NaNoWriMo Eve

Happy Hallowe'en! Or, as I'm referring to it this year, NaNoWriMo Eve.

For those of you thinking, "What the heck is NaNoWriMo?", it's a rather long yet much loved acronymish referal to National Novel Writing Month - which happens to be the month of November. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. (Draft is more like it - but all novels are born of first drafts are they not?)

You can find more information about National Novel Writing Month on their webpage - www.nanowrimo.org 

Now, if any of you followed my pathetically few posts over the summer, then you will know that I also participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, which was basically the same thing, just in the month of June. It came with a campy theme full of fireside pep-talks, virtual smores, and messy cabins where you roomed with other campers (online of course).

I came up dreadfully short on my word count over the summer so now I am returning with a vengence here in November and I am determined and focused and optimistic and a little bit scared. But there it is, and all one can do is try.

The best thing I have going for me this year is an idea - one that I've been mulling over for years in my head, so it's had a bit of time to bake in my oven of a brain which I think will be an immense help. My main characters have been hanging out with me for a while so I feel like they're ready to fill pages and, while I think I know them pretty well by now, I haven't ruled out the very great probability of them surprising me repeatedly over the course of the next month.

I will try and update this blog as much as possible during November, just to keep you posted on my progress (and my state of sanity), but I can't make any promises on how insightful (or coherent) those posts may be. Just know that I'm working hard. Feel free to keep me motivated and accountable. Demand posts and updates. Or better yet, join me! It's free, but not easy. But then, nothing that's worth anything is ever come by easily is it?

Happy Writing.

30 Days and Nights of Literary Abandon

Show vs. Tell

Every writer worth their salt has heard the oft used admonishment, "Show, don't tell."

It's a mantra for some, a guide for others - the idea that an writer should allow the reader to experience the story through the development of a character's thoughts, feelings, and senses rather than the author's own exposition or description.

When I first started writing in earnest, I remember obsessing over every scene, wondering if I was showing enough or  telling too much. It slowed me down immensely and led to endless bouts of frustration. When is it enough? When is it too much?

Telling can often seem like a lazy form of writing. It's would be very easy for me to tell you, for instance, that Billy was anxious - but it would take much more effort for me to show you through Billy's own thoughts, his upset stomach, the fact that his grip was much tighter than necessary on the steering wheel of his car. Even those small windows into the character's emotional state of being allow the reader greater access to the story at hand. We all know what a nervous stomach feels like - the better to relate to what Billy is feeling. And when we can relate to the characters, we find ourselves caring about them.

On the other hand, it would be impossible to always show what a character is experiencing - books would be very long and overly drawn out if everyone followed the show, don't tell rule to the tee.

James Scott Bell said, "Sometimes a writer tells as a shortcut, to move quickly to the meaty part of the story or scene. Showing is essentially about making scenes vivid. If you try to do it constantly, the parts that are supposed to stand out won't, and your readers will get exhausted."

In other words, there is a time and place for everything including showing and telling. In my experience, it just takes intuition and practice - and possibly  a couple of incredibly perceptive test readers to offer valuable feedback.

I recently found a wonderful resource that offers incredible examples of the physical, internal and mental manifestations of dozens of character emotions. It's called, quite simply, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, authors of one of my favorite blogs, The Bookshelf Muse. It has been an invaluable tool to me in the endeavor of my newest novel and I highly recommend it to any and all writers.

You can find it on Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and it's available in print or e-book form.

Happy Writing.

I've Been Bad

I have been bad. Oh so very bad. I've completely neglegted my writing for the better part of the summer. Every day I think, I need to write, and every day the sun seems to set on my paper and pen with nothing new to offer. I feel guilty, as if I fell off the writing wagon. I think of all the pages I could have written during this time, the fact that I might possibly even have an almost complete first draft if I had just stuck with it. Then I get mad at myself and I attack my writing with a vengence which, honestly, doesn't do me one bit of good. So, I just have to take a deep breath, forgive myself, pick up the pen with a humble heart and let myself be free.

I will do better.

Happy Writing.

Engineering a Character

I was recently able to visit a friend in her new city of Chicago and she graciously took me around to see some of the famous sites of the Windy City. My favorite activity by far was the Architectural Boat Tour that we took up the Chicago River through the heart of the city.

As we made our way down the river (or up it - I don't know which term is correct in this case) our trusty tour guide filled us in on some of the fascinating history behind the city of Chicago and the amazing buildings that shot up on either side of us. I listened, enthralled by the architecture and history, and it wasn't too long before I was seeing the buildings, not as amazing feats of engineering (which they are), but as characters - which, I guess, is what happens when you're a writer.

As I listened, two things vividly touched my mind. Our tour guide started off by saying that Chicago was built on swampland and that builders have to dig at least 150 feet into the ground before they hit bedrock in order to lay their foundation. He also told us that the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears tower) the tallest building in North America (and for some time the world) took over a year for the foundation to be completed. After that, the building took off at two floors being built a week until the building's completion.

When I looked at the massive, imposing skyscraper, soaring dramatically above all the other buildings, I could understand why it would take a year simply secure it's footing. I also thought about what that meant when laying the groundwork for my own characters. If I want them to be strong and brilliant and able to withstand storms of criticism, then their foundations have to be deep and they have to be substantial, and they have to be secure. It will take time, but it will be worth it.

