Cruising to the NaNoWriMo Finish Line

Another challenge done. 

Some of you are still feverishly typing away trying to get to that 50,000 word finish line as National Novel Writing Month comes to a close. That was me last year. I was probably around 15,000 words from the finish this time last year. STRESS!!!

So, if you're there.... I feel your pain. But, this year, I did a far better job of managing my writing time and balancing my life. I strolled towards 50,000 words at about 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 28. What that meant was that last night I got a good night's sleep for the first time in November.

It felt really good not having 100 thoughts rushing through my head related to plot, character development, setting, pacing, etc., etc. 

Still not done? Keep writing. You can do it. The pay off will be awesome. It was a wonderful night's rest. Even before that, I knew in the morning I would meet my goal that evening. So, work was a breeze. I dressed up in a suit jacket, strolled around campus with a smile.

People asked why I was dressed up. I smiled and said, "I'm done with my novel!" Even the subway ride home was enjoyable. I just sank back into my seat with a nearly complete feeling of satiation.

Good times. OK, I'm gonna go back to basking in the afterglow.

NaNoWriMo: 6,500 Words Behind...No Problemo. I Have A Writing Plan

I'll make this short and sweet 'cause I got things to do: I'm behind. To be more specific, I'm 6,500 words behind in my NaNoWriMo novel.

My plan is simple. More on that later. Since I kinda feel like I just got busted playing with matches or passing notes in class, I figure I should throw out a few excuses for my per-dicament (I mean predicament).

I was busy. I was tired. I was distracted by something on the wall. I was watching the news and my brain exploded (It takes awhile to regenerate gray matter - or is it grey matter?).

Ok, Ok, truth is I just didn't feel like writing. It happens. Then I went to the Library of Congress yesterday, and I was re-inspired. So, hooray!

Now as for my plan, I have given this quite a bit of thought. If you are currently 6,000 words behind, 20,000 words behind, then check this out. Here is a step-by-step, failure-proof, no-brainer plan to catching up. Ready? Here it is:

I'm gonna write. End of tip.

Fine, I hear the sighs from here. But catching up is that simple. I'm putting my head down, stretching my fingers, setting a timer, and telling everyone around me to leave me alone (I'll try to be nice about it.), and then I'm just gonna write words. I guess if you have to put a label on it, you can call it freewriting or speedwriting. Whatever. 

Important note: the "no-brainer" part is important. When you're behind you can't get too picky. Don't worry about pretty words or the right words. When you're behind, you need to turn your over-critical, judgemental brain off and settle for any words.

So, let's get to it. Set a goal to just write any words. Tell that inner critic in your head to shut up. Just write. Just write. Just write.

I'll be writing and plan to catch up today, but first I have to get the kids on the bus. I'll update all with my progress. Are you behind? What's your plan to catch up?

Sigh...Day 12 of NaNoWriMo... I'm Feeling Lazy

So... anyone else tired of their novel? Maybe it's just me. But 12 days ago I thought I had the next best awesome novel. Now... I feel I have the next best this bites novel. OK. Maybe it's just me.


I'm plugging away, but, I've hit a wall. It's the Week Two Wall that I knew would eventually appear. I had to resort to two sessions of free-writing to deal with last night. I'll have to do it again tonight.


For now... I'm procrastinating. It's Friday!

Day Eight Of NaNoWriMo: Life Happens

All those days of trying to get ahead on my word count helped because now I'm under the gun. As we enter Week Two of National Novel Writing Month, many of us are starting to feel the pressure of trying to write a novel in 30 days A-N-D keep our lives from spiraling out of control.

What's happening for me?

I was battling some sort of stomach bug all last week. Slowed me down, but I kept plugging away.
Now my wife has it this week.

The school (without consulting me, of course) scheduled two days off this week, so the kids have been at home. There is no place to hide from them! They are everywhere! They know how to pick the lock in the bathroom! I'm not letting them watch McGyver anymore!

So... needless to say, I am about 1,600 words behind. No worries. I knew something would happen during Week Two. Now I've just got to ride it out. If that means I stay up an extra hour tonight and wake up an hour earlier, then that's what I'll do.

How's your NaNoWriMo experience?

Day Three Of NaNoWriMo: Charging Ahead?

There's about 30 minutes left of Day Three for me. By the end of the night, I will surpass 10,000 words. That makes me feel so good, I'm taking the final 30 minutes off of Day Three.

