Subject: National Novel Writing Month
Author:
Posted on: 2013-02-02 04:18:00 UTC
Each November, there's a challenge to write at least 50,000 words of an original novel/collection of works/poems, etc. It goes from the first to the thirtieth. This past November was the fourth time I finished within the time limit.
Old wounds are reopened for Lee when she, Ian, and Sammy take care of some family matters in Lee's home continuum.
((A/N: This is pretty much a shameless attempt to a), show off a bit of Lee's home continuum, and b), explain some backstory for her. Do with it what you will.))
Someone needs to give Lee's mother a solid kick in the rear. I like her grandparents, though -- any chance we'll see more of them in a future interlude?
It's been a while since I can remember seeing anything from you, and this was a good reintroduction. It obviously helps to know who Ian, Lee, and Sammy are first, but I think it's easy enough to get a grip on who people are and what's going on regardless.
Lee's world is really interesting. It seems like there's a lot of depth to what has gone on before, what with the historical events mentioned and the strong relationships (good or bad) between characters. Are you planning on doing anything bigger with it in the future?
~Neshomeh
It has been a while, agreed-- nearly a year since my last mission, surprisingly enough --thanks to school and work. As for Lee's world, I do have more to it, actually. I wrote both last year and this year's NaNoWriMo in that 'Verse. Those stories take place about two hundred years before this one; thank goodness for long-lived fantasy races. I'd be more than willing to share last year's NaNo as a GDoc or PDF if anyone's interested, given that I'm still editing this year's.
As a point of interest, Lee's grandparents are around three hundred years old, her mother about one hundred and fifty, and Lee obviously is 26 (or so, what with the vagaries of HQ).
Each November, there's a challenge to write at least 50,000 words of an original novel/collection of works/poems, etc. It goes from the first to the thirtieth. This past November was the fourth time I finished within the time limit.
I've tried it...twice so far, I think. I've never managed to get past 10,000 words, as far as I remember. But you've managed to do it FOUR times? How? Do you have any tips to share?
*is EXTREMELY impressed, by the way*
~DF
I did it for the first time this November! I'm going to start revising soon, and I think I'll try to post it as an online serial novel.
Mostly, you just write whatever comes into your head. Don't edit as you go except for the tiny mistakes in spelling and grammar (and not even then, sometimes). Also, try not to fall behind - I did twice, and I spent the last week or so writing 2500 words per day.
I also had Sergio Turbo and Desdendelle reading as I wrote, and I know that at least one part of the story that I REALLY like came because I asked Sergio about whether or not touse a certain plot point at a certain time (I don't really plan out my stories in advance). He thought I should wait, and and it turned out much better because I did. So getting someone to read it as you go works too - plus you have the incentive of not letting them down (something similar was tossed up in the Pep Talk emails.)
Don't get discouraged if one day you just can't write anything. Try working on a different thing for a bit, see if that helps. Read a goodfic, bake some cookies, go for a walk.
It can actually be done in two weeks, if you don't mind burning yourself out from fiction for the next half year or so.
The basic rule is to just keep writing, come hell or high water. Last time (2011) I was lucky enough to have a run of very quiet night shifts with computer access - I was hitting roughly 3000 words a night. The first time I did it (2009) I was unemployed, so again, lots of time.
I don't know yet if it can be done with a full workload. But even at a ludicrously-slow ten words a minute, you only need to write two hours a day...
... every day until you finish. That's the hard part. Oh, and don't edit. My wife used to write hers in white font to keep from going back over it. :P
hS
1) Don't be afraid to write. Often times, ideas may seem stupid to you, or you might be afraid your readers won't like it. That's okay; use it anyways. November's just for writing. You've got the rest of your life to edit.
2) On that note, NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR INNER EDITOR DURING NOVEMBER. The urge to edit as you go is very, very tempting, but it'll only waste precious time.
3) Try to get at least the minimum word count each day. 1,667 words seems like quite a bit, but often times it can pass by relatively quickly. I tend to world-build a lot, so descriptive paragraphs have saved my bacon more than once.
4) Keep a notebook/journal/notepad/whatever on you at all times. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest of places and times, so being prepared helps get ideas down, even if it's just a short description of a place or a character idea. I keep a small journal in my purse and a notebook by my bed, just in case. Also, writing utensils: get used to having many of them nearby at all times.
5) Sometimes, your characters will go places and do things you weren't expecting. That's fine; in fact, it often leads to ideas you hadn't thought of that further the story and make it more interesting. A story is a tapestry of various events and ideas; let them flow as they come.
6) Plan ahead. This is actually encouraged by the Office of Letters and Light (the very awesome people who run NaNo). Write down character bios. Sketch places. Take pictures of things that interest you or inspire you. Write down outlines of scenes that pop into your head.
7) Try to go to at least one write-in that's being hosted in your area. Chances are, there'll be one, or, most likely, several, at various bookshops, libraries, and schools. The NaNo Forums are a great place to hook up with people in your area. Getting live feedback is a great motivator.
8) Get to know your characters. Why do they do the things they do? What're their backgrounds? How much of them do you want to show the reader, and how much do you want to keep for yourself? Remember, not knowing everything often leads to keeping the reading wanting to know more about the characters, so dole out bits and pieces here and there to whet their appetites and keep them coming back for more.
9) Listen to your heart, not your head. Your head is full of boring things like work, school, and all the mundanities of life. Your heart, on the other hand, is where the dreams live and where your story can really take root. If you're excited about your story, chances are your readers will be as well.
10) Don't be afraid to steal borrow inspiration. Every great artist copies someone else at one point or another; why do you think so many of us got our start writing fanfiction? If an idea strikes you as interesting, note it down and then see how you can add your own personal spin on it. Don't be afraid to play around with established tropes and ideas. They've been around for a long time, so no one's going to yell if you use them. Just look at the amount of vampire and werewolf-related stuff for young adults that came out after Twilight hit the shelves.