"Write now is good."

And we're off!

Photo: Start! by amirjina

Checking in with other Wrimos out there. Have you started yet?

Speed-noveling madness—and opportunity—await

In just four days, the 10th anniversary of National Novel Writing Month begins. You can join thousands worldwide in their quest to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Many who never thought they could do this have done so; some have even turned these first drafts into published novels.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo for the past three years, and I have won every time. (For newbies reading this, "winning" = writing 50,000 words within those 30 days. Everybody who reaches this benchmark "wins".) This year, I've signed up again, yet with a different goal from previous years.

Some new characters have been entering my writing life lately, and I'm very interested in who they are. They are unrelated to my other novel drafts (which together are a trilogy), and are a bit mysterious, which intrigues me.

Perhaps some short story folks have moved into my imagination, and, in order to get to know them better, I need to start writing so they can fully pour out their stories to me. This could turn into a novel, and I'll know more when I'm in the process. Short stories never reach the 50,000-word mark, so instead of aiming for the ultimate word count, I'll focus on story exploration within the supportive framework of the program.

So, technically, I'm not initially attempting to win NaNoWriMo, but I'll be there anyway. Having been through this wonderfully fruitful and intense month multiple times now, I find it too enjoyable and constructive to give up.

I've written extensive tips and advice on how to get the most from NaNoWriMo. Here are the most useful of the batch, if you're interested:

°Be the mountain
°National Novel Writing Month: Here's YOUR chance to write that novel
°How to "win" National Novel Writing Month in 5 (no, 6) easy steps
°Sign up today for National Novel Writing Month

If you sign up, drop a comment, I'll link to your blog or NaNoWriMo writer page, and we'll cheer you on!

UPDATE: Julio Angel Ortiz over at Vox Bomb will be joining the fray in his 2nd NaNoWriMo attempt. Best of luck, Julio! (Any other brave participants out there?)

UPDATE 2: QuietRebelWriter and Erik Sherwood are also participating! Happy speed-noveling trails, you two, and keep us posted on your progress!

UPDATE 3: Margay is on the NaNoWriMo road, too. Let's go, Margay!

Made it!

At around 2AM this morning, I looked at my NaNoWriMo word count. I had passed the 50,000-word mark.

I have now won it for the third time. The third book in my trilogy of novels is now a solid first draft. The story is not over, however; I will probably add another 20,000 words to it to wrap up the dangling plot lines and to tell the story completely. I'll start this in January 2008.

This year, a slew of writing buddies accompanied me during our NaNoWriMo trek. I've met all of them through blogging, and not a one in person. I don't even know what some of them look like, but I know their words, loud and clear. We cheered each other on during November, and I'd like to recognize them — those who won by making it to 50K and those who didn't but still wrote an amazing amount towards their current works-in-progress. In alphabetical order by username:

- alex wolfe
- Beccabee
- bleeding espresso
- Cathryn Hrudicka (NOTE: This is her 7th NaNoWriMo win!)
- Rebecca.
- rel

Congratulations to all of us!

Writers need pep talks.

Photo: pep talk by swandive00

Everyone needs encouragement, especially those writing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days...

For you writers out there who are not participating in NaNoWriMo but still need some good words to get your wordy juices flowing, please look at these pep talks. Eight inspiring, well-known authors have penned some insightful, humorous and honest takes on how to get through, and even thrive during, the writing process.

When you're done reading them, drop back by and share what you found most interesting or helpful!

Find a word. Then find another...

Photo: Neil Gaiman at laptop, from his website NeilGaiman.com

In the week 3 inspiration email from the folks at National Novel Writing Month, author Neil Gaiman writes a stunner. He describes precisely the desperation and despair, mixed with a bit of zany hope, that I'm currently feeling as I stare at my unfinished novel. Comfortingly, I'm not alone.

Here's a choice excerpt from Gaiman's pep talk for those of you who are not Wrimos:

You write. That's the hard bit that nobody sees. You write on the good days and you write on the lousy days. Like a shark, you have to keep moving forward or you die. Writing may or may not be your salvation; it might or might not be your destiny. But that does not matter. What matters right now are the words, one after another. Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I see some new writing mantras here. My muses are jumping up and down with giddy glee, clapping their hands and nodding in approval.

A novel habit

 

Photo: Book market by chrismehigan

I'm in the midst of my third NaNoWriMo novel, the final in a trilogy. For the last two years, I've written at least 50,000 words in November. This third year's participation makes it feel like a tradition. If for some reason I didn't participate next year, I'd really feel like I was missing something vital, akin to a holiday or an annual reunion.

What's surprising me so much this go-around is that I know the characters so well that they are telling me their story quite clearly. The writing flows so fluidly in some places that I can type 1,000 words quickly, non-stop. I am beginning to see how some writer's might form a "novel habit" — regular novel writing results in a constant, prolific ease of wordiness. (Think Ray Bradbury and J.K. Rowling...)

