Do you feel that? Besides the change in the temperature, I mean. And besides the Halloween decorations and the delightful pumpkin-flavored everythings. I'm talking about October, the month when NaNoWriMoers are buckling their seatbelts, checking their supplies, and hovering over their dashboards with anxiety and anticipation.
You might have heard of NaNoWriMo before. It's National Novel Writing Month and it happens in November (although there are "camps" in April and July in case you miss it); it's basically a global self-imposed challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in only a month. It sounds insane but it helps a lot of people get past that fear of bad writing, because...well, it's a first draft, it's supposed to be bad. And while some people are already published authors who fear no drafts, NaNoWriMo is what makes that okay for the rest of us. It's something I've been looking forward to every year since I started in 2011, with a solitary satisfaction as well as an online community who supports your every struggle. We're all in this together. And this year, I'm going to be bending the rules (again) to use the excitement to begin and complete my second draft of Three to a Seat. In addition, I'm going to scatter a few posts across the month of October to offer some guidance for anyone looking to participate this year. I've thoughts of a list of my top most helpful writing books, some ideas for creative outlines for people who hate outlines, and things like that. October is typically the month for preparing yourself for the exciting and grueling task ahead, so I want to address that from several angles. If there's anything you want to see specifically, please let me know! In November I'll be focused on writing myself, but I have plans to answer a 30-day questionnaire in regards to my novel in order to build up some suspense and hopefully pique your interests, readers! For any questions I can't answer (due to spoiling key plot points) I'll post scraps of the story that I particularly enjoyed. Keep an eye out for new posts soon and remember, the sky is never the limit! But wait, responses! I've decided to make replies as posts so as to avoid any confusion in the comments (since comments are saved as whatever name you use, rather than by login, there'd be no way to differentiate my comments from readers who happen to have the same name, you see). So here goes! Ems: Thank you! I completely agree; criticism can feel like a punch and it's hard to find something positive in it, even if it's meant well. Writing is one of the most personal things we can do--actually, probably anything creative is personal. You kind of have to pour some of yourself into whatever you're making. Good luck with that struggle! Stew: You're welcome, and thank you for such a thoughtful comment! We're told to write for ourselves first, but it's hard not to think that someday, someone else might read it, and who knows what they'll say. I tried to address the variety of responses we can get from fanfiction (and I imagine it's similar for published books!) so I'm glad you found it helpful. You're awesome too!
1 Comment
Stew
10/3/2015 08:12:15 am
Carrie, I really enjoyed this post. :) Fall has always been a special time of the year for me because of Halloween, but now that I've become more serious about writing, November, besides Thanksgiving, is even more anticipated because of NanoWriMo. As a new writer on the scene, your advice is so helpful, so thank you. I look forward to reading pieces of Three to a seat as you post them on your blog. If I may make a special request for October advice, could you please post something about moving characters through the story? I am told that my pacing is well but I struggle with simple things like characters walking around somewhere or dialogue. Thank you! You're the best!
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AuthorCarrie is a burgeoning writer in North America. She thinks about stories 23/7 because everyone needs some time off. She enjoys apples, giving and receiving feedback, and couch-fort gaming with loved ones. Archives
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