Day Seven 2010 November 7, 2010

Aaaaaaarrrrrrgggh!

They took the NaNoWriMo site down for maintenance last night so I couldn’t update my word count before midnight! Thankfully the ‘days behind schedule’ stat is gone, because it would have killed me to see that when I’d written 2293 words. Seriously, it would have totally messed me over.

Last night was another success. I followed my husband’s recommendation and ‘moved the ship.’ I haven’t blown anything up yet, but I’d like to believe I’m still writing scenes full of tension. This book is so different from the first – I am so into the characters and their personal arcs I’m finding I want to keep exploring those aspects. I suppose, worst case scenario, I end up writing a character study then go back and add in the actual ‘plot’ stuff on the next draft.

Now that the ship is moving I have to resist the temptation to slip back into the character drama, but rather keep the forward plot momentum going, well, forward. There’s one scene I need to have – mostly to get out some back story – but then the next scene will be on the first planet. My only concern is this first scene might take more than one chapter to get through because of the character elements… *headdesk*

Oh well, as long as I’m having fun and writing my brains out, it’ll all work out in the end.

Happy NaNoing!

C.

Day Six 2010 November 6, 2010

2291 words last night!

I am experiencing another love fest with my characters right now. Even thinking about them makes me go, “SQUEE!”

I hit 11,285 words last night and both my main characters stepped through their respective doors of no return. They made decisions that will colour their actions for the remainder of the book (and any that follow, really). It was fun – a back and forth tennis match style of writing. As I built the tension in each of the two scenes, I cut back to the other at shorter and shorter intervals. Even though I was writing from the hip and just trying to get my ideas down, I found I was also trying to weave connections between each set of apparently different issues (i.e., Nate bugs John about finding a girl – makes a joke about marrying Rebeccah, and then in the next scene Monty asks Rebeccah to marry him).

I ran out of pre-planned plot last night. When I finished the chapter I’d also finished my notes for scenes – I still have my ‘three disasters and an ending’ to guide me, but nothing specific related to where I want to go next. Thankfully, my husband (who does not like romance) asked me what’d happened so far and after I told him said, “You need to move the ship. Nothing’s blown up yet.”

Hmm… as I write that a new idea has hit me. Perhaps I need to add a ‘ticking clock’ to the story too. I could weave in an attack, forcing the crew to leave earlier than anticipated… ooo…. the possibilities!

I must go play with my spreadsheet now.

C.

Day Five 2010 November 5, 2010

ZOMG!

The NaNoWriMo site was down until late this afternoon (so it was rather amusing to watch my students freaking out because they couldn’t update their word count totals). And while the students were long gone from the class when the site came back up, I did my own dance of joy.

THEY GOT RID OF THE ‘DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE’ STATISTIC!!!

It’s like someone read my mind and understood the trauma it was causing me and took pity on my poor, crushed soul.

I wrote 2127 words last night and am smack in the middle of the chapter with both John and Rebeccah’s inciting incidents. *SQUEE* I am sending them down their roads of suffering and torment!

*scuttles off to write, write, WRITE!*

C.

Day Four 2010 November 4, 2010

This has to be quick – I have another 1300+ words to write tonight if I want to make my daily goal. I’m doing fine overall, but I just cannot handle having the daily stat thing tellimg me I am behind!

Okay, deep breaths and back to writing!

Must kick John and Rebeccah in the gut before midnight!

C.

Day Three 2010 November 3, 2010

2162 words last night.

I have fallen completely and totally in love with my characters – again. I love John. I love Rebeccah. I love how much I am loving torturing them. And I love how much I am loving it!

On the less-than-wonderful side of things, the fabulous NaNoWriMo people have added some new stats to the site this year. Most of these are great – I like knowing the average number of words I need to write each day in order to finish on time (and it changes depending on how many words I write each day). But…

BUT…

There’s this one stat that’s giving me an ulcer.

If you don’t write at least 1,667 words each day (no matter if you are miles ahead of the game) it tells you you are behind for that day.

I can’t handle being behind schedule on anything!!! I’m always early! I write extra each day so I don’t have to worry about making 1,667 every single day! And now I do! I have to write that much because I can’t handle the idea NaNoWriMo will record that I am behind schedule!!!

::wails::

I must go.

::sniffs::

Even though I have passed where I need to be for day 3, I still have 900+ words to write before it will release me tonight.

C.

I love NaNo. ::whimpers::

Tough Choices October 30, 2010

One of the workshops I attended at SiWC 2010 was about creating memorable characters.

The presenter talked about a lot of things to consider/include when writing characters, but one piece stuck with me, and that’s what this post is about. He talked about forcing our characters to make choices we would like to make but might not actually do.

