Ellen Mulholland––writer, dreamer
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How to win #NaNoWriMo

12/6/2020

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The deets: Winning NaNoWriMo requires completing a novel draft of at least 50,000 words during November.
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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.
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Drop them below, and, as ever, write on!

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thoughts on words that turn into stories

12/5/2016

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I haven't blogged here in so long, I had to look up my website's password. Not good.

But, hey, I'm baaack!

How is everyone? More imortantly, what are ya'all writing?

I have been busy these past two months on two projects. One, a dark YA contemporary, STARS IN MY POCKETS. After some awesome edits  via the incomparable Judi Lauren, I believe my story's truly alive. It's out in query-form to a few agents. Fingers crossed.

My second project was my NaNoWriMo2016. Yes, I won. Woohoo! But you can sense the lack of enthusiasm there, I'm sure. I didn't get a chance to plot the story before writing, so it's just a bunch of formless words on the page right now. More than 50,000 formless words, nonetheless. It's my first attempt at historical fantasy. Working title: JACKY INDIANA WEARS PURPLE POLISH. It's for the middle grade or younger young adult audiences.

Like my 2015 NaNo, this will sit for the next few months, marinating in its magical juices, until I return to it for major revision work.

Unlike bears who are preparing for their winter hibernation about now, I'm preparing to come out of my writing cave because this time of year always makes me want to connect more. So here I am, and I really did miss you all!

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Right now, I'm revising my 2015 NaNo : MAGENTA WISE: PLASTIC WRAP. It's a young adult mystery--also my first attempt at this genre. 

Although I spent all last summer plotting the story, after I finished it last November, I realized it wasn't what I'd expected. I revised it some, shared it with my critique partners and beta readers. Then I let it sit again while I worked on those above stories.

This week, I spent time at OneStopForWriters where I plotted it again. And let me just say, people, I love Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. If you don't know OneStop, get over there! These ladies have put together an amazing closet of tools to prep and preen your pretty baby and make her shine.

So, enough about me. Tell me what you're working on. If you use OneStop, I'd love to hear what sparkles the most for you.

That's my story, what's yours?
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emerging from the writing cave

9/26/2016

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As the darker months approach, I emerge from my summer writing cave, bleary eyed but invigorated. Because I am a teacher, I relish the off-time to work on my writing. This past summer, I spent ten-twelve hours each day editing and revising my current manuscript.

I'd like to share a little bit of my process with you, then I'd love to hear how you revise. Something I hear from other writers: how do you know when you're finished?

Revising is like running down hill: you have to put on the brakes at some point and try not to scrape your face. I think I am at that point. I think.

This post is not about setting up a new story. It's about what to do once you've written your first draft and combed through it at least once or twice to see what you've written. I don't consider those revision stages. That's still part of the writing. For me, when I'm pumping out my story, I just go. I have a plan, that's true, but I'm writing non-stop. When I get to the end, I go back, read it, fix stuff, read it again, fix more stuff. I do this until it feels solid.

Then I put it away.

When I come back to it--weeks or months later--I see it through fresh eyes. Now I'm ready to revise.

Here's what revision looks like for me:

1. Brew coffee
2. Drink coffee
3. Turn off social media
4. Gather resources nearby
5. Get chocolate
6. Eat chocolate; think about lunch; turn social media back on...
7. Return to step 1
8. Open my document (yes, there are distractions until I get down to business)
9. Send my document to my Kindle
10. Read my story like a book (this is an amazing trick I learned from an author)
11. Mark up awkward phrases, typos, grammatical errors, etc., using NOTES
12. Re-open my document (for me, this is in Scrivener); make corrections from my Kindle NOTES
13. Share my story, chapters, opening, whatever, with my Critique  Partners
14. Review their feedback; decide what to take and what to leave (remember, it's your story)
15. Now I revise.

Revision is the tearing apart and reconstruction of your story. When you first sit down, you might not even know what the story is really about until you get to the end. That's how it is for me. Steps 1-14 are actually the foreplay to revising.

Revision is messy, heart-breaking, frustrating, really, really hard. You have to get rid of characters who are in the way, develop characters who are too thin, tighten plots, destroy plots.

It's not easy, but when you get through this process, you have a story. And that's a beautiful thing.

What is your process? I'd love to hear it.

That's my story, what's yours?

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#amwriting: why reading is your best teacher

8/15/2016

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As a teacher and mother of grown children (23 and 19), I love summer. Lots of time to catch up on writing projects, but most importantly: tons of lazing in the sunshine reading.
 
