NaNoWriMo: Lookout Here I Come

Yes, it’s almost here. In 12 more days—or in my case 11 days, since I live in the land down under—everyone who has signed up for this year’s National Novel Writing Month will be punching out words like crazy to meet their word count goals, drinking over-sized cups of coffee (that will be me), and loosing copious amounts of sleep.

This will be my third year participating in NaNoWriMo and I will be tackling it a little differently this year. I’ve planned, plotted, and outlined until I was blue in the face (not literally of course) because the last two years I dived in head first, completely unprepared, and had no idea what I was doing. I started a new novel from scratch in 2009 (my first year) and even though I made it to the end and reached 50,000 words, I still had no idea what my story was really about or why I was writing it. I started revising what I had and couldn’t believe how much work it was going to need. For starters, the point of view I thought I wanted, didn’t work. So, I change it, tweaked the story a little and then put it away. Needless to say, I haven’t touched it since.

As for my second year, well that was a disaster from the start. I had planned on using NaNoWriMo as an incentive to help me finish my first MS (which I probably should have done in the first year *sigh*). But, that year I barely made it to 20,000 words. Instead I put all my efforts into supporting my daughter doing her first year of NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program. It was worth it though . . . she won, YAY!

I felt like such a failure that year, and I was very disappointed with myself so much that I’ve spent an entire year working to get back to where I am now—enjoying writing, and doing it every day no matter how small or big the word count is. 

This year I’m so excited to get started, but still kind of freaking out at the same time. I’m going to do what I should have done all along and finish my MS. But this time I’m so prepared that I know exactly where the story is going and I have plenty of backup ideas if I need them. And when I get to the end of the 30 days and I have 50,000 words, I will be doing the biggest happy dance to celebrate.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Tell me: Do you plot and outline ahead of time or do you just pants it from day one and enjoy the ride all the way to the end?  

Hey, who put that wall there?

You know the wall I’m talking about, right? Yep, you guessed it ... ‘writer’s block’.

I know, I know, writers block is a forever ongoing topic up for discussion and, there are tips posted all over the place you can easily find from other writers or authors. But let’s be honest. What works for them, might not work for you. So what can you do to keep that wall at bay?

Sorry, I don’t have the answer. Because personally, I don’t think there is one solid method that can break the wall ... that works for everyone. All you can do is try different techniques until you find the right one. Plus, it helps to know the reason behind why you are hitting that wall. Is it a plot problem, an underdeveloped character, or you simply can’t quiet work out where to go next and feel like giving up.

Been there done that.

It happens to me when I’m getting to the half way mark of my MS and I completely freak out. That freak out moment lasted almost two years. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Now I write everyday no matter how big or small the word count is. I’m just happy to be writing and no longer have that wall standing in my way.

So how did I break through the wall after so long? Easy, I worked out the reason for my ‘writers block’ and went back to the beginning.  

I re-read my entire MS (what I had of it), my notes, everything. I soon learned that I had no idea where my story was going. To some degree I knew what I wanted to happen at the end of the story, I just didn’t know how to get there and what should happen in between. Therefore I was plot less mess.   

So, problem identified ... now what?

I read everything and anything to do with plotting until I found what works for me. And the book that turned on that switch inside my brain and brought the flicker of ideas back to life was Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell.

This book covers everything from Plot Patterns, Common Plot Problems and Cures to Tips and Tools for Plot and Structure. I love this book, but what I love more is the exercises after each chapter that you can do over and over again. Your given a number of different ways to help you stir the plot pot, not just one sure fire way. This book is a keeper. And now I have plots running out of my ears on a daily basis, and index cards quickly being filled with all kinds of possibilities for my story. 

But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself. Okay, come on; tell me how you fought off the dreaded writers block wall. Was it with a sledge hammer? 

Dear Character: Why do you have to die?

This seems to have been a popular topic going around lately. But, in saying that, it only really caught my attention while I was attending a panel with authors Kirsten Tranter, Shamini Flint and Georgia Richter at the Big Sky Festival last weekend “Choose your genre: crime, mystery, thriller or literary fiction?”

Obviously in these types of genres someone always ends up dead, right? It wouldn’t be much of a story without it.

Shamini Flint, author of the Investigator Singh series said that for her “Death is just a catalyst.” Huh, really? Is that how every writer thinks when wiping one of their characters of the grid? Shamini also pointed out that the death of a character in her novels had to happen so the Inspector could begin to ask questions and get the people talking about the ‘real’ issues that she wanted to talk about. “If I write a book to talk about issues such as terrorism or law no one will listen to what I have to say.” She’d said.

Ah, yes, but write it as a crime novel and you have everyone’s attention. And when you really think about it, doesn’t every book, to some degree have an underlying message the writer is trying to put forward to the reader to contemplate.

Personally, I haven’t killed any of my characters off yet, but I know at some point someone will die. Unfortunately for them it’s inevitable and, necessary to the story. After all, that’s life. People die all the time in the real world. Why should it be any different in a fictional world? Nothing is ever perfect.

Honestly, I’m dreading the moment I have to sit down and write that crucial scene.  

Let me ask you this:

What does it mean for you to kill off one of your characters?

Big Sky Readers & Writers Festival: Part 2

Another year, another jam-packed fun filled weekend of authors, books, panels and, coffee has come and gone again. Why does the good stuff always have to end? *sigh*

Saturday was an early start (earlier than I’m use to for a Saturday) for the keynote address: Words of Wonder with Ita Buttrose, who I think, is one of Australia’s most influential women. More than 100 people turned up to hear her speak, and it was well worth the early start to the weekend. Ita spoke about her new book ‘A Guide to Australian Etiquette’ and had said “The two most forgotten words are ‘thank you’.”

