November 28 goal: 46,676
Current word count: 55,276
Favorite writing song of the week: "Chasing Twisters" by Delta Rae
Hardest thing about this week: Honestly, that I hit 50,000 words and I'm still not finished with the story. I should be happy I don't have to spend an hour every day writing because of finals and papers but I'm not. I like writing so hitting 50,000 and still having a story left in me is hard. On the other hand, I'm also insanely proud of myself for hitting 50,000 six days early in spite of everything so it's bittersweet.
Easiest thing about this week: The actual act of sitting down and writing. This is probably because I was home and didn't have any obligations. But it's also because I got to the ending, the part I've had the most time to think about and plan.
Goals for this week: Write at least a little every day. I'm close to being done with the rough draft of the story and I don't want to just quit cold turkey.
Random closing thoughts: I think last year I finished on November 24 too. That's kind of cool. I also think my story last year ended at around 55,000 words so this one is going to be longer. It's still a first draft and I tend to 'underwrite' my first drafts. That just means I add a lot of scenes in revision. Never thought that would be the case. I was always convinced I'd have to cut stuff. I still do but I add more than I cut.
Announcements/ What's next
1. Finish All the World's a Stage, ideally before I go home for Christmas.
2. Over Christmas, start revising Sky & Steel. Shelby, I hope you read this.
3. Write my senior English paper on The Book Thief.
4. Post a review of the program I used to write this NaNo story. It's called Scrivener.
5. And last, but not least, I'm already getting ideas for the sequel to All the World's a Stage, title to be determined. There are only going to be two in this story and maybe this summer I'll start asking around for beta readers because this is a story I think people would like.
Now, if you're in college, good luck on your finals and projects and papers! If you're a real adult with a job, hang in there, Christmas is less than a month away. If you're a senior, don't forget to apply to graduate in the spring.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
NaNo Week 3
November 21 goal: 35,007
Current word count: 43,538
Favorite writing song from the week: "Misty Mountains" by Richard Armitage
Hardest thing about this week: I realized my story is not going to be even close to finished at 50,000 words. That's good but it also means I'm going to be juggling finishing it while working on my numerous final projects. Stress-wise, that's been difficult.
Easiest thing about this week: I've gotten to write a bunch of awesome scenes. They were some of the scenes I imagined right from the beginning and I loved getting to write them. I'm also loving my main character. She's so sassy.
Goals for this week: Dare I say it? Hit 50,000. I already ordered my winner's shirt so I might as well finish the 50,000 words early.
Random closing thoughts: According to the helpful word counter on the NaNo website, I should finish on November 25. I'm thinking that it will actually be Thursday, Wednesday at the earliest. I mean, I could finish tomorrow if I really put my mind to it but...well, I have other things I want to do.
And seriously, dialogue is my favorite thing to write. I especially like bantering dialogue. It doesn't have to be romantic either. Friendship bantering is just as much fun. Jamie (the main character) banters with her best friend, Gwen, a lot.
But seriously, how am I less than 10,000 words away? How did that happen?
Current word count: 43,538
Favorite writing song from the week: "Misty Mountains" by Richard Armitage
Hardest thing about this week: I realized my story is not going to be even close to finished at 50,000 words. That's good but it also means I'm going to be juggling finishing it while working on my numerous final projects. Stress-wise, that's been difficult.
Easiest thing about this week: I've gotten to write a bunch of awesome scenes. They were some of the scenes I imagined right from the beginning and I loved getting to write them. I'm also loving my main character. She's so sassy.
Goals for this week: Dare I say it? Hit 50,000. I already ordered my winner's shirt so I might as well finish the 50,000 words early.
Random closing thoughts: According to the helpful word counter on the NaNo website, I should finish on November 25. I'm thinking that it will actually be Thursday, Wednesday at the earliest. I mean, I could finish tomorrow if I really put my mind to it but...well, I have other things I want to do.
And seriously, dialogue is my favorite thing to write. I especially like bantering dialogue. It doesn't have to be romantic either. Friendship bantering is just as much fun. Jamie (the main character) banters with her best friend, Gwen, a lot.
But seriously, how am I less than 10,000 words away? How did that happen?
Monday, November 14, 2016
NaNo Week 2
November 14 goal: 23,338
Current word count: 30,0000
Favorite writing song from the week: Honestly, it's a tie between "Heartland (Long)" by Celtic Thunder and "Narcissistic Cannibal" by EarlyRise
Hardest thing about this week: I'm finally getting into my story and enjoying writing it but I've had to split my focus between the story and school, so I haven't been able to devote as much time as I would like to writing.