He used the example of a book he was currently reading where the protagonist’s son is kidnapped and forced into a guerilla child soldier group. The presenter explained that because he had a teenage son at home this plot element touched on one of his greatest fears – losing a child.

The book’s protagonist goes all “Rambo” and decides to go after the mother f*ers who took his kid, and the presenter pointed out that this was a moment that really made him think. He admitted to being willing to “do anything” for his family, but he had to ask himself if he’d do what the protagonist was doing. He’d like to think he would, but really? He mentioned going to the embassy – rallying support and getting others–people properly trained for such a mission–to rescue his son, but to do it himself?

He mentioned that little feeling of inadequacy in the face of the protagonist’s action is part of what keeps us reading. We WANT to be that person. We WANT to believe we are as self-sacrificing as the protagonist, and we’ll keep reading in order to see just what ends we’ll go to in order to succeed.

The moment where fantasy-self and reality-self collide is very potent and as writers we need to capture it. We need to highlight the stakes, highlight the consequences of inaction (or different action), and we have to make the protagonist’s decision plausible given the situation.

If we do this effectively, we’ll have captured our readers because as soon as that little part of their minds wonders if they would make the same choice we’ve got them hooked for good. They HAVE to read on.

C.

Free Edit Contest! September 10, 2010

C.A. Marshall is running a contest on her blog and the prize is an edit of the winner’s manuscript up to 100,000 words! Check it out: http://www.camarshall.com/2010/09/freelance-editor-ca-marshalls-free-edit.html

She’s not offering a quick proofread, she’s talking about a SUBSTANTIAL edit – plot, pacing, characterization and the whole ball of wax!

RUN! Don’t walk! Go fill out an entry form, NOW!

C.

Sneaky Ending August 28, 2010

Have you ever written something and had the ending totally sneak up on you? Remember how I was feeling like I was writing and writing and writing, never getting closer to the end?

Last night I sat down to write, wondering if it would be a slog or a breeze. My fingers flew over the keyboard and I got into the “zone” with ease. All of a sudden I stopped and stared at the screen. I couldn’t believe it. My chest felt like it was full of helium.

Somehow I’d ripped through the climax and into the denouement. Not only was the book winding up, but when I stopped for the night, I was leading my characters into the final scene – the resolution. I could feel all the plot threads tying off and the character arcs settling into their new personas. It was almost magical. (No, I am not on drugs.)

Tonight is the night. I get to torment my mc through one more emotional scene, then push him off into the sunset. I’m proud of the little guy; he’s come so far and suffered so much. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a sequel!

C.

Neverending Novel August 21, 2010

Why is the last 20% of the WIP so darn hard to get through? Is it because I’m tired? Have I had enough of these characters? Do I dread putting them through the final disaster (you know, the one you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy, let alone someone you’ve come to love almost as much as your own children)? Has my plot run out of gas? Or do I suck, and cannot actually complete a project?

Am I whining? Maybe a little. Am I struggling to make it through to “The End?” Yes.

I’m not entirely sure why either. As I was writing the previous chapters, I was constantly thinking ahead, making sure things built up to the climax – a climax I’ve been able to see in my mind since the idea for the novel first began to take shape. Now that it’s here–and I can smell the finish line–it seems like I’m writing and writing and writing and never getting closer.

Some of that is coming from showing rather than telling. Something big happened in the last chapter, and I started to cover it via narrative, but realized it needed to be an actual scene. Writing the scene delayed moving forward into the part of the chapter I thought I was going to write, so after several hours of writing I felt like I was at the same spot I started at. And this seems to happen pretty much every time I sit down to write. Am I afraid to get to the end of my book?

Talk to me! Have you ever experienced anything like this? What part of writing is the hardest for you?

C.

NaNoWriMo 2010 *headdesk* August 18, 2010

I love my cheerleader. I really, really do.

But here I am, all excited about my current WIP, living life on the edge with my protagonist, suffering his setbacks, and celebrating his minor victories – and what does my beloved cheerleader mention in casual conversation? She says, “Only two and a half months until NaNoWriMo.”

*headdesk*

Don’t get me wrong. I am actually quite excited about it. I get to write my brains out and share my writing EVERY day with my cheerleader. There’s really something wonderful about getting daily praise and encouragement. I love writing, and I’d do it even without any validation by others, but to have someone eagerly following my daily yarn spinning is such fun.

However, I am so heavily involved in my current project (which had better be finished by NaNo time), just the thought of writing a different book feels a little like a betrayal. How can I toss my beloved characters aside for thirty days and nights of literary abandon?!?! *whines* Will they ever forgive me?

It’s not so bad as that – I know I’ll be finished my WIP by then. I hope to wrap up the draft in a week or so, which means I’ll be looking for a new WIP soon.

I guess I’ll spend October planning it out…

John and Rebeccah will live again in 2010!

C.