Okay...Now What?
Sunday, November 30. 2008
I did it. I "won" NaNoWriMo. Again.
Now what am I going to do?
I "won" last year, and I ended up with two-thirds of what I think is a pretty good novel. But that novel, 200 PC, has languished on my hard drive for months while I worked on short stories, other projects, real life.
This year, I have approximately two-thirds of a wholly different but also interesting novel called (tentatively) Bring Me to Life. I'm resolved not to let the languishing thing happen to this one; I think it would make a great debut novel for me.
There's actually even a third novel lurking in the background, making polite throat-clearing noises and waiting for me to come back around to it. It's rather more of a "niche" work and I hadn't considered spending very much time on it until I sat down with one of our NaNo MLs yesterday, and she encouraged me to consider working on it.
So there they are, three works-in-progress that each need my undivided attention. Then there are the full-time job and all the other obligations that come with being a human and wanting to remain a part of society. It would be very easy to stick these literary "slabs of marble" in a closet and wait for some indeterminate future time when I might be able to chisel something presentable out of them.
But I'm resolved that I won't. And I don't think I'll fall into the same trap as I did last year, for one big reason: accountability.
By participating in the NaNo meetings this year, I've met several people who are in just the same boat as I am. Noises have been made about continuing regular meetings into December and beyond, to provide us all with a means to encourage one another. I've also started this blog this year, and have got more involved in the on-line aspect of writing. Finally, I've learned that to make it as a writer means a lot a social interaction, something I'm not at all good at; I've already committed to doing more and better in that area, and I don't want my exertions to be in vain.
All in all, I have high hopes for 2009 with regard to my writing. This blog won't die as the month of noveling comes to a close; I'll continue to chronicle my progress here. Perhaps you, Constant Reader, can assist me with the accountability I'm in need of.
So, off to Post-NaNoWriMo world—less frantic, but much scarier...
I did it. I "won" NaNoWriMo. Again.
Now what am I going to do?
I "won" last year, and I ended up with two-thirds of what I think is a pretty good novel. But that novel, 200 PC, has languished on my hard drive for months while I worked on short stories, other projects, real life.
This year, I have approximately two-thirds of a wholly different but also interesting novel called (tentatively) Bring Me to Life. I'm resolved not to let the languishing thing happen to this one; I think it would make a great debut novel for me.
There's actually even a third novel lurking in the background, making polite throat-clearing noises and waiting for me to come back around to it. It's rather more of a "niche" work and I hadn't considered spending very much time on it until I sat down with one of our NaNo MLs yesterday, and she encouraged me to consider working on it.
So there they are, three works-in-progress that each need my undivided attention. Then there are the full-time job and all the other obligations that come with being a human and wanting to remain a part of society. It would be very easy to stick these literary "slabs of marble" in a closet and wait for some indeterminate future time when I might be able to chisel something presentable out of them.
But I'm resolved that I won't. And I don't think I'll fall into the same trap as I did last year, for one big reason: accountability.
By participating in the NaNo meetings this year, I've met several people who are in just the same boat as I am. Noises have been made about continuing regular meetings into December and beyond, to provide us all with a means to encourage one another. I've also started this blog this year, and have got more involved in the on-line aspect of writing. Finally, I've learned that to make it as a writer means a lot a social interaction, something I'm not at all good at; I've already committed to doing more and better in that area, and I don't want my exertions to be in vain.
All in all, I have high hopes for 2009 with regard to my writing. This blog won't die as the month of noveling comes to a close; I'll continue to chronicle my progress here. Perhaps you, Constant Reader, can assist me with the accountability I'm in need of.
So, off to Post-NaNoWriMo world—less frantic, but much scarier...
Now what am I going to do?
I "won" last year, and I ended up with two-thirds of what I think is a pretty good novel. But that novel, 200 PC, has languished on my hard drive for months while I worked on short stories, other projects, real life.
This year, I have approximately two-thirds of a wholly different but also interesting novel called (tentatively) Bring Me to Life. I'm resolved not to let the languishing thing happen to this one; I think it would make a great debut novel for me.
There's actually even a third novel lurking in the background, making polite throat-clearing noises and waiting for me to come back around to it. It's rather more of a "niche" work and I hadn't considered spending very much time on it until I sat down with one of our NaNo MLs yesterday, and she encouraged me to consider working on it.
So there they are, three works-in-progress that each need my undivided attention. Then there are the full-time job and all the other obligations that come with being a human and wanting to remain a part of society. It would be very easy to stick these literary "slabs of marble" in a closet and wait for some indeterminate future time when I might be able to chisel something presentable out of them.
But I'm resolved that I won't. And I don't think I'll fall into the same trap as I did last year, for one big reason: accountability.
