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Novel Beginnings

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Last November, I wrote my very first novel during National Novel Writing Month. I chronicled my adventures on the blog and did a happy dance on Thanksgiving Eve in the wee hours when I finished.

I dutifully walked away  as experts advised and let it sit for the month of December.  In January, I thought about it but was busy implementing the 2009 Master Plan (cue ominous music).

Spring came and I finally took my USB drive to the printer and printed out my first draft. I giggled all the way home as I looked over at the box of printed papers that represented my first “first draft.”

Later that day I opened the box with nervous anticipation – Would it be so awful that I would cry? Was the whole thing a big dream? – I started to read and smiled as I found myself enjoying “my novel.” Yes, there were holes and inconsistencies, and things to be fixed but overall I did not want to burn it.

Each day I opened my box and made notes on the pages, periodically checking books and sites on editing to answer questions. I was working at my book and it felt good.

I got through my first rough edit and now it was time to type. I closed the box with every intention of continuing my work…the box taunted me in the open so I moved it to a shelf.  I moved it to dust but there it sat until this week.

Tired of my inaction, I pulled my dust free box off the shelf and moved it to my office where it sits with “First Draft” written proudly on the top (as if I would forget what’s in there) screaming at me to open it. Okay, not screaming but whispering very loudly.

Train Derailed
Image by bredgur via Flickr

In spite of our best intentions, we can get off track. For awhile I felt like a failure for not making progress on my goal. Today, I choose a new beginning. I may have missed my own self-imposed deadline but I learned new things and endured challenges which can only help me to view my book with a fresh perspective.

Today is a new day. Today is the day that I write again. I am not finished but I am getting started.

Any words of wisdom to share? Are you dusting off any goals of your own? Shall we encourage one another to the finish line?

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Sha Na NaNo – In the Key of Thanks

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Written by Karen D. Swim

When I committed myself to National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) I had no idea how it would impact my days. Before the month began, I planned to awaken at 5 am, go for my morning run and then write. By 8 am I would be at my desk and ready to continue on with my pre-NaNo schedule.

My plan fell apart on day 1. 5am came and went but I never saw it. I awakened in a panic at 6:30 am and groggily tried to reorganize my day.  I took deep breaths and fell back on Plan B, write, work, then work out.  By 10 am, I was on to Plan C. Who knew that the first 1700 words would not fly from my fingers in one hour? On Day 1, I had a new respect for NaNo, like running a marathon it was a distance that demanded respect.

I plodded through week one. It was neither smooth nor elegant but I stumbled through. In week two I fell into a groove, still a little sore from week one but the movement was getting easier.   My glee over finding the right gear was however, short lived.  In week two,  every client that had thought of using my services decided to sign me up.  I found myself knee deep in a business feast (no complaints mind you!) with little time left to breathe between bites. My idyllic dreams of luxuriously writing, working and tweeting went up in a puff of smoke. Getting up at 5 or even 6 was out of the question when I was going to bed at 1am.

Man unclogging sewer overflow, Chennai, India

Image via Wikipedia

My phone was ringing off the hook, my days were filled with back to back meetings, and in spite of my persistence my email climbed to over 800 messages.  My father, who is recovering from a stroke was also still hospitalized. I was being pulled in so many directions I felt a little like Gumby.  With only so many hours in the day, I dropped several of my spinning plates. I was tired and found myself crying over cell phone commercials, and falling snow. I was a mess but I was still writing.

In week three, the work kept pouring in but my Dad finally came home from the hospital. I was still on target with NaNo and somehow I had settled into the craziness of my life.  I sometimes forgot to eat and had more bad hair days than I care to share but I made it.

Now, here we are in the final stretch, week 4. I am roughly 4500 words away from goal, and will finish ahead of the November 30th deadline. The words are pouring out so fast that I can’t type fast enough. Business is still coming in and I am managing my customer’s expectations and enjoying the work. I have missed tweeting and blog commenting and visiting with friends.  It has been a wild and wacky ride but in spite of it all, something magical happened this month.

