I completed my first ever NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) as a winner! (Click here if you have no idea what NaNoWriMo is.) That's right, I wrote 50,000 words in the month of November. However, I feel my victory comes with an asterisk next to it. Not that I feel that diminishes my accomplishment, or even matters, but to some purists, it might. You see, I abandoned the novel I was working on after three weeks. It wasn't working, and continued writing wouldn't fix it. Everything needed reworking - not only was it spinning in circles, but it was also boring the pants off of me, which is unacceptable. Since replotting wasn't going to happen while I worked towards my 50K word goal, I decided to take the last week and 10K or so words and focus on writing a few short stories, something I've neglected to do for far too long.
That decision was the best thing for me. I finished three short stories that I think, with some editing, will have a pretty good chance of selling, something I can't say with the novel I was working on. Maybe someday I'll revisit the idea and give the plot a complete makeover, but I don't think that'll happen for awhile. I'll let the stink of it's current form flush from my mind first. Anyway, even if 10K or so words actually went towards short stories instead of a novel, at least they're still words of fiction that I can put to market. I feel that overrides everything else.
I'm not sure what my previous month-best output for words is, but I know it's never been over 45K words. For this reason, NaNoWriMo was a complete success. I now know I can pound out 50K words in a month. I just proved it. And, if I had an outline I was in love with, I could have done it much quicker than I did (I crossed the finish line on the absolute last day - November 30). Also, I learned again (someday I'll learn for good) that I can't write without a complete outline. I had the beginning and some of the middle done by November 1st, and I figured once I hit that spot, I'd be able to continue with no problem. Nope. I had no idea where I was going, and I didn't like it one bit. So not only did I "win" with word count, I also won with more information on myself, which is helpful. Besides, you never know; maybe some day those three short stories I penned to help me cross the finish line will end up in a novel compilation of short stories. When or if that happens, I can take the asterisk away for good. Not that it bothers me now ...
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Quick NaNoWriMo Update #1
I'm in full swing on NaNoWriMo (you know, the November event where writers type or pen 50,000 words between the 1st and the 30th), and though it's only four days in (it's the morning of the 5th, so I'm not counting today yet), I'm on track to "win." I currently have 6968 words, which is just a few hundred or so above the required daily amount. If one were to write 1667 words a day, they'd get the required 50K by the end of November, and that's what I'm shooting for. I'm not one who can knock out 3 or 4 thousand words a day - a big day for me is 2000, and when I write without the challenge, I probably average closer to 12 or 13 hundred words a day. But this month I will get the 1667 each day. After all, I've already purchased my NaNoWriMo Winner shirt. What better way to make sure I stay on track, right? I'd look awful silly with one of those shirts and no 50,000 words.
I'm actually writing this book in a different way than I normally do. I'm outlining, but the outline isn't complete, and I'm working on it as I write. I'll talk more about my process this time when the event is over. For now, I'm going to focus on the book, which I've given the working title of Saviorville. If you'd like to follow my word count throughout the month, see my synopsis and sample of the book, and/or buddy up with me for this fun writing challenge, go ahead and click on this link for my official NaNoWriMo profile. Good luck to everyone participating!
I'm actually writing this book in a different way than I normally do. I'm outlining, but the outline isn't complete, and I'm working on it as I write. I'll talk more about my process this time when the event is over. For now, I'm going to focus on the book, which I've given the working title of Saviorville. If you'd like to follow my word count throughout the month, see my synopsis and sample of the book, and/or buddy up with me for this fun writing challenge, go ahead and click on this link for my official NaNoWriMo profile. Good luck to everyone participating!
Monday, October 7, 2013
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
Every writer knows about National Novel Writing Month (usually known as NaNoWriMo or, more simply, NaNo). Even if they don't participate, they do know about it. Social media has seen to that. I'd been one of those who watched posts of writers every November telling of their NaNo experiences, but come time, I had always either been in the middle of another project, or too far away from starting a new one. So while it was a big deal in the writing community, I never joined.
Before I go any further, I probably should explain in case there are some out there who don't know what NaNoWriMo is, despite my earlier claim. The month of November is set aside for writing a novel, defined by the event as a work over 50,000 words. Okay, so it's more a novella at that length, but it's still a lofty goal. There are rules for those serious about taking up the official NaNoWriMo challenge, so if you want to know more, head over to the National Novel Writing Month website to learn more.
