Category Archives: nanowrimo

And that’s that. Farewell, NaNoWriMo 2012.

Posted in nanowrimo, pilgrim of the sky, watcher of the skies, WIP, writing by

Even though I honestly had no intention of doing NaNoWriMo, as of this evening it appears I have “won” said writing frenzy. I have brought Joss Raddick from a little tadpole of a man to a Kraken. He is currently on an island, about to enter a Synod with a few other godlings, and he has a big wedge of iron lodged in his skull. He went on a rampage as a Kraken, he met another crazy Kraken, he sired a poet, and he was swindled more than once. He also made some friends. And more than anything, I’ve had such pleasure writing this. Joss has always been one of my favorite characters ever (I remember wondering at one point before writing Pilgrim if I’d gone that whole book just to create him). Maybe it’s where I am right now, I don’t know. But this hasn’t felt like work, really. It’s been entertaining, exciting, and very, very much needed. It’s been joyous, every step of the way.

As far as writing a whole novel, no. I’d say I’m solidly in the middle of the book–there’s much more to happen, including the move to Kentucky… but in the mean time I’m going to celebrate with the above pictured adult beverage. Apropos to say the least.

Celebrations aside, this last  month has been really, really hard. And, not for the first or last time in my life, I am beyond grateful for the escape writing gives me. Just this morning we learned that my husband has to look for a new job. In short, today sucked.  And tonight, when I looked at the 3K ahead of me, I wasn’t sure I could muster it. I wanted to wait. I have time, after all. And let’s face it, I’m a pretty gimpy writer. I usually force myself away after about 2K, for fear of regretting it later. What’s 50K other than a number? Let’s just say, when push came to shove I realized just how much I needed a little sense of accomplishment today.

So yes! Congratulations to all of you who put pen to paper and brought worlds into existence that weren’t here before November. Because really, that’s what it’s about, isn’t it?

A Room of Their Own: A Look at Characters and the Spaces They Inhabit

Posted in fantasy, fiction, nanowrimo, watcher of the skies by

Image in the public domain. Via wikimedia commons

The last few days I’ve been thinking about some interesting aspects of the writing process, particularly in line with writing this follow-up (not really quite a sequel) to Pilgrim of the Sky. And a great deal of it has to do with space. So, in the first book, Maddie leaves her space (her apartment she shared with Alvin) and spends the rest of the book going to other places. But she most certainly doesn’t make a space of her own. As this book begins, she’s half in the process of doing that. But, as is the habit of many of my characters (when I think upon it) she doesn’t have a lot of agency when it comes to space. She appreciates decor significantly more than the average person, sure. But really, the only character in Pilgrim who’s created their own space to dwell in is Matilda. And we know how that turns out.

So, to take a step back and explain a little of what I mean, it’s important to note that Watcher of the Skies isn’t about discovering one’s godling status. Maddie’s journey was coming grips with her own demi-divinity. But in Second World the godlings there are established. Sure, they don’t trumpet their divinity to the skies (at least not the Londinium crew) but they have built lives–in some cases multiple lives–around their power. They’re comfortable, they’ve settled. Verta, the Venus analog, has an entire temple/brothel that she’s lovingly curated for over a century. And recently, aboard the Heol, I’ve been able to carve out a bit of La Roche’s space.  For those following along at home, La Roche is, of course, the predecessor to Randall in Pilgrim. He shares many of the same qualities, and even looks a bit like him. They are both from the Apollo analogue. While Randall characterized the genius aspect–always brimming with work and science and ideas–La Roche is the flashier, gaudier side of the god of the sun. And he’s very much aware of that fact. And proud of it. I mean, it is very fun to think about how a demigod might go about choosing their drapes, isn’t it?

Previously, I didn’t have time to create the spaces for my characters. The book just wasn’t written that way. But it is really important this time around. It’s a way to get into their skins, to see the world from their unusual perspective. Joss, as a character, hasn’t yet gotten to the point where he can create his own space (and his definition of space is significantly more complicated than Verta’s or La Roche’s–so far his only “space” is the roof of various buildings, since he can’t yet get the hang of sleeping inside). But for the first time in the series, the Apollo “raven” lad is able to make his own little corner. What he keeps, how he travels–all these things speak to him as a character. And I rather liked this bit. (With NaNoDraft caveats here!)