Easiest thing about this week: Around Thursday I hit my stride and suddenly 1,667 words doesn't take me two+ hours to trudge through and that's made it a lot easier. I can just sit down and crank through 1600-1900 words usually and it doesn't take as long as it did during the first week. Also I wrote almost 7,000 words this weekend and that was pretty great.
Goals for this week: I have a test and an outline due on Wednesday and another paper due on Friday so I'm going to try to be okay with the fact that I can take a day off from writing. That's why I've built myself a couple buffer days.
Lessons learned this week: Um...most of my lessons have been about my characters and who they are and how they behave. I don't want to share because I'm hoping this story pans out into something like a book.
Random closing thoughts: Chocolate is still a great motivator but so is getting into the swing of my story. Also, being halfway done two days early was a great feeling. And yes, I am actually at 30,000 words right. I stopped because it worked out that the end of a sentence was at 30,000 and I'm a sucker for any number that's a multiple of 5.
Don't ask me why, I just really like that. We all have our weird things. I also refuse to write in any font other than Garamond (for school papers I switch it to Times New Roman when I'm done) and it has to be on 1.5 spacing.
Random last thought: If you use Microsoft Word, please for the love of every good thing in this world, click on the 'Remove space after paragraph' option under the 'Paragraph' tab. It drives me up the fucking wall when people don't do that. It looks awful and you waste more paper. Just do it.
Current word count: 30,0000
Favorite writing song from the week: Honestly, it's a tie between "Heartland (Long)" by Celtic Thunder and "Narcissistic Cannibal" by EarlyRise
Hardest thing about this week: I'm finally getting into my story and enjoying writing it but I've had to split my focus between the story and school, so I haven't been able to devote as much time as I would like to writing.
Easiest thing about this week: Around Thursday I hit my stride and suddenly 1,667 words doesn't take me two+ hours to trudge through and that's made it a lot easier. I can just sit down and crank through 1600-1900 words usually and it doesn't take as long as it did during the first week. Also I wrote almost 7,000 words this weekend and that was pretty great.
Goals for this week: I have a test and an outline due on Wednesday and another paper due on Friday so I'm going to try to be okay with the fact that I can take a day off from writing. That's why I've built myself a couple buffer days.
Lessons learned this week: Um...most of my lessons have been about my characters and who they are and how they behave. I don't want to share because I'm hoping this story pans out into something like a book.
Random closing thoughts: Chocolate is still a great motivator but so is getting into the swing of my story. Also, being halfway done two days early was a great feeling. And yes, I am actually at 30,000 words right. I stopped because it worked out that the end of a sentence was at 30,000 and I'm a sucker for any number that's a multiple of 5.
Don't ask me why, I just really like that. We all have our weird things. I also refuse to write in any font other than Garamond (for school papers I switch it to Times New Roman when I'm done) and it has to be on 1.5 spacing.
Random last thought: If you use Microsoft Word, please for the love of every good thing in this world, click on the 'Remove space after paragraph' option under the 'Paragraph' tab. It drives me up the fucking wall when people don't do that. It looks awful and you waste more paper. Just do it.
Monday, November 7, 2016
NaNo Week 1
November 7 goal (1,667/day): 11,669
Current word count: 14,353
Favorite writing song from this week: "You Are Free" by Jimmy Eat World
The hardest thing from this week: I struggled a lot with getting into my first-person narrator. It's been three years since I wrote in first person and the transition was more difficult than I though it would be. There's a lot of freedom in a third person narrator but there's also a lot of things you give up when you let go of such a close relationship with a main character. At the same time, it's difficult to go back to limiting your descriptions to what a person would believably notice or think about.
The easiest thing from this week: There were two days (Thursday and Friday) where the writing came easily and felt right. I should also lump in one of the major scenes because it turned out much better than I expected for a first draft try.
Goals for this next week: Stay on top of all my homework- I have a test on Friday that will need to be studied for. Plus I have the never-ending research stream to tackle but in less than two weeks I'll be headed home for Thanksgiving, so that's giving me the strength to keep going.
Lessons learned this week: Chocolate is a really great motivated for when I don't want to write anymore but I really want the chocolate. WinCo bulk, you are my savior.
Random closing thoughts: I'm ahead on my word count but I'm going to try not to use my 'skip day' for as long as possible. I'm most likely to need it next week because I have another test but I have two research-related assignments due as well. But, depending on the outcome of the election tomorrow, I might end up consuming large amounts of wine and then I'll need a skip day.
I just realized I've written more than 14,000 words in the past week. That's more than most people write in a year, let alone a week, and I'm suddenly really, really proud of myself.
Go me!
Current word count: 14,353
Favorite writing song from this week: "You Are Free" by Jimmy Eat World
The hardest thing from this week: I struggled a lot with getting into my first-person narrator. It's been three years since I wrote in first person and the transition was more difficult than I though it would be. There's a lot of freedom in a third person narrator but there's also a lot of things you give up when you let go of such a close relationship with a main character. At the same time, it's difficult to go back to limiting your descriptions to what a person would believably notice or think about.
The easiest thing from this week: There were two days (Thursday and Friday) where the writing came easily and felt right. I should also lump in one of the major scenes because it turned out much better than I expected for a first draft try.
Goals for this next week: Stay on top of all my homework- I have a test on Friday that will need to be studied for. Plus I have the never-ending research stream to tackle but in less than two weeks I'll be headed home for Thanksgiving, so that's giving me the strength to keep going.
Lessons learned this week: Chocolate is a really great motivated for when I don't want to write anymore but I really want the chocolate. WinCo bulk, you are my savior.
Random closing thoughts: I'm ahead on my word count but I'm going to try not to use my 'skip day' for as long as possible. I'm most likely to need it next week because I have another test but I have two research-related assignments due as well. But, depending on the outcome of the election tomorrow, I might end up consuming large amounts of wine and then I'll need a skip day.
I just realized I've written more than 14,000 words in the past week. That's more than most people write in a year, let alone a week, and I'm suddenly really, really proud of myself.
Go me!
Monday, October 31, 2016
On the Eve of NaNo WriMo
It's Halloween and I'm home in my sweats, drinking my water, and writing to you lovely people.
Side note: There should be some law against Halloween ever falling on a Monday. I mean, take pity on the poor parents of kids with sugar-induced stomach-aches who are gonna be up late.
But anyway. Even if Halloween wasn't on a Monday, I wouldn't be out. Partly because I have no desire to go drinking (it's expensive and I like sleep are the two main reasons) but mostly because tomorrow is November 1.
The official start of National Novel Writing Month and that day is far more significant in my world than Halloween.
If it wasn't a Monday night, I'd stay up until midnight and get my first 1,667 words done. Alas, it is a Monday night and I'm getting up at 7:00 to go for a run tomorrow before I sit down to start my novel, so there will be no midnight start for me.
I'm perfectly okay with that. But I know I said I'd write weekly updates on here. I like the idea of posting every Monday so here I am, even though it isn't technically November yet. Consistency is sometimes better than accuracy. I don't know if that applies to literally anything else is life but whatever.
I do have a few things to share that are NaNo-related. Here goes:
1. I cranked out an outline a few weekends ago but then last Thursday I scrapped the last six chapters. I redid them and am much happier with how the plot works in the new version.
2. After changing the ending chapters, I realized this story is too big for one book and so I guess this is me announcing that I'm planning to write a duology (that's the new-fangled (and by new-fangled, they didn't have it when I was in elementary school/junior high)) and you should stay tuned for revision complaints on top of revision complaints for Sky & Steel.
3. I have a title! I normally don't title a book until it's written because titles are the bane of my existence. Remember how Black & Gold was 'The Stupid Book' for months? Yeah. But on the NaNo website, you create a little profile for your novel. It includes a synopsis, a genre, a cover if you so choose...and a title. If you don't have a title, it just says Untitled and that is something I cannot stand (thanks to my amazing Advanced Poetry professor.) It took me most of an 8 mile run to come up with this one. This year's NaNo story is called All the World's a Stage.
4. Matt and I are going to WinCo tomorrow to snatch up some discount Halloween candy. My favorite are the chocolate eyeballs that are filled with either fudge, peanut butter, or caramel. Last year I got to eat one every time I wrote 1,667 words and this year I'm repeating that.
5. My homework for the month of November involves a lot of research for 3 final projects. I have one of those research papers due on November 18, which I am not thrilled about, but Thanksgiving break will buffer my word count.
6. My main character is named Jamie Cooper. She is 5'1" and is one of those frighteningly strong yogis. She is nineteen years old and attends a fictional college named Whitmore University in New Hampshire. She's a sophomore with her major undecided. She lives with her best friend, Gwen, in the dorms.
That's all for now. I'm back to wasting time waiting for it to be bed time so I can wake up tomorrow and write. It's like Christmas morning, but better.
Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
The Prep Begins
I don't always write outlines. I didn't use on for Black & Gold, I wrote a general one for Throne & Fire, and I didn't use one at all for Sky & Steel. But I always try to have some kind of outline for NaNo. Because of the time constraint, I don't have the luxury of taking a few days off to figure out how to move the plot from a difficult scene. I have to keep moving or else I end up binge writing 4,000 words a day over Thanksgiving break.