By participating in the NaNo meetings this year, I've met several people who are in just the same boat as I am. Noises have been made about continuing regular meetings into December and beyond, to provide us all with a means to encourage one another. I've also started this blog this year, and have got more involved in the on-line aspect of writing. Finally, I've learned that to make it as a writer means a lot a social interaction, something I'm not at all good at; I've already committed to doing more and better in that area, and I don't want my exertions to be in vain.
All in all, I have high hopes for 2009 with regard to my writing. This blog won't die as the month of noveling comes to a close; I'll continue to chronicle my progress here. Perhaps you, Constant Reader, can assist me with the accountability I'm in need of.
So, off to Post-NaNoWriMo world—less frantic, but much scarier...
That Does It. I'm Telling.
Saturday, November 29. 2008
Perhaps the most frequently heard and offered advice among writers is, "show, don't tell." It's one of the most important tenets of writing; a good author must lead her reader to a feeling, rather than telling him how to feel. She must present the symptoms, not the actual disease. Exposition bad, action and dialogue good.
Today, I'm going to ignore that advice.
I have the end of my novel in my head, and I just need to get it down on paper (well, pixels). I'm only about 3K words shy of "winning" NaNoWriMo, so my goal today is to get those words onto my non-volatile storage device, thereby completing the NaNoTask one day early (which will be an improvement over last year, when I finished at the buzzer).
But I'm also very interested in getting to the end of the story. So, just for today, I'm going into fast forward mode and "telling" as much of the rest of the story as I can in 3K words or so. I won't get to the end—I'd estimate I have about a third of the narrative to go, but only about 8% of the word count—but I should be able to reach the end of the plot in the next few days. Then I'll go back and flesh out all the scenes, and relate the story in the proper way.
I'm telling, and it feels very strange.
Perhaps the most frequently heard and offered advice among writers is, "show, don't tell." It's one of the most important tenets of writing; a good author must lead her reader to a feeling, rather than telling him how to feel. She must present the symptoms, not the actual disease. Exposition bad, action and dialogue good.
Today, I'm going to ignore that advice.
I have the end of my novel in my head, and I just need to get it down on paper (well, pixels). I'm only about 3K words shy of "winning" NaNoWriMo, so my goal today is to get those words onto my non-volatile storage device, thereby completing the NaNoTask one day early (which will be an improvement over last year, when I finished at the buzzer).
But I'm also very interested in getting to the end of the story. So, just for today, I'm going into fast forward mode and "telling" as much of the rest of the story as I can in 3K words or so. I won't get to the end—I'd estimate I have about a third of the narrative to go, but only about 8% of the word count—but I should be able to reach the end of the plot in the next few days. Then I'll go back and flesh out all the scenes, and relate the story in the proper way.
I'm telling, and it feels very strange.
Today, I'm going to ignore that advice.
I have the end of my novel in my head, and I just need to get it down on paper (well, pixels). I'm only about 3K words shy of "winning" NaNoWriMo, so my goal today is to get those words onto my non-volatile storage device, thereby completing the NaNoTask one day early (which will be an improvement over last year, when I finished at the buzzer).
But I'm also very interested in getting to the end of the story. So, just for today, I'm going into fast forward mode and "telling" as much of the rest of the story as I can in 3K words or so. I won't get to the end—I'd estimate I have about a third of the narrative to go, but only about 8% of the word count—but I should be able to reach the end of the plot in the next few days. Then I'll go back and flesh out all the scenes, and relate the story in the proper way.
I'm telling, and it feels very strange.
The End Is Near
Friday, November 28. 2008
Running a long road race—a marathon or a half marathon—one gets very tired near the very end, just worn out actually. It's a time when many of us have to spend some time walking. But then the finish line approaches, and walking is no longer an option. The last stretch of the race must be run. Sprinted. There are always crowds of people near the finish, and it's important to have good form. Even if one feels like throwing up.
Here we are, two days before the end of NaNoWriMo, and I could lose my lunch.
I'm only about a day behind, but that's significant when there are only two days left. I'm typing at breakneck speed and trying to ensure that the prose I'm producing is at least slightly above the level of nonsense. I'm sprinting, in a sense. It's taking a lot out of me.
But good form is important. I'll cross the finish line at top speed. After that, the recovery will feel pretty good.
Running a long road race—a marathon or a half marathon—one gets very tired near the very end, just worn out actually. It's a time when many of us have to spend some time walking. But then the finish line approaches, and walking is no longer an option. The last stretch of the race must be run. Sprinted. There are always crowds of people near the finish, and it's important to have good form. Even if one feels like throwing up.
Here we are, two days before the end of NaNoWriMo, and I could lose my lunch.
I'm only about a day behind, but that's significant when there are only two days left. I'm typing at breakneck speed and trying to ensure that the prose I'm producing is at least slightly above the level of nonsense. I'm sprinting, in a sense. It's taking a lot out of me.
