Category: NaNoWriMo

The deets: Winning NaNoWriMo requires completing a novel draft of at least 50,000 words during November.

Spoiler: There is no ONE way to win. However, if you do want that winning caché of goodies--otherwise known as bragging rights and fun badges--here are my tips that have helped me win EIGHT times. For those of you unfamiliar with this torturous task, NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit collective that supports and encourages ALL writers and is also known as National Novel Writing Month. I joined a few years back where I found a tribe of writers and a team of support.

Here are five tips to complete the 50,000 words in thirty days. Yes, that is how you WIN.
1. Commit. Announce your project on the site and within any other social media platforms you use.
2. Prepare your space. Choose a time, place, process for writing. This year, since I am teaching from home and not commuting, I was able to get up a little early each day and write for one hour. I type on Scrivener at my writing desk.
3. Gather support. I let people in my writing circles know I've committed, and I seek out those who will encourage me and who I can support. This can be formal social media and Slack type groups, or it can be critique partners who you communicate with daily or weekly.
4. Forgive yourself for failing. This should really be #1 because it is to me so important to let myself fail. Whether that is not meeting a daily goal (1,667 words) or writing crappy words (which is a given), you need to let yourself fall and tell yourself, IT'S OKAY!
5. Celebrate your successes. Some writers fear celebrating their own successes because they worry it's flaunting achievements. Hey, it isn't. Be proud. We're proud of you. Writing is hard, and when we reach goals or feel good about our story, we need to tell the world because, otherwise, it sounds like we are never finding joy.

Those are my five NaNo tips, but they are also my own daily tips. I am lucky to have the space and time to work on my stories everyday. When I return to campus, things may change, or, I might manage to keep up my daily habit. As I say to my students, you do you. Find what works for you, and let it be okay. I'd love to hear about your successes and challenges during this shelter in writing place.

Drop them below, and, as ever, write on!

It’s the middle of NanoWriMo, which means the annual rant is playing in my head. You can’t schedule creativity.

No matter, every day, I find time to get to my keyboard or notebook and log in words. Like pouring flour in the bowl; the ingredients are ready, but the bake is not. Creating is a love-hate relationship. I love creating, but I hate the pressure.

Take this blog, for instance. When I started writing posts for my student writers about craft, I scheduled them weekly. That turned into a burden. I’m a mom and full-time teacher. Plus, I must carve out my own writing time. I tried to write bi-monthly. Then it was monthly. Now…

This is my first post in almost six months.

I felt guilty, but I checked that. Sure, you’re reading this. Thank you. I have about a hundred wonderfully devoted people who read these posts on a regular basis. I want them to be worth your while.

It’s not guilt I’m feeling. It’s that dumb perfection bug. If I’m going to have a blog, I must schedule posts as routine. That’s when I remembered: you can’t schedule creativity.

I don’t want to waste anyone’s time reading about my writing procrastination due to visits from the plumber, drama with my kids, or my ridiculous teaching workload. You don’t need that. You’ve got your own plumber/kids/work issues.

I feel ya.

So let’s make a pact. No scheduling creativity. Instead, let’s focus on scheduling practice. It’s easy to practice creative pursuits; they don’t need to be perfect.

Let’s revise that pact: No handcuffs to perfection. Break free. I give you permission. I give myself permission.

And, hey, I miss you guys. I like talking to you even if you don’t talk back. I know you’re out there, and that warms my heart.

Writing is lonely. Parenting can be lonely. Life can be lonely. Let’s be together. Let’s support each other and give ourselves permission to unscheduled creativity, break free from perfection, and to simply pursue our love of writing.

I’m going to finish my NanoWriMo novel this week. Fifty-thousand words. Some days, I write forty-two words. Today, I wrote 3,742. Who knew? Unscheduled creativity has a way of sneaking up on you. Today it was a kiss, other days, it’s a bite in the butt.

If you Nano, let's be writing buddies. Find me here.

Are you on Twitter? Let's connect about our craft. Follow me @thisgirlclimbs.

That's my story, what's yours?

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why these are my favorite books

12/19/2016

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Everyone has favorites: double chocolate fudge, purple, David Bowie, Peru, that scene in Contact when Jodie Foster's character meets her dad on the beach in the moonlight (only it's not a beach).