After these wordy bursts, I then stop to look at what's shown up on the page. I certainly didn't have any of that in mind ahead of time, I think to myself. Perhaps a kernel of a starting point, but not the surprise that I see before me.

Could all of these plot twists and turns be in me, waiting for me to write them out? If they are, how long have they been within my mind and heart? Was I born with them? Did I form them during my intensely imaginative childhood years? Or did they just arrive at the moment I typed, like some lively, anecdote-filled guests who have shown up suddenly and happily?

This third noveling attempt is confirming the following for me: to know a character and a story, one has to write it out. Wherever it lives, either in the heart or brain or floating around in the air we breathe, it doesn't fully materialize until pen is on paper, moving and scribbling, or fingers are on keyboard, typing. The story has to come through somehow; it is not a complete story if we are just considering it within our own thoughts. It has to be let out of our holding tanks. It has to be actioned into existence.

Writing buddies

A little National Novel Writing Month business here:

The NaNoWriMo site still has its "Authors Search" function disabled to accommodate the massive site traffice they're still getting. So, for some of you, I can't find your user pages to add you as writing buddies.

Please send me the URL of your user page, and I'll add you as a writing buddy. You'll then get a ping that I've added you, and you can then add me. Thanks much.

Tom Robbins on what makes "good fiction"

Photo: chiamatemi leigh cheri by [auro]ra

Today I received the NaNoWriMo "pep talk" email, written by Tom Robbins (author of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, among many others). In it, he offers this insight into writing a novel:

As the great Nelson Algren once said, “Any writer who knows what he's doing isn't doing very much.” Most really good fiction is compelled into being. It comes from a kind of uncalculated innocence. You need not have your ending in mind before you commence. Indeed, you need not be certain of exactly what's going to transpire on page 2. If you know the whole story in advance, your novel is probably dead before you begin it. Give it some room to breathe, to change direction, to surprise you. Writing a novel is not so much a project as a journey, a voyage, an adventure.

Heading back to my own writing now...

Happy NaNoWriMo Eve! (And Halloween, too)

National Novel Writing Month starts at 12:01 AM, November 1st, wherever you are. (Just follow your local time, and you'll be fine.)

I'll be wrapping up my outline after the Halloween festivities this evening, and tomorrow, I'll roar through my first 1,667 words (at least) to make sure I'm off to a good start and to create some nice momentum for myself.

To present and future Wrimos, here's a great resource from Mahalo: How to Win at NaNoWriMo. Under Step 4, it is stressed how important it is to start (with a brief mention of my post—thanks, Nicole!):

The main reason people fail at NaNoWriMo, say participants, is that they didn't start. If you don't write anything on November 1, you're already behind on your word count. Kristin Gorski gives a great scenario of what happens if you don't start on November 1.

To all, have a happy, safe and fun Halloween. Because I'm such a huge fan of LOLCats, I could not resist sharing the following picture. This kitty is going as "Emo Cat" for Halloween. Enjoy!

Be the mountain

Photo: Bruach na Frithe by Swiv

When I began to learn how to snowboard, I took a tutorial from an instructor hired by the ski resort where I was staying. This 19-year-old snowboarding savant had already boarded on hundreds of peaks in most countries with mountains. His face bore the deep-tanned, weathered look of a slope lover, having allowed intense high-altitude sun rays to claim his exposed skin. A huge gap divided his wide smile; he'd recently had his top front teeth knocked out during a boarding competition in Europe. While he had lost a couple of teeth, he'd found his ultimate boarding "zone" there. He shared his tale with us about reaching a higher level, almost spiritual, with his passion and avocation.

He had three of us to teach on the mountain. We stared at him, a boarding Jedi young in age yet possessing a wisdom of eons. We listened. We rose to standing, and we attempted to make a run. We all fell down, repeatedly.

Even after many rounds of gravitational frustration, we continued to try to board. He was so concerned that each of us had at least one brilliant run. We continued to fall, tumbling down the mountain as we attempted to stand back up. He was discouraged but still enthusiastic, and took this lesson even more seriously with each of our stumbles. The zen master would not abandon his young-in-boarding-spirit monks.

He stopped and looked up at the mountain peak. After staring at it briefly, he turned back and gazed at us: soaked through, cheeks raw from the wind, searching for ways to squeeze the melted snow out of our gloves and hats, hoping to get warm soon, completely spent.

He then sat us down and said, very quietly, looking into each of our eyes, "Be the mountain. BE the mountain."

Something clicked. We waited for a few moments, then I got up again and started to laugh. For the first time that day, I started to board and didn't fall.

As I slid, slowly as a frozen snail, down the mountain, our teacher screamed behind me, "That's it! Be the mountain! BE THE MOUNTAINNNNN!!!!!!!", throwing his fists high in the air in victory. With his encouragement, I felt like I was winning an Olympic gold medal.

For those of you preparing to embark upon National Novel Writing Month, I offer you this most heart-felt cheer:

BE THE FIRST DRAFT, Wrimos! BE THE FIRST DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Sharon and her muse Evangeline for pulling this tale from memory.