NaNoWriMo Tip #2

All writers come to a point in their stories where the words just aren't coming. Normally you can walk away for an hour, a day, or a week until the words come back to you. You don't have that luxury during NaNoWriMo. So what do you do?

Paraphrase. Summarize. Make a list. When you get to that point in your story, the most important thing is to get the basic ideas down, whether it be a specific scene, an entire chapter, or speculative jottings about a character's motives. Yes, this will mean telling, not showing, but will also keep your word count building during the times when your story doesn't want to move forward. Eventually you will get back into your groove and your story will begin to flow again.

A Little Peek (and a guessing game)

Here's a tiny excerpt from my NaNoWriMo book in progress. Working title: Intercession. Genre: Christian fantasy/paranormal. Age range: YA.

Abby examined her wounded arm, now sticky with half-dried blood. "Stupid!" she scolded herself. "How could you have been so stupid?"

Would anyone like to guess what happened to poor Abby's arm?

NaNoWri-WOES

I've written about 3300 words of the wrong book.

Yesterday I sat down to work on my NaNo novel, and everything felt wrong about the story I was writing. I don't know why, but it felt like I should be writing something else. Or writing the same story in a different way.

I tried to plow forward with it this morning, because one of the points of doing NaNoWriMo is to get out of your comfort zone and write even when it turns out bad. I got about 200 words written, but the process was forced and I couldn't get into a groove.

But I am not giving up! I'm starting over.

I'm going back to the idea that had been bumping around in my head for months, the idea that I had originally planned on doing for NaNoWriMo. The barely developed speculative fiction idea that will lead me who-knows-where. But, for me, that's the fun of it!

Now I'm going to brew some tea and get to work.

NaNoWriMo Tip #1

When you are furiously writing during NaNoWriMo (or any time, really), keep a notebook nearby in which you can jot down little tid-bits that occur to you as you type. It may be a bit of backstory, something about a character, a revelation about some layer of plot, or a sudden image of a place in your story yet to be visited--anything! It is also handy when you need to make notes of things that you may need to research further. You'll be glad to have your notes to refer back to when you're ready to revise.

It begins!

Finally, NaNoWriMo is here! I spent all day yesterday running around with my family and thinking, "I gotta get home and start writing!"

Actually, it was a gorgeous fall day and I had a beautiful Sunday with my family. But once I got home, I was ready to begin. I didn't get as much writing time as I would have liked, but I got a decent start on my novel. 1043 words.

I hope to get to 3000 by bed time tonight!

Fall photo and JOP madness

It has been a sopping wet fall, with too few opportunities to get out and enjoy the changing colors. But here is a picture from one of the rare dry days this month when my family got out of the house and into the woods!

It's Friday, and I haven't hosted a JOP Madness (five-minute free write) challenge in a while. So consider this photo your topic. Feel free to post your five-minutes worth of non-edited writing here in the comments.

What should I title this blog post?

I'd really love to blog

on something helpful, something new.

Instead I'm staring at the screen,

unsure of what to do.

I'd love to get a grip on

one idea within my head,

but when I sit to blog on it,

my mind just WHIRRS instead.

Even journal entries are

a tangled web of thoughts,

mixed up lines and slanted rhymes,

scribbles, scratches, jots.

I'm hopeful that this writer brain,

with just a little luck,

will (in time for NaNoWriMo)

find its way out of this MUCK!

TIP: If all else fails, write a dorky poem.