This summer, I managed to devour five delicious stories. Because I write contemporary young adult, I read books from that genre. However, I also gobble up my favorite adult fiction.
 
If you want to follow my reading rants, check out my Goodreads page, or click this link to reviews I post here.
 
Now, check out these five writing tips I learned from the books I read this summer.
 
High Fidelity: find a line or phrase that ties into your story’s theme. Repeat it throughout your novel. Nick Hornby makes lists. He has a Top Five for almost everything in his life. This works really well for the character (a lonely and  serial boyfriend record shop owner) and the theme (finding happiness with one thing).
 
Al Capone Does My Shirts: make your setting do extra work. In this middle grade read, author Gennifer Choldenko uses 1950s Alcatraz as a backdrop to seventh grader Moose’s caged life looking after his autistic older sister. If she had set this story in the city of San Francisco—where some scenes take place—it wouldn’t have worked as well. The island prison says so much metaphorically for Moose and his family.
 
Misery: every summer needs at least one creepy Stephen King read. Since I never read the book—just saw the film—I decided I could handle the suspense while reading in the bright sunlight on a California beach. There is so much to learn from this man, but in the case of Misery, it’s all about characters. King knows how to make the most repulsive people likable. Annie Wilkes is a monster, but she’s also a tormented woman with a troubled past, a town against her, and a compulsion for sweets after she’s been BAD. If you write mean characters in your stories, give them a quality that makes readers say, “oh, well, yeah she chopped his leg off, but come one, she’s got those cute porcelain statues.”
 
That Time I Joined the Circus: like High Fidelity, this story has great recurring hooks and phrases that help us feel safe in an unfamiliar world. JJ Howard introduces us to a young girl who meets tragedy and must leave home to find home. She takes her quirks with her, though. Of course. One thing the girl likes is music. She’s always comparing an event to a song she heard. Howard uses the song title and a lyric in her chapter headings. As we journey from circus land to circus land, from New York to Miami, we always feel at home because of the music.
 
It Should Have Been a #GoodDay: if you are working on a story with multiple POVs, you might check this quick read by Natalie Corbett Sampson. There are four narrators, each taking us through the same day. As the story heats up, we use the varying perspectives to figure out how things might pan out. One of the narrators is an autistic teenager. His voice is stellar. Because we hear the other characters’ thoughts and feelings, we learn a lot about how other kids see those with differences. This is a perfect format to showcase autism and the fears and prejudices we can carry.
 
What are you reading? If you picked up a great idea for your writing, please share it in the comments below.
 
That’s my story, what’s yours?

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schedules & outlines: keep your writing on point

7/18/2016

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You've heard the terms plotter and pantser. Which one are you?

I'll give you a hint about me: I'm a Virgo.

In my own regular life, I plan my day, leave myself sticky notes on the bathroom mirror, set alarms to remind me about appointments or what to pick up at the store. I don't leave things to chance. Certainly not my memory.

I plot my day, so of course I plot my books.

Why? For me, it sends events in motion. If I know what's coming, I can lay the groundwork with intention. Instead of taking the fun out of writing, planing  keeps me on point and my stories tighter. That makes me happy.

Here are my  five  plotter must have's:

1. Alarm Clock: you can't write if you're still in bed. I teach, so for most of the year, I'm working during my favorite time to write. What to do? I set my alarm clock thirty minutes or more before I need to get up. Since getting up is usually at 6:30, I try to get up at 6 or 5:30. Otherwise, I will write at night. It all depends on my day. You can't schedule creative, so I need to write when time avails me.

2. Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT: I discovered Snyder's easy to follow beats two years ago at a SCBWI conference. Three authors attested to it, gave us all a quick how-to and why-to, and I was sold. I outline my plot to the beats of Snyder's  three-act outline, tweak what I need to, and follow this when I set up my chapters and map my character arcs. This saves time and frees me up to focus on the story and creative process.

3. Scrivener: Oh, how I love my Scrivener! This writing app puts everything I need at my fingertips (my keyboard fingertips). I have written many blog posts about this tool's awesome features; check them out if you want. The best part of Scrivener? I can't choose one thing, but I do love the character and setting templates and the ability to upload pictures for both. Right now, I'm editing my new YA mystery. The revision mode lets you write in a different color, which makes it easy to find your new ideas after hours of editing.

