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11/02/2010 • 9:13 AM 0

#NaNoWriMo: The Back-up Plan (& The Hypnogogic Writing Tip)

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I really struggled with my plot for NaNoWriMo. I laid down beats for one-and one-half books before I scrapped it all. It wasn’t that the ideas were bad exactly. The ideas were not ambitious enough. The stories were strong up front but I couldn’t see my enthusiasm carrying me through to the end.

When I say “scrapping it all,” it sounds rather careless and casual. It wasn’t. With only a few days before the start, I didn’t have a story I wanted to tell. That was surprising (to me, least) because the bigger the story, the more I want an outline. Compounding my worry (and shame) was that I had already advised others that they needed an outline to increase their chance of NaNoWriMo success. I have written a couple of half-books before. Poor abandoned halflings they were. They’d been born strong and healthy but they went bad, failed to thrive and died on the table in my surgery. Agony crushes your heart. Reaching for something that isn’t there caves your skull. Non-writers would call it self-doubt (but nevermind non-writers. I don’t understand them any better than I grok non-readers. Bunch’a freaks.)

Halloween night as little goblins and comically-short Vader imposters came to the door for cavity and diabetes inducers, I looked over my outlines. How would I make them work? Could I rig the stories so I’d have the energy to ride all the way home? No, I decided. Problems can be fixed, but a lack of enthusiasm for one whole plot and the utter lack of the second half of a book? I might wake up with a solution to those conundrums some day, but I was sure I couldn’t force a solution over a 30-day writing stretch. Not without breaking something.

Then I decided, screw it. <insert sigh of self-loathing here> I’ll wing it.

Or…waitadamnminute…what did I say about waking up with a solution? Of course!

I let the hypnogogic state come to my rescue. The hypnogogic state is that special twilight of consciousness between sleep and waking that is rich territory for buried treasures and epiphanies. I’ve used it to resolve many issues. As I fall asleep I ask the question. As I wake, the answer comes. I’ve plotted solutions, found resolution and clarity and come up with intuitive and counter-intuitive ideas for many questions in my life and work. It didn’t fail me this time, either.

Yesterday morning I woke thinking about a short story I’d written recently. It’s an alternative future as many of my stories are. It occurred to me that I had left the end of that sad story on a somewhat comic and hopeful note for change.

The epiphany was, “That hopeful ending worked as a short story. If you trash the hero’s hopes for that resolution, it’s the end of an early chapter.” A-HA!

Few plot developments fail if the author is determined to torture the protagonist. I had created a rich world in that short story. Now that early preparation could be useful for the NaNoWriMo project. I’d use that world and link it up with the half-story I had plotted. The two stories are unrelated, but they could share that world of secret police, relentless surveillance and a theocracy run amok.

I woke up smiling with a good beginning and a hero who was now a Cheech and Chong/Fugitive meets Mr. Spock in search of a Terminator (played by Summer Glau, not the governator.) The first story was about the discovery and governmental repression of a miracle drug. The second was about robots reaching such complexity they are indistinguishable from humans. Now those stories will be in the same timeline.

I’ve found my enthusiasm for the story. It will carry me to the end now.

First Day of NaNoWriMo (blogging2learn.wordpress.com)
Tis The Season For NaNoWriMo (chicagoist.com)
NaNoWriMo and other Stuff (distractible.org)
Bio Break salutes NaNoWriMo writers! (biobreak.wordpress.com)
“Writing the mad dash – National Novel Writing Month” and related posts (scholarsandrogues.com)

Filed under: NanNoWriMo, publishing, writing tips, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Plot (narrative), writing tips

11/01/2010 • 9:07 AM 0

The Rewards of Writing: Why do you write?

Image by Tojosan via Flickr

Most of us don’t write for much money. Fame, if it comes, is fleeting. Writing is a need that can’t be fully explained. I got my first byline pretty young and before that I had letters to the editor published. It was a thrill then, narcissistic and validating. It’s not such a big deal now, although I admit I did experience a little extra pride when I had two articles in two separate magazines side-by-side on the shelf at Chapters. But why do we do it, really?

NaNoWriMo has begun! Are you off to the races? All stocked up on coffee? Good. Pace yourself. It’s a long month. Forgive yourself your lapses and keep pushing forward. You can always figure out the plot holes later.

Today I received a nice fan letter for my column. She started out with a couple of nice compliments (always a good start) and followed that with a thoughtful letter on the subject of the piece. She, too, was compelled to write on the my topic. She couldn’t expect any reward for her efforts in putting together a long letter except the passion to be heard and to expound. It felt great to stimulate such deep discussion. However, I don’t write in the hope I’ll receive the odd fan letter. Sometimes I wonder why I write at all. I managed to give it up for a few years there, but no matter what I did, I felt like I was doing something other than what I should do.

I do remember I got the bug early. When my older sister left for college she left behind an old manual Underwood. I must have been seven. Working the keys got my attention. I can’t say why. Like I said, the urge to write cannot be explained fully. I like telling stories. I began by telling them to myself.