I’d never had the pleasure of seeing La Roche’s home in Londinium, but I was not surprised at the state of the cabin. As captain, or whatever official title he had on the boat, he commanded the most impressive quarters. Garish, for my liking, but not at all like the deep, sultry complexity of Verta’s brothel and temple. La Roche liked shiny things, gilded things, silver things, the sorts of things with corkscrews and curlicues on top for no purpose at all other than to draw the eye. Like a magpie in his nest.

Stepping in I had to shade my eyes from it all. There were so many things to look at that it made me dizzy. Shaking my head I was able to parse out the individual parts of the room—the elaborately carved bed, the thick, stuffed chairs with gilded embroidery, the many books and scrolls tucked away on shelves.

And in the middle of it all sat Andrew La Roche, smoking a long, narrow black pipe, one leg crossed over the other and staring at me intently. He wore a striped black silk robe lined with fur about the neck, and held at his side a bit of brandy which he swished back and forth in the glass. Brandy did make sense. It was the smell I’d gotten a whiff of most times around him.

Other things of note: I wrote a scene with a crazy Kraken who thinks she’s a fish, lit some bodies on fire, and shrunk my main character a few inches. That’ll teach him!

Watcher of the Skies and Thoughts on NaNoWriMo

Posted in blog, editing, fantasy, fiction, nanowrimo, pilgrim of the sky, poetry, watcher of the skies, WIP, writing by

from Flaxman’s Iliad – 1792. Public Domain.

So, my last post really did make it sound like I wasn’t doing NaNoWriMo, mostly likely. And apparently that’s the thing that got me going. Or something. I’m not going to try and explain it in too much details, but it goes something like this. I screwed up my back. I had to take medicine. I found out my kid does, in fact, have Asperger’s. My brain was mushy, I was in need of escape in the form of writing therapy that wasn’t going to require much editing (see: medicine), and my best friend Karen started talking to me about Joss Raddick. Readers of Pilgrim of the Sky know Mr. Raddick well, a godling of the water variety from Second World who eventually (and rather reluctantly) joins up with Maddie to help her get to Alvin in First World and prevent All The Bad Stuff. This isn’t the first time that Karen has birthed a book into my mind by just saying a few words. The entirety of The Aldersgate is due to her saying to me once, “I’m surprised you’ve never written anything with cowboys” or something to that effect, and I wrote back and said they’d have to be cowboyknights and, all that stuff happened.

The original text of Keats’s poem, “On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer”. I get giddy about the handwriting.

Anyway. The words have been spilling out, most appropriately considering Joss’s nature. The book is entitled Watcher of the Skies, and while it bears the same title as a Genesis song, it’s taken from Keats’s poem “On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer”. Last night, though I didn’t think I was going to get much done because of feeling kinda crappy, I almost got another 3K in and brought the book to 30K which is, quite frankly, a really good chunk. And this draft is surprisingly solid. Or maybe not surprisingly. I’ve been contemplating Joss’s story for quite some time, and it was just a matter of getting the details right. The book is set up in a frame narrative. The beginning features Maddie and he talking, and he invites her to hear his whole story on a rather appropriate godling level. It involves a hand full of water and mushy ice cubes and one of my favorite phrases to date: “a drunkard’s communion.”

No, this is not the book I was going to write. But it’s the book that needs to be written right now. It’s perfect timing, which I think is the way that working writers can succeed at endeavors like NaNoWriMo. I really hate the pressure people put themselves under. As a novelist, it’s not like November is the only month I can write books in, and if I don’t it somehow means less. But life and projects have conspired to make this a most amenable month of writing–and it isn’t as if I’m writing that much more than my usual 1K a day. The stars have aligned and I am enjoying myself immensely.