Now before you send comments my way like, "You suck! I'm at 500 words and my main character has a stutter!" Listen to this:

Last year was the first year I finished NaNoWriMo after trying three times before and failing miserably. This is my fifth time doing the competition. I am using all my past failures to show me how to succeed for the second straight year.

There are many things I'm doing this year that are different from the first three years. I've written a few blog entries already highlighting some of the strategies I'm using to increase my chances of success. Here's another:

Write even when I don't feel like it or when the words won't come out.

Sometimes the words do not want to come out easily. Let me rephrase: Sometimes the "right" words don't want to come out easily. I get frustrated because what I'm typing is bad. This is NaNoWriMo. It's all about quantity, not quality. Stop thinking so much. Let go. Just write. If the "right" words don't want to come out, then just "write" words - right ones or wrong ones. If writing "any" words, whatever comes to mind in your stream of consciousness is too loose, then write someone else's words for a bit.

I have two works with me as I write. When I'm stuck, I open up one of those works and simply type a few lines until these "borrowed" words prime my pump and "my" words take over. For the record, my borrowed words this time around are coming from Milton's "Paradise Lost," and C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters."

If you're stuck, give it a shot. At least you will be typing out words for your count. Let me know how it goes.

Day Two Of NaNoWriMo

So far so good. Next week one of my entries may start with an "Oh, no! I'm behind!" But today is not that time. As of this posting, I have nearly 4,300 words written on my way to 50,000 by Nov. 30. Not too shabby.


If you're measuring by daily goal, I'm ahead. In case you want to pace yourself, here is NaNoWriMo's breakdown of daily word count goals. It is a good starting point for finishing exactly on the last day, Nov. 30. Some may want to sprint ahead. I'm trying to at least semi-sprint ahead. I am hoping to get to at least 5,000 before the day is out. 


Here's a word count guide:
Day 1 - 1,667                   Day 16 - 26,672
Day 2 - 3,334                   Day 17 - 28,339
Day 3 - 5,001                   Day 18 - 30,006
Day 4 - 6,668                   Day 19 - 31,673
Day 5 - 8,335                   Day 20 - 33,340
Day 6 - 10,002                 Day 21 - 35,007
Day 7 - 11,669                 Day 22 - 36,674
Day 8 - 13,336                 Day 23 - 38,341
Day 9 - 15,003                 Day 24 - 40,008
Day 10 - 16,670               Day 25 - 41,675
Day 11 - 18,337               Day 26 - 43,342
Day 12 - 20,004               Day 27 - 45, 009
Day 13 - 21,671               Day 28 - 46,676
Day 14 - 23,338               Day 29 - 48,343
Day 15 - 25,005               Day 30 - 50,000

NaNoWriMo Day One

I'm in the middle of Day One of National Novel Writing Month. Although I was struck with illness hours before the competition started, I have managed to burst out of the gate with 1,781 words. 

Not too shabby.

The goal is to write at least 1,667 words a day. Do that for 30 days and it's party time which will include not touching a keyboard for at least a few days.

Before today is over, I'm actually hoping to reach 3,500. Why you ask? Because if you get the chance to run ahead during the month, then do it. All the excitement of Week One will eventually give way to the apathy of Week Two once writing your novel begins to resemble hard work. Trust me. I know.

So get ahead to weather Week Two. We'll deal with Week Three later.

Tactic Tip: Have one of your characters walk around with a book that he/she quotes from or refers to periodically.


This is a sneaky way of padding your word count. Extra bonus points for you if you're able to make it relevant to your plot. My protagonist has already employed this technique in Chapter One. He's reading John Milton's "Paradise Lost." It works for me because I am using Milton's work as a reference for my own. If I go crazy and over-quote, I can always cut that stuff out later, but not until after Nov. 30.

It's win-win. I meet word count and conduct valuable research pertinent to my story.

That's Day One so far...

How's your first day going?

NaNoWriMo Is Finally Here!

As I write this, I am watching the clock. It's 1 a.m. on Oct. 31. In less than 24 hours, I will be well into my first 1,667 words of National Novel Writing Month. 


That is my plan for each of the 30 days of the competition: Write 1,667 words a day. To prepare for the next four weeks of feverish writing, I have over the last week or so taken a sabbatical from serious writing. My thoughts were if I stopped writing, I'd store up the muse and unleash her on Nov. 1.


I've done some outlining and daydreamed my way through character profiles, story lines, etc. But really, I've avoided writing and focused mostly on watching old episodes of Angel, Merlin, 3rd Rock from the Sun and anything else I could to find writing ideas. Beg. Borrow. Steal.


