Exposed Sunday: NaNoWriMo - When You Gotta Write!

I have been participating in National Novel Writing Month since 2003.

I have failed to write 50,000 words for the month since 2004. (yes, I won my first NaNo, only to lose every single year thereafter)

Yet, this still hasn't deterred me from writing/competing every year, though in the last few, I tend to bow out after my first week. I have other writing to do, usually, and I use the manic writing sessions to work on that, shelving my NaNo story idea for another day. Just as long as I write down my notes, I don't feel bad for it.

In fact, it was all because of NaNo I got a lot of my story ideas - ones that I'm using to actually springboard into a proper writing career. My ultimate goal is to get published, after all. It's that insane mindset of "don't think, just write" that seems to light that fire within me. Apparently, I need deadlines and quotas to function.

Once I thought I was a pantser. A dreamy, doe-eyed pantser that waited for inspiration to strike when the Muse was feeling generous. Of course, that was also before I realised just how much work writing a novel involves. This is really not an occupation for the faint of heart. It takes stamina and you really have to shove your Inner Critic in a sound-proof box and leave them there until you've done your first or second draft, at least.

Outlines are my friends. Actually, they are (quite literally) my road maps. I don't have to keep to them - because wandering about here and there is good and you may find a nice place to eat - but having the map means I don't have to be lost forever. It means I can wander without ending up with 100 rambling pages of crap without any sort of hope to fixing that.

However, NaNo is okay with that. It's just NaNo, after all. Not only that, but amazing people like Roz Morris have tools that can help revive the mess that is your "novel" (NaNo or otherwise) into something that resembles a proper story structure! Maybe even publishable! I love her book, for sure.

If you're looking at options, Plotting for a Pantsers by Jamie Gold sounds like oodles of awesome!

Not everyone is cut out to do NaNo, although they may be hardcore writers, like Kait Nolan - she's not doing NaNo in the traditional sense, but she keeps her finger on the pulse and uses it.

This will probably be my first year not doing NaNo "in the traditional sense" either. I have several books in the planning/plotting stage and in six months I'm hoping to be shopping around for my first book. I will definitely use the deadlines/manic typing energy to keep myself in-line and on course. I have a lot to write and a social life to keep cultivated, too.

The main thing for me is that, through NaNo, I learned that I have to write. Whether I participate, win, lose or never even get published is really not the point. I've awakened a (writing) monster. NaNo just helped give me the first solid kick in the pants to do it.

Remember to rest, too. Good advice.


Your turn! You have 11 days before it starts. Go! Or don't. Are you a pantser or a plotter? What are you doing for the month of November? I'll be writing. Of course.

Wednesday In Progress: Soppy Over Scrivener

(...And no, this isn't a paid ad or endorsement of anything. These are my own observations and opinions - and photos - as always. Take from it all what you will.)

A while back, I mentioned how I was always late to the party. I really am.

Books probably not written using Scrivener - pity!

After years and years of hearing about this supposedly "awesome program for writers" called Scrivener, I finally downloaded a 30-day trial. Yesterday. I think not having my own laptop, my virtual writing and research space (if we want to get fancy) contributed to my hesitation to try this out, but yesterday - in the middle of my utter frustration with my straight job dealings, the copious notes I have littering not only my trusty never-leave-home-without-it-notebook, this laptop (several Word documents, a few Notepad files and I also use Open Office), I decided I really need to consolidate this mess.

I can't remember who it was on my Twitter feed, but someone mentioned how well they were able to organise themselves with Scrivener and bang out their story. Well, being that me without an outline is akin to me walking around town without pants (comfortable, though not appropriate and completely useless and distracting), I figured another tool in my writing arsenal wouldn't be a bad thing.