But good form is important. I'll cross the finish line at top speed. After that, the recovery will feel pretty good.
Here we are, two days before the end of NaNoWriMo, and I could lose my lunch.
I'm only about a day behind, but that's significant when there are only two days left. I'm typing at breakneck speed and trying to ensure that the prose I'm producing is at least slightly above the level of nonsense. I'm sprinting, in a sense. It's taking a lot out of me.
But good form is important. I'll cross the finish line at top speed. After that, the recovery will feel pretty good.
I Love All My Children
Wednesday, November 26. 2008
I realized this morning I haven't mentioned my "other" novel, 200 PC, in several days. Maybe I've finally switched over to the new novel in my head, and committed to finishing it.
The characters in 200 PC, the novel I started during last year's NaNoWriMo, are much more fully developed than those in my new novel. Some of the scenes in 200 PC are spectacular (even say I so self-referentially). The idea behind the setting is a winner. I have a vivid picture in my mind of that entire world and of how it works. One thing is missing, though: an ending to the tale.
My new novel (still called Bring Me to Life for now, though I'm increasingly dissatisfied with that title, particularly after it got no "coolness" votes in a contest at a NaNoWriMo write-in last week) is completely different. There are many more characters, some of whom are still little more than sketches. I don't feel I've been completely successful in capturing the adrenaline in the story, the need I sometimes feel to get up and dance when I write the magic/music scenes. Some of the setting is even sketchy; most of the action takes place on board a spaceship that I've really only described as looking like an enormous Fender Telecaster. But the two main characters are strong, fully realized, and compelling, and I've got that ace in my hand—the actual ending, a point where I know the story will end up.
These novels are very different, but I love them both. After 30 November, it will be hard to decide what to do. My first reaction is to work on both of them, to try to get them both up to "submittable" status.
Some people ask me how I can read two or three different novels at a time. I don't know, this is just something I do. I don't find it a chore to "mind-hop" from a Star Wars book to a Zelazny fantasy to an alt-history by Turtledove. But reading is much easier to treat this way than writing.
I think if I tried to finish both books at once, I'd mess them both up. So best to keep my momentum with BMtL through December. I think I'll finish the story arc on this book and write "THE END" within the next couple of weeks, if not by the end of NaNo. Then I can go back and fix the plot holes, the weak characterization, the misplaced maguffins. And then I'll have something to start shopping around. That's my goal, really.
I don't believe 200 PC would make a good first novel, anyway. I don't want its style to be perceived as my default. So you'll have to wait just a bit longer, William MacArthur and Jessie Darling, to consummate that relationship. I promise it'll be worth the wait.
I realized this morning I haven't mentioned my "other" novel, 200 PC, in several days. Maybe I've finally switched over to the new novel in my head, and committed to finishing it.
The characters in 200 PC, the novel I started during last year's NaNoWriMo, are much more fully developed than those in my new novel. Some of the scenes in 200 PC are spectacular (even say I so self-referentially). The idea behind the setting is a winner. I have a vivid picture in my mind of that entire world and of how it works. One thing is missing, though: an ending to the tale.
My new novel (still called Bring Me to Life for now, though I'm increasingly dissatisfied with that title, particularly after it got no "coolness" votes in a contest at a NaNoWriMo write-in last week) is completely different. There are many more characters, some of whom are still little more than sketches. I don't feel I've been completely successful in capturing the adrenaline in the story, the need I sometimes feel to get up and dance when I write the magic/music scenes. Some of the setting is even sketchy; most of the action takes place on board a spaceship that I've really only described as looking like an enormous Fender Telecaster. But the two main characters are strong, fully realized, and compelling, and I've got that ace in my hand—the actual ending, a point where I know the story will end up.
These novels are very different, but I love them both. After 30 November, it will be hard to decide what to do. My first reaction is to work on both of them, to try to get them both up to "submittable" status.
Some people ask me how I can read two or three different novels at a time. I don't know, this is just something I do. I don't find it a chore to "mind-hop" from a Star Wars book to a Zelazny fantasy to an alt-history by Turtledove. But reading is much easier to treat this way than writing.
I think if I tried to finish both books at once, I'd mess them both up. So best to keep my momentum with BMtL through December. I think I'll finish the story arc on this book and write "THE END" within the next couple of weeks, if not by the end of NaNo. Then I can go back and fix the plot holes, the weak characterization, the misplaced maguffins. And then I'll have something to start shopping around. That's my goal, really.
I don't believe 200 PC would make a good first novel, anyway. I don't want its style to be perceived as my default. So you'll have to wait just a bit longer, William MacArthur and Jessie Darling, to consummate that relationship. I promise it'll be worth the wait.
