NaNoWriMo: Are You Doing It?

NaNoWriMo is upon us, folks. This means some of you will spend the month of November writing about 2k words a day. 

*bows down to you* 

I wish I could participate this year, especially since I've never plunged into the NaNo waters, but I won't be able to. I'll be switching between revising my current WIP and brainstorming/plotting my next one (which I'm totes excited about). 

Someday I'll NaNo. Maybe I'll even have a quick change of heart and NaNo this year! You never know. I could end up with a finished draft of a book I was hoping to write next year. Or I could just... not write it until next year.

Oh, the possibilities...

So I'm curious: are you doing NaNo this year? Have you ever done it? If you're participating, do you have any tips/traditions you swear by? What are you going to work on? 

Blog Chain: Writing Goals & NaNoWriMo

This post is a *bit* late, and I apologize to my fellow blog chain buddies!! I am sick (YET AGAIN). Seriously. It's like this stupid virus thinks I'm its type or something.

Anyway. Here's what the awesome Sandra asks in this round:

During National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), writers attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Do you set daily writing goals for yourself, either a certain word count or time spent on writing? Does this include other writing-related activities, like research, plotting, or revising? Do you focus on reaching the end of the journey (such as finishing your current project), or do you enjoy the writing process along the way?

I've yet to participate in NaNoWrimo, for starters, but I'm really looking forward to taking a stab at it in the future. But even though I'm not a NaNoer, I do have writing goals for this month of November. You see, I'm currently in revision mode (although this stupid virus has put me WAY behind). Draft 2 of my WIP is coming along sloooooooowly, and I'm afraid I won't meet my self-imposed deadline of having it finished by January 1st. My plan was to set it aside for two weeks after the 1st, then start Draft 3. 

HA.

Not gonna happen.

As for daily word counts, I don't set them. Instead, I set chapter counts. Like, one day I intend on revising one chapter. The next day, I'll aim for two. And so on. When I'm drafting, it's the same thing. I usually aim for cranking out an entire chapter, maybe two if I'm feeling awesome. I tend to write 1,000-word chapters, though, but there are exceptions. 

Research and plotting differ from project to project. For instance, I wrote a whole outline for this WIP, as well as researched some major stuff, but I'm still changing the outline as I revise, and I still have a lot of research to do. I've worked on other manuscripts blindly, too--I jump in and leave all that researching and outlining for Draft 2 and onward. I'm a tricksy one when it comes to this. 

I prefer revisions to drafting any day of the week. So when I'm drafting, I focus on just wrapping up the thing. Having said that, I do love the rush of having a story in my head and heart, then sitting down to give it life on the page. I think it's the excitement before I sit down to draft that I enjoy more than the actual drafting. Revisions are better for me 'cause I get to mess with something that's already there. It's a map of sorts. An ugly, WTF-was-I-thinking map, but still. :) 

Thank you to Sandra for a great topic! Make sure you check out Cole's post, then go read what Margie had to say. 

Have a great weekend!

 

Post-NaNo Editing Checklist, Mystery Agent Contest And A Video!

Today I'm over @ Operation Awesome giving out revision tips for all you NaNoers out there. You can check it out here.

Be sure to stay tuned this Wednesday for another Mystery Agent Contest over @ OA!! So pretty please polish those one-line pitches, folks!! Mystery Agent is looking for YA and adult (all genres except for Christian fiction, erotica and picture books). Best of luck!

Also, I really really really wanted to share this. The fabulous Myra McEntire had this on her blog yesterday. It made me laugh. A lot.

I hope you do, too :D

Le video:

Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving!!

Yep. Shiny New Idea = Latest WIP

It's official. Yesterday I sat down, put on the earphones, and did the unthinkable.

Well, it's not so much 'unthinkable' as it is 'unavoidable'.

You see, I am a wuss. Big time. I am afraid of blank Word documents. But I am only afraid of them when I'm expected to write something on them. Like, actual words. That make sense. 

So yesterday I sat down, put on the earphones...

and started a new manuscript.

*le sigh*

I have been outlining this latest baby for about two months (did I mention I'm afraid of blank Word documents??). The outline STILL isn't finished, but I don't care. It was just my excuse to not start writing this sucker. But I have to stop being scared. It's time to write. 