Sometimes we know why we love a certain ice cream flavor--it reminds me of my dad. Sometimes we don't. My favorite color has varied since I was a little girl (pink) to high school (black) to now (cinnamon orange one day, deep purple another). One thing we know, what we love will change and grow throughout our lives.

For me, my list of favorite books changes from year to year...because I've read new books that must be on that list. (If you want to see more of my reviews, look here.)

I know that if I want to improve my writing, I need to read good books. There's a pile TBR on my nightstand, a collection in my Kindle, and a list on my phone. One day, I might even read them all, and my favorites list will be miles long!

Today, these are my top five favorites, plus a little reason why.

ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME, MARGARET by Judy Blume - read it in elementary school. Margaret asked all the questions I had about life, and she taught me how to be tough and caring.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen - read in high school. While my classmates groaned, I engaged in one-on-one conversations about the Bennett girls and their interests in marriage. Yes, I was that girl.

THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers - read it freshman year of college. Drove around to every used bookstore in Los Angeles, buying all of McCullers' books and devoured each one. This one introduced me to a different kind of love: that between the two men and that between Mick and her world.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - read it senior year of college. Marquez' sprinkling of magic in all of his stories transports me to another time and place. The colors in this story still live in my mind.

THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt - read it as an adult. Tartt's writing is equisite. I've loved all of her books (all three?), but this is my favorite because of how lovingly she wrote Theo's story. My heart ached for him, but I also shook my head at his unrequited love, his dangerous friendship, his wayward path. Then I got to cheer a little in the end. Beautiful.

I haven't finished THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir, but I'm halfway through it, and I'm sure it will be on my favorites list next. Why? Voice. I haven't seen the movie because I wanted to read the book first. I'm glad I waited. Wow. Again... Voice. This is a book I'm reading, laughing out loud, loving, but I'm also studying the writing (when I'm not lost in the story). Because he's nailed the voice of his MC so well, the technicalities in the story (I still don't have a clue what a Hab or MAV are entirely or how he can grow potatoes ) that are lost on me don't matter. This book is a classic. Mark Watney is a character to live as long as Sherlock Holmes or Holden Caufield. He's iconic.

What's your favorite book? What are you reading right now? Please share!

That's my story, what's yours?

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edit, revise, rinse, repeat

1/25/2016

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This week, I tackle another completed manuscript and ready it for queries. STARS IN MY POCKET is my fourth YA novel. Two books are part of the Logos Publishing House bookshelf and a third awaits an agent's love. If ON THE ROAD TO MARTY MCFLY doesn't land an agent, I'm hoping STARS will.

For the past four weeks, I've been editing, revising, sharing, and repeating the process on both manuscripts. Although the task is tedious and sometimes frustrating, I know the attention will only improve and tighten the stories.

Since this is my current world, I thought I'd share my steps with you. I'd love to hear others' methods when it comes to fine-tuning a new manuscript.

Here's my story...

After I've written the final chapter, I will put my work away for at least a month. While it sits and finds itself, I busy myself with other writing projects and catch up on my reading.

Next, I read through the story on my computer (in its Scrivener form) and listen to the flow, watching for key plot points and erroneous tangents.

If the story flows, I begin re-reading the book for as many major characters as it has. If there are three main characters, I re-read it three times, focussing on that character, his back story, details, arcs to plot and other characters. Then I take a read-through for the collection of minor characters, bringing them more to life.

I keep this editing/revising process moving for weeks and sometimes months.

Each time I read through the book, I edit and revise sentence structures, word usage, and grammar.

When I'm close to the end, I read through for filter words (words that pull the reader out of the story). Scrivener is great for this.

My final revision mode is on Kindle. I compile my manuscript, send it to Word where I format it, and email it to my Kindle app.

I read it like a book, but I use the notes and highlight colors to catch errors that slipped past on my computer.

Sometimes, I find major plot issues. In that case, I might go through a major revision and repeat the editing/revision process all over.

Throughout this time, I am meeting with critique partners and sharing with beta readers. All feedback helps.

Today, ON THE ROAD TO MARTY MCFLY awaits my critique partners' read-throughs to help tighten the plot. Two agents liked the writing and voice, but both had trouble with the plot.

