Writability: NaNoWriMo

Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts

Vlog: Is NaNoWriMo Worth It?

We all know it: NaNoWriMo is not an easy challenge. But is it worth it to participate?

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Have you participated in NaNoWriMo? Will you this year?

Twitter-sized bite:

Is participating in #NaNoWriMo worth it? @Ava_Jae shares their thoughts and experiences NaNoing. (Click to tweet)

Your Yearly NaNoWriMo Round-Up

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It's that time of year again! NaNoWriMo is less than two weeks away, so if you think you might want to participate but haven't yet made plans, there's no time like the present. So today I'm sharing my tweaked yearly re-post of NaNoWriMo goodies that you might find helpful.

For those who haven’t decided on whether or not they want to NaNo, I have a post for you. And if you don’t click, but you’re on the fence, I’ll say that I’ve participated three times and totally loved it. Granted, I'm a fast-drafter, and NaNoWriMo really works best for those open to fast-drafting (which is not everyone, and that's okay!), but it’s been super super effective for me in the past.

As I said last year, I’ve written four manuscripts (or a good chunk of it at least) in NaNo-like settings (three November NaNoWriMos and one Camp NaNo). While the community, and excitement, and pretty graphs all are always very tempting me to join, I'll be sitting this one out as I am really behind on writer and author stuff right now and will need all of November to catch up. So fingers crossed that happens.

Because it’s October and NaNoPrepMo, you will very possibly find this post on Pre-NaNoWriMo Tips helpful! Because prepping for NaNo, I’ve found, makes the NaNoing experience much easier. And less stressful. To a point.

To contrast two very different NaNo experiences, the first time I NaNoed, I made NaNoWriMo super difficult for myself by abandoning my first NaNo project on day fourteen and scrapping 24,000 words to start something new. (Yes, really.) Then two years ago I went a little type-crazy and finished in nine days. Still not totally sure how that happened, and I haven't repeated that level of productivity since, but it was definitely an experience.

I’ve also shared ten foolproof secrets to winning NaNoWriMo (which are actually not the least bit foolproof and please don’t do those things, thanks).

Two years ago I didn’t NaNo, but I did record a six-vlog, week-by-week vlog series (including before and after) specifically for surviving NaNoWriMo. You might find it helpful to watch them ahead of time.

And finally, here's a compilation of helpful NaNoWriMo links that I shared on the first day of NaNoWriMo three years ago but I’ll give to you early, for funsies, and also because hopefully you'll find them helpful.

If you have any helpful links for future NaNo-ers, share them below! And also, will you be participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

Twitter-sized bite:

Thinking about participating in #NaNoWriMo this year? @Ava_Jae rounded up helpful tip posts. (Click to tweet)

So NaNoWriMo is Over

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Incredibly, it is now December 2nd, which means NaNoWriMo 2016 has come to an end. This has been a particularly difficult NaNo for many—with what happened with the election at the beginning of the month, a lot of writers were completely thrown off and understandably found it difficult to get back into the swing of things again. Not to mention all of the very important events that have happened after the election, which have proved to be the kind of distraction from writing you really can't ignore, because it's too important.

So all of that is to say NaNoWriMo was understandably difficult for a lot of writers this year. Luckily, some writers on Twitter are putting together a NaNoWriMo re-do, headed by literary agent @HannahFergesen, under the hashtag #NaNoReDo.

Writer friends: The election derailed my #NaNoWriMo2016. To make up for it, I'm doing NoWriMo 2.0 in December. Anyone else with me?
— Hannah Fergesen (@HannahFergesen) November 17, 2016

If you have finished NaNoWriMo, however, congratulations! I did manage to finish #MagicMurderMayhem's first draft (complete around 60,000 words), which I am both relieved and happy about, because it means I wrote three manuscripts this year, which is a first. It was more of a struggle than usual because even without the election stuff, I've been the busiest in my life this month—but it was definitely rewarding.