I pushed the boundaries of my limitations and learned that I am capable of more than I believed.  I failed early and often and am thankful for the lessons.  I grew more passionate about all of you. I really missed you and had time to really reflect on how thankful I am to be part of this wonderful blogging community.

Even though I was MIA (missing in action) when I popped my head up in twitter or stopped by your place for a visit, I was warmly welcomed. I got messages of encouragement and support and continued to be inspired by your talent. So it seemed appropriate on this Thanksgiving Eve to say THANK YOU.  You let me in your space, and I don’t take that for granted. You so graciously share your ideas, dreams, and fears. As you learn and grow you help me to do the same. You make me laugh and sometimes make me cry. This blogging thing is so much more than publishing content, it is being part of a community of people. You are my neigbhors and friends and I am just so happy to share space with all of you!

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks for each and every one of you!

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Write a Novel in Six Months … or Thirty Days

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Guest Post by Lillie Ammann

November is almost here, and many of you are gearing up to write a 50,000 word novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo, and I’ve never written a novel in thirty days. However, I wrote an 85,000 word romantic mystery novel in six months, writing only a few hours one day a week. If I had written every day instead of once a week, I would have finished the first draft of Dream or Destiny in less than thirty days.

Perhaps the method I used to write a novel in six months can help you write a novel in thirty days if you write more often than I did.

  • Make a commitment. I committed to write a chapter each week so I would have something for a weekly critique group meeting. You can make a commitment to write 50,000 words in thirty days or 1500-2000 words a day or 12,000 words a week during the month of November.
  • Ensure accountability. My critique partners held me accountable. I didn’t want to show up at the meeting without a chapter for them to read. You can report your word count on the NaNoWriMo Web site, share updates on your blog, or compare progress with writer friends who are also NaNoWriMo participants.
  • Establish a schedule. I set aside three to four hours the afternoon before my critique group meeting to write each week. You will likely have to sacrifice some other activities for the month of November to create enough time to write 50,000 words, so decide on a schedule that works for you. Early in the morning, late at night, on your lunch hour, during the baby’s nap … plan time to write each day. How much time you need will depend on how fast you write. If you don’t know how many words you average in an hour, write a short story and calculate your output. Then schedule the amount of writing time you’ll need to draft your novel in November.
  • Be willing to write pure green dreck. The goal of NaNoWriMo is not to produce a finished novel but to create a first draft. Resist the urge to edit—you can do that long past the end of November. Your job during NaNoWriMo is to produce a draft to polish later.
  • Make it easy to get started the next day. I like to write a few sentences into the next chapter in each writing session. The next time I sit down to write, I find it easier to get started because I’m looking at the beginning of a scene rather than a blank page. It also helps to get back into the story by reading the last few paragraphs written the day before.
  • Don’t let getting stuck slow you down. There’s no law that says you have write a novel from beginning to end. If you get stuck, don’t quit writing. Write something else—a scene later in the book, even the last chapter. Or make a note that you need to add a scene or a chapter and continue writing. Keep the momentum going throughout the month.

I hope these six tips help you become a NaNoWriMo winner.

Maybe you’re wondering what happened to that novel I wrote in six months. Dream or Destiny was published by GASLight Publishing, LLC this month. You can read reviews or a free excerpt on my Web site.

My visit here at Words for Hire is the first stop on my blog book tour, which will continue for the next three weeks. If you follow the tour, you’ll learn where I got the idea for the story and why it took ten years for the book to be published.  But now it’s time to focus on writing that novel in thirty days. Good luck!

I look forward to your comments, and I’ll check back during the day to answer questions.

I am so thrilled that Lillie included Words For Hire on her blog book tour! Lillie has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Dream or Destiny to one lucky Words For Hire reader. To enter, simply leave a question or comment on today’s post.  You may comment at any time during the day or evening. The contest will close at 8am EST Tuesday, October 28th. One reader will be randomly selected as the winner. I have started reading my copy of the book and I am hooked!

Lillie Ammann didn’t start writing until a devastating stroke convinced her it was time to pursue her lifelong dream. She sold her interior landscape business and started her new career as a freelance writer and editor. Dream or Destiny is her second novel. Lillie and her husband Jack live in San Antonio, Texas. She blogs at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye.