What I'm Taking from NaNoWriMo into December

After 50000 words, the 50001th is anticlimactic. It was probably an ‘and’ or ‘the’, maybe something fancy like ‘tree’ or ‘unicorn.’ In the end, I don’t know exactly which word it was, because that word is unimportant. NaNoWriMo may have a goal about writing 50000 words, but it’s not about any particular word, it’s about what they mean together. It’s about what 50000 words make together. For me, 50175 words make the better part (as I'm not quite finished) of a first draft of a novel.

This is the third time I’ve won NaNoWriMo, and I’ve written about lessons I’ve learned and how I've won. I’ve written about my struggle to commit, the muddy middle and about being a pantser. I even wrote a NaNoWriMo pep talk just last week, but I’ve never written about the future.

After writing 50175 words in November (probably more because I plan on adding some today), I take three important things into December and 2015 with me: A nearly finished first draft, momentum and a sense of accomplishment. To complete the first draft before the end of the year, I need to keep up my current momentum. I’ll celebrate my accomplishment, but I’ll also remember that the hard work (editing) has yet to begin.

Please note: what I’m taking into December with me has nothing to do with word count. Seems crazy, but it's true! Maybe you didn’t make it to 50000 words this year, which is absolutely fine, because in the end, you can still have all those things I mentioned above. You still have the workings of a first draft as no matter if it’s 25000 words or 40000 words, it’s a beginning that you didn’t have before. You still have the momentum of November, pushing you forward. And, I truly believe that you should feel accomplished for committing to NaNoWriMo, writing however many words you wrote and moving forward with that.

NaNoWriMo novels might be drafted in November, but they’re edited in December and beyond. For me, I plan on finishing my draft in December and dive into editing in the New Year. No matter how many words you wrote in November, it was more than you had at the beginning and therefore I share my congratulations with you.

 

*raises mug* Congratulations and Happy December!

 

Pep Talk from Jamie Mitchell

I know what you’re thinking, and trust me, I’m thinking the same thing. Why would you read my pep talk? You don’t know who I am.

Not when you can read pep talks by greats. Veronica Roth and Tamora Pierce have written pep talks for this year’s NaNoWriMo participates. Other famous authors and bloggers have written them this year and in the past. And you read them because they’ve made it. Brandon Sanderson has made it. Rainbow Rowell, Scott Westerfeld, Marissa Meyer—they’ve all made it.

I haven’t made it. I’m a relative nobody in the publishing world. I’m writing this NaNoWriMo pep talk expecting very few people to see it, because I haven’t made it as a writer. I am a writer, yes, but I’m not famous. I haven’t even written a book that’s agent-ready, let alone editor or publisher-ready. All I have under my belt is a few full drafts that are products of NaNoWriMo madness.

By now you’re thinking, this isn’t much of a pep talk. Give me another paragraph or three.

Yes, I may be a nobody in the publishing world. My blog has decent pageviews but doesn’t have many followers. I don’t have an agent, let alone a publisher.

But I’m still writing.

I’m not writing with the goal to be Rainbow or Veronica or anyone else that already has a name in publishing. I’m writing to be me. I’m writing to see MY name in print. That’s what I want. I want to be able to write a book (ideally a great one) that snags an agent and an editor and a publisher and then the GOAL—the absolute goal, which if it happens, I will likely bawl and take a millions pictures acting like a crazy person in the YA aisle of the bookstore—is to have MY book on the shelf.

I admit it'd be nice if my book sold well. I’d throw a happy dance party if it made it to the NYT bestsellers list. I’d love to be able to write full-time. And I still hold these dreams close to my heart. But even if no one reads my book except my mom and boyfriend (though I admit I’ll be sad if that’s the case), I’ll know I accomplished writing a book and getting it published.

So when you write, don’t write to be the next big name. Don’t write to be the next Gillian Flynn or Rick Riordan or whomever it is that you idolize. Write because you want to write. Write because the story is pouring out of you like a waterfall, glinting in the sunlight and thundering in your ears. Write because you have a story to tell and it needs to be on paper even if it doesn’t vault you to author celebrity. Write even if you become the Van Gogh of the publisher world. Write even if no one reads it, not even your mother.

Write for you.