So if you've finished NaNoWriMo, now what? I've already written a blog and posted a vlog on Post-NaNoWriMo steps, so I won't reiterate everything, but the most important part is this: take a break. Whatever a break means for you, do it—for me, it means not writing until 2017 (unless something deadline-related comes in, of course), reading, getting back into my exercise routine, playing some games, and enjoying the extra couple hours I have in the day. Earlier this week, for example, I finished all my daily work by 1:30PM which hadn't happened this month before at all. It was nice. :)

But the point is, absolutely make sure you give your brain a break before you dive into revisions. I always try to take at least a month off whenever possible—and given that I have two recent manuscripts to choose from when it comes to revisions, I may very well get more distance from my NaNo novel by starting the one I wrote earlier this year first.

But before I start really thinking about revising anything, it'll be time to relax, read, and enjoy not working on any particular manuscript. Because breaks are a truly important part of the writing process that shouldn't be forgotten.

Did you finish NaNoWriMo if you participated? Are you taking a break? Doing #NaNoReDo? Share your thoughts!

Twitter-sized bite:

Finish #NaNoWriMo? Will you take a break this month, write, or revise? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Mid-NaNo Check In!

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So we are now more than halfway through NaNoWriMo (and, you know, November) which is equal parts amazing and whoa. This NaNoWriMo has been...an usual one, to say the least. With the whole election disaster thrown in the middle, I know a lot of writers were thrown off-pace, myself included, sometimes for days or a full week. Plus the whole online climate has changed as we try to grapple with the whole thing, which has lessened NaNo talk, at least in my feed.

Which, yeah, fair enough. After what happened, I wouldn't expect anything else.

People are indeed still NaNoing, however, and I'm doing my best to keep up with it too. Originally, my plan was the write my full #MagicMurderMayhem WIP, which I estimated would be around 80,000 words. Since writing, however, and seeing how quickly I've been getting through my planned scenes, I've lowered my completed word count estimation to 65,000 words (although I actually suspect it'll be closer to the 60,000-word range).

This has actually been a saving grace because it allowed me to lower my daily word count goal from 3,600 words/day to 2,200 or so and dropping (because I've been writing extra when I can) and still take off Sundays. And the pace has been working well so far, as of Thursday I'm at 42,005 (including the 300 words I wrote pre-NaNo) despite being literally the busiest I've ever been, so yay.

As for the manuscript! It's going well, although I'm already noticing plot holes and major things I'll have to fix, but so goes first drafting. My goal is still to finish the manuscript by the end of November. Then I'll take December off except for any deadline things which I may very well have to do (we'll see!) and...well, after that, we're on to 2017. Wow.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's focus on the rest of NaNo. How are you guys doing with your NaNo projects at the (little over) midpoint?

Twitter-sized bite:

It's mid-NaNo check in time! How are you progressing with #NaNoWriMo? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Writing First vs. Third Person

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My NaNo novel this year is in third person. This is a pretty unusual shift for me—I haven't written a book in third person since literally my first novel ever, over a decade ago. But somewhere along the way, as I've read more third person that has become perma-favorites, as I decided to write a book with three POV characters, I decided it was time to experiment with third person again.

I like it.

In a way, writing first person helped me learn how to write third person better. With my very first book, I saw narration as a sort of separate thing, something tacked on to explain what was happening. But as I began writing first person, I learned how to meld narration with character, how every word mattered. I learned to think about whether this POV character would use this specific word, and whether they'd notice that detail, or how the way they saw a room or character would be different if it were narrated by someone else.

Now I'm bringing all of those lessons back into limited third person, and I'm pretty delighted with how seamless it's been to switch over. Because when making the switch from first person to limited third, the truth is while it does have a very different feel to it, the mechanics are basically the same. You filter the narrative through a single character's perspective and consider how that character experiences the events around them.

Ultimately, the difference between, "I stared at him; what was he talking about?" and "She stared at him; what was he talking about?" isn't all that large. But when a manuscript calls for one over the other, you'll know because it'll fit the tone the story in a way the other tense couldn't.

Have you played with first and third person? What has your experience been like?

Twitter-sized bite:

Author @Ava_Jae shares her thoughts on switching from first to third person. (Click to tweet)

On Diving Into a New Story

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As of this writing, I'm about 9,000 words into the NaNo novel I'm calling #MagicMurderMayhem. There's something really special about starting a new manuscript; there's that thrill of diving into a new world, getting to know new characters, and immersing yourself in a completely new story. It's also a little scary—there's the uncertainty of whether or not you'll reach The End, the niggling whispers of knowing what you're going to have to fix even as you write, the possibility that you'll finish the draft and never look at it again.