One of the most exciting parts is that I’m getting to explore Second World. If there’s one thing the reviewers let me know it’s that they’d wished I’d dabbled more in alternate history. Well, I’m doing just that. The book takes place starting in the late 18th century and moves to the early 20th–and let’s just say the historical/religious/economic landscape isn’t the same as you’d expert. I’m not going to be too spoilery, but there’s lots of poets, cameos by Percy and Mary Shelley and Keats and Byron and Wordsworth and Coleridge, and even mention of crazy old Blake (okay, some are significantly more than cameos, but y’know). Plus I get to explore various twains in their previous incarnations–Randall, Matilda, and Alvin are all present, sort of. Other versions of them. And I finally get to have fun with Athena. She’s a cross-dressing theatre owner of African descent. You know, as you do. I’ll have a lot more to share eventually, but for now, I’m just giddy about this book.

My pithy advice to those of you writing this hectic month is to be kind to yourself. Learning to write is like any good habit. And while it’s lovely that so much energy is poured into the month of November, it’s not the only time to write. It’s okay to step back and say it’s not a good time, professional or fledgeling or proto-fledgeling. It doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you a person who has a life and deadlines and responsibilities and maybe, just isn’t ready yet. If you want to be a writer, whatever that means, you’ve simply got to write. You’ve got to strike when the iron’s hot, and when it’s not. My issue with NaNo is that it doesn’t produce a book. It produces part of a draft. In 2008, when I “won” (whatever that means) it was very helpful, because that book did become Pilgrim of the Sky. But it’s been four years since I made an effort, and time it was primarily because of a need to escape and an excuse to keep away from Rock Revival. The timing was right for me. It may be right for you. But it may not be. And that, friends, is really, really okay.

Anyway, I have a few hours alone for the first time in almost a month, so I’m going to put it good use. For all your NaNoers out there, good luck to you!

Joss meets Andrew La Roche, Randall’s predecessor, in a tavern, while his friend William Wordsworth encounters Samuel Taylor Coleridge for the first time.

“You still haven’t told me your name,” La Roche said, taking up a cup of tea and stirring it gently. He managed to do so without a single clink against the China, so precise he was.

“It’s Joss,” I said. “Joss Raddick. I’m from Cumbria.”

“I daresay you are, it’s written all over your vowels,” La Roche remarked with a knowing smirk. “But I knew of you the moment you were born. The others argued with me, but I have a sense for these things. As you do.”

I nodded. “I felt you. Until you snuck up on me.”

“Slipped beneath your senses,” he said. “I was out of the rain, out of the river, out of the water. I dry rather quickly when I want to.”

Having no idea what he was talking about, I added, “You’re… warm. That’s the only way I can describe what I sense. Warm. Bright. Dry.”

“Hmm, yes, indeed,” he said. “And I have a particular aptitude for the healing arts. And poetry.” He said this last word with particular relish. “As you do, so I have heard. You’re a kept man, Mr. Raddick.”

I didn’t quite know what he meant by that statement. “Kept, sir?”

La Roche sipped his tea. “Hmmm… yes. You’ve been tamed, so to speak, by that curious little lake poet, Mr. Wordsworth. I’m sure he’s been a most impressive teacher, as poets are so often, but he’s using you for your light. For your inspiration. Surely you’ve figured that out by now, yes?”

I snorted. Of course I had figured it out. But it didn’t make the situation any less difficult. “He has been kind to me. He’s taught me things, about how to fit in, about how to experience… how to be a human man.”

“And what makes you think you are not a human man?” La Roche asked. “I’m genuinely curious, not attempting to pass judgment on you, Mr. Raddick.”

“Not sure what to say to that,” I said. “It’s just something I know. Humans come from women, born in a big egg that breaks open and spills water on the earth. A stream of blood and birth. That’s not how I came about.”

“Well, we have that in common,” La Roche said. “I was awakened. In a young village lad, some centuries ago. In Southern Gaul. It was quite strange. I awoke, and walked away from the family that had raised the boy. He was no longer. I entered him like water into a gourd, and have since made this body as I’ve willed it. I don’t always have to look like this, but I prefer it.”

No, no, NaNo!

Posted in nanowrimo, Rock Revival, WIP, writing by

Stuff from my yard. CC BY SA 3.0 — Image by Natania Barron

So I’m not saying I’m not doing NaNoWriMo. And I’m not saying I am. I’m going to be mercurial and special about it, so there.