Now, stop reading this, and write.

This year for NaNoWriMo, I’m a Pantser

I’m in the midst of my third NaNoWriMo experience. (Third!) This is the ninth day, and right now I'm on pace to finish on time. Achieving the daily word count has been relatively easy so far (did I just jinx myself? I hope not), but now that it’s closing in on the middle of the month, I’m waiting for that to change. (Remember this post on the muddy middle?

 

I committed to this NaNoWriMo with a concept I dreamt up two months ago. I had plenty of time to prepare an outline, write character and setting profiles and even a prologue before November 1^st. However, life happened *cough* vacation *cough* and I didn’t get to it. In the days before NaNoWriMo, I had to make a decision. Should I use precious time at the beginning of November to work on and finalize an outline and profiles? Or should I try something different?

On a whim, I decided to try something different. I decided to become a pantser. Meaning I write by the seat of my pants with no outline, little preparation and only an idea of what I want the story to be and where I want it to go.

Honestly, the word pantser has always frightened me. I’m a plotter. I’m organized. I like outlines and extensive lists and detailed documents and notes on calendars. My boyfriend regularly calls me Monica from Friends for my organizational skills (and occasionally my clean freak nature). But truthfully, the plotter thing hasn’t been working for me lately. And last month, someone told me that using the method I'm not accustomed to can get me out of my comfort zone.

So I decided to try it. Armed with only a concept document (ten pages of random ideas and loose scenes), I dove into NaNoWriMo. Every day when I sit down to write, I let the characters lead the way with only a few gentle nudges on my part toward my vague idea of an end.

And I’m happy to report that being a pantser has been working for me. I’ve written 15000 words in eight days!

*raises half-full glass of orange juice* Here’s to being a pantser! May it continue to work for me.

 

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Have you ever tried the one that’s outside your comfort zone? Did it work for you?

My Writing Goals for 2014

My list of goals for 2014 is long. Like one whole Word document long.

Why? You ask. I must be INSANE. Well, it’s not about finishing them all, per say. (Though that’d be pretty awesome if I did.) It’s about having something to work toward in every aspect of my writing life.

Last year, I wanted two things (finish my WIP and publish a short story). Neither of which I accomplished. I’m a little frustrated with myself, even though I did a lot last year. In 2013, I rewrote my WIP, became a repeat NaNoWriMo winner, read 64 books, signed up for a writing course (though I’m still working on finishing it) and hit 500 Twitter followers (on the last day of the year).

However none of those things were on my list for 2013, which is why this year I’m being more thorough. Goals for EVERY SINGLE aspect of my writing life. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Finish editing the draft of my WIP. Send to beta readers by summer. (This is the big one. The kahuna. If I do this and none of the others, I’ll be one happy writer girl.)
2. Read over 60 books. (Because books are the BEST.)
3. Re-read Harry Potter. (It’s been too long since this has happened.)
4. Keep posting here! (I’ll hit my two year anniversary in May and my two year anniversary of posting every week in September!)
5. Interact with more YA authors/readers/bloggers on Twitter/Tumblr/blogs. (I want to get to know you ALL and hear about what you’re writing/reading.)
6. Write WIP sequel in NaNoWriMo 2014. (Yeah this is almost a year away, but that’s where I want to be by November—ready to write my SECOND book.)

Having such an extensive list will likely mean some of the goals will go unaccomplished, but hopefully I will take strides toward each of them. And I’m already craving the day in early 2015 when I can say I accomplished three or five or even ALL of my 2014 goals! 

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2014, full of words and coffee and heroines and… well, I could go on forever. Here’s to 2014!

How I Won NaNoWriMo 2013

Somehow, NaNoWriMo seemed easier this year. Part of me can't believe I just wrote that, because it's completely ridiculous. This past month was by no means easy nor is writing 50000 words EVER easy. However, compared to last year, this November wasn’t quite as fingers-creaky-from-typing, need-coffee-desperately, HOW-CAN-I-POSSIBLY-DO-THIS?!?! I wasn't nearly as frantic and I wasn't plagued by doubt.