All of that is real, and valid, and seems to never actually go away, no matter how many manuscripts you write. #MagicMurderMayhem is my sixteenth manuscript (which kind of blows my mind, to be honest), and while there are definitely differences with this experience than, say, my first (more confidence, trusting myself and my process, solid organization, etc.), there's still a lot of the same, emotionally.

In many ways, for me, first drafting is the (second) hardest part of the writing process. Creating something out of nothing is hard, and I think it's important to acknowledge that. (The first hardest, for me, is plotting, where you're really creating something out of absolutely nothing.) Every time you look at a blank page and turn it into a combination of letters that tell a story, you're doing something a little like magic. You're creating a reality where the things your characters do, think, say, and feel will matter to a reader. You're weaving words until they create pictures, until readers form attachments and feel very real emotions.

Writing a book is a really special thing, so I hope those of you who are first drafting take a moment to pat yourself on the back and smile. Because no, writing isn't easy, but it certainly is amazing and worth celebrating.

Are you working on a first draft right now?

Twitter-sized bite:

Working on a first draft? Author @Ava_Jae has some encouraging words for you. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: How to Make the Most of Writing Sprints

What are writing sprints and how can you make the most of them? Today I'm sharing tips for sprints to get those words down during NaNoWriMo and any other time of year.

RELATED LINKS:

Do you use writing sprints?

Twitter-sized bites:

Want to get some words down quickly for #NaNoWriMo? @Ava_Jae vlogs on making the most of writing sprints. (Click to tweet)

Need to focus while writing? Check out @Ava_Jae's writing sprint tips. #vlog (Click to tweet)

On Creating (Flexible) Schedules

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So a couple days ago, I tweeted a realization I had about just how incredibly busy I'll be in November. I suppose I already knew that logically, but after picking up a part time job, remembering NaNo is days away, and booking editing clients for next month, it all started to sink in. But it was a good realization—because while my schedule will be, let's face it, a lot, it's all stuff I really enjoy doing.

The tweet, however, inevitably led to people asking me how I plan to manage it all, which got me thinking about scheduling, yes, but more specifically flexible scheduling to make the most of my time every day.

I've written before about how I'm a morning person and get most of my writing done then. This worked well when I had afternoon classes or worked nights as a waitress—I got all my writing done in the early morning hours then tackled whatever commitments I needed to get done. Looking at my schedule for the first week of NaNo, however...I can already see that's going to be a little more challenging.

Right now, out of the first six days of NaNo, I have commitments in the morning on three days. I'm getting the sense this is probably going to be a common thing next month, so I've already started making necessary plans to fit everything into my schedule. The building block for busiest days next month will probably look something like this:

5:15 AM: WAKE UP (I've been getting lazy with this and pushing this closer to 6AM, but next month I need to be stricter about it because I'm going to need the time.)

5:30 - 7:15 AM: Write, blog/vlog stuff

7:15 - 8:30 AM: Get ready for day's commitments

[Do day stuff]

2:00 PM - ???: Editing work, work out, whatever else I need done for the day.

This of course is a really rough sketch and will need to be adjusted daily depending on my needs for the day, but I find that it helps to plan out my busiest days, so that on days I have extra time or more flexible hours, great, but if not I know I can still squeeze in what I need to. I'm also thinking it might be a good idea to plan my blog topics in advance because it tends to take me longer to figure out what to write about than to actually write the post. Maybe I'll even write some posts in advance...hmm.

Then, of course, there's a very important second component to this: built-in breaks. Traditionally, I've established Sundays as my day off, in which I don't allow myself to do any work. This will remain true next month, though I've already decided if I fall behind on my NaNo writing, Sunday is the day I'll allow myself to make it up, mostly because it's work I find the most enjoyable, so I wouldn't stress too much over it. Even if I manage not to fall behind, I'll likely NaNo on a Sunday or two to give myself wiggle room for those days where I just can't squeeze the writing in.

