Thursday, August 03, 2006
So What's This NANOWRIMO, Anyway?
So what's this Nanowrimo?
You may have heard about it, here and there on the Web. The general idea is that you have a month in which to write a novel -- or a set number of words, whichever happens first. One month. November, to be exact.
You're given a lot of support. There are Internet forums set up for information, discussion, and just plain complaining. There are local groups as well: I know of one that meets every Friday afternoon during the month at a coffeehouse where they write together.
So what's the point?
Here's the thing: read Monday's blog entry, if you want to refresh your memory. Writing is about applying your derrière to the chair: it's about just getting the stuff down. What better way than to commit in public to getting it done? Like my work during my residency last June, it's not perfect. It's a draft. But I got the words on the paper, and so can you.
Just in case you think it's just me, I selected a vict-ahem, a guest blogger to tell you all about it:
"I'm Rick, and it's been eight months since my last NANOWRIMO. I wake up daily, rush to my computer, and add words to my current novel, yearning to share my progress with the world. Then I remember, NANOWRIMO occurs only in November, and we are barely into August.
"Jeannette asked me to pinch-hit for her because, well, I think she has deadlines she's been avoiding. Nevertheless, her reason to me was that I had been a participant in the National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO) the past three years, and she wanted me to share some of my experiences and offer tips.
"According to the website (http://www.nanowrimo.org/ ), the "National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30." Some people scoff at the idea of writing a novel in a month. Everyone knows that writing a novel takes years of poverty and angst-ridden misfortune. Humbug. With a modicum of preparation and a few hours of disciplined writing each night, the goal is achievable. I know. I've achieved it twice in the last three years, and now have two novels ready for querying.
"The website, with its numerous forums, provides many tips for the writer that I won't duplicate here. Chris Baty, the founder of NANOWRIMO, has even written a book about the experience, "No Plot, No Problem." Each author writes to the tap of his or her own keystrokes. I find no plot to be a huge problem, so this is how I prepare.
"Starting now, the idea festers into a story. Then, I take three days prior to November 1 to focus on the story. I identify the main characters and create a bare-bones character outline for each: height, weight, eye and hair color, age, marital status, size of family, ethnicity, etc. Sketching out the first scene, the last scene, and the major turning point scenes in the novel, provides the skeleton of the story. I write a 25-word synopsis of the main plot to give the story focus. Identifying the main characters' motives helps because, as you write, the story may draw you in (good), but the direction may be lost (potentially bad).
"The sign-up for NANOWRIMO begins October 1. At that point, let your friends and family know what you are doing in November. Prepare them for the reality that you won't be around much. Remind them several times. Close the door, take the phone off the hook, and log-off the Internet while you write. Do your November chores in October: pay the bills early, pre-write birthday cards, and fill up the freezer with prepared meals. You will need the time.
"It's 1,667 words per day to meet the goal, but I usually set the target higher, because, just like in bowling, it is very hard to catch up once you fall behind.
"I'm Rick, and I'm a NANOWRIMO addict. Please join me."
I should note that my guest knows what he's talking about: Rick Bylina is the winner of the 2006 Writer's Retreat Workshop Gary Provost Scholarship. He lives and writes in angst-ridden poverty in Apex, North Carolina. His mantra? The only rule: writers write! Everything else is a guideline.
Rick is definitely a writer who is... beyond the elements of style!
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
www.customline.com
You may have heard about it, here and there on the Web. The general idea is that you have a month in which to write a novel -- or a set number of words, whichever happens first. One month. November, to be exact.
You're given a lot of support. There are Internet forums set up for information, discussion, and just plain complaining. There are local groups as well: I know of one that meets every Friday afternoon during the month at a coffeehouse where they write together.
So what's the point?
Here's the thing: read Monday's blog entry, if you want to refresh your memory. Writing is about applying your derrière to the chair: it's about just getting the stuff down. What better way than to commit in public to getting it done? Like my work during my residency last June, it's not perfect. It's a draft. But I got the words on the paper, and so can you.
Just in case you think it's just me, I selected a vict-ahem, a guest blogger to tell you all about it:
"I'm Rick, and it's been eight months since my last NANOWRIMO. I wake up daily, rush to my computer, and add words to my current novel, yearning to share my progress with the world. Then I remember, NANOWRIMO occurs only in November, and we are barely into August.
"Jeannette asked me to pinch-hit for her because, well, I think she has deadlines she's been avoiding. Nevertheless, her reason to me was that I had been a participant in the National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO) the past three years, and she wanted me to share some of my experiences and offer tips.
"According to the website (http://www.nanowrimo.org/ ), the "National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30." Some people scoff at the idea of writing a novel in a month. Everyone knows that writing a novel takes years of poverty and angst-ridden misfortune. Humbug. With a modicum of preparation and a few hours of disciplined writing each night, the goal is achievable. I know. I've achieved it twice in the last three years, and now have two novels ready for querying.
"The website, with its numerous forums, provides many tips for the writer that I won't duplicate here. Chris Baty, the founder of NANOWRIMO, has even written a book about the experience, "No Plot, No Problem." Each author writes to the tap of his or her own keystrokes. I find no plot to be a huge problem, so this is how I prepare.
"Starting now, the idea festers into a story. Then, I take three days prior to November 1 to focus on the story. I identify the main characters and create a bare-bones character outline for each: height, weight, eye and hair color, age, marital status, size of family, ethnicity, etc. Sketching out the first scene, the last scene, and the major turning point scenes in the novel, provides the skeleton of the story. I write a 25-word synopsis of the main plot to give the story focus. Identifying the main characters' motives helps because, as you write, the story may draw you in (good), but the direction may be lost (potentially bad).
"The sign-up for NANOWRIMO begins October 1. At that point, let your friends and family know what you are doing in November. Prepare them for the reality that you won't be around much. Remind them several times. Close the door, take the phone off the hook, and log-off the Internet while you write. Do your November chores in October: pay the bills early, pre-write birthday cards, and fill up the freezer with prepared meals. You will need the time.
"It's 1,667 words per day to meet the goal, but I usually set the target higher, because, just like in bowling, it is very hard to catch up once you fall behind.
"I'm Rick, and I'm a NANOWRIMO addict. Please join me."
I should note that my guest knows what he's talking about: Rick Bylina is the winner of the 2006 Writer's Retreat Workshop Gary Provost Scholarship. He lives and writes in angst-ridden poverty in Apex, North Carolina. His mantra? The only rule: writers write! Everything else is a guideline.
Rick is definitely a writer who is... beyond the elements of style!
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
www.customline.com