2012 was my first foray into NaNoWriMo. I remember thinking every day that there was no way I could do it. (I even wrote a post about struggling to commit for fear of failure.) However, this year when I sat down to write, the words came easier. They were less of a struggle. And there are three things I can attribute this to:

I Had a Plan

For NaNoWriMo, planning is a big part of the process. I have to admit I’m a plotter by nature, but I went a little further for this NaNoWriMo. I made an outline of the plot and set a word count goal for each of the three parts of my story and a daily word count goal (for the days I had time to write, which was most). Last year, I only had the first one. I did allow for spontaneity but the important thing was that when I was stuck, I had my outline, plans and goals to fall back on. They spurred me on.

I Made Writing a Habit (before November)

Starting in late summer, I began working on my work-in-progress (WIP). I wrote an average of 2000 words a week and did a lot of plotting/planning/characterization/mapping/etc. It wasn’t a lot, but it was practice. So when the time came to ramp up my word count from 2000 words a week to 2000 words a day, it was doable. I was ready.

I Knew I Could Do It

Because I’d already done it once before. Last year, I wasn’t convinced I could write 50000 words in 30 days. I’d never even come close, so when I managed to do it, I was ecstatic. However, this year, I knew I could do it because it would not be the first time. So it seemed easier. Or at least I had more confidence and there was less pressure. I knew it was not impossible.

 

So, yes, I’m a NaNoWriMo 2013 winner. Yay!

However, I haven’t forgotten what I wrote last week on the blog. The middle of my WIP still sags, but it’s there. I wrote it anyway. I didn’t want to stop for muddiness, sagginess or anything. So, I’ll be the first to admit that my story isn’t ready. It’s not even close. From the first sentence to the end, it needs editing. The middle needs an overhaul. This is the next task on my list.

But for a few days, I’m going to relish that I wrote through the muddiness. I’m going to savor that I’m a repeat NaNoWriMo winner. I have words. 50100 of them to be exact, which is more than I had on November 1st. I think that's the point of NaNoWriMo, not to have 50000 words at the end of the month, but to have more words than you had at the beginning.

 

The Muddy Middle of NaNoWriMo

Whether you call it the muddy middle, the saggy middle, the sticking place, or just I SUCK, we all reach the point where writing seems hopeless.

I’m there now. I’m still getting words down, but nothing is getting any clearer. I’m confused, demoralized and starting to think I’ll never understand anything again. Doubt is creeping in, and I’m beginning to suspect that it won’t go away for a while.

However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s small, dim and is not growing nearly fast enough, but it’s there within this advice.

Struggle is Unavoidable

“Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t let your characters do it either. Great stories are about struggle, and you must endure struggle of your own to create great stories.” –The Write Practice, "I Don’t Want to Write," 10/4/13

Apparently if I’m struggling, I’m doing something right. If I sidetrack, backtrack or skirt the problem I’m facing, I'd be taking the easy way out. So I’m going to barrel through and meet the struggles as they come.

You Have What You Need

“Every theme, and character weakness, and part of the world you've built is a tool that you can use to figure out where the story should go.” –Veronica Roth, "The Sticking Place" on YA Highway, 8/4/11

If Veronica Roth says I have what I need to wrap up my story, I believe it. The parts of my story, the themes I’ve introduced, the characters I’ve created, should/can/will equal an ending. I may have to search a little to find the right one, but it’s there. And I plan on finding it.
 

Keep Charging

“This is the magic/curse of writing: That in crafting your fiction, you leave yourself open to sudden moments of unguarded truth, and you have to be willing to tolerate that again and again. You have to keep raising your sword and charging, even knowing you could retreat scorched and missing a limb. You have to keep doing it even when you don’t want to. Especially when you don’t want to.” –Libba Bray, "The Ever-Popular I Suck Playlist," 4/28/11

In the pursuit of greatness, you might be burned. You might break a pencil. You might lose a favorite line or scene or character. But don’t stop charging. Keep writing. Don’t stop putting words on the page. That’s all there is to it, really.

Thanks, experienced writers, for reminding me that not only does this happen, it is common. And it can be overcome. It may take time, effort and struggle. It may mean tears and involve doubt, insecurity and a little emotional scarring. But hopefully, it will lead to a full draft a publishable novel.

While in one hand I have doubt that I will ever see the end, in the other I have hope that it is possible. (And multitudes of proof on my sagging bookshelves.) So I put my hands together, and keep typing.