This year, though, my NaNo prep has another feature to it. Not only do I have to outline my book, I have to plan how I am going to manage my time for the month of November so that I can hit my word count as well as keep on top of my many final projects and homework.
Here's an example of a week in November:
Notice how 'NaNo' is written in purple pen at the top of every day? Once I complete my word count for the given day, I check it off. Same goes for my psychology homework (in red), my philosophy homework (green) and my English homework (light blue.)
It's not the easiest thing in the world to be organized and I am fully aware that my already-nonexistent social life is going to take a serious dive but NaNo, and writing in general, is a priority to me and for one month, I am okay with letting it be my biggest priority (second only to school because I'm an Honors student, I'm a senior, and I'm graduating in May.)
I'm also planning on writing one blog post every week, as a kind of update for any of you who are interested. Plus, if I complain and obsess on here instead to Matt, he'll be very happy.
If you want to know more about NaNo or are interested in joining, here's the website: www.nanowrimo.org
Monday, October 17, 2016
In Defense of Fangirls
First, it's stupid how many of my blogs are inspired by Pinterest. Like, seriously. I have a problem and I need to stop.
Now that that's out of the way, for today's post/rant: FANGIRLS
For those of you who don't know, 'fangirl' is the term for young females who are obsessed with a book series, TV show, or movie franchise. They are mostly famous for fanfiction written on Tumblr and for coining terms such as 'ship' and 'canon' and 'OTP.' None of those terms are important for today's discussion but feel free to look them up.
Fangirls are often mocked for loving books and characters to the point the rest of the world considers absurdity. Often, they are also ridiculed for loving books not viewed as 'real' fiction. In some cases, the Internet Idiots actually make a slightly less dick-ish distinction and call the books 'genre fiction.'
I'm here to defend the fangirls and the books they love.
The entire mockery of fangirling (yes, it is actually a verb, I did not make that up. Ask the Internet) is predicated on the assumption that the books/characters they love are not worthy of their love because they are:
A) almost always fit the YA genre
B) cater to cliched tropes
C) are not literary fiction
D) poorly written
If I have left anything out, please let me know and I shall add my rebuttal to your argument.
Let's start with YA fiction.
Not all YA fiction is great but this is true of all writing genres, be it YA, children's, romance, nonfiction, historical, mystery, biography, even poetry. To dismiss an entire genre of literature simply because it was written with teenage characters is as ludicrous as it is stupid. If you specifically want to dismiss a certain YA novel, that's your prerogative as a human with an opinion but you do not get to summarily call hundreds of books bad based on something so arbitrary. If you have any doubt that YA is only read by teenagers, you need only ask around before you discover plenty of adults enjoy it, too.
Next up, cliched tropes.
Let me be clear: most people do not understand the difference between being cliche and invoking a trope. A medieval story, for example, that includes a princess locked in a tower, is invoking that specific trope. If the prince rescues her, that could be considered cliche. But if the princess is locked in the tower because she has a nasty habit of bursting into flame at random intervals, it is not cliche.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using familiar tropes. You don't even have to invert every one you use. Some of them can just be familiar. If the author has done their job, the characters will be new and interesting enough the reader won't notice if not every trope in a story is original.
Literary fiction. *mimes vomiting*
Being a creative writing major in college, I am well-versed in the difference between literary and genre fiction. Literary fiction is the high-brow stuff you read in college. Genre fiction is Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, those sorts of books. If I have any fantasy fans out there, yes, this includes fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings and Name of the Wind. Literary fiction is seen as being better, especially in literary circles, and there is definite snobbery present when we discuss genre fiction in my fiction class.
But there's really nothing wrong with liking genre fiction. Writing genre fiction is just as difficult as writing literary fiction. Do you think Ernest Hemingway could have written Game of Thrones? Hell no. It's not that one is better or more difficult: they are just DIFFERENT. And there is nothing wrong with liking one more than the other. The thing that makes you a jackass is when you start making fun of someone else for liking the other one more. Seriously, just stop. Putting down genre fiction does not make literary fiction better and it does not make you "deep" that you like to read Claire Vaye Watkins instead of J.K. Rowling.
Which brings us to the last objection: that the books fangirls love are poorly written.
Really, this is the criticism at the heart of every other complaint regarding fangirls and the books they love. It's the one that makes me truly angry, too. And I'll tell you why.
