challenge, every day but Fridays. (Friday will be my regular blog posts…)

Gotta jet! If you’re gearing up for NaNoWriMo this year, may the words be with you!

— Chase Superman Duffy

A new word a day…

...keeps writer’s block at bay!


OK, maybe not exactly, but it’s a proven fact that the better your vocabulary, the better your writing will be. So what better way to celebrate Dictionary Day (that’s today!) than to start adding words to your writing arsenal?

What IS Dictionary Day? It was founded to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Noah Webster, the father of the modern dictionary. You probably have one or two of these in your house.

Wait, you don’t?! That’s crazy! Lucky for you, Webster took his Dictionary on line: http://www.merriam-webster.com/  There’s even this super cool quiz to test the your vocabulary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/quiz/index.htm 

How did you do? Looks like * I * have some work to do.

When you see a word you don’t know, do you look it up? I challenge you to start today! You never know when you might need to use it in a sentence, right?

Gotta jet! Have an amazing weekend.

— Chase Superman Duffy

Curiouser and curiouser...

You probably think my blog has been turned into an ode to Alice in Wonderland since I’ve used the quote “curiouser and curiouser” two weeks in a row. 

Well, it IS one of my favourite books EVER—but today is actually Curiosity Day.

And really, is there anyone more famously curious than Alice?

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice’s curiosity leads her to a great adventure—which is pretty much the reason we should ALL be curious. 

Curious people not only have more active minds (according to my teacher, Mrs. Kratky) but they have more fun learning, they’re never bored, and they have awesome imaginations. Which is good for me, since I love to write.

Speaking of writing, that’s how I plan to spend my Thanksgiving weekend. Aside from eating all of the fantastic food and spending time with relatives, of course. (Pumpkin pie!) I have a new story I’m working on.

How about you? What are you doing this weekend? How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Answer in the comments—I’m really CURIOUS to know.

Gotta jet! Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble. 

— Chase Superman Duffy

We're all mad here!

You know what book (or movie) that quote is from, right?

Come on… Curiouser, and curiouser? Drink Me? I’m late! I’m late!

Yep, you guessed it. Those are all quotes from one of my favourite books, Alice in Wonderland. There’s a reason that story has stood the test of time—Lewis Carroll’s classic celebrates its 150^th anniversary this year!—it’s just SO imaginative.

I mean, there are talking animals (rabbits and caterpillars!), a Queen that chops off people’s heads and PAINTS her roses red, and a crazy tea party with the coolest character of them all—the Mad Hatter. Did you know that Oct. 6 is actually Mad Hatter Day? Cool, right?

Not surprising, Alice in Wonderland is also one of the most re-told stories in all of children’s literature. Don’t believe me? Check out this cool list!  Looks like I have some (more) reading to do!

If I were to write an Alice in Wonderland re-telling, it would focus on the Mad Hatter, of course. What about you? Who is your favourite character?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.

— Chase Superman Duffy