Life is moving in about a thousand different directions as we speak (I haven’t written much this weekend but… I collected pine cones from the yard, and spray painted them and made a wreath and a tree sculpture thing and designed and painted the Steve head from Minecraft for my eldest kid, while he critiqued every brush stroke and also dealt with his total meltdown at AC Moore–all while still trying to process that he’s likely got Asperger’s and “something else” and there’s nothing that I did wrong, but it’s still going to be this way for a long time, and it’s never going to be “easy” and how the hell am I supposed to get everything done with this teething baby and… oh, look… shiny pinecones!), and while writing has been happening in some capacity it’s not exactly, um, as fluid or as streamlined as I’d like it to be (read: I wrote 7K this last week, and deleted 2K, and… most of it has happened after 11pm). I just got over one of those humps during the editing process. You know what I mean. I just got tired of my own writing. I started to contemplate abandoning ship, taking up the mantle of another job altogether, and moving on. Of course this is natural. Just a few days ago I was contemplating how great the book is, how much I love it, and how I can’t wait to share it with the world.

This is why I started using the #writecrazy hashtag this week. It’s been like that. Also scotch. And wine. And chocolate.

Anyway, writing for the month of November won’t be NaNoWriMo numbers. I’m mixed, to say the least, on the approach, but I can’t say it hasn’t worked for me (considering my only published novel started its infancy as a NaNoWriMo book, even if only about 20% of that original draft made it into the final round).

But! What I’m doing for November is changing the tape. Flipping the disk. Going to side B. I’ll be putting down Rock Revival and starting up again with The Other Country. I had been stuck for quite some time with TOC, and I let it go during my pregnant months. Then, last night, awake while I was supposed to be sleeping, I started “playing the tape” of the book in my head and seriously considering where it might go. And lo! Just like that, I knew the next scene, after months and months of scratching my head. It’s going to take some heavy lifting. Unusually for me, I’m having a tough time with the main character. The current draft has his name as Charlie, but that’s totally not staying. Or maybe it is. I don’t know. I have to get to know him better.

And maybe that’s one of the reasons I’m choosing this book. I feel like Charlie and Kate from Rock Revival would like each other. They’d get each other. Right after I finished Queen of None I started working on Pilgrim again. And I had this odd hitch where I felt like Maddie and Anna hated each other. And I was seeing Maddie with Anna’s eyes and… yeah. #writecrazy all right. That’s not to say that everything is connected. But I think it’s perilously important to choose complimentary work when you can. Charlie and Kate’s stories couldn’t be more different, but they both still are my “kids” if you will. And I need to make sure everyone plays nice. Especially at this moment when Real Life and Everything seem too big and pressing and overwhelming to be of much help.

So, anyway. I’m not not doing NaNo. Not exactly. Good luck to those who are. Or aren’t. Here’s to those telling stories every day and those who do it just one month a year. The most important part is the telling, after all.

NaNoWriMo: Thoughts on What it Means

Posted in nanowrimo, the gnome and the necromancer, writing by

I’ve read my share of NaNoWriMo arguments, dissenters espousing the uselessness of the event — always very happy to point out that 50K does not a novel make, that the end product is not a true novel (let alone in good enough condition to share with the world at large) and, of course, if you really want to be a writer you don’t need an event to get you to do it.

To some extent, I agree with them. I think, in some cases, writers use NaNoWriMo as the be-all end-all, approaching it with the mentality that, if they “win” they would then be A True Writer with a True Book. This is simply not the case. 50K, unless you’re writing for a younger market, is about 1/2 to 2/3 of a novel in most genres. And chances are, once you’re done with that mad dash after November 30, by the end of the event what you’ve got in your hands is not going to be anything near a finished novel. In fact, it’ll probably be less than a Draft Zero. And it’s certainly not something you should even consider querying! (But people do… heavens knows people still do.)

But that’s not to say that the exercise isn’t important. In 2008 I participated in my first NaNoWriMo, after the insistence for years by my husband. I’d never had trouble writing novels, so I didn’t think I needed to do something like NaNoWriMo. I mean, what was the point?

The point was not the actual production of words. The point was producing words on a schedule. 1500 words, do or die. Like a professional writer. Getting on that schedule, proving to myself that I could start a totally different project in the middle of working on my Big Fat Steampunk Epic was truly eye-opening. I didn’t have to be bogged down by one story; I didn’t have to write on whims. I could actually do it, day in and day out. That was always the biggest road block for me.