STARS IN MY POCKET is on my Kindle with notes. I've read 68%, and will next go back to Scrivener to repair seams and mend holes.

It may not be a perfect process, but it works for me. Soon--I can feel it!--I will get that agent call. Until then, all I can do is edit, revise, rinse, and repeat.

What are your practices for editing your manuscripts? Please share!
Write on!

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digging into the roots of your first draft

1/11/2016

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Winning NaNoWriMo is no small feat. Committing yourself to writing more than one thousand words each day (a 1.6k average is needed to 'win'), suggests you have what it takes.

But don't stop there. Words on a page do not a story make.

Now comes the fun part. Editing and revising and editing and revising and . . . Time to get to the root of your novel.

Your story is not complete until you've spent days, and weeks, and months combing through its pages, tweaking plot lines, and finessing word usage. The true nugget of your story is often buried deep within the middle of all those thousands of words.

Every writer has his own advice for how to tackle the revision stages. Google til your heart's content, and you can find half a dozen that make sense to you.

I follow Stephen King's: put your first draft away for a month to six weeks before you revise.

Here are six ideas for how to handle revising your first draft.

1. Listen to the King. Put it away and work on anything else but that manuscript for at least a month. You'll return with fresh eyes to discover the hidden beauty (buried deep in chapter six) or the rubbish you wrote to begin the story.

2. Before you revise, write a letter to a friend explaining your book. (You don't need to send it.) Try to get it right in a 35-word pitch. Then dig in revising, go back and read that letter and write a new one. Repeat this process until you've uncovered the true pitch.

3. Revise your draft as many times as you have important characters. Each time you revise, do it with one character in mind. Use his perspective. This is a great way to uncover loose storylines, catch missing or erroneous details (birthdates, eye color, favorite foods, etc.).

4. Cut or combine useless characters. Idea 3 will help you uncover who adds to the plot and who detracts from it. As Mr. King says: "Kill your darlings." (This is also a good time to study all the names used in your story. Be sure they are not easily confusing--too many single syllable names; too many names starting with S, etc.)

5. Create a storyboard of key scenes. Plotters will have already done this. However, do it again. I record each scene on a post-it that I can move around a board. Not all scenes need cutting; some need moving.

6. Share your draft with a trusted partner. If you haven't joined a writing group or located a critque partner, now's a great time to do this. Other writers understand what is a first draft. They won't nit-pick at grammar or spelling. They will tell you what works and what doesn't.

Now, stop reading this blog and get to revising. More tips on revising and editing in the future!
Please share your ideas here.
Write on!

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how goal-setting inspires creativity

11/23/2015

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When I joined the NaNoWriMo crowd 23 days ago, I had little hope of achieving the 50,000-word count by the end of the month. As of today, I've written 36,099 words. No rounding; every word counts.

That's why I'm not going to spend too much time writing my blog today. I need to get back to my novel.

First, three things I've learned about goal-setting.

1. Setting a daily word-count goal gives you a visual target. Your inner writing-ego won't let you leave the project if you don't achieve that number.

2. Setting a daily word-count goal pushes your creativity into a corner that you must escape from. This requires more creativity. If you think the chapter's finished, but it's under your word-goal, how about beefing up that description of your protag's jacket or the sound of the rain or make it rain.

3. Setting a daily word-count goal exercises your writing muscles. It's like taking up running. At first, your goal is to get around the block. After a few days, you up to two blocks. Before you know it, you're jogging across town and back. Set reasonable goals then push yourself a little more each day. (Warning: don't set a goal so high that writing becomes a chore. Keep it fun.)

Want more inspiration? Try these articles from the experts at NaNoWriMo:

Tackling the saggy middle.
Putting the fun into your story.

If you're writing, good luck. Have fun. You can do this!
Write on!

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How to win #NaNoWriMo

Unscheduled creativity

why these are my favorite books

edit, revise, rinse, repeat

digging into the roots of your first draft

how goal-setting inspires creativity

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How to win #NaNoWriMo

Unscheduled creativity

why these are my favorite books

edit, revise, rinse, repeat

digging into the roots of your first draft

how goal-setting inspires creativity

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