 

NaNoWriMo 2013: An Almost Novel in a Month

It's that time of year again! Nope, I'm not talking about winter, or even the holidays. I'm talking about NaNoWriMo! Happy Month of Writing to you! May the word count be ever in your favor!

 

This is my second NaNoWriMo experience. Last year, I successfully completed the challenge by writing 50000 words in 30 days. And then I threw out the whole draft when I realized I didn’t like the plot line. *shrugs* Isn’t that the life of a writer?

So, this year, I’m trying it again. Same characters, similar story, whole new plot. Except this year I’m fudging the rules, just a bit. It’s my story, so I figure I’m allowed.

This past spring, I revamped the plot of my story, starting it at a completely different point, changing all the scenes and drastically overhauling the climax. To make my WIP more manageable, I divided it into three parts. My plan was to write each part as a mini-novel, because facing one whole novel was just too overwhelming.

When I was ready to write, November was a couple months away. I didn’t want to wait to write, and I couldn’t set the story aside to write something else for NaNo. And I definitely wanted to give NaNoWriMo another go. So I crafted a plan. Muh ha ha. (That’s an evil laugh, just so you know.)

If I wrote Part One in the months leading up to November, I could write Parts Two and Three for NaNoWriMo. I made it my goal for each part to be 25000 words, meaning my almost-novel for NaNoWriMo would be 50000 words. Perfect, no?

And, in total, my WIP would ideally be 75000 words at the end of November, which is the suggested length for a solid YA novel. Am I an evil genius? I think so!

I know, technically, I will not be writing a novel in a month, in the terms of inciting incident to resolution. However, I will be writing the majority of a novel in a month (from a little way into the rising action to the resolution). And I will be writing 50000 words. (I started my word count on November 1^st. I did NOT include the words I had already written in Part One in the count. Now that would be cheating.)

But I wanted to be honest with the world. I may not be following the rules in the strictest sense, instead bending them a bit to fit my needs. Thanks, NaNoWriMo, for understanding.

*takes deep breath* Now, let’s go a-writing!

The Lesson of Shitty First Drafts

I used to think that writing was about getting it just right, the first time. I used to think that writers spouted genius and edits were just to hone their ingenuity. Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but over the past month I’ve learned the lesson of shitty first drafts. And now I’m taking it to heart.

"Writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts." –Anne Lamott

It all started with NaNoWriMo 2012, because no one can write 50000 words in one month without most of them sucking. In that month, I wrote simply, without flare. I used common words and cliché phrases. The point was to go back and change it later. However, I didn't get that far. Even though writing a full draft with an inciting incident, character growth and a climax was a great accomplishment for me, something funny happened in December. I realized the story that I wanted to tell wasn’t in the words I had written. The characters were right, but the plot wasn’t.

So I set it aside and didn’t pick it back up until spring, when an idea sprang (hehe) into my head unannounced. It took me months to rewrite the plot. I went through numerous outlines and utilized at least three different outlining methods. And once I got close, I realized there was only so much plotting I could do before I just needed to write. Write the story, following my plot outline but not stringently.

 

"You have permission to suck, temporarily." -Chuck Wendig

This is when the NaNoWriMo lesson returned. I had thought the NaNoWriMo style of writing was for November only. But that’s not true. This technique can be used all year, as long as writers remember one important thing: these words are not permanent, and they shouldn’t be.

Because first drafts suck. They’re bad, ordinary and likely unreadable. That’s the case with most writers (not that I’m aware of someone who spouts brilliance on the first try, but they could be out there.) The point of a first draft is to get the words down. Just as the point of a second draft is to edit. Re-read and re-write. Re-draft whole paragraphs. Move things around. Do major plot shifts. Add new scenes. Edit. EDIT. EDIT!

Brilliance happens when you have the words to craft. When you’re just about ready to throw the whole draft in recycle, it starts to make sense. It’s not like an epiphany, all at once with angels and puppies and an uplifting tune in the background. It happens slowly, building momentum as you rewrite.