If a book is really poorly written, no one would love it. Yeah. I said it. I wish it wasn't true because it means I have to make a serious concession to the validity of Fifty Shades of Grey but it is true. People love stories that make them feel and only a good writer can make people feel as deeply as fangirls do. End of story. I'm one and a half semesters away from getting my BA in English with a creative writing emphasis, I've been writing for twelve years, trust me: I know what I am talking about.
And before you say I'm only defending genre fiction because my story has dragons in it, let me be clear: I am perfectly capable of writing literary fiction. Ask my literary-fiction-loving-professor. I think there is value in writing and reading both. My argument is with those who dismiss one in favor of the other. Because that's just wrong.
So, fangirls and fanboys and fandoms of the world, I tip my hat to you and say I am glad you have found stories and characters to love.
Now that that's out of the way, for today's post/rant: FANGIRLS
For those of you who don't know, 'fangirl' is the term for young females who are obsessed with a book series, TV show, or movie franchise. They are mostly famous for fanfiction written on Tumblr and for coining terms such as 'ship' and 'canon' and 'OTP.' None of those terms are important for today's discussion but feel free to look them up.
Fangirls are often mocked for loving books and characters to the point the rest of the world considers absurdity. Often, they are also ridiculed for loving books not viewed as 'real' fiction. In some cases, the Internet Idiots actually make a slightly less dick-ish distinction and call the books 'genre fiction.'
I'm here to defend the fangirls and the books they love.
The entire mockery of fangirling (yes, it is actually a verb, I did not make that up. Ask the Internet) is predicated on the assumption that the books/characters they love are not worthy of their love because they are:
A) almost always fit the YA genre
B) cater to cliched tropes
C) are not literary fiction
D) poorly written
If I have left anything out, please let me know and I shall add my rebuttal to your argument.
Let's start with YA fiction.
Not all YA fiction is great but this is true of all writing genres, be it YA, children's, romance, nonfiction, historical, mystery, biography, even poetry. To dismiss an entire genre of literature simply because it was written with teenage characters is as ludicrous as it is stupid. If you specifically want to dismiss a certain YA novel, that's your prerogative as a human with an opinion but you do not get to summarily call hundreds of books bad based on something so arbitrary. If you have any doubt that YA is only read by teenagers, you need only ask around before you discover plenty of adults enjoy it, too.
Next up, cliched tropes.
Let me be clear: most people do not understand the difference between being cliche and invoking a trope. A medieval story, for example, that includes a princess locked in a tower, is invoking that specific trope. If the prince rescues her, that could be considered cliche. But if the princess is locked in the tower because she has a nasty habit of bursting into flame at random intervals, it is not cliche.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using familiar tropes. You don't even have to invert every one you use. Some of them can just be familiar. If the author has done their job, the characters will be new and interesting enough the reader won't notice if not every trope in a story is original.
Literary fiction. *mimes vomiting*
Being a creative writing major in college, I am well-versed in the difference between literary and genre fiction. Literary fiction is the high-brow stuff you read in college. Genre fiction is Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, those sorts of books. If I have any fantasy fans out there, yes, this includes fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings and Name of the Wind. Literary fiction is seen as being better, especially in literary circles, and there is definite snobbery present when we discuss genre fiction in my fiction class.
But there's really nothing wrong with liking genre fiction. Writing genre fiction is just as difficult as writing literary fiction. Do you think Ernest Hemingway could have written Game of Thrones? Hell no. It's not that one is better or more difficult: they are just DIFFERENT. And there is nothing wrong with liking one more than the other. The thing that makes you a jackass is when you start making fun of someone else for liking the other one more. Seriously, just stop. Putting down genre fiction does not make literary fiction better and it does not make you "deep" that you like to read Claire Vaye Watkins instead of J.K. Rowling.
Which brings us to the last objection: that the books fangirls love are poorly written.
Really, this is the criticism at the heart of every other complaint regarding fangirls and the books they love. It's the one that makes me truly angry, too. And I'll tell you why.
If a book is really poorly written, no one would love it. Yeah. I said it. I wish it wasn't true because it means I have to make a serious concession to the validity of Fifty Shades of Grey but it is true. People love stories that make them feel and only a good writer can make people feel as deeply as fangirls do. End of story. I'm one and a half semesters away from getting my BA in English with a creative writing emphasis, I've been writing for twelve years, trust me: I know what I am talking about.
And before you say I'm only defending genre fiction because my story has dragons in it, let me be clear: I am perfectly capable of writing literary fiction. Ask my literary-fiction-loving-professor. I think there is value in writing and reading both. My argument is with those who dismiss one in favor of the other. Because that's just wrong.
So, fangirls and fanboys and fandoms of the world, I tip my hat to you and say I am glad you have found stories and characters to love.
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