So far, I have 1k. Only 64k more to go :D

What about you? How far along are you with those NaNo WIPs? 

Oh, and quick reminder, today's my day over @ Operation Awesome! I'm talking about why you should keep going when the going sucks. Fun times.

3 Reasons Why Your Internal Editor Rocks

Yes, NaNo is still happening, folks. No, I'm still not participating. *hangs head in shame*

BUT I figured I'd take more precious blog space to talk about something people usually freak out over. 

The Internal Editor.

*cue girl shrieks from scary movies*

What is the Internal Editor? Well, it's just like regular people--it can either be your friend or your enemy. The reason? It tells you what to do. While you're working on Draft #1. Which is supposed to suck.

Internal Editor will stop you every once in a while, maybe every two pages or so, and go, "Yo! This scene blows big time, G!" Yes, Internal Editors can be from the ghetto :D 

Anyway, while some people shut their Editors off during the first draft, I'm here today to defend the opposite. 

Here's why:

1) Your word count... well... counts.

You have a goal to reach 2k in an hour (I hate you...). But during first drafts, you simply type whatever comes to mind without caring about the coherence/structure/awesomeness of what you're typing. You just want to meet that freakin' goal. But if Internal Editor steps in, you get the best of both worlds. You get to 2k, and every word counts. It's not fluff or boring or stupid. It makes sense for your story, and you'll be able to push forward with a better outlook on what's to come. 

2)  Your writing/story improves along the way.

The more you read your own work and spot weak writing, the sharper your skills get. Typos, info dumps, inconsistent characterization--you can catch it all while it's still hot, and take it out immediately. Also, your story's thread is kept intact. You don't go off course by simply writing for the sake of writing something. You keep track of what you want to convey, and force yourself to stay faithful to it. By doing so, you get a clearer view on what your acts should consist of, what the chapter/scene goals are, and how everything will lead up to that ever-important climax. Sounds like hard work, but it's not--you go little by little until there's a whole bunch of awesome at the end.

3) Less hair pulling after you type THE END.

Every draft needs to be edited after it's done. I don't care what anybody says. There's no such thing as a perfect first draft. *rolls eyes* Even if your Internal Editor works along the way, you still need to have other people read and critique your baby, as well as a pair of your own eyes in the freshest state possible. BUT if the Internal Editor has been pulling its weight along the ride, those revisions you're dreading will be less than the amount you would've endured without it. And what could be better than less work??

So. There you have it. Internal Editors rock.

What say you, blogging buddies? Do you let your I. E. out while you're drafting, or do you shut the door in its face?

5 Reasons Why I'd Kill To Do NaNo

So. NaNoWriMo has arrived.

And I won't be a part of it.

*blinks*

Trust me when I say I have very boring reasons for skipping out. They make me want to punch them square in the face and laugh when they smack their boo-tays on the floor. 

Anyway, I'm skipping out. Against my will. That's why I figured I'd tell you why I think NaNo would be awesome for me. I've narrowed it down to 5 non-boring reasons:

#1 It forces me to write. Every. Day.

I know, I know--you can't force the creative juices. You'll end up with a steaming pile of guano. BUT I'm an exception, my friends. No, I don't end up with roses and pearls for a manuscript, but I do end up working very well under pressure. It's my favorite way to do anything. Bottom line: Whatever I produce is better than not producing at all. 

#2 It's my chance to forget about The Rules (for just 30 days...)

The point of NaNo is to come up with 50k words. That's it. They may suck harder than Rob Zombie's movies, but at least it's a book. Or half of it. 

#3 Everybody cheers you on.

That sense of  sitting at the cool kids' table I've gotten from blogging and critiquing is multiplied a bazillion times through NaNo. No, I've never actually been a part of NaNo, but I've read many testimonials around the blogosphere. I'm always in awe of people who take time to help, and/or root for, strangers. 

#4 It takes my mind off very boring things I shall not waste my time discussing.

I think that one explains itself.

#5 Whether or not you "win" by reaching 50k, you started a book.

Writing a book isn't a piece of cake, right? Then you shouldn't downplay your success by going all self-deprecating and shouting, "I didn't make iiiiiit!!!!" 

Guess what? The only person who cares if you made it or not is you. 

And my advice would be to not care. This isn't a contest, my friend. It's the cool kids' table :D

Tell me: are you doing NaNo this year?