4. Critique partners:  Of course you can have critique partners if you pants your way through stories, but I can't let a blog post like this go by without a shout-out to my dear crits Gwynne Jackson and Jessica Gruner. Critique partners are vital at each stage of your writing. Whether you are planning, writing, editing, or revising, these smart people will give you the feedback you need to make your story better. I brainstorm plots, pluck their brains when a plot point goes awry, and take in their suggestions when I finished my story and am preparing to edit.

5. A good kind of pressure: This can come from anyone and anywhere. Your family, friends, Twitter buddies, neighbors, or colleagues. But no one can apply that necessary pressure to get you writing and thinking about your story if you don't tell them what you are up to.  Let the world know you are writing the next bestseller. Locate beta readers for feedback, too. Their feedback and suggestions or whoops and  wows will motivate you to keep going.

Whether you plan your story scene-to-scene before you write or sit down in front of a blank page and let it flow, you need support. I love to connect with other writers. Please find me on Twitter or Facebook. Let's connect and support each other.

That's my story; what's yours?

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write it right: homonym fun!

4/4/2016

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Every night before I sleep, I pray to the grammar gods to grant me one more inch of knowledge. No matter how many times I look up a rule in STRUNK & WHITE or THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE, I can't retain it.

Even though I call myself a writer, I sit and wait for someone to knock on my door and say, "The gig's up, lady. If you don't know the difference between lie and lay, get out of the game!"

So far, no one has shown up. This leads me to the conclusion that writers don't need to be lords or ladies of the Oxford comma or champions of the ellipsis.

Hi, my name is Ellen and I misuse grammar.

Lucky for me--and the rest of you!--there is the internet.

Today, we will practice with my favorites: homonyms.

First, it helps to know this:

The prefix  homo- means "one and the same."

The root graph means "word or story."

The root nym means "name or word."

The root phone means "sound."

Thus:

HOMOGRAPH: each of two or more words having the same spelling but different meanings (lead the parade/lead pipe; fly away fly).

HOMOPHONE:  each of two or more words pronounced the same but having different spellings or meanings (new/knew; red/read).

Both of these types of words are known as homonyms because they share something the same--spelling or pronunciation.

Fun with homographs:

You can bank on me putting this money in the bank.
He refused to back the horse with the broken back.
A tear rolled down her cheek after seeing the tear in her wedding gown.

Have your own fun with these: digest, type, match

Fun with homophones:

John won one rose for his sweetheart.
She stared into the sun as her son flew his kite.
"Wait!" she cried. "I don't want to see my weight today."

Try your fun with these: cell/sell; tea/tee; bare/bear

It's pretty near impossible to know how to use every word in the English language. Give yourself a break. Write because you love to write and let the Internet and grammar gods help you with the rest.

You are a fantastic writer because you can tell a story, not because you know the proper use of bare .

What are your grammar gripes? Let's talk.
Write on!

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why your story needs a theme

3/28/2016

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Every story has a theme even if the author never sets it there on purpose. The theme is an underlying or overarching message that might not be discerned until the story ends. A theme connects to the story's topic. It's what you want readers to understand about life after they've finished your book.

Often, the theme is the same as what the hero or protagonist discovers. In the Pulitzer novel, THE GOLDFINCH, Theo learns that you cannot hold onto what you love or you might destroy it. In other words, love means letting go.

Sometimes, it's too big, In TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the theme centers around the fragility of innocence. Perhaps Harper Lee was saying that to be innocent meant risking your life.

On occasion, the narrator tells us the theme (or hints strongly), so we can participate in its development during the story. In Edgar Alan Poe's THE TELL-TALE HEART, the main character serves as the narrator and lets the reader know immediately that he's going crazy. We learn with him that even the mad can feel guilt. Guilt has no boundaries.


If you are in the middle of writing a story, or you are planning one, consider the message you want readers to take away.

Here are some common themes:

Beauty is only skin deep.
Believe in yourself.
Believing strongly in something is vital to its fruition.
Change is inevitable.
Good triumphs.
Good and evil can coexist.
Blood is thicker than water.
Love always wins.
Rules protect us.
Face your fears, and you will be stronger.
Truth can set us free.


Other themes can be found in old proverbs, the Bible, Torah, Koran, Baghavad Gita, or other religious works, Shakespeare, poetry, your mother's words, a prisoner's regrets. In short, a theme is a message, and we all have at least one we live by.

What is close to your heart? What messages will you leave with your readers?
Share your thoughts here.
Write on!