As I said, I've never tried before. I usually take about two months or so to get my first drafts done, so getting one out in a month is a lofty goal, indeed. I've never seen the point in rushing; I'd rather stick to my own style. But, having said that, because NaNo is such a big deal in the world of writing, I feel I should attempt it at least once. And since I have a project about ready to start, and I feel it fits in well with the format of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to give it a whirl this year.
The project I'm working on is my most ambitious yet. I have three young adult books under my belt, but this time I'm stepping out of the young adult speculative fiction genre to tackle an adult speculative fiction book. It has a number of different POV characters that will all be facing different individual challenges throughout the book that will all meet near the end to bring the story together and then to a close. I've always started on page one and continued straight through the story until I reached the end, but this time I'm going to tackle it a little bit differently. I'm going to write each of the POV characters' parts individually in the first draft, and then when I finish, in my editing phase, I'll intertwine them throughout to create the vision I have. If I do it right, I think this could be a powerful story. And if not? Well, we authors always have that question in mind before we start, don't we?
So what does that have to do with me thinking this format fits NaNo well? If I hit 50k words before the end of the month, I'll have a few fully-formed stories that I'll be happy to call complete. I will, of course, keep working hard to finish the entire thing, but as long as I finish the month with the word count over 50k, I'll consider myself a winner. Since I write with pen and paper instead of a computer, I don't believe I can officially "win" NaNoWriMo anyway (from what I can tell, an author needs to enter the manuscript into the website's official word count calculator to "win," and I won't have anything to enter), so I'm doing it all for the unofficial experience. I'm fine with that. I'm excited about this project I'm working on, so this will get my pen moving faster. That's all that matters!
I've signed up on the official National Novel Writing Month website, and, while I haven't really looked into everything too carefully yet, I understand people can follow and friend each other on it. If you'd like to do that with me, I signed up as Eric J. Krause. (Aren't I original and clever?) So feel free to add or friend or whatever me. Good luck to all involved! Hopefully many of us will get working novels out of the experience!
Before I go any further, I probably should explain in case there are some out there who don't know what NaNoWriMo is, despite my earlier claim. The month of November is set aside for writing a novel, defined by the event as a work over 50,000 words. Okay, so it's more a novella at that length, but it's still a lofty goal. There are rules for those serious about taking up the official NaNoWriMo challenge, so if you want to know more, head over to the National Novel Writing Month website to learn more.
As I said, I've never tried before. I usually take about two months or so to get my first drafts done, so getting one out in a month is a lofty goal, indeed. I've never seen the point in rushing; I'd rather stick to my own style. But, having said that, because NaNo is such a big deal in the world of writing, I feel I should attempt it at least once. And since I have a project about ready to start, and I feel it fits in well with the format of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to give it a whirl this year.
The project I'm working on is my most ambitious yet. I have three young adult books under my belt, but this time I'm stepping out of the young adult speculative fiction genre to tackle an adult speculative fiction book. It has a number of different POV characters that will all be facing different individual challenges throughout the book that will all meet near the end to bring the story together and then to a close. I've always started on page one and continued straight through the story until I reached the end, but this time I'm going to tackle it a little bit differently. I'm going to write each of the POV characters' parts individually in the first draft, and then when I finish, in my editing phase, I'll intertwine them throughout to create the vision I have. If I do it right, I think this could be a powerful story. And if not? Well, we authors always have that question in mind before we start, don't we?
So what does that have to do with me thinking this format fits NaNo well? If I hit 50k words before the end of the month, I'll have a few fully-formed stories that I'll be happy to call complete. I will, of course, keep working hard to finish the entire thing, but as long as I finish the month with the word count over 50k, I'll consider myself a winner. Since I write with pen and paper instead of a computer, I don't believe I can officially "win" NaNoWriMo anyway (from what I can tell, an author needs to enter the manuscript into the website's official word count calculator to "win," and I won't have anything to enter), so I'm doing it all for the unofficial experience. I'm fine with that. I'm excited about this project I'm working on, so this will get my pen moving faster. That's all that matters!
