TECH: Nanowrimo, here we go!
Dec. 26th, 2012 01:42 pmOriginal Posting 10 Nov 2012
Hey, all. Hopefully you're grinding away on your masterpieces, with wordcount growing day by day. Of course, even if you haven't done anything, there's still 20 days left -- which means at 2,500 words per day, you can still break 50,000. And 2,500 isn't that hard. Just put the time in, and let those words flow, and... you can do it!
For everyone who has already crunched along for the first 10 ten day -- congratulations! You're building that habit of daily writing, of pushing out some part of the story each and every day, while keeping at least a bit of a glimpse of the overall tale in mind. Novels aren't built in a day! No, they take a continuing push, over time. And that's the habit that nanowrimo builds. So keep on trucking, as we used to say.
For anyone who is struggling with a change that they realized they need to go back and make, whether it's just a little more foreshadowing, or the character who should have been introduced before, or maybe that plotline that wasn't even mentioned -- go ahead and write down what's involved. Give yourself a list of the changes needed, and why you think you should make them. THEN keep going. Pretend that you've made the changes, and keep write on writing. Yes, later, you'll go back and make those changes, and you'll be glad you noticed it and made the notes now, but... right now, you need to keep the momentum moving forwards. Okay?
(Well, yes, if you absolutely, positively want to rewrite that chapter -- go ahead and do it. Don't bother playing with little changes, but doing a complete rewrite, yeah, okay. But keep writing, keep churning out the words!)
What about the story that looks as if it's going to end tomorrow? Or that just doesn't seem as interesting as it did when you started? You can either let the current story end -- and then pick up with what happens after the happily ever after, or to the kids, or... just keep going! There's probably more story there, you just need to figure out what else might happen. Or consider mixing in a few other subplots. After all, just because plain jane has found her man, doesn't mean that all of her friends are ready for a happily ever after, right? Or what about the car, the house, the job... complications and confusions can abound! Heck, what happens when the CIA abducts the dear man as he tries to walk to the altar?
As for adding interest and spice -- twists and stakes! What else could happen? What else could it cost your characters? You mean the bookstore they just walked into is really a recruiting station for aliens? Go ahead and push the limits, add a gun, a bomb, an asteroid that is going to destroy the earth, or whatever! Keep that story twisting in the breeze, and see what happens!
Okay? 10 days and counting! So keep those words coming, and let's do some writing!
Hey, all. Hopefully you're grinding away on your masterpieces, with wordcount growing day by day. Of course, even if you haven't done anything, there's still 20 days left -- which means at 2,500 words per day, you can still break 50,000. And 2,500 isn't that hard. Just put the time in, and let those words flow, and... you can do it!
For everyone who has already crunched along for the first 10 ten day -- congratulations! You're building that habit of daily writing, of pushing out some part of the story each and every day, while keeping at least a bit of a glimpse of the overall tale in mind. Novels aren't built in a day! No, they take a continuing push, over time. And that's the habit that nanowrimo builds. So keep on trucking, as we used to say.
For anyone who is struggling with a change that they realized they need to go back and make, whether it's just a little more foreshadowing, or the character who should have been introduced before, or maybe that plotline that wasn't even mentioned -- go ahead and write down what's involved. Give yourself a list of the changes needed, and why you think you should make them. THEN keep going. Pretend that you've made the changes, and keep write on writing. Yes, later, you'll go back and make those changes, and you'll be glad you noticed it and made the notes now, but... right now, you need to keep the momentum moving forwards. Okay?
(Well, yes, if you absolutely, positively want to rewrite that chapter -- go ahead and do it. Don't bother playing with little changes, but doing a complete rewrite, yeah, okay. But keep writing, keep churning out the words!)
What about the story that looks as if it's going to end tomorrow? Or that just doesn't seem as interesting as it did when you started? You can either let the current story end -- and then pick up with what happens after the happily ever after, or to the kids, or... just keep going! There's probably more story there, you just need to figure out what else might happen. Or consider mixing in a few other subplots. After all, just because plain jane has found her man, doesn't mean that all of her friends are ready for a happily ever after, right? Or what about the car, the house, the job... complications and confusions can abound! Heck, what happens when the CIA abducts the dear man as he tries to walk to the altar?
As for adding interest and spice -- twists and stakes! What else could happen? What else could it cost your characters? You mean the bookstore they just walked into is really a recruiting station for aliens? Go ahead and push the limits, add a gun, a bomb, an asteroid that is going to destroy the earth, or whatever! Keep that story twisting in the breeze, and see what happens!
Okay? 10 days and counting! So keep those words coming, and let's do some writing!