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Answer these five questions before your story ends

3/7/2016

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I dare not say these words out loud, but... shhh... come closer, and I'll whisper them to you.

I think my story is finished.

Don't tell anyone. Not yet. First, I need to make sure I've satisfied the questions with which the story began.

I have worked on my young adult contemporary manuscript for more than a year. I'm not talking the writing part. The writing began in 2013. I'm talking editing and revising. A year. To be precise, fifteen months.

ON THE ROAD TO MARTY MCFLY has seen changes in characters, point of view, and plot. It is an entirely different story than the one I began three years ago. It is also an entirely better story.

First, let me tell you why it's better then I'll show you how I know it's finished.

One. I have addressed every concern an agent or editor brought to my attention during contests and querying.

Two. I have examined and corrected every detail my amazing critique partners raised a red flag to.

Three. I like it. It's a story. The characters are authentic. The MC is fallible.

Now let me show you how I know it's finished using the following five questions.

One. Is the main plot resolved?
I don't want to promise a premise that doesn't pan out. Readers need resolution to the protagonist's problem. Resolution does not necessarily mean a happy or satisfying ending. It just needs to be plausible.

Two. Did the protagonist solve it (YA needs this)?
In YA, the protagonist needs to be the one to solve her problem. Adolescents seek empowerment; adults screw with their destinies enough in the real world.

Three. Has the character grown or changed from the opening scene?
Consider Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey narrative. When the reader meets the MC, there must be something the reader asks or observes, something he expects to change.

Four. Have all the minor plots resolved?
Your A story and B story and all minor journeys that arose along the way must each come to a close.
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Five. Have all the "teasers" been dealt with or resolved?
In Act I, you've no doubt introduced red herrings or secondary characters with their own story. These all need closure. If Mom has been looking for a job throughout the story, and you keep referring to it, she either needs to land one or make a comment about going back to school. Something. Don't leave teasers teasing (unless you're writing a sequel...  but that's another story...).

If you think you're story is over, answer the five questions. What other questions do you think writers need to ask?
Share with us here.
Write on!

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leaping, jumping, hopping--choosing the right word

2/29/2016

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Words matter.

Word choice matters.

If you are a writer, choosing the wrong word at the wrong time could land you in a mess.

When Alice tells the Mad Hatter that she has said what she's meant because she meant to say it, he scolds her: "You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see.""

​Words matter, and so does the order in which we use them.

Today is Leap Day, a perfect time to review the use of verbs. Let's start with leap.

Synonyms include: hop, jump, spring, vault, bound, hurdle.

However, those words refer to the act of leaping, such as: I leapt over the boulder. An equivalent sentence could be written using any of the aforementioned synonyms. Not true if you wrote this sentence: The company leaped at the opportunity to raise production. You wouldn't say The company vaulted or hurdled at the opportunity. You could say they jumped or sprang.

Say what you mean.

My esteemed critique partner, Gwynne Jackson, reminds me often that the best word to use is the simplest. If the frog hopped onto the lily pad, say so. Don't get fancy by saying it vaulted onto the lily pad. Do frogs vault?


Varying words and sentence helps your writing flow, but don't get overzealous. If the shoe fits...

When your vocabulary needs a boost or the word you've written doesn't sound right, take time to research the right word. For that, there are many resources.

Scrivener If you use this amazing writing app, you know all about its dictionary and thesaurus. Double tap the word in your document and bring forward a dictionary page to examine.

Etymolonline I use this in the classroom with my students. Type in a word and learn the word origin, common usage, synonyms, antonyms, or more.

OneLookDictionary Another creative site that offers up loads of suggestions to help you find the right word.

Whatever you are working on right now, take the time to choose the right words.

Write on!



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the power of the #mswl

2/1/2016

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If you seek an agent, you must know about #MSWL.

However, beware its lethal lure... 

​There are many places to find what agents seek.
1. Agency sites.
2. Personal Twitter and Tumblr feeds.
3. The #MSWL.

Smart writers will check out the updates on the Twitter feed.

You might also be interested in two different websites.

This simple one.

This curated site with more info and archives.

If you are a serious querying author, you will want a free or paid account at
Query Tracker. Don't forget to polish your query. Always seek a second (or third) pinion from critique partners or friends. Learn even more here about what makes a good query.

This week, I'm busy heavily revising ON THE ROAD TO MARTY MCFLY after an agent who requested the full manuscript suggested I tighten the plot.
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I'll be busy with that for several weeks. As for the rest of you, write on!

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