"Making a difference always comes down to momentum." –Jeff Goins

Or at least I hope so. I’ve felt inklings of that momentum as I power through my first draft, but I haven’t reached the everything-makes-sense-thank-goodness stage yet. More on my plan for NaNoWriMo 2013 later this month, but right now I’m writing crap. Editable crap. For the rest of October, I’m practicing for November.

 

Lessons from a Month of Writing

For the past 25 days, I’ve been engrossed in NaNoWriMo. I’m 42242 words into my manuscript. That means I’m 7758 words from being a NaNo winner! Here is what I’ve learned so far:

Plan ahead

To write a novel in a month, I had to be prepared starting Day 1. In October, I wrote a six page outline of my story. It wasn’t important that I stuck to this outline, but it was necessary that it existed if I needed something to fall back on. I wrote out character descriptions, came up with names and created settings from the ground up. I even bought poster board and drew a map of my fantasy world. I prepared the building blocks of my story (in a handy, travel-ready binder) so when November came, I could just write.

 

Don’t (over) think, just write

I stressed over word choice too many times this month. I let myself think over the word “walk” or “turn” or “like” for a few minutes before just typing it anyway so I could get on with the story. I forced myself to type out the simple, overused word so I wouldn’t get stuck. And I did it with this thought in mind: I can and will change it later, in edits. I realized that to write 2000 words a day, I couldn’t over think one or five or a dozen words, or I would never get anywhere. I just had to write.
 

Write even if you don’t want to

So many mornings I woke up and didn’t want to write. I wanted to go back to bed, hide under the covers or turn on the Today Show and zone out to Matt Lauer. Some days I woke up with a headache. Most days I had some excuse for why I shouldn’t write. But I had a goal to make, so I ignored the bed, the TV and the headaches. I put myself in front of my laptop (usually with the assistance of coffee) and wrote. If I hadn’t forced myself out of bed in the 7 o’clock hour every day this month, I wouldn’t be close to my current word count. I didn’t need the extra sleep, I needed the extra words.

You can still have a life and write

In October, I thought that to write everyday meant I wouldn’t do anything besides write and work. Reading would go by the wayside. Boyfriend time would be limited. And I could forget about being caught up on my Hulu queue. But, surprisingly, I slowly realized it didn’t have to be that way. If I did work, then I wrote before or after and still had a few free hours in the evening. If it was a day off, I churned out 2000 words before 11AM then had the rest of the day to read a book, watch Castle, hang out with my boyfriend or work on my blog.

Conclusions

This November, I learned about my writing habit. I discovered that waking up at 7AM and going straight to the computer works for me. I discovered that writing is an effort I have to make; it isn’t just going to happen by itself. And I thankfully realized that my life will not stop if I start a daily writing habit. Life and writing can co-exist. And I plan to keep up that coexistence into December and 2013!

Why I’m Struggling to Commit to NaNoWriMo

T Minus 10 Days to NaNoWriMo. I intend to participate this year, but I haven’t yet declared my commitment. Because I’m afraid.

Last year, I fell into NaNoWriMo when my manager/friend convinced me to go to a writing group. It turned out to be a NaNoWriMo writing group. In the two hours I was there, I convinced myself that I should give it a shot, even jotting down some ideas. However, I wasn’t driven, organized or prepared at all.

When I got a second job a week before November (and went from working 35 hours to 50 hours a week), the NaNoWriMo idea flew out the window into the chilly autumn air. Having two jobs was an excuse, and I took it.

Now October has come again and NaNoWriMo is approaching (again). I’m still hesitant to commit. Because I will likely fail. The fear of failure is using my writing soul as its squeeze toy. But my fear is based on an unsettling truth. My best week of writing has produced 3000 words. To be a NaNoWriMo winner, I have to average 12000 words per week (to meet the goal of 50000 words in 30 days.) That’s a 400% improvement. Can I do it?

Can I, for the first time, make a solid commitment to a month long writing lifestyle and meet a word count goal and end with a rough, unedited, probably horrendous draft?

In two weeks, I’ll know. Because if I can’t manage to write at least 10000 words in the first week, it’s hard to recover from (or so I hear). In the meantime, I’ll organize and outline and plan scenes and flesh out characters and imagine settings. I’ll try to prepare myself.

Ten days until November.

Ten days until NaNoWriMo.

Ten days until the writing blitz of my life.