The second point our tour guide made, was how the buildings in the city interact with one another. As each successive architect raised a new structure, they would echo the buidlings around them in a subtle yet purposeful way. It may be a repeating of a flying butresses, a complimetary finish of terra cotta,or a mirrored tower - but the buildings reflect one another. The buildings, he told us, talk to each other. This was never more literal as in the structures, made completely of blue glass. Blue as a nod to the color of the Chicago River and mirrored for a literal reflection of every building around them.
And that was my second revelation - my characters have to reflect one another, they have to talk to one another. Does my character reflect her mother? Because she should. Does she reflect her best friend? She should as well. All of our characters are part and parcel of the people around them because those people - family, friends, foes - are what shape and mold them. No man is an island.

As I leave The Windy City, I take these new thoughts and ideas with me and I hope I can apply them to my characters with the same dignity and strength as these architects did with their masterpieces.

Happy Writing.

A Change of Scenery

Sometimes I can get stuck in a rut, so I try to move my writing spots around in order to induce more creativity. Instead of always going to my favorite coffee shop, I try to find new places to write in order to bolster my creative spirit. I've found a nice park nearby that is great for freehand writing (as long as it isn't too hot), and a couple of quiet little cafe's, that I try to rotate around.

Sometimes being in the quiet of my own house or writing room is what I really need to get the job done, other times I find the familiarity stifling. This weekend, I'm visiting one of my best friends in Chicago. I don't know what it is about traveling, but it definitely gets my imagination going.

Maybe it's all the people at the airport, saying sad goodbyes or romantic hello's that helps me to root out more emotion in my characters.

Maybe it's the bird's eye view of the world from my seat on the plane reminding me that I need to see the big picture in my novel and not just get lost in the little details.

Maybe it's seeing new places for the first time that gets me dreaming up new scenarios for my next chapter.

I always feel like I am at my creative best when I'm out of my comfort zone and seeing new places. I wish I could travel all the time, but I can't, so I just have to take advantage of the results when I can.

What's the most creatively inspirational place in the world that you've ever been?

Happy Writing.

Call me Scrooge

I will be the first to admit that I am a little bit stingy when it comes to my writing. It took me almost a year to admit to more than one person that I was actually working on a novel. It took even longer to share what that novel was about and - even then - I only told a few of those closest to me.

Now, some people I know seem to take great offense when I won't give them any details about my novel - as if I'm being deliberately cryptic out of spite or simply to be a punk. Others look put out or hurt or even sheepish - as if they invaded my privacy by accident.

I want to be able to explain to them that the fact that I'm being so secretive is not a slight on their person. Truthfully, I find that I can only fully live in these stories I create if they are private - inhabited only by me and my characters. The handful that get glimpses into these worlds are those I trust enough to give me valuable feedback and honest critique - and even then, I still hold some back.

I know other writers who are very free and open with their creations. In a way, I admire them and wonder how they can reveal so much without losing a vast amount of intimacy with their story.

In short, I know that eventually I will finish my novel and, if it ever gets published, I will be ready to share it with the rest of the world. Until then though, I choose to remain rather selfish with my characters, and enjoy having them to myself for as long as possible.

I can't be the only writer in the world like this. Can I?

Happy Writing

Just Keep Swimming

I had a massive word count today. Almost 5,000, which is huge for me. I normally write two or three really good paragraphs and then falter, fall apart, or smack into that theoretical brick wall. For some reason, I've always thought that I need to have an entire chapter completely planned out before I can sit down and write it.

Today, I decided to buck tradition.  I sat down to write a chapter without really knowing where I was going with it. I have a very simple, rough outline of my entire book, but nothing concrete so I run into a lot of places where I'm wondering what to do with my characters. Well guess what I discovered - sometimes, if you just keep the pen moving, the characters themselves will tell you where they want to go. It's like Dori says in Finding Nemo, "Just Keep Swimming. Just Keep Swimming," only I've changed the words to,"Just keep writing. Just keep writing."

    

As I continued I found out that not only were my characters telling me what to do with them, they were also growing and evolving before my very eyes. I learned a great deal about my protagonist today that I didn't know before. I felt as if she were tapping me on my shoulder and saying, "Lady, you've got me all wrong. I would never do that. Here's how I would react in this situation."

Taking a moment to listen and trusting my pen were all that it took and pretty soon my hand was cramping and I felt as though it couldn't keep up with all the thoughts in my head.

So, lesson learned. When the going get's tough? Just. Keep. Writing.

Happy Writing

Camp NaNoWriMo

     Well Happy June to you all. This year has already brought more changes to my life than I ever dreamed possible. Unfortunately the economy caught up with me and I lost my job. I'm trying to look at this as an opportunity however, to finally get around to finishing one of the many novels I've been working on for the past couple of years.

     In order to motivate myself even more, I've joined Camp NaNoWriMo for the month of June. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month which is officially in November. You have one month to write a 50,000 word novel from scratch. They've had such success that they've added two Camp's this summer, one in June and one in August with the same goal in mind.

     The website is great because it puts you in touch with other writers and helps to keep you motivated and accountable. I just uploaded my first word count and at only 1,300 words so far, I've got quite a ways to go. But, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it.

     As I get further along, I hope to be able to share my writing experiences with you and hopefully you will feel free to share with me as well. I feel as though writing is an art in which you never stop learning.

Happy Writing.