The keys to flexible scheduling, I find, is to plan for the worst (i.e.: least time), take minutes where you can, and be kind to yourself. That last part means don't forget self-care, because when you're in the grind, forgetting self-care can be pretty disastrous. For me that means Sundays (mostly) off. For you it may mean something else—just make sure you don't neglect it.

I'm wishing you guys all the best next month, whether you're NaNoing or not!

Do you use flexible schedules?

Twitter-sized bites:

Tight on time but want to get some writing done? @Ava_Jae shares tips on making flexible schedules. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is a week away! So for those of you scrambling to get ready for the big event, here are some NaNo preparation tips.

RELATED LINKS:

What NaNo preparation tips would you add to the list?

Twitter-sized bite:

Getting ready for #NaNoWriMo? Author @Ava_Jae vlogs 5 ways to get ready for the big event. (Click to tweet)

Discussion: Will You NaNo This Year?

Photo credit: Kwintin on Flickr

There are ten days left before NaNoWriMo (and ten days left to implement pre-NaNo tips)! Which is pretty incredible to think about, and a little intimidating, and also exciting because NaNoWriMo is nearly here!

I finished revising my WIP and sent it off this week, which means I've met my deadline with time to spare, which means NaNoWriMo is in my future this year! YAY! I'm really excited to dive into the new story world and play with third person, which I haven't done in ages, and just feed off the NaNo excitement in general. It's been a great experience when I participated in the past, and I very much look forward to it again. Which also means I should probably start figuring out the last-minute details of the WIP I'll be working on...

So this is a short and fun post just to officially say yes, I do plan to participate this year, and I think it'd be fun for people to connect with other NaNo-ers here on the blog so time for a shout out—who else will be participating this year? (And feel free to add me as a NaNo buddy!)

Twitter-sized bite:

Are you participating in #NaNoWriMo this year? Join the discussion and make NaNo buddies on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

On NaNoWriMo and Finding Time

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As NaNoWriMo approaches, I've been seeing more and more writers consider whether or not they'll join in this year. And one of the top considerations for whether or not that answer will be yes or no is, understandably, time.

So far, I've done NaNoWriMo twice (though I've done my own write a book in a month challenges much more often). The first time I was at my first year of art college, and my classes and assignments were rigorous and time-consuming. My homework involved detailed projects that required many hours multiple days a week to finish—and that's without the frequent trips to art supply stores downtown to get what I needed for those projects.

Basically, I was the busiest I'd ever been, but I also knew I really wanted to participate in NaNoWriMo for the first time even though finals were happening. So I did.

This required stealing time wherever I could find it. I did the bulk of my daily writing in the early morning hours, sipping blearily at my tea, and on the bus on the way to my classes. When I didn't get enough words in during those slots, I wrote before class started at my desk, or after I got back between homework assignments and final projects. It was challenging for sure—and doubly challenging when I realized thirteen days in I was writing the wrong manuscript and scrapped the whole thing—but it was also rewarding. I proved to myself that even when I was tackling the end of the semester I could get the words I needed down.

Of course, the last few weeks when I was home from school on my extended winter break were much easier. But it was still rewarding to know I could manage to keep my head above NaNo water at the end of a busy semester.

The point is, time is absolutely a factor when it comes to whether or not you should NaNo—but it's not the only factor. Because like writing at any other time of the year, if time is the only issue it's not often impossible to overcome. As writers, we have to learn where we can best squeeze in our writing time, whether that's on the commute to work, getting up extra early before school, while kids are at school or napping, or after a long work day into the late night hours.

There will always be reasons why we won't have the time to write a book, or participate in NaNoWriMo. But if time is the biggest factor for you, it might not be a bad idea to sit down and really consider where you could steal enough minutes from your day to slap down 1,667 words. You might just be surprised by how a couple minutes here and there of quickly jotted down words can add up.

How do you fit writing into your schedule?

Twitter-sized bite:

Concerned about time when considering whether or not to #NaNoWriMo? Author @Ava_Jae talks finding time to NaNo. (Click to tweet)

Repost: Pre-NaNoWriMo Tips

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The time has finally has finally come and the first post of October is here! Because October is also known as NaNoPrepMo, at least in my mind, I like to talk about preparing for NaNoWriMo here. But I've also written about this pretty thoroughly three years ago, so I'm going to repost what I wrote, but with some updates. Because websites and methods and manuscripts change over time, but much of NaNoWriMo preparation is still largely the same.