I've signed up on the official National Novel Writing Month website, and, while I haven't really looked into everything too carefully yet, I understand people can follow and friend each other on it. If you'd like to do that with me, I signed up as Eric J. Krause. (Aren't I original and clever?) So feel free to add or friend or whatever me. Good luck to all involved! Hopefully many of us will get working novels out of the experience!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Book Review: No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
In his book, No Plot? No Problem!, Chris Baty (a founding member of National Novel Writing Month, often known as NaNoWriMo) makes it his entire goal to get the reader excited about writing a book, from a measly idea to an entire 50,000 word first draft, in one month. He uses personal experience, both his own and other NaNoWriMo "winners," to show that this crazy endeavor is entirely possible. And at the end, the reader is going to be so jazzed about this prospect that they're not going to want to wait for November, but are going to want to start the writing month as soon as possible.
At least that was my reaction when I finished the book.
Mr. Baty does an excellent job in both describing why writing a book in 30 days is a hard, labor-intensive process, but is also quite a good way to get the thing done. So many people say they are going to write a novel someday, but they never get around to it. If one takes a 30 or 31-day block (he suggests starting at the beginning of any month) and simply gets started writing, that someday will turn into now. He also explains the benefits of the process itself, and how it can make for better prose. He truly believes that writing a first draft of 50,000 words is the best writing process there is.
Throughout the book, Mr. Baty gives plenty of advice. He goes over what should be done by the writer leading up to the month-long marathon. He gives tips on what each week should entail, as well as outlining the likely moods the writer will feel throughout the process. He talks about what happens when the month is over. He hands out advice on where to find characters, plot, setting, and other basic building blocks of a successful novel. And he gives an abundance of support and enthusiasm, which can be quite catching.
I found myself caught up in this 30-day plan. I've attempted to write books without an outline, and it has never ended well. But Mr. Baty's plan was infectious. I just hadn't tried hard enough, and this time I would not only complete a first draft without an outline, but I'd also do it in a month. That was the plan, but it didn't last a week. I simply couldn't get the words on the page without an outline. So while I abandoned my personal 30-day attempt, I still view this book as a success. I plan to try again, but this time with an outline beforehand. Even if you goal isn't to be a NaNoWriMo winner, there are plenty of tips about motivation and getting words on the page fast to warrant any writer to give this book a look. Give it a read, and I dare you not to be excited about giving a first draft in a month a go yourself.
At least that was my reaction when I finished the book.
Mr. Baty does an excellent job in both describing why writing a book in 30 days is a hard, labor-intensive process, but is also quite a good way to get the thing done. So many people say they are going to write a novel someday, but they never get around to it. If one takes a 30 or 31-day block (he suggests starting at the beginning of any month) and simply gets started writing, that someday will turn into now. He also explains the benefits of the process itself, and how it can make for better prose. He truly believes that writing a first draft of 50,000 words is the best writing process there is.
Throughout the book, Mr. Baty gives plenty of advice. He goes over what should be done by the writer leading up to the month-long marathon. He gives tips on what each week should entail, as well as outlining the likely moods the writer will feel throughout the process. He talks about what happens when the month is over. He hands out advice on where to find characters, plot, setting, and other basic building blocks of a successful novel. And he gives an abundance of support and enthusiasm, which can be quite catching.
I found myself caught up in this 30-day plan. I've attempted to write books without an outline, and it has never ended well. But Mr. Baty's plan was infectious. I just hadn't tried hard enough, and this time I would not only complete a first draft without an outline, but I'd also do it in a month. That was the plan, but it didn't last a week. I simply couldn't get the words on the page without an outline. So while I abandoned my personal 30-day attempt, I still view this book as a success. I plan to try again, but this time with an outline beforehand. Even if you goal isn't to be a NaNoWriMo winner, there are plenty of tips about motivation and getting words on the page fast to warrant any writer to give this book a look. Give it a read, and I dare you not to be excited about giving a first draft in a month a go yourself.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
No Pantsing For Me
At the end of last week, I'd just finished reading a book by the founder of National Novel Writing Month, and I was set to write my own novel with no advanced knowledge of the plot, characters, or anything else. All I had was an idea. The adrenaline rush was supposed to drive me to average 1667 words a day for 30 days. It sounded like fun. I was up for the challenge.