The characters in 200 PC, the novel I started during last year's NaNoWriMo, are much more fully developed than those in my new novel. Some of the scenes in 200 PC are spectacular (even say I so self-referentially). The idea behind the setting is a winner. I have a vivid picture in my mind of that entire world and of how it works. One thing is missing, though: an ending to the tale.
My new novel (still called Bring Me to Life for now, though I'm increasingly dissatisfied with that title, particularly after it got no "coolness" votes in a contest at a NaNoWriMo write-in last week) is completely different. There are many more characters, some of whom are still little more than sketches. I don't feel I've been completely successful in capturing the adrenaline in the story, the need I sometimes feel to get up and dance when I write the magic/music scenes. Some of the setting is even sketchy; most of the action takes place on board a spaceship that I've really only described as looking like an enormous Fender Telecaster. But the two main characters are strong, fully realized, and compelling, and I've got that ace in my hand—the actual ending, a point where I know the story will end up.
These novels are very different, but I love them both. After 30 November, it will be hard to decide what to do. My first reaction is to work on both of them, to try to get them both up to "submittable" status.
Some people ask me how I can read two or three different novels at a time. I don't know, this is just something I do. I don't find it a chore to "mind-hop" from a Star Wars book to a Zelazny fantasy to an alt-history by Turtledove. But reading is much easier to treat this way than writing.
I think if I tried to finish both books at once, I'd mess them both up. So best to keep my momentum with BMtL through December. I think I'll finish the story arc on this book and write "THE END" within the next couple of weeks, if not by the end of NaNo. Then I can go back and fix the plot holes, the weak characterization, the misplaced maguffins. And then I'll have something to start shopping around. That's my goal, really.
I don't believe 200 PC would make a good first novel, anyway. I don't want its style to be perceived as my default. So you'll have to wait just a bit longer, William MacArthur and Jessie Darling, to consummate that relationship. I promise it'll be worth the wait.
Drama in a Compact Package
Tuesday, November 25. 2008
I've noticed that I like to use one-sentence paragraphs in my novels. And there seems to be one reason I do it over and over, one application they're well suited for.
They call attention to something dramatic.
I don't know where I picked up this habit. I also don't know if it's a particularly annoying one. I think it's useful as long as I don't overdo it. I do have one problem, though.
I can't seem to stop.
Like everyone else, I was taught in school that a paragraph has to have at least two sentences in it. Otherwise, it's not really a paragraph, according to that academic definition. I'm not sure how well that guidance applies in "the real world," though. Now, I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo.
And there's no time for useless rules.
I suppose I have to resign myself to this part of my writing style. Again, I just have to strive not to overdo it, to become a parody of myself. One hardly wants readers to be laughing into their sleeves about one's paragraph construction. So I'll watch myself, and keep the weapon in my arsenal to be used appropriately.
And now, it's time to get back to writing.
Before the month comes to an end.
That's what NaNoWriMo is about.
So now, back to it.
No, really.
I've noticed that I like to use one-sentence paragraphs in my novels. And there seems to be one reason I do it over and over, one application they're well suited for.
They call attention to something dramatic.
I don't know where I picked up this habit. I also don't know if it's a particularly annoying one. I think it's useful as long as I don't overdo it. I do have one problem, though.
I can't seem to stop.
Like everyone else, I was taught in school that a paragraph has to have at least two sentences in it. Otherwise, it's not really a paragraph, according to that academic definition. I'm not sure how well that guidance applies in "the real world," though. Now, I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo.
And there's no time for useless rules.
I suppose I have to resign myself to this part of my writing style. Again, I just have to strive not to overdo it, to become a parody of myself. One hardly wants readers to be laughing into their sleeves about one's paragraph construction. So I'll watch myself, and keep the weapon in my arsenal to be used appropriately.
And now, it's time to get back to writing.
Before the month comes to an end.
That's what NaNoWriMo is about.
So now, back to it.
No, really.
They call attention to something dramatic.
I don't know where I picked up this habit. I also don't know if it's a particularly annoying one. I think it's useful as long as I don't overdo it. I do have one problem, though.
I can't seem to stop.
Like everyone else, I was taught in school that a paragraph has to have at least two sentences in it. Otherwise, it's not really a paragraph, according to that academic definition. I'm not sure how well that guidance applies in "the real world," though. Now, I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo.
And there's no time for useless rules.
I suppose I have to resign myself to this part of my writing style. Again, I just have to strive not to overdo it, to become a parody of myself. One hardly wants readers to be laughing into their sleeves about one's paragraph construction. So I'll watch myself, and keep the weapon in my arsenal to be used appropriately.
And now, it's time to get back to writing.
Before the month comes to an end.
That's what NaNoWriMo is about.
So now, back to it.
No, really.
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