As we begin the month-long challenge of writing a 50,000-word novel, there are lots of bits and pieces of encouragement I could prattle on about. But the most important is to feel the fun of it. Lose yourself in your story. National Novel Writing Month is a gift to make our usually solitary journey feel a little less lonely as we travel along our separate paths.

Good luck NaNoWriMo people. And when you have a moment, please do leave a comment. I’d love to know if you have any clearer idea than I why you write. For me, the answer is obscure. I was born this way. I did not choose it.

NaNoWriMo – I salute you (tdhurst.com)
NaNoWriMo (aseeofgreen.wordpress.com)
“Lifehacker Takes On The NaNoWriMo Challenge” and related posts (lifehacker.com.au)
NaNoWriMo: an excuse to write (bhplnjbookgroup.blogspot.com)
Write a Novel in a Month (howto.wired.com)
“NaNoWriMo Writing Tools for the iPad” and related posts (gigaom.com)

Filed under: NanNoWriMo, Writers, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, why write?, Writers Resources, writing

10/29/2010 • 12:14 PM 2

10 Tips for NaNoWriMo

: Image by owlbookdreams via Flickr

NaNoWriMo begins November 1. A few suggestions:

1. If you can do more than 1700+ words per day, try to do so. It takes the panic out of the equation when you miss a day. And you will miss a day. You aren’t a machine. You may miss several. Do more when you are able so there’s a cushion.

2. Stay calm. You’re not actually writing with a gun to your head. Remember this is supposed to be fun.

3. It’s probably best to have an outline. Yes, you can explore instead, but when you’re against the clock, it’s good to plan out what the major scenes are going to be ahead of time. If you find yourself pulled in another direction, there’s still no gun to your head. You can veer off as necessary and discover an entirely different ending than you had pictured. It happens all the time.

4. Remember, this is just a first draft. Don’t worry about heavy research. That’s for later. You can always fill in gaps and correct niggling details in your next draft.

5. Remember, this is just a first draft. Every year agents and editors get some submissions which are obviously the raw feed. Novels are not ready for submission just because a writer takes the time to hit spell check once.

6. Write with a buddy. Write against a buddy. Make a bet. Get some stakes in this game.

7. Know why you’re writing. Maybe this is the one way you will get a first draft done…or a good start on a first draft.

8. Try to get to the end of you story. Even if you have to stick in pages that summarize scenes, this tip will help you complete your draft later. (e.g. X happens here, write that. Y happens here, write this.) That strategy will help you harness the momentum NaNoWriMo gives and protect you from frustration and disappointment.

9. Know why you’re doing NaNoWriMo. Some writers have acted like poo heads (not Winnie the) about National Novel Writing Month. They dislike it because they figure it’s for people who aren’t very serious about their writing. Well, d’uh! They’re right! A lot of participants aren’t very serious about it. Some people participate just so they can scratch “Write a novel” off their bucket list. If you’ve read No Plot? No Problem! you know that the spirit of this thing is fun.

10. For others, it’s deadly serious and provides the motivation they feel they need to get started. What’s wrong with that? They know it’s their first draft. Maybe they haven’t written anything and been paid for it. Yet. So what? Every professional writer started out from that same place. The hotheads must be awfully threatened and snobby. Or worse, they receive awful first draft manuscripts from naïve people who don’t know the word revision.

NaNoWriMo (aseeofgreen.wordpress.com)
“NaNoWriMo – it’s almost here!” and related posts (trashionista.com)
Scrivener 2.0 NaNoWriMo preview edition now available (macworld.com)
November Writing Month; Pragmatic Guide to Git in print (pragprog.com)
Stave Off Writer’s Block This November with NaNoWriMo (seattlest.com)
NaNoWriMagain? (liliwilkinson.com.au)

Filed under: NanNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo tips, National Novel Writing Month, writer, Writers Resources, writing tips

10/27/2010 • 9:27 AM 0

NaNoWriMo Prep: Brainstorming Your Way to Surprising Stories

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One of the dangers in writing a novel is that halfway through, you run out of steam. It happens a lot. Everybody is eager and can’t type fast enough as they begin their story. As the pages pile up, it’s easy to lose the plot’s thread. Enthusiasm wanes. We wonder, What did I think was so great about this idea? I can’t remember. You might not necessarily get writer’s block, though running out of ideas in the middle is common, especially if you’re discovery writer (meaning you find out what the story is going to be as you write it instead of outlining.)

If your middle is a muddle, there are a few common tricks. Knowing the final scene is helpful. Outlining helps. Writing out the major plot points. (And if you haven’t read No Plot? No Problem! yet, you should grab a copy before you begin your National Novel Writing Month adventure.)

