Want You NANOWRIMO With ME?

November is National Write a Novel Month. For the past six years I've participated in NANOWRIMO. This year I'm writing Book 3's first draft during NANOWRIMO. Although I can't share the novel with you, I would love to write with you. I'll also be sharing a NANOWRIMO writing tip at my friend Alma Katsu's blog this month so stay tuned for that. If you want to be my friend at NANOWRIMO here's my participant link. Hope to read you there.
Miranda at Nanowrimo

NANOWRIMO: A Day Late and a Chapter Short. Tips to Getting On Track

NANOWRIMO began yesterday. NANOWRIMO is an acronym for National Novel Writing Month. I have participated in the challenge since 2007 and am already a day behind. Which isn't good for me, but good for you. Today I want to share some mistakes I've made in the past NANOWRIMOs, so that you won't make them. In return, I ask you to help keep me on pace. Be my accountability partner, if you will.

1. Plot your novel before you start. The first time I participated in NANOWRIMO I thought I would write as I go, then I got bogged down with a plot point gone bad around Day 7. Save yourself the unnecessary drama plot ahead. 
2. If you don't have a plot yet, here's a skeleton you can create in thirty minutes or less. Click here to get my Plot Point Quick Do. 
3. Compartmentalize your book by weeks.
• week 1 - the beginning & the inciting incident, setting up your story. 50 pages
• week 2 - the journey- and the motivation change,. 50-100 pages
• week 3- the black moment(gut check, route of real problem the main character is finally aware of, but it is too late,) climax (what we've been waiting to happen from the beginning) 100-150 pages
• week 4 - the reversal,resolution and conclusion 150 - 200 pages
4.  Write dirty. Don't care about mispellings, diction, tense, just write this thing.
5. Write with words six graders and below can read.
   
6.  Have fun. If the story isn't fun to you, then write something else. the point of this thing is to get your juices flowing and to have fun writing. 
7. Get some accountability partners. My id is dee stewart.

Happy Writing. I will post up tonight I hope(wink)

Dee

NANOWRIMO Tip: Embrace Your Oddity

Photo Source: VPasson
Update: This is a repost. The entire post is up on TMA today, because of schedule changes.

Last Week I asked my Twitter and Facebook buddies was it weird for me to write fiction (well type on puter)with my eyes closed. I also play music that fits the mood of the scene I'm writing and before I write I think visually of the setting and how my character is working the room in that setting. Closing my eyes help me visualize the story. I become a recorder of a world I see clearer on the inside of me and feel in my heart.

I learned that many of my friends now know that I'm a wee bit weird, while I found that I was not alone. Lisa T. Bergren, author of The Betrayal closes her eyes and writes when she is in "The Zone." She even uses music to write her wonderfully written Christy Award nominated stories.

However, there was one response that stood out more than others"

"Embrace your Oddity. "

Read More Here

NANOWRIMO Tip: Embrace Your Oddity

Photo Source: VPasson

Yesterday I asked my Twitter and Facebook buddies was it weird for me to write fiction (well type on puter)with my eyes closed. I also play music that fits the mood of the scene I'm writing and before I write I think visually of the setting and how my character is working the room in that setting. Closing my eyes help me visualize the story. I become a recorder of a world I see clearer on the inside of me and feel in my heart.

Continue reading "NANOWRIMO Tip: Embrace Your Oddity" »

24 Hour ToDoo List to Prep for NANOWRIMO

Yep. Once again I am going to participate in NANoWRIMO. That is National Novel Writing Month. I have, too, folks. I've been doing the pr stuff, short stuff, but need to get an agent and need more logs on my fire. I need more books, yall.

So ontop of dealing with Trick or Treaters and another spiel on "Why we don't celebrate Halloween" to Selah. I have to cram for NanoWrimo so I can start writing tomorrow.

How will I cram? Well, here is my 24 Hour ToDoo List to Prep for NANOWRIMO

1. Set dailing writing schedule
2. Complete character sketch(I already have that. I use a sketch I learned from attending Anna DeStefano's writing workshops)
3. Build skeleton plot (I use an 8 point one based on JMARK Bertrand's model)
4. have a clean composition book for writing in car, at kitchen table and in tub
5. Find a nanowrimo partner. A few twitter friends have given me their userid. Mine is deestewart.
   
6. Giving myself permission to write horribly bad.
7. Set up scheduled blog posts (done that)
8. Goto grocery store
9. Get my progress tracker badge for site
10. Buy a new crazy pen.

Okay I'm ready. well ready to tackle this list. What should I add?

NANOWRIMO: Fun Scenes First

I am rewriting Blessed to Kill this month as a part of the NANOWRIMO project. Last week I began with a goal to write 2000 words a day. I met that goal two days this week, so I have catching up to do. One thing that I realized yesterday that I had forgotten and should have done sooner was write my fun scenes first.

Why write fun scenes of your novel first?

1. It gets your juices going.
2. You can write them very quickly.
3. You can map out the novel at the same time in the manuscript.
4. You can build pathos by making sure that her highest high has an equal lowest low.
5. You can build up the courage to let her suffer.

What other reasons should you write the fun scenes first?

And how are you coming along with NANOWRIMO?

NanoWrimo Dee Stewart 2007

Hi all. Sorry I haven't been blogging. I've been experiencing technical difficulties. So I'm posting from Selah's school this morning to add a few things. One is this month's CFB Alliance Feature and the other is NANOWRIMO, National Write A Novel in a Month Challenge.

I am participating. My userid is deestewart, so hit me up. I hope to post what I write everyday. Pray that all my computers are safe and ready to go this weekend. This is my third or fourth year participating. This year, however, I am taking this challenge a step further. I have to rewrite a lost novel. My old computer is getting its drive scrubbed, recovered, slaved and Lord know what else write now. I don't have the funds for a speedy surgery, so I am rewriting my novel on my laptop. I have a goal to complete the final draft by Thanksgiving.

How will I accomplish this?

1. I already have a story with a full plot.
2. I have character sketches of my main characters.
3. I have written this novel four times now.
4. My ACFW WORD chapter help me brainstorm the kinks out of my middle.
5. I have a wordcount goal of 7 pages a day.
6. I have my scenes outlined in Excel.
7. I have a reason to put the pedal to the medal.

If you are participating in NANOWRIMO and want to take this year's challenge a step further, tell me your userid and give me some tips of what you are going to do that works here. I hope to post my progress here and there daily.

Thanks for being so patient. Love ya,

Dee

ps. if you have any recommendations for trojan removal software. Iolo isn't doing it's thing with me.