Last year, I didn’t do NaNoWriMo. The biggest reason? Well, in the year between I’d written so much that was in need of editing that writing another 50K, in anything, just didn’t seem like a good choice.

And as exciting as NaNoWriMo is, it’s not for everyone. Sometimes the timing doesn’t work out right. Especially if you’re no longer in the aspiring writer category — things can get much more complicated.

This year the timing is right. I’ve been saving this idea for a situation just like this. Before the carpal tunnel incidence of early 2010, and all the surgery and crazy stuff this year, I was writing an average of 2K a day. Now, it’s less than that — but I’ve still managed to write one book and sell another this year (Pilgrim of the Sky started out as a 50K draft on my first NaNoWriMo, after all). I really need to get back into the groove, albeit on an ergonomic keyboard and PC of all things.

And even if you can’t do NaNoWriMo to the max, even if 50K is impossible, you should at least join up for the community. Because writing with other writers, well, that’s really one of the benefits of the event: linking up with other writers online and on Twitter and Facebook, and having accountability for what you’re writing. We too often write in the dark, and for many of us, anyway, letting others a window into that process can really be the kick in the pants you need. At least, so it was for me.

And so, as we hit the final day before the craziness starts: good look to all!

The Gnome and the Necromancer

Posted in editing, fantasy, indigo and ink, nanowrimo, pilgrim of the sky, publication, the gnome and the necromancer, WIP, writing by

With the month of November looming, it’s time to consider NaNoWriMo. Last year it was NaNoEdMo for me, as I was busy doing edits on Queen of None.  But this year,  I haven’t been writing much at all since I finished Indigo & Ink, and figured I could use November to focus. Edits on Pilgrim of the Sky aren’t due until early 2011, after all. Things have been… well, meh in a lot of ways, and I’m seriously in need of some writing therapy. Not to mention, it’s really fun being involved in something creative with a group of awesome friends.

So: enter The Gnome and the Necromancer. This is a departure for me. For one, it’s Urban Fantasy, and takes place in the modern day, here in our world, and not in a secondary world where the rules don’t apply. It’s also YA, the main character, Ruby, being all of fourteen. The other MC is a gnome, for lack of a better term, who is a professional kidnapper. He’s supposed to steal magical children and bring them to his side of the world, but he sort of slips up in Ruby’s case, and she ends up unleashing her powers inadvertently on our world.

Anyway, here’s the synopsis:

Ruby Benson is fourteen, and her life couldn’t be worse. Or so she thinks. When her cousin Calvin passes away in a tragic car accident at the age of sixteen, she accidentally brings back his soul from the Underworld: into her corgi. Her inadvertent magic spell triggers the Changeling Court, who realize–for the first time since her birth–that she was not taken as a baby, as she should have been.

Talfryn Windwake, the changeling gnome in charge of her case, gets sent back to Ruby’s side of the world to retrieve her. He expects the transition to go smoothly: after all, aside from not taking her when he should have fourteen years ago, he’s got a perfect record. But Ruby isn’t going down without a fight. As Talfryn struggles to redeem himself after his unforgivable error, Ruby must come to grips with her new abilities, and decide whether or not she wants to trade her old life for a new one… the life she should have had in the first place.

A bit more marketable? Perhaps. Nothing wrong with that, I don’t think. But it’s going to be both lighthearted and sad at times. Themes of death, loss, love, duty… you know, those sorts of things. And shorter. Hopefully no more than 65-70K, which should work well for the genre and the time!

Anyway: if you’re doing NaNoWiMo this year, feel free to friend me! You can find my page here!

Thoughts from a #dumbwriter

Posted in nanowrimo, publication, writing by
Cartonnage1880b

A dummy head.

For every thing I learn about publishing, writing, and editing, there are about a dozen others that I’ve yet to figure out. No, I’m not an imbecile. (Though I sometimes walk into walls, I owe it mostly to my roving imagination and general lack of coordination.) I’m just a #dumbwriter.