Bear in mind that I've attempted to write novels without outlines before. It's never ended well. I get a few chapters in and the creativity runs dry. It's frustrating to sit at my desk and not know what's coming next. I know many writers love that feeling, but it sucks the fun out of the process for me. And I believe there should be fun in the process. After all, if you, as an author, hate writing the novel, why should a reader enjoy reading it? That level of passion (or lack thereof, in this case) will shine through.
Now, a week after telling myself that this time will be different--this time I'd zip through the story, discovering everything as I go, and have a blast while doing it--reality has set in. The blank page mocks me. My pen sits in my hand, spitting out taunting thoughts, informing me the only ink that will come out will take my story, my characters, and everything about the process, in an entirely wrong direction. It's not fun, and I'm sure my prose back that up. So I'm calling a halt to my personal NaNoWriMo quest.
Do I feel like a failure? Maybe a tiny bit, but to tell you the truth, I feel more victorious than anything. Why? I've discovered, without a shadow of a doubt, what works best for me. I can't write anything longer than a short story from the seat of my pants, but that's okay. I've crafted three novel-length manuscripts using outlines, and I'm proud of all three. I think they're each quite good. (*Massive self-promotion break* You can judge for yourself on one of them--I've self-published Way Over the Line, and you can click here to get it and see if my pride is deserved or not. *Self-promotion break over--you may return to the regularly-scheduled blog post*)
So what's next? I believe in this story that I started, so I'm going to stop writing it and stat plotting. I'm going to flesh out the characters so they'll begin to speak to me. Then, when I can see where everything is going, I'm going to put the words down on paper. And this time I'm going to have fun doing it.
"Nice story," you might be saying. "Thanks for the insight into your writing life, but so what? What does it have to do with me?" No worries, I can tell you what it has to do with you. Learn where your comfort zone is. Discover if you're a plotter or a pantser (or a healthy mix in between). Discover how you write best. Because when it's all said and done, no matter what writing books and your peers say, one way of writing is not superior to any other. The best way to write is whatever works best for you. Try both ways and a combination of both. You'll swing and miss a few times, but once you find the sweet spot, you'll bring joy into your writing. And that's what it's all about. Have fun with the process, and your readers will see that.
Bear in mind that I've attempted to write novels without outlines before. It's never ended well. I get a few chapters in and the creativity runs dry. It's frustrating to sit at my desk and not know what's coming next. I know many writers love that feeling, but it sucks the fun out of the process for me. And I believe there should be fun in the process. After all, if you, as an author, hate writing the novel, why should a reader enjoy reading it? That level of passion (or lack thereof, in this case) will shine through.
Now, a week after telling myself that this time will be different--this time I'd zip through the story, discovering everything as I go, and have a blast while doing it--reality has set in. The blank page mocks me. My pen sits in my hand, spitting out taunting thoughts, informing me the only ink that will come out will take my story, my characters, and everything about the process, in an entirely wrong direction. It's not fun, and I'm sure my prose back that up. So I'm calling a halt to my personal NaNoWriMo quest.
Do I feel like a failure? Maybe a tiny bit, but to tell you the truth, I feel more victorious than anything. Why? I've discovered, without a shadow of a doubt, what works best for me. I can't write anything longer than a short story from the seat of my pants, but that's okay. I've crafted three novel-length manuscripts using outlines, and I'm proud of all three. I think they're each quite good. (*Massive self-promotion break* You can judge for yourself on one of them--I've self-published Way Over the Line, and you can click here to get it and see if my pride is deserved or not. *Self-promotion break over--you may return to the regularly-scheduled blog post*)
So what's next? I believe in this story that I started, so I'm going to stop writing it and stat plotting. I'm going to flesh out the characters so they'll begin to speak to me. Then, when I can see where everything is going, I'm going to put the words down on paper. And this time I'm going to have fun doing it.
"Nice story," you might be saying. "Thanks for the insight into your writing life, but so what? What does it have to do with me?" No worries, I can tell you what it has to do with you. Learn where your comfort zone is. Discover if you're a plotter or a pantser (or a healthy mix in between). Discover how you write best. Because when it's all said and done, no matter what writing books and your peers say, one way of writing is not superior to any other. The best way to write is whatever works best for you. Try both ways and a combination of both. You'll swing and miss a few times, but once you find the sweet spot, you'll bring joy into your writing. And that's what it's all about. Have fun with the process, and your readers will see that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)