So, I downloaded the trial version (30 nonconsecutive days of usage) and even though I've only used it for a few hours thus far, I think I'm in love. I have webpages of info, character sheets and snippets of story all in their variously useful places - and I can drag and drop if I find them a better place! I have house plans! Actual images so I don't have to remember or pour through my notes/text as to whether or not I put the kitchen in the south or west of the house (not that it will matter to my readers, but just in case). I still need to have faith with the importing of documents, though. I'm so used to things not working between programs (though advertised as if it were as easy as Scrivener makes it).

I have 30 days to test everything out (but I'm probably going to buy it this Friday).

Your turn! Have you tried Scrivener? Like it? Hate it? Found something better? What writing tool can you not live without?

Techno Party - Fashionably Late

Late to the technology party, as usual. I'm always late to any party, really.

This weekend I got myself a new toy: 500GB laptop with a 17" screen and, boy howdy, is it beautiful. Bear in mind, I haven't had a personal computer since 2003 or so (maybe a little earlier). Oh, well, let's be honest: I have a beautiful green iMac that's been the best darned paper-weight and closet-stuffer since 2003. I probably could fire it up right now and use it, but not online. Well, I think the better half would have a stroke if I tried to drag that lump out of storage, especially with my new and shiny toy.

My iMac's CD drive is completely shot and it's more hassle to upgrade/deal with now, especially with my new and shiny toy. See the theme, here?

I still don't own a cell phone. That may change next month, but we'll see.

these hands know maniacal typing, the Neo knows pain

Anyway, this was all to facilitate better and easier writing and research on my part. Even now, the bulk of my writing will stay on my Neo (holy crow, someone's dyed theirs...interesting) for ease and the negative distraction it has by comparison to the laptop which is my biggest issue with working on a laptop in general. Give me a wifi connection and I'm lost for days hours doing research. Yeah. Research. I don't have that luxury on my Neo, so I can work.

So, yeah - another step in my writing life. More tools; shiny, distracting tools.

Your turn! What tools do you have? What have you done to keep the distractions to a minimum? Are you late to the party, too, or are you usually hosting it?

The "Other" (Writerly) Tools?

Okay, so I'm broken. Well, really my Canon-SX130-IS is the thing that's broken - and that's breaking me.

I love this camera. I didn't love it when we first got it (a free gift! do we never appreciate free gifts or just don't appreciate them as much as something we've hoarded and slaved over to get?) but since the better half took what was meant to be the "family camera" as a tool for passion and livelihood (shameless plug here), getting this extra camera was great. Also, I could stuff this in my handbag while the "family camera" needs its own rucksack (with lenses, extra battery pack and various doo-dads that I barely know the full functions of). So, got this camera and it was portable, did all these neat functions (like video! with sound!) and it was now mine!

Until some time last week when the memory card spring-loaded slot decided to stop functioning. Now I'm just getting error messages and I have no idea if it's fixable - or even worth it. In any case, I'm minus a camera that has helped me write Bonny's blog as well as help feed me ideas for stories or remind me of what stuff looks like (again, to help me write). I know it's just a crutch, it's just a crutch. I've worked for years without a camera and we still have the "family camera" that I can borrow. It's just not the same.

I feel like I'm missing my favourite pen. I mean, I can still write (I don't even use a pen/pencil - I type on my Neo, Inara-Jayne) and still function just fine, but something is still missing. It's irritating.

Anyone else out there have a unique "other" writing tool that isn't traditionally thought of as such? Y'know...like a cinder block that holds up your open reference materaisl just so, unlike anything else you've tried? Or maybe you don't write - but knit with chopsticks (the rounded ones are size 3 or 4 US, I think...) or your trusty roll of duct tape never leaves your side (ala MacGyver). I know folks who carry those crazy, multitool contraptions, but those are meant to service anything/everything. I'm all about the weird.

What nontraditional tools do you use for your life? Please share! I'd like to know how other folks have made use of things that they weren't originally intended for.

Inspiration for this blog post: my broken camera & Instructables - Make, How-to & DIY

updated 10/07/11: why didn't anyone tell me I wrote cider block instead of cinder? Oooh, boy, I'm funny...