So here we go!

Decide on an idea. This kind of goes without saying, but the sooner you think of your NaNo novel idea, the more time you’ll have to let it develop before the mad dash of November. And you’ll be writing so quickly come November, that you’ll be glad for every iota of pre-decided information you have. Assuming I get all my deadlines done this month, I'll be working on my #MagicMurderMayhem WIP this NaNo, which I worked out over the summer. :)

Start plotting. If you’re a pantser, then you’re probably going to skip this step. But if you’re even slightly open to plotting (even a very flexible, loose plot), then I highly recommend that you try plotting in advance. As a regular fast-drafter, I can tell you that the best tip I’ve ever received on fast-drafting is to know what you’re writing. Just about every time I’ve ever encountered writer’s block, it was because I didn’t know what was next, or how to connect the dots between two plot points (in which case I plotted in more detail and voila! The words returned).

Point is, when you’re writing like a speed demon for NaNoWriMo, it’ll be much easier to keep the pace if you actually know what happens (or at least have a vague idea). Whether it’s flashcard plotting, a brief list of events, a plotting method similar to mine, or the combination method I used (successfully!) for #MagicMurderMayhem, NaNoWriMo will be so much smoother if you get your events in order before the race begins.

Tell family/friends about your November plans. We writers tend to withdraw in November. We sneak away to our caves and shoot daggers (with our eyes, of course) at anyone who dares interrupt our precious writing time. Letting your friends and family know in advance about why you’re going to disappear for thirty days can help save you some aggravation and disappointed people.

Connect with fellow NaNo writers. Do you have a Twitter? If you don’t, I recommend getting one and searching hashtags like #NaNoWriMo to find fellow NaNo writers. It’s early, but people are already thinking about it (like me), and you’ll be glad for the support of your fellow exhausted/excited/slightly crazed writers come November.

Familiarize yourself with the website. I’m not sure when exactly, but the website occasionally goes down before the big event to prepare the servers and give the site a fresh upgrade. That’s normal, so don’t panic when it happens. (It may have already happened this year, but I'm not sure.)

But until then, it doesn’t hurt to set up your account and browse through the site, just to get to know it if you don’t already

Investigate distraction-free writing tools. Like Write or Die, Freedom, or my new fave, myWriteClub's word sprints, which I talk about in this post. They come in handy when you're trying to write quickly.

Mentally prepare yourself. In order to reach the goal of 50,000 words and claim your NaNoWriMo victory, you’ll need to write 1,667 words a day, assuming you write every day of the month. 1,667 words isn’t all that bad, and some days you’ll fly through them and roll right into 2 or 3k. But there are days when you’re going to be exhausted, when time is really short, when every word is fighting you, and those are the days you need to be prepared for.

It’s okay to miss a day. It’s also okay to get stuck and write terribly and cry over your keyboard. It's also okay to realize part-way through you're writing the wrong manuscript and start over.

Here’s what you’re not going to end up with at the end of the month: a masterpiece. You’re writing the first portion of a book (50k isn’t usually a full-length MS, although it can be depending on the category/genre) in a month. It’s going to be messy and occasionally ugly and embarrassing. And that’s totally okay.

The point isn’t to come out of NaNoWriMo with a gleaming, beautiful draft. The point is to get the first portion of a draft finished, so that you can complete your book and then revise it later.

You’re writing the bare bones. They aren’t going to be pretty, but they don’t need to be.

Get excited. You’re going to write a book. Or a portion of one, anyway. You. A book. Yours. It’s something to be excited about, it’s something to celebrate, even if the writing is so horrendous that you cringe when you read it back. NaNoWriMo is exhausting, yes, but it’s also exciting because you’re doing something that millions of people only ever dream about—you’re writing a book, and it’s all yours.

For those who have (or are going to) participate in NaNoWriMo, what do you do to prepare?

Twitter-sized bite:

Ready to gear up for #NaNoWriMo? Author @Ava_Jae shares tips to prepare for the big event. (Click to tweet)

Discussion: Do You Plan to Participate in NaNoWriMo This Year?

