The alternatives to NaNoWriMo

I’ve mentioned before my experiences with the National Writing Month. This year, I will pass on the grueling ordeal and opt to explore alternatives to writing goals.

Some authors/writers who write on a different path;

Unofficial NaNoWriMo- Sharing her writing goals for the month and created a Facebook page for anyone who wishes to do the same.

MiniWriMo- 250 words a day seems reasonable, but also allows for works-in-progress, daily writing exercises, short stories, or even journals.

GloManiFesto stands for Global Manifesto Writing Month where you write ‘a public declaration of intentions, opinions,objectives, or motives, as one issued by agovernment, sovereign, or organization.’

My 500 Words: An Alternative to NaNoWriMo- Keeping a reasonable word count per day.

As you can see, there are many ideas floating around out there to make November a productive month.

Feel free to post your own thoughts, ideas, comments, or goals for November Novel Writing Month.

Technorati Tags: nanowrimo,writing,authors,novels,publishing,plot,character,conflict

The dread of NaNoWriMo

I haven’t decided if I will join in the many other writers for the National Novel Writing Month starting November 1st. It’s a grueling test of writing endurance; writing 1700 words a day, reaching 50,000 within one month’s time.

The pros include;

Sets word count goals. Even if you were to match half the word count, you may find you’re writing more than you did before.

Forces you to write through whatever writer’s block. I found it rather cathartic, at times, to write through issues such as style and creativity. The idea is that you can always edit and clean it up later.

Gives you a 50,000 word novel at the end of the month. You may find you’re ahead with chapters and word counts than if you didn’t join the contest.

The cons include;

The word count can be grueling. My hands ached from all the typing, which I tried to get out of the way in the early hours of the day. Some days I had to double the count due to setbacks or other issues, but I still managed to complete the novel.

You may not be entirely happy with results such as quality. I realized when it was completed that I wasn’t happy with the quality of the story at all. Despite plotting beforehand, I found the last third of the story took a life of its own. The characters took over and led me in other directions I didn’t like.

The 50,000 word count is more of a novella than novel. This is around 200 pages, and some publishing companies might not want to look at it. However, you will have the bulk done, ripe for the editing process, and you can add more details and scenes at that time.

And what do you get if you reach your goal? You get a printable certificate and a graphic to post on your web site or profile. I would also suggest giving yourself a reward, such as a new book, a cupcake, a trip to the spa, or whatever else you deem worthy of the feat.

 

Source: blog.grammarly.com via Sharon on Pinterest

 

Technorati Tags: nanowrimo,authors,novels,writing,editing,fiction,contest

The end of the month draws nigh

For those enduring the NaNoWriMo contest this month, I feel your pain. I remember the dreaded few weeks of writing, with cramping hands, writing burnout, and the inner editor screaming in hysterics. I did the NaNoWriMo a few years ago…and I doubt I’ll ever put myself through that again.

I am, however, glad I did write through completion. I wasn’t happy with the final results of a story, but the experience taught me much about writing, my family’s support, and, more importantly, that I can do the 1700 words a day.

I also discovered writing daily burns me out. I need a day or two off to readjust and recoup before plunging into writing once more. This is not to say I’m not writing inside my head. It’s the physical act of writing I find exhausting at times.

Keep up the writing, and luck to those working through the November NaNoWriMo!

Technorati Tags: nanowrimo,wordcount,goals,writing,authors,blog

Re-writes and edits

I must admit- I hate rewrites. I know its part of the process, but it’s the ‘unfun’ part if you ask me. The first draft tend to bubble up and overflow with scenes and plot. Rewrites, on the other hand, is all about cut, paste, selecting better wording, changing flaws in characters, and sometimes deletes.

Yes, decidedly ‘unfun’.

There are times when re-reading, however, I’m horrified by what I wrote. What possessed me to put it that way? What was I thinking? Was I drunk? Was I somehow distracted? Did my fickle muse abandon me once more?

Thus, the importance of the rewrite stage.

