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!

The Prep Begins

It is October 22, 2016, and I have finally entered full-on NaNo WriMo prep mode. I have a list of character sketches, a general idea of the plot, a clear-cut setting and other random details figured out. Once I finish up here, and vacuum my apartment, I'm headed to my favorite coffee shop to knock out a chapter-by-chapter outline.

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 

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.

Sometimes, It's Not That Important

Hello, friends.

This week has not been a good writing week. That happens. This week, I had to prioritize studying for midterms and being a successful college student. 

Have you ever heard the saying "If it's important enough to you, you'll do it no matter what."? (no clue how to accurately punctuate that sentence.)

I certainly have and am guilty of saying a similar variation. Mine comes more along the lines of, "If you want it bad enough, you'll do it."

I am a firm believer in drive and determination and persistence. I believe in making time for the things you love. Writing is one of those things. If I could only have one passion the rest of my life, it would be writing.

That being said, sometimes- sometimes life is more important. This week is a prime example.

No, I didn't get any revision done this week. The only writing I actually did was for my Sensation and Perception midterm. Have I failed at being a writer because I had to say, Right now, school and grades are more important, and leave the Word document closed?

Hell no.

Everything has its time and even the things we love, we sometimes have to put aside. It's okay. It doesn't mean we don't love it or it isn't important to us.

Give yourself permission to prioritize different things at different times. Sometimes, the most important thing for you to do isn't even writing, working on a project, schoolwork, or exercising. Sometimes, it's sitting down with a hot cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate) and enjoying time dedicated solely to relaxing.

That being said, November is fast approaching and in spite of the fact that I have three (count them, 3) big final projects (2 of which are for senior capstone style classes) due in December, I am absolutely going to make NaNo a priority.

Why?

Aside from my usual reasons, I don't know if law school will allow me the time to do it for the next three years and I want to make the most of my last chance.

More on that coming soon (it's only October 13, I've got time) but for tonight (or today, depending on when you're reading this), I hereby give you permission to do one thing just because you want to.

Sometimes I Suck

Just so you all know, sometimes I suck as a writer.

I don't sit for hours working on my book or my story or whatever. Some days I make it through one sentence and then get on the Internet to look at Pinterest. 

Some days I make it through less than a sentence and get distracted by my cat or food or something shiny.

Some days the farthest I get is opening the Word document.

Other days, I don't even get that far.

In summary, sometimes, I suck at being a writer.

I don't like it. I grumble and whine and spend the whole time thinking I can't wait to be done because then I can go do the things I really want to do. 

When I have free time, I don't always want to write and then I feel guilty about it but I still don't do it because for whatever reason, on that day, writing just isn't fun.

This has been a whole week of me sucking at writing. Specifically, me sucking at revising. I am just so tired of going through this damn book. I'm smack dab in the middle of the stupid thing, which isn't helping, because I happen to like how the middle works, and I don't want to change it.

But I also just really don't want to write. 

I want to go for long runs and watch TV and read an absurd number of blogs on running and working out. I want to read a book for fun (I can't, but that's because of school) and I want to do yoga and go to bed early because being a senior is fucking exhausting.

I. Do. Not. Want. To. Write.

I still do it, because I am not going to squander my last year of undergrad and relative freedom not at least trying, but I don't want to do it. It's boring. It isn't fun. 

My point, aside from venting my frustration, is that it's okay not to want to do something that you love. It's also okay to actually not do it for a little while. Seriously. Give yourself permission to not do something if that's what you want. The world will not implode. You might want to do it again in a few days, a few weeks, even a month. Or you might not want to do it ever again. That is okay.

So today, I am studying for my first midterm. I'm going to my last-ever homecoming football game. I am going to watch the new episode of This is Us. I am going to cuddle my cat. And I am not going to write and everything will be okay.