Photo credit: plugimi on Flickr

So we've flown past the September halfway mark, which means October is on its way. This means, of course, that even though it's a month and a half away, I've been thinking about NaNoWriMo.

I've known for a couple months now that if I'm able to, I plan to participate. I have a project I'm really excited about that I already fully plotted (I've been calling it #MagicMurderMayhem on Twitter), but I haven't had a chance to draft yet because I've been too busy with Into the Black drafting and revising, which takes precedent for obvious reasons. My goal, then, has been to get ITB through two CP/beta rounds before sending it off to my agent, and in order to participate in NaNo, the deadline I set for myself is November 1st.

So far things are going well—I blasted through the first CP round and finished my revisions quickly enough to send the manuscript earlier than expected to round two. But given that this second round has way more readers than the first, I'm expecting those revisions will take me longer.

Thus, I still don't know if I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo this year—it depends on a lot of things, like when I get notes from everyone back, how long it takes me to implement those notes, and how much energy I'll have left to jump right into a new manuscript. I'm hopeful, though, because I've been dying to draft #MagicMurderMayhem since I finished plotting it a couple months back. So we'll see. :)

I'm curious, however, about how many of you plan to or are thinking about participating, and I think it'd be a fun discussion.

So let's discuss! Do you plan to participate or are you thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

Twitter-sized bite:

Are you thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Post-NaNoWriMo Tips

So it’s December 2nd! Which means NaNoWriMo 2015 is over! YAYYY!

I didn’t NaNo this year—which turned out to be a good thing for me, health-wise—but I know many of you did! And some of you have “won” NaNo and hit your 50,000 word goal, and some of you haven’t—but! In the wise words of literary agent Eric Smith:

Remember: You didn't "lose" @NaNoWriMo if you didn't finish your manuscript. You started something. That is a serious win.
— Eric Smith (@ericsmithrocks) November 30, 2015

So, in essence, you have won no matter what. Go you!

Because NaNoWriMo is over, and many of you have now entered the awkward “Now what?” phase, I’m re-sharing my vlog from last year on things to do after NaNoWriMo. Enjoy!

What are your December writing/break/etc. plans?

Twitter-sized bite:

So you finished NaNoWriMo...now what? @Ava_Jae shares some post-NaNo tips. #vlog (Click to tweet)

First Drafts are for You

Photo credit: flossyflotsam on Flickr

As it's NaNoWriMo right now, it's no surprise that the topic of first drafts is on many people's minds—after all, I'd imagine November is probably the biggest first drafting month of the year.

So, naturally, it stands to reason that some discussion surrounding first drafts have cropped up, which naturally have got me thinking about—what else?—first drafts, and specifically who first drafts are for.

First drafts are understandably scary—in fact, I often find them more intimidating then revisions because at least with revisions you already have something to work with. When writing first drafts, on the other hand, you're quite literally making something out of nothing. Which can be exhilarating and incredible but also downright terrifying.

What makes it even scarier is the thought that someday, something might come out of that first draft. That publishing professionals might read it, that it may one day be printed and sold and held in your hand as a bound, completed copy. That family members and strangers alike may go to a bookstore and buy it.

It's a lot to think about—sometimes it can be too much to think about, and it's thoughts like these, I think, that frequently lead writers to to feel so unsure about the words they're putting down when first drafting that sometimes they stop. They feel discouraged because they can’t get the right words, because no matter what they write it feels off, because the epic scene in their heads aren’t so sparkly when they get on the page.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: they’re not meant for anyone but you.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: agonizing over every word will make the process a lot more painful than it needs to be.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: sometimes they need to suck a little (or a lot) before you can make them the story you imagined.

Oftentimes, the first drafts are just what you—the writer—needs to get to know the story. To slap words on paper and figure out how the basic premise goes and start to get to know your characters. Oftentimes, first drafts are words that you needed—it’s information you’ll rip apart later on, and tangents that are ridiculous, and it’s the mixed up, convoluted journey that you need to get from beginning to end.

First drafts aren’t meant to be perfect. Hell, first drafts sometimes aren’t even meant to be shared.