I also played video games I've neglected for years. For example, I dusted off my Nintendo College Football 2005 and played a few games as the Air Force Falcons. And in case you're wondering, I picked the Falcons because I was in a Stargate: SG1 mood, and if you know the show, well, you know they are Air Force. For the record, I don't know how to run Air Force's wing offense (whatever it's called).


For those following my Mall Demons Serial, you'll notice I did not post Chapter 6 yet. I should have announced the delay. My apologies. But since I was on that sabbatical, it included Mall Demons. I should have Chapter 6 online by Friday.


Well... it's 1:15 a.m. Gonna save the rest of the muse and unleash her in less than 24 hours. So, that's all for now. If you're NaNoWriMo, let me know. We can spur one another on to the end!

12 Things To Keep In Mind When Choosing The Setting Of Your Story

I am happy to introduce my first guest blogger on Pedro Is Writing. I met Joe Mynhardt online at My Writers Circle, a great community for writers, by the way. He is a South African writer with some great ideas. 
Today he is sharing about his method for planning setting in fiction. I appreciate Joe's thoughts on the subject and will be asking myself many of these questions as I continue working on my Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Serial. If you have comments or questions for Joe, please feel free to share them in the comments section below. Having said that, here's Joe....

I've been writing short stories, quite successfully, since the end of 2008 and recently started my first novel, which made me think about what questions I need to ask myself during the planning phase of my novel. I wanted to plan the novel just like I did my short stories, but even more structured. Being a busy person, I'd rather spend a bit more time on the drawing board than wasting time in unnecessary and time consuming rewrites.  

For the next few weeks I'll be posting a few things I've picked up from books, author interviews and personal experience. These techniques can of course be used in short stories, plays and screenplays as well. So answer these questions to get a better view of what your story has and needs. 

Today's questions will deal with setting:

• What is the main setting of your story? 
• Does the setting effectively influence the mood or atmosphere of the story? 
• Does the setting have enough of an influence on the story and the people within it? 
• Does the setting fit into your narrative tone? 
• Is your setting unique, exotic and interesting, or is it cliché and just plain boring? 
• Are there changes in scenery and do these scene changes represent something in your plot or perhaps a character? Example: turmoil within the character or his/her relationship with their significant other. 
• Is the setting influential enough so that the story could not take place anywhere else? 
• Are you using your setting effectively when it comes to the possibilities of irony, contrast, foreshadowing, symbolism and motif?  
• Does the setting present some kind of barrier to the main character, keeping him away from his goal? Example: conflict with nature? 
• Does your story eventually rise above the setting in a symbolic sense?  
• Does the setting perhaps represent a part of your character's personality? 
• Are you using every setting to its full potential? Think about this carefully. A brainstorm session on this can represent quite a few new ideas for your story. 

 I hope this gets you on your way to improving your story. Till next time.  


All the best,
Joe Mynhardt
 
Joe Mynhardt is a South African writer and teacher. While having dozens of short story publications, Joe also tends to a tome of story ideas scraping for a chance to be written. Read more about Joe and his creations at www.Joemynhardt.com or find him on Facebook at 'Joe Mynhardt's Short Stories'. 

Take a Break From Writing... NaNoWriMo is coming!

Source: Microsoft Office Images

In 10 days, I will begin eating, drinking novel writing. For 30 days, it will be an existence transformed for the sake of completing a manuscript for National Novel Writing Month.


So, I'm thinking this weekend is time to have a whole lot of fun that doesn't involve much writing. If you are preparing for NaNoWriMo, maybe you should consider doing the same. Why not. This is time to make paper airplanes with your son. It's time to take your wife out for a romantic stroll in the park. Maybe something more adventurous?


When I was a boy, I used to love camping. We didn't have much cash growing up, so camping was a rare treat and an inexpensive family gathering, by the way. When I say camping, I mean old-school camping with a  small uncomfortable tent, a sleeping bag, etc. 


I remember running around the woods with the other children gathering wood for the fire. It was usually the first task after unloading all our supplies. No fire. No dinner. It was a great time sitting in the dirt around the fire.

Source: Microsoft Office Images

Some details escape me all these years later. I don't remember how we washed up - maybe we didn't. We definitely did not have showers. But, hey, we were kids. We didn't care if we were stinky in the woods. Modern camping grounds have amenities that take all the adventure out of roughing it.