Some points;

• Take note of grammar and punctuation. Are you writing in the passive voice. Do you see ‘was’ ‘has’ or ‘is’ a lot? Commas where they should be? Have you removed the dreaded ‘ly’ words?
• Is the conflict clear in the first few pages of your story? Don’t bore readers with backstory, prologues, dream sequences, or mundane story telling. Throw the reader into the action.
• Tell a theme. Most stories tell something more than just the obvious conflict. Some show the struggle of man versus self, nature, or other antagonists. What is the lesson learned?
• Are you telling or showing? Do you know the difference? Don’t just tell the reader a character is scared or angry- show it through dialog and action. Don’t spoon feed information; unveil through description, conversation, action, etc.

A tip I’d like to share with those who are rewriting;

When you’re working on your manuscript and want to keep track of where you are, highlight the paragraph you’re working on and pick a highlight color. This will make it easy to spot when you work on another time.

You can also use odd text or a word such as write in the area of the manuscript you’re working on “unfun” (for example) and then when you come back later, use Ctrl+F which opens the ‘search’ function. Type in ‘unfun’ and it will go straight to it.

Have fun writing.

Technorati Tags: writing,tips,nanowrimo,edit,rewrite,authors,blog,writer,storytelling,fiction

Blogging schedule and changes

My blog schedule has been Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for a while now. With the month of NaNoWriMo right around the corner, I will be skipping the Monday and Wednesday postings but will continue with the Tuesday and Friday posts.

There are two reasons for this;

1. I think its too often, and too much, for a blog. I’m finding its just too much on my part, but I also think it might be a bit much for subscribers.

Many times, I’ve found professional bloggers advise to keep posts regular, but not too often to bore or overwhelm the readers. If this isn’t the case, please let me know.

2. Blogging, I realized, takes me away from my fiction writing. In fact, I feel that writing in a style of ‘informative’ tends to sap creativity for me.

If you, as a reader, want to see more of certain topics, please post in the comments. Want writing prompts? Writing activities? Suggestions for books, techniques, or simply want information with writing- please leave comments and let me know.

I will also be adding a topic on the Tuesday posts, challenging writers to comment in their own blog, thereby allowing them to post in comments to link back or I can add a post that lists participating bloggers.

Also, remember that we’re having an Alternative NaNoWriMo Challenge, with flexible rules. Feel free to join on my page, and post your word count, and link back to your blog- or return to post your accomplishments.

Please leave comments, questions, suggestions, and even remarks below.

Technorati Tags: nanowrimo,writing,blog,schedule,authors

NaNoWriMo Challenge!

For those participating for the National Novel Writing Challenge (the official one),  hope you have your fingers warmed up, typing ready, and strength of willpower prepared for this approaching month.

Best tips I know for this event:

• Learn to shut off your inner editor as you write. You can spell check and fix things when you do your editing later.
• Don’t let an ‘off day’ deter you. You can make up the time. I know of one woman who lost 20,000 midway through and still managed to hit the 50,000 word mark by Nov. 31.
• Remember if you’ve signed up via their site, your friends and family should be supporting you- not competing. That same woman who managed her 50,000 word count found a number of times to cut me down through the month rather than help by offering words of encouragement. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people to help you- not those who would hold you back.
• Reward yourself if you’ve hit your word count for the day. For some, this might be a piece of chocolate, a bubble bath, or a foot massage from a good friend/lover.
• Remember why you’re doing this. Although there’s a number of reasons, for myself, I joined to see if I could write that many words in a day. I also wanted to challenge myself. For other members, I heard reasons such as ‘finishing a story completely’, or ‘make writing a daily habit’ also comprised of reasons.
• I highly recommend No Plot? No Problem by Chris Baty which gives tons of tips for the NaNoWriMo but also just about writing as well.

If you’re not joining the official NaNoWriMo, consider joining my Alternative Challenge, where you choose your own word count, on a current or new project, which can include fiction or non-fiction. See my page on the rules and graphic you can post on your web site!

Wordcount tracker

Nanowrimo Meter

Wordcount Meter

**Writertopia meter- adds a mood and cartoon to the meter

How to add the wordcount toolbar to MS Word 2003

MS Word wordcount information

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