Yesterday I wrote out a rough outline for my 2008 NaNovel, so I felt I should update this blog with the first of my posts leading up to this year's challenge.
Gone is the old "nexus for news of a neophyte's NaNo niche" subtitle. It's time for the "soaring sights of a sophomore scribe's sojourn".
This time last year I had no idea what I was going to write for NaNo. I decided it would be a good experience to fly by the seat of my pants for my first NaNo, and it was, but this year I'm falling back to the tried and true preparation method. I'll have more on my plate this November than I did last. Plus, the stakes are higher now. I already know I can write a 50K word novel draft in thirty days (90,517 words, in fact). This year I want to write something better.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Full Speed Ahead
I had planned to take yesterday off from my writing. The story was going well (I knew where it was going now and was confident I could finish it by month end) and I hadn't taken a day off all month. My local library is closed on Wednesdays, and my home was not at all conducive to writing, so I headed out to do some other things.
The day passed pleasantly enough, but I was bothered by the fact that I hadn't written. It was a persistent itch that I just HAD to scratch, but it was 8 PM by the time I realized I wasn't going to be able to get away with a day off, and I was tired and groggy. So I downed a can of Monster...
... and I played solitaire.
For hours.
"What was the problem Laura?" you ask. "You said you were gung-ho to write and you know where the story is going now."
I'll tell you: The problem was those pesky polls.
When I started this project back on November 1st, I really didn't know what the story was going to be about. I had no plot and no characters and was just making things up as I went along, so I figured that whatever direction my readers wanted me to take the story would be fine.
Then I posted the first poll.
And I was stressed out. I was worried for my poor character (who'd I'd only just made up that afternoon). What would you all make her do?
I forced myself to get over my overprotectiveness. I'd promised daily polls so we were going to do daily polls.
Then I found that the polls were starting to crimp my pacing. My own fault that, totally, because I kept asking questions the answers to which needed to be acted upon within the next moment -- but my readers have almost 24 hours to respond to each poll. Made it a little difficult for me to advance time for a bit there.
Then I wised up and started to ask questions that didn't need to be answered until tomorrow. That worked much better. I learned to go with the flow and create the story from whatever the readers wanted. I soared through 50,000 words on November 17th and the world was all blue skies ahead.
So why did I spend last night playing solitaire and stressing out instead of writing?
Because I'm running out of good poll questions.
I thought I had an idea for one, but it was four or five scenes away. I didn't really have time to worry about whether or not I would be able to write that much in one night, however, as I immediately realized that "Should India do an interesting, heroic thing that might help to advance the plot or should she stay home and sulk?" was a pretty lame question. (Although, surpassed in lameness by the alternative: Should Cleopatra wear a red shirt or a black shirt today?)
The trouble is, I now know where the story needs to go in order to reach a satisfying conclusion by the end of the month, but my readers don't. So...
I've decided to put the polls on hiatus for a week. I'm making an executive decision that I've fulfilled my polling commitment since I ran them daily through the first 50K -- which was the official word count goal. This final week is the icing on the cake, and I need to be able to run with it.
I would like to thank the people who have been reading and voting regularly for your support. I hope you will continue to visit Raindancing Dragons as I am still updating the story daily (it appears that I won't be taking a day off after all!) and we're just starting to get to the juicy part.
I will have one final poll for you which, while it doesn't have the power to be a plot-killer, will I hope at least be of some interest, so watch for that on November 29th. (Yes, I aim to be writing right through to the end of the month at this point and finish in style on November 30th.)
Back to the grindstone.
The day passed pleasantly enough, but I was bothered by the fact that I hadn't written. It was a persistent itch that I just HAD to scratch, but it was 8 PM by the time I realized I wasn't going to be able to get away with a day off, and I was tired and groggy. So I downed a can of Monster...
... and I played solitaire.
For hours.
"What was the problem Laura?" you ask. "You said you were gung-ho to write and you know where the story is going now."
I'll tell you: The problem was those pesky polls.
When I started this project back on November 1st, I really didn't know what the story was going to be about. I had no plot and no characters and was just making things up as I went along, so I figured that whatever direction my readers wanted me to take the story would be fine.
Then I posted the first poll.
And I was stressed out. I was worried for my poor character (who'd I'd only just made up that afternoon). What would you all make her do?
I forced myself to get over my overprotectiveness. I'd promised daily polls so we were going to do daily polls.
Then I found that the polls were starting to crimp my pacing. My own fault that, totally, because I kept asking questions the answers to which needed to be acted upon within the next moment -- but my readers have almost 24 hours to respond to each poll. Made it a little difficult for me to advance time for a bit there.
Then I wised up and started to ask questions that didn't need to be answered until tomorrow. That worked much better. I learned to go with the flow and create the story from whatever the readers wanted. I soared through 50,000 words on November 17th and the world was all blue skies ahead.
So why did I spend last night playing solitaire and stressing out instead of writing?
Because I'm running out of good poll questions.
I thought I had an idea for one, but it was four or five scenes away. I didn't really have time to worry about whether or not I would be able to write that much in one night, however, as I immediately realized that "Should India do an interesting, heroic thing that might help to advance the plot or should she stay home and sulk?" was a pretty lame question. (Although, surpassed in lameness by the alternative: Should Cleopatra wear a red shirt or a black shirt today?)
The trouble is, I now know where the story needs to go in order to reach a satisfying conclusion by the end of the month, but my readers don't. So...
I've decided to put the polls on hiatus for a week. I'm making an executive decision that I've fulfilled my polling commitment since I ran them daily through the first 50K -- which was the official word count goal. This final week is the icing on the cake, and I need to be able to run with it.
I would like to thank the people who have been reading and voting regularly for your support. I hope you will continue to visit Raindancing Dragons as I am still updating the story daily (it appears that I won't be taking a day off after all!) and we're just starting to get to the juicy part.
I will have one final poll for you which, while it doesn't have the power to be a plot-killer, will I hope at least be of some interest, so watch for that on November 29th. (Yes, I aim to be writing right through to the end of the month at this point and finish in style on November 30th.)
Back to the grindstone.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Coming Together
56,132 words so far.
Sometime last week I actually figured out where my story needs to go, so I took some time over the past couple of days to storyboard out what needs to happen with everybody so that they can all get to where they need to be. It turns out that I've written very close to two thirds of the scenes my novel needs so far, which is sweet seeing as how we are now two thirds of the way through the month.
Write on!
Sometime last week I actually figured out where my story needs to go, so I took some time over the past couple of days to storyboard out what needs to happen with everybody so that they can all get to where they need to be. It turns out that I've written very close to two thirds of the scenes my novel needs so far, which is sweet seeing as how we are now two thirds of the way through the month.
Write on!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Massively Interview
I'm interviewed by Akela Talamasca on Episode 19 of "On the Inside" available online now at Massively:
http://www.massively.com/2007/11/17/on-the-inside-episode-19-rainbow-drake-and-nanowrimo/
all about NaNoWriMo and the SL Wrimos!
http://www.massively.com/2007/11/17/on-the-inside-episode-19-rainbow-drake-and-nanowrimo/
all about NaNoWriMo and the SL Wrimos!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Ready for the Final Sprint
Just cleared 45,000 words tonight.
My word count for the day was a hair short, but I just finished up a nice little character scene and am in a good spot to stop for the night and pick up the adventure again in the morning.
Tomorrow night I do not intend to sleep until I have crossed the 50K line.
My word count for the day was a hair short, but I just finished up a nice little character scene and am in a good spot to stop for the night and pick up the adventure again in the morning.
Tomorrow night I do not intend to sleep until I have crossed the 50K line.
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