Writing: The Process -

16Nov 2012 by diannagunn

What Makes You Ecstatic About Nanowrimo?

Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing: The Process

Today's guest is also the main admin of the Toronto Nanowrimo website, Errol--who is also already a winner with over 50, 000 words! * * * * Back in the day, I learned about NaNoWriMo from a Fan Fiction site. It was the most awesome challenge ever and even though I was horribly late, I signed up immediately. It changed how I did things. It changed how I approached creative projects. However I am not here to talk about that. I am here to tell you to grasp joy. Do you remember when you first heard about NaNoWriMo? Do you remember the trepidation, the elation, the first time experiences that brought about the determination to continue doing NaNoWriMo? Or are you going through it now? I utterly love NaNoWriMo. I…

14Nov 2012 by diannagunn

Remember: You Are Not Alone

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing: The Process

If you are struggling this week, remember that you are not alone. There are hundreds, probably even thousands, of writers who are several thousand words behind in their Nanovels. Everyone struggles at some point during the month. Even in my biggest year, when I wrote 300K, I still struggled. I didn't write 10K every day. I couldn't write every day. There were several days during the month when I felt uninspired and my head hurt too much to figure out where to take my novel next. The reason I got my extreme word count was because on the days when I did write, I wrote 20K or more. This year I've been struggling a lot to stay on top of my Nanowrimo. I spent the last week of October and…

12Nov 2012 by diannagunn

The Week Two Writing Challenge

Nanowrimo, Novels, Workshops, Writing, Writing, Writing: The Process

We're entering the second full week of November, and with any luck, you're almost halfway through your novel. Of course, not everyone is lucky. If you're one of the unlucky ones, you might be sitting three, five, even ten thousand words behind. You might not even have started, or you might be considering throwing your novel away and trying for a completely new one. No matter what the case is, don't despair. Remember that even if you don't reach 50, 000 words, you're still a winner for trying and you've still written more than you would have otherwise. Also keep in mind that it depends more on your dedication than the number of days you have left--I've hit 50, 000 words in three days before and I've met people who…

07Nov 2012 by diannagunn

How to Use Nanowrimo to Change Your Life

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing: The Process

You might think that the only thing you're going to get from writing a novel this month is a horrible first draft, some pretty web graphics, a cramp in your neck and a high caffeine tolerance. Of course, taken at face value and used in the most basic way, this might be all you get from Nanowrimo. But used properly, Nanowrimo can change your whole life in ways you might never have imagined. So how can you use Nanowrimo to change your life? Well, for starters now you can call yourself a novelist, which should give your ego a nice boost. But the changes I'm talking about here are deeper changes. Nanowrimo, used properly, can be a tool to teach yourself discipline, discover what you really want in life, and…

02Nov 2012 by diannagunn

Don’t Worry, Just Write

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing: The Process

Today's post is the first in a series of pep talks written by Nanowrimo veterans. I'm pleased to welcome Rose Johnson, known as SerpentRose on the Nanowrimo forums, 10 year Nano participant and, coincidentally, my mother, who originally introduced me to Nano. Please give her a warm welcome. * * * * Another year, another novel. This is my tenth time doing NaNo and I wish I could tell you I've won every time. Fortunately I've learned from both successes and failures, and one of the main things I've learned is that when I worry too much about what I'm writing it's harder to actually sit down and write. It's far better, especially for NaNoWriMo, to have an idea that excites you than to have an idea other people think…

31Oct 2012 by diannagunn

Happy Halloween!

Inspirational, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing: The Process

Tonight, millions of kids all over the world will be dressing up in bizarre costumes and knocking on door after door to fill their pillow cases with candy. Many children on the eastern coast of the US will be staying in due to hurricane Sandy, whose winds have brought days of rain as far north as Toronto. Many adults will be dressing up and going to Halloween dinner parties. I'm sure some of you will be taking the kids out or going to a dinner party. I, on the other hand, with probably a few thousand other writers, will be staying in frantically trying to finish the six pages of editing I have left in MG so I can start Nanowrimo at midnight without too many worries. Of course, I…

26Oct 2012 by diannagunn

Getting into the Writing Zone

Nanowrimo, Novels, Prompts, Workshops, Writing, Writing, Writing: The Process

Since you're planning to write a 50, 000 word novel next month--dividing into 1,667 words per day--it's a good idea to get warmed up by doing some writing exercises over the next few days. A good goal would be to write at least 400-500 words every day until Nanowrimo starts, so you're already in the writing groove on November first. This warms up your writing muscles without leading to burn out before Nanowrimo begins. Today I'd like to share three exercises designed to help you do just that. These exercises can be done with your Nanowrimo characters or completely different characters. I usually use them to flesh out the characters and world I've already started creating for my novel, because I find that you discover many things while writing that…

24Oct 2012 by diannagunn

One Cannot Be Ready for Everything by Allison Cosgrove

Guest Post, Nanowrimo, Novels, Workshops, Writing, Writing, Writing: The Process

Today's author is Allison Cosgrove, several time Nanowrimo winner, former word war captain, mother of three, hard worker and recently published author. I've already interviewed her here and am currently reading her mystery novel, Sacrifice of Innocence, which I'll be reviewing sometime in the upcoming months. Today she's decided to do us all the honour of sharing her realization that none of us are ever truly ready for Nanowrimo. * * * * One thing I have come to realize, as a long standing WriMo Veteran, is that in preparing for the wonderful thing that is NaNoWriMo is that we are never truly ready for it. I mean there are things we can prepare. We can plot and outline and make notes for just about everything, pre-cook and freeze meals,…

22Oct 2012 by diannagunn

Final Preparations

Nanowrimo, Novels, Workshops, Writing, Writing, Writing: The Process

As we hurtle towards the first week of November, you should have your main characters figured out, the foundations of your world built, and a basic plot line figured out. If you're one of the lucky ones, you'll have already done all this stuff and be able to spend this week relaxing. If you're scrambling to get ready still, never fear; thousands of Nanowrimo participants don't find their plots until November's already begun. That said, there are some things you should try to do this week. With just a few days left before November 1st, it's important to make sure you're prepared--and not just on a story level either. So what should you do this week? Check out my handy to-do list: 1. Name all important characters. Even if this…

08Oct 2012 by diannagunn

Character Creation

Nanowrimo, Novels, Workshops, Writing, Writing, Writing: The Process

You might have already gotten a few ideas for characters during your brainstorming last week. Or you might be scrambling to figure out who might fit into the plot you've been trying to plan. Whether you've got a host of characters and are trying to figure out who will be your main character or you're just starting to delve into character, there are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to create the best characters to match your story and your world. But first, a warning. The best characters take on a life of your own, and will do unexpected things, occasionally drastically changing your plot. This can happen even in later drafts. If this starts happening--or you realize during this line of question that the person you thought…