Over the last few years, I’ve been doing my best to get a full, bird’s eye view of Writing and How to Get Published in This Day and Age, but there are still instances where I just miss entire chunks of the geography. Those black holes on my map are where the #dumbwriter lives. Sometimes, it’s because I can be, well, really dumb. Sometimes, it’s innocence or naivete. Other times, it’s laziness or general myopia. You get the picture.

A few nights ago I decided to compile a few of these lessons on Twitter, under the #dumbwriter hashtag. Why? Because laughing at yourself is good; through laughter you an learn and, hopefully, never make such mistakes again. Here’s a few, with longer-than-140-words explanations for your perusal. Feel free to add your own #dumbwriter if you want, either here or on Twitter. We can learn from each other!

Observation: when I write “…” in dialogue, it usually means I’m thinking, not the character. [delete, delete, delete] #dumbwriter
Sure, this one seems really obvious. But one of the things about editing is finding the right time to do it, and therefore giving yourself a better view into your work. My solution? New fonts, new word processing program, and big point. I moved everything from Scrivener to Pages (which now also features a full screen mode) and went from Arial to Garamond and, honestly, it was like being given a pair of new eyes. I’d never done this before (other than to put the .scriv files into standard manuscript format–and I loathe Courier) but it was incredibly successful and really helped to highlight some of my Very Bad Writing Habits.

Number one offender: the ellipsis. Especially in dialogue. Over and over I found my characters… taking pauses… in the middle of their sentences. And what I realized was they weren’t pausing–I was. Seriously. I couldn’t think what they were saying, so I put … in rather unconsciously. Taking them out not only made the characters come across as significantly more well-spoken, but moved the pace along, too. Go, go, #dumbwriter!

Lesson learned re: publishing: You are no one’s priority except your own. Use your time wisely. #dumbwriter
Okay. This has been a big, big lesson for me. I won’t go into the details because a) I’m paranoid and b) I’m even more paranoid. But, let’s just say I have lots of waiting ahead of me due to some stuff. Okay, that’s vague. Chances are, the whole thing will end up with a resounding NO, and I’m fine with that. But the only thing worse than rejection is waiting for rejection–and in that space of waiting for rejection, contemplating the possibility of acceptance.

Publishing. Moves. Slowly. Just when you think you can’t wait more, you’ll be asked to wait more. You make the mistake of talking to your parents about it, and then they’ll ask you how things are going, and just when you thought the waiting wasn’t bothering you anymore, it will. Then, once you’ve cruised past the whole impatience thing, while you’re engrossed in a new, exciting project, you’ll get that sudden stab that… AGH! You’re still waiting.

Take a deep breath. Let it slide. Use your time wisely. Unfortunately, in this industry, the only time you take priority (unless you’re, you know, Stephen King… and I bet even he has his days) is with yourself. Agents, editors, publishers–all these folks have multiple clients and schedules that we simple #dumbwriters can’t even comprehend, especially when we’re starting out. So, if you’re going to be a professional writer, if that’s your goal, you can’t half-ass stuff. If you have one book in limbo, write another. Start something new. Keep moving. Did you edit? No, seriously: did you really edit? Have people read your draft? Multiple people? Get on that. Get better. You’re allowed to be selfish with your writing; seriously.

Lesson learned re: writing output. If you already crapped out four books this year, chances are #nano is not the best idea. #dumbwriter
So, it’s NaNoWriMo month, right? I did it last year and well, had every intention of doing it this year. Except as soon as I sat down to write something new, flags started going up all around me. My first realization was that, honestly, I don’t need a 50K draft of anything right now. Sure, I have four books from this year, and the beginning for a fifth and tons of ideas for new ones. But, speaking of priorities, is a 50K draft of a neat idea the best choice for my career at this point?

Over and over again, I asked myself this question. Then I realized, no. No it’s not. Because looking back at the books I’ve written this year I saw that two in particular were nagging at me. The drafts weren’t terrible, but they were in need of work. And if I want to get the book sold, it better be its best. It’s not something that’s going to take all month, no, but it’s got to be a priority even before I begin another project.