Anyway... you get the idea. Do something. This is that weekend to let loose because November 1 is coming. Then it'll be writing, writing, writing every day.

Why You Won't Write A Novel In 30 Days

Want to enter NaNoWriMo? That's the month-long challenge that takes place every November with one goal for entrants: write a 50,000-word novel draft.

If you have never tried, I have one key to success. It is the most essential strategy for success (in my opinion). Do this, and you can succeed. Convince yourself that you are a special case and don't need to follow this strategy, and more than likely you will not finish your novel draft. No success.

So, what's the key? What is this strategy? It is simply this: Write every day.

That's it. So simple, yet... I hear the scoffing already. I write when the muse strikes. Or, I'm too busy so I write only on the weekends. I hear you. I feel you. But I no longer agree with you. Here's why. 

If you want to write 50,000 words in 30 days, it will require that you write every day. This can’t be emphasized enough. Sure, you can procrastinate and catch up on the weekends, etc. But, you are putting pressure on yourself to do a week’s writing in just two days. And inevitably, other things will come up on those weekends to make it even more challenging to write your words for the week.

I tried this strategy of just using weekends the first time I entered NaNoWriMo. After the second week of trying, I abandoned all hope. It just didn’t work. Let me setup a scenario to illustrate:

After an exhausting five days at the office, that first Saturday comes. All I want to do is relax. So, I tell myself. I will sleep in a little bit. Then, after lunch, I will start writing those words.

Lunchtime comes and my wife has different ideas. She really wants to buy new curtains, etc. for the living room.

“Can we please go to the store? You know you don’t have time to do it on weekdays?” she says.

So, we spend the afternoon at several stores looking at every possible curtain design known to man. By the time we return home, I am beat. I tell myself I’ll rest for an hour, then I’ll start those words. An hour goes by. Time to prep for dinner. We don’t have everything we need, so my wife sends me to the grocery store for last-minute ingredients. No problem. 'While she finishes up dinner, I’ll steal away some time to write,' I say to myself.

Nope. Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids!

In the middle of dinner, my wife’s mother calls with important news. I take over the last steps for dinner while my wife takes the call. Then….dinner. Afterward, it slips my mind that tonight’s the big football game. I just can’t miss it. National-televised game. Highly-ranked teams. I must watch it. I make a deal with myself. I will watch it and write at the same time. Afterall, football is filled with time-outs, commercials, etc. Plenty of time to do some quick writing.

Four hours later, I’m mad because my team lost in the last minute of the game. I have written nothing because it was such a close game up to the final minute that I didn’t have time to write a word. Now, it’s about 11 p.m. I’m feeling guilty because I didn’t write anything. I’m angry because my team lost. I’ll just go to bed. Can’t write in this state of mind anyway.

And then comes Sunday with a whole set of its own situations preventing me from writing. When I’m back at the office Monday morning, I am really feeling pathetic because I didn’t get any writing done.

End of scenario. End of any thoughts of finishing my 50,000-word novel.

Solution: Write every day. Ideally, if you write 1,667 words a day for 30 days, you'll get to your goal. I know from experience that sometimes you won't get to 1,667. You must (if you're like me) write something every day. 1,000 one day. 2,000 another. Whatever. But write every day.


What do you think of writing every day?

Writing Exercise: Use Clichés

So, I'm preparing myself for NaNoWriMo - that's National Novel Writing Month for the uninitiated. 


This means I'm wicked into outlining chapters and sections, fleshing out characters, etc. It also means I'm brainstorming nice tricks to help me when the writing gets tough around Week Three. One solution I'm exploring now: use every cliché I can think of or find. Armed with a long list of clichés, I'll be able to add length to my NaNoWriMo project.


I'm not the first person to suggest using  clichés - even with all the conventional wisdom that says avoid  clichés like the plague (LOL). But imagine how many literary and film characters exist who are walking clichés. How about whole story lines, movies built on clichés. Just look at all the macho cop movies out there.

Writing Exercise: Use Clichés To Write A Short Story, Poem
Go all out. "Do it with gusto!" Or as we say in Spanglish, "Do it with ganas!" Make it ridiculously Cliché. Why not? It's OK. You're a writer. You're allowed.


To find out more about NaNoWriMo and sign up for the November challenge, check out my blog post with links to help you get started.


If you have time, please read my latest fiction project, the Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Serial. Chapters 1-5 are online. Let me know what you think, and tell me if you spot the clichés, LOL. The links to the chapters are at the top of this blog.