I couldn’t have agreed with her more. Both of my kids have more manners than some adults I know. Over all, there was a lot of laughter.  

After the keynote address, we had a little time to spare before the first panel was to start so we browsed the weekend farmer’s market and grabbed a coffee (first one for the day) and then had a hard time trying to decided which book(s) we should get our hands on. Really, it was a very tough decision. I would have loved to have walked away with them all.

Anyway, first panel: Choose your genre: crime, mystery, thriller or literary fiction? With authors Kirsten Tranter, Shamini Flint and Georgia Richter was a last minute decision to attend, and I’m so glad I did. Shamini Flint was hilarious, and Kirsten Tranter inspired me.

We braked for lunch, thank goodness. I was starving and just had to get my hands on another coffee, because next up it was: Finding your writer’s voice with Juliet Marillier, author of the Seer of Sevenwaters series (which I have only just started reading). Juliet gave us some great exercises. We found it hard to stay on subject, and found other things to discuss among our little groups. I had fun and, learned a lot to help me develop my writer’s voice.

When I came home that afternoon all I wanted to do was sit down and write like a mad woman, but my head was so full of information I flaked out and took a nap.

But wait, there’s more...

Sunday, a beautiful sunny day, one more panel.

Out of this world with Juliet Marillier and Lara Morgan, author of the Rosie Black Chronicles (and if you haven’t read it yet, you should). Juliet and Lara talked about the inspiration behind their novels. It was fascinating. But alas, that was the last panel I was to attend for the weekend and dragged myself home feeling more inspired than ever to write (which I did this time. I didn’t fall asleep).

Fantastic weekend and I look forward to next year’s festival which I’m sure will be bigger and better.   

Big Sky Readers & Writers Festival: Part 1

The Geraldton Regional Library coordinates an intimate, annual Readers and Writers Festival, named Big Sky. This festival is a wonderful opportunity for lovers of literary works of all types to come together, share thoughts and ideas or just soak up the atmosphere. Not to mention meeting a huge range of literary greats from all over Australia, and the world. Big Sky also hosts a chef, a musician or two and sometimes an actor. 

Some of the quests I will be seeing over the weekend: 

Ita Buttrose started her career at age 15 as a copygirl on popular Australian magazine The Australian Women’s Weekly, by age 33 Ms Buttrose had risen through the ranks with hard work and commitment to become the Weekly’s editor – the youngest ever, still holding that distinction today. She is also famous for her role as founding editor of Cleo magazine.

Juliet Marillier, writer of numerous fantasy titles including: Wildwood Dancing, Seer of Sevenwaters, Fox Mask and The Well of Shades.

Her historical fantasy novels have been translated into many languages and have won a number of awards including the American Library Association’s Alex Award, the Aurealis Award, the Sir Julius Vogel Award and the Prix Imaginales. Juliet is a member of the druid order OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids). www.julietmarillier.com

Lara Morgan is a local writer; residing in Geraldton. She writes Science Fiction and Fantasy for adults and young adults. Her latest novel Equinox is due out in November.

Her debut novel, Awakening, was launched at Big Sky in 2008, it was the first in an adult fantasy trilogy, The Twins of Saranthium. The second book, Betrayal, was published in March 2010 and the series is now also published in Germany. In October last year Lara launched her new young adult series, The Rosie Black Chronicles, a dystopian sci fi adventure set 500 years in the future. www.laramorgan.wordpress.com

I’m really looking forward to going this year. 

I went to my first Big Sky Festival last year, but sadly didn’t get to stay and enjoy the entire weekend because I developed a cold the day before it all started. 

This year I’m determined to stick it out, and I refuse to get sick. This has been a challenge mind you. Both of my kids have been home from school sick and coughing all over the place the last few weeks.

Stay tuned for Part 2. 

Writing Groove Has Returned

Yes, finally! It only took almost two years to resurface. And before you ask, it wasn’t simply that I’d lost my ‘muse’. It was life in general that got the better of me.

Okay, maybe a little bit of it was that I hadn’t a single clue what to write next. I was stuck, and I was only able to manage 50,000 words of my novel ... my second one to be more precise. When did I get stuck? Well, exactly one week after I first signed up and completed NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2009. I had already been working on my first novel, but then decided that I would start an entirely new writing project just for NaNoWriMo. 

I’m not sorry that I made that decision, except sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I didn’t. I mean, when I look back, I can’t help thinking about the fact that I’d have a novel completed by now, and I’d be going through the motions and possibly on the road to publication. Now all I have is two unfinished WIPs and a whole bunch of frustration scratching at the forefront of my mind saying, “Would you just finish me already. Sit your butt down and write.”

It’s not through lack of trying, but there are some things I simply can’t put on hold and sit down and write all day ... and believe me, I wish I could. After all, I’m a mum and that always takes priority it seems. Not that I’m complaining! 

Over the past year, I’ve dislocated my knee—finding out after numerous tests that I am in deed missing half of the cartilage inside my knee—that was over eight weeks of being restricted to the bed, or the couch. Unable to drive and having to rely on others to drop off, and pick up the kids from school was absolute torture. 

Of course, the usual suspects of life took over as well, but I won’t bore you with the details. And after a considerable amount of planning and a few life altering decisions I’m finally back to sitting at my desk and writing every day, right where I want to be.