NaNoWriMo from the other side

The first time that I completed NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) I did it backwards. I did in fact write the required 50,000 words that month, but by backwards, I mean that I wrote the last part of the novel, which became Traitor’s Knot. The prevailing goal (or at least the approach that NaNo diehards subscribed to) is that you have to start a new novel, not finish it. That year was a frantic race to the finish line and it felt good to get there! The next year, I decided to try it properly–start a new novel. I had…

Gone editing

June 25, 2016August 19, 2019 Categories: Creativity · NewsTags: Andrew Stanton · Clues to a great story · editing · NaNoWriMo · Ted Talks · Traitor's Knot · writing tips2 Comments

Or should that be gone to edit, or better yet, I am editing… Just to drop everyone a brief line, for the next month I will be on my own hero’s journey, deep in the land of edits and searching for the holy grail of polished manuscripts. In the meantime, for the writers and artists out there, I’d like to suggest some articles on writing to inspire your own journey: Storytelling makes us human examines how our creativity sets us apart. Don’t speak to Bob is a reminder to keep close and personal to your main character NaNoWriMo is the marathon of the…

NaNoWriMo: Welcome to the half-way mark

November 16, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: NaNoWriMo · synopsis · writing tips5 Comments

We’re just past the half-way mark for NaNoWriMo, and I’m thrilled to announce that I am right on schedule. I’ve finally managed to make some decent headway into this new story. It’s still no better than a very elaborate outline, but thanks to this challenge, I have managed to thread my way through some interesting scenes that I may not have written without the NaNo dashboard to act as my beacon light. At this half-way moment, I’m starting to push past that wall of, “I can’t do this,” and want to share a light bulb moment for those out there who are…

NaNoWriMo: Day 10

November 10, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: Andrew Pyper · NaNoWriMo · outllining · writing tips15 Comments

Today is day 10 of NaNoWriMo and here’s how I’m managing: 1. In an attempt to make some headway into my 50,000 goal, I’ve plucked out willy-nilly the scenes I feel like writing in the moment. I have a good idea of where my story is going, so it’s a reasonable strategy to keep the momentum going. And if Andrew Pyper advocates doing this, it’s worth a try. 2. Having given #1 a go for a few days, I want to: a. Die of frustration, and b. Poke my eyes out I have come to the conclusion that I am a linear writer and need…