And honestly, this read-through/edit has been among the most fruitful of my life. The book is surprising me in so many ways. The characters are more vivid, the plotlines more complex, and I’m learning more about my writing and editing process than I ever would going full-boar NaNoWriMo. This year, it’s just not the right time for me. I want to grow, and personally, the writing part isn’t the hard part. That I’m learning to enjoy the editing process and, in turn, getting the thrill of making a good book even better, well, that’s proof I’m going about it right.

Lesson learned re: writing: There is no such thing as too many backups. (Says she of the thrice-fried hard drives) #dumbwriter
This weekend, my MacBook crashed. Big time. We were able to save the hard drive, but still had to reinstall everything. Thanks to Dropbox, and the miracle of Target Disk Mode (by way of helpful Twitter suggestions), we saved all my writing. But we came very close to losing quite a bit (at least one complete short story that I’d forgotten to backup to Dropbox).

Worse even? This is so not the first time it’s happened (see… DUMB). Over a year ago I had a hard drive meltdown, and in the process lost between 10-15K of The Aldersgate. Gone. Caput. Vanished. Instead of getting back into the groove, I sulked about it for too long. This time, even though I had two straight days with zero output, I got right back on the bandwagon. There is nothing dumb about backing up in multiple places!

—-

No one’s going to get it right the first time, and as writers we constantly have to shift gears as we write, edit, prepare, submit, promote. It’s not an easy task, sure, but that’s the business of it. The best part about being a writer in today’s world is that you’ve got an instant network if you work at it. Agents, editors, published writers, all there on Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, wherever. You can ask questions, you can get answers. You don’t have to live in hole (even though we all feel that way when we’re writing a book).

And more than anything? It’s okay to be a #dumbwriter. Don’t let people make you feel stupid for not knowing. We’ve all got to start somewhere, after all.

November approacheth…

Posted in fantasy, nanowrimo, the blasted tree, WIP, writing by

nano_09_blk_participant_120x240.pngAnd that means NaNoWriMo.

You know, for years I avoided NaNoWriMo. I hated the idea, mostly, because people kept telling me to do it. I mean, damnit, I could write a book at my own pace and, by gods, I did. Ooh, the snark…

But last year, right after I left my job, I found myself with a healthy amount of time and decided well, what the hell? Did I have anything to lose? No, not really. I had never really ramped up the writing, personally, always just sort of let loose when I wanted, never wrote to a schedule, etc. I mean, part of that was due to my life. Since I graduated from high school I was either in college, graduate school, working full time, or having and raising a child (or a combination of quite a few of those).

Anyway, what I got out of NaNoWriMo certainly wasn’t that happy shiny feeling of having finished a book. When I started out I’d done that thrice (if you count a full rewrite of one book twice…) so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Plus, personally, 50K wasn’t going to ever be a complete book for me (she of the fantasy steampunk epics, etc.).

What did I get out of NaNoWriMo, then? And why am I doing it again? Mostly it taught me about my own work ethic and my creative process. It forced me to put aside time and appealed to my latent competitive side (which hasn’t seen much action since I was a kid and had a little sister to deal with). It isn’t a matter of winning; I knew I’d win hell or high water last year. I get a little obsessed about these things, I suppose. But when I looked back on it I realize that my output was really high when I just shut up and actually worked instead of a) surfed the internet b) played video games c) watched television or d) made up excuses.

So this year I’m adding another personal layer to NaNo. I’m enforcing a ban on all things “distraction” until I’ve completed my 1500 for the day. I’m even putting the kibosh on casual web surfing (I have to do some for my paid gigs because, let’s face it, I gotta work, too). But until that 1500 is done I can’t do anything else; any writing I do above and beyond that is just fine, of course.

I went back and forth a few times about the actual project, and finally decided to try my hand at a YA idea I had about a year or so ago about a young magician. Her name is Clary, and she lives in a Victorian-inspired city and… accidentally destroys the world when she disobeys her master’s orders. Or rather, she’s lazy and hears the orders wrong and ends up making the world go kablooey. She and her friends then embark on a bit of a world-skipping journey to put the pieces of her own world back together, using magic technology and their wits, all against the ticking of a clock they take with them. (It was either this, the sequel to The Aldersgate or a novella that was a steampunked version of The Song of Roland with chicks…)

At any rate, I will try to post progress here for those intrigued, and you can always friend me on NaNoWriMo if you wish (I’m Natania there)!