I propose a fun exercise to get your mind going, and do this before you start outlining (or before you sketch out the major scenes and beats.) An outline is a map that will carry you through to the end, but I’m going to suggest an innovative strategy I use to open my mind up to possibilities I would not have ordinarily discovered. Try this:

1. Get out a legal pad.

2. Write the numbers 1 – 40.*

3. Get out a dictionary, hit random on Wikipedia, drag out your Goth Bible and any books on myths and legends. Use what resources you have. (I have The Book of Tells. That may prove very useful for the story I have in mind. I want the villains to be formidable, so they’ll be sensitive to body language that gives the hero away.) Atlases, trivia or histories can give you some clues, too.

4. On each of the lines, 1 – 40, write three words from your resources in #3. (Choose words with which you are unfamiliar. Don’t slow down to do research. That’s for later. Now is for writing 120 words or phrases as fast as you can. Anything that strikes you as interesting will do. Geographical names might end up as a character name, for instance. Don’t worry about that now. Write quickly.

5. When you’re done, look at your list. Your plot will develop in the next stage when you construct your actual outline. However, you’ll find those 40 trios may influence the development of your plot.

Here’s an example of a few trios:

A. peroxide, absinthe, firebomb

B. picayune, letters to the editor, Bond movie

C. Malta, the actress Pam Grier, ecstasy

D. Blue Mountains, security scan, divinity school

So, from Trio A, I see an interesting image. How about this?:

The protester pushed past him, breaking through the line. Dressed in rags, her face was covered with a camouflage veil—a poor defense against tear gas. Her shock of peroxide blonde hair made her an easy target for police, but they shrank behind their riot shields as she menaced them with the molotov cocktail. Defiant, she stood her ground and held the green bottle high in one hand, its rag fuse alight. Green, he thought. The bottle’s contents were bright green! Who would use a $100 bottle of absinthe for a molotov cocktail?

Will I use this passage? I don’t know yet. I know I wouldn’t have come up with it had I not built my trio list, though. I’ll find out as I build my beats and scenes timeline. If I choose to deviate later, that’s okay. First drafts are supposed to be a journey of discovery, free and easy. Write the first draft for you.

You may choose to use each of your trios or you may opt out. The point is to stir your imagination. If you find yourself stuck, going back to your trios. Find ways to incorporate them into your text (without trying too hard) to get you writing again. Try it and you may be surprised what new ideas occur to you and what spins and reels your story will take.

*Are you wondering why I chose 40 trios? Math is involved, but it’s easy. For my own fiction, I prefer short chapters that skip along. You’re going to need to write over 1,600 words per day to complete NaNoWriMo successfully. I shoot for 2,000 words a day so if I miss a day in the process, I’m still ahead of the game overall. Two-thousand words each day for 30 days over 40 chapters is 80,000 words.

You actually only have to get to 50,000 to get a pass from NaNoWriMo. Me? I want a book at the end that I can revise and 80,000 words is a good length for what I have in mind. I am not interested in participating as a writing exercise. I write plenty as it is, so I want the time spent to be productive. When I’m done the sprint, I want a first draft I can doctor. Construct as many trios as you like. Planning ahead will give you a proper blueprint for your story. You do not want to hit November 15, sit in front of your keyboard and ask that terrible question, “Now what?” Using this technique, I developed two trio sheets and two outlines for two different books yesterday. By November 1, I’ll have to choose down which rabbit hole I intend to throw myself.

Stave Off Writer’s Block This November with NaNoWriMo (seattlest.com)
“Short Story on Paris Versus Novel for NaNoWriMo, Up To A Writing Challenge in November?” and related posts (sergetheconcierge.com)
NaNoWriMo for the Kindle Reader: Mastering the Craft of Fiction (kindlereader.blogspot.com)
Write a Novel in a Month (howto.wired.com)
NaNoWriMo Sale on the WCWW! (connection-revolution.com)
National Novel Writing Month event (superpunch.blogspot.com)
NaNoWriMagain? (liliwilkinson.com.au)
D*I*Y Planner | the best thing in printing since Gutenberg (diyplanner.com)
The Prisoner of NaNoWriMo by Craig Robertson (podiobooks.com)

Filed under: NanNoWriMo, Writing exercise, writing tips, Book Writing, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Writers Resources, Writing Exercises

10/22/2010 • 8:31 PM 1

Friday Publishing Advice Links

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Sorry for the late post today. I’m feeling a bit under the weather, but that must not stop the great publishing links!

To kick things off, the top link is a great review of the iPad as a writing tool. Mr. David Hewson confirms my opinion that iPad is a great information consuming tool. It’s not a productive writing tool. He’s got me excited about Android tablets as an intriguing alternative to the iPad.
Read his detailed review here: David Hewson.

Remember those old Ronco ads? But wait, there’s more!

A writer’s blog on taking the NaNoWriMo challenge.

I Want to Publish My Book. Now what?

How to Write for Love and Money

10 Marketing Excuses That Can Kill Your Book and Career | The Official BookBuzzr Blog

Interview with Richard Hine on building a better book trailer.

Will You Be An Independent Author? « BubbleCow

A writer in the final stages of the book polish contemplates the wait ahead.

And last, but not at all least from Roger C. Parker…(make a drumroll sound in your brain)…

The 100 best writing books
More to come Monday morning, but first…a nap!

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