But that’s okay, because the first draft in all it’s ugliness, in all those raw-yet-exhilarating moments, in those bits of passion, and excitement, and yeah, cringe-worthy scenes, is for you. It’s what you need to start making the clay for your eventual masterpiece.

And when you’re done, then you can go back. Then you can make it everything you dreamed for that story.

But first you have to write it. And only you can do it.

Twitter-sized bites:

"Here's the thing about first drafts: they're not meant for anyone but you." (Click to tweet)

Feeling discouraged by the quality of your first draft? @Ava_Jae says it's okay, and this is why. (Click to tweet)

Writing is Never a Waste

Photo credit: Image Catalog on Flickr

So while I’ve not (yet) seen it this year, whenever NaNoWriMo comes around, there tends to come a group of people who go on about how NaNoWriMo (and fast-drafting, in general) is a waste. They argue that anything written that quickly must be junk, that few people come out with anything decent out of NaNo, and that “word vomit” isn’t really writing.

Literary elitism aside, I feel like now is a good time to talk about something very near and dear to my heart, namely: writing is never a waste.

I’ve talked before about practice novels and immediately trunking manuscripts, so I won’t reiterate those posts. But as someone who has indeed put away a lot of manuscripts without attempting to edit them, who writes posts three times a week and still has to write essays for school, someone who does a lot of writing year-round even when I’m not working on a book—I can firmly say every bit of writing you do, whether’s it’s fanfiction, non-fiction, NaNoing, or something else, absolutely works toward making you a better writer.

There are so many novel-writing lessons you can really only learn by writing a novel, and another one, and another one. Every fanfic, blog post, essay, or article you write helps you further hone your voice and practice how to manipulate words, and sentences, and paragraphs to get your point across the way you want to.

The truth is, the only way to really learn how to write is to write. And if NaNoWriMo is the device that gets you to sit down and put words to paper, then don’t let anyone tell you it’s a waste—even if you never look at that NaNo book ever again after November 30th.

Writing, in all of its forms, methods, and strategies, can only help you hone your craft. And maybe when you NaNo or fast-draft, the words you put down aren’t as polished you’d like to see in a final draft, but the thing is, they’re not supposed to be. In writing, no matter how quickly or slowly you write, nothing is perfect the first time.

But even if you don’t go back to make those words better in the future, know that you haven’t wasted your time. That practice you got while throwing those words down is invaluable and can only help you in the future.

What do you think? Is writing ever a waste?

Twitter-sized bite:

Why @Ava_Jae says writing is never a waste of time regardless of type of writing or what happens to the MS. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: To NaNo or Not to NaNo?

NaNoWriMo is upon us! And some of you may still be undecided about whether or not to participate—which is okay! If that's you, here are some things you may want to consider before deciding.

To NaNo, or not to NaNo? That is the question.

RELATED LINKS:

Have you NaNoed before? What was your experience like?

Twitter-sized bites:

Not sure whether or not you want to NaNo? @Ava_Jae vlogs about some things you may want to consider. (Click to tweet)

Undecided about whether to NaNo? @Ava_Jae vlogs about her experience & some determining factors. #NaNoWriMo (Click to tweet)

Discussion: Will You NaNo This Year?

Photo credit: mpclemens on Flickr

So NaNoWriMo is THIS SUNDAY—*queue freakout*—and I am buried under revisions. At this point I have no idea whether or not I’ll be able to participate, which isn’t fun especially since I do actually have a half-plotted WIP idea, but revisions have to be my top priority right now (I will talk about this a little in tomorrow’s vlog).

Still! I'm hopeful that maybe, somehow, I’ll finish in time to plot out the WIP idea and try to jump in (and just in case I do—this is my NaNo profile). Not making any promises right now…but we’ll see.

I’m curious, though—who is participating this year? Who is still thinking about it? And remember, I have a NaNoWriMo round-up post with lots of NaNo secrets and tips for your perusal.

Short post is short because I have revisions to do. But let’s hear it: are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Why or why not?

Twitter-sized bite:

Will you participate in NaNoWriMo this year? Why or why not? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Ten Keys to Fast Drafting

Photo credit: stevendepolo on Flickr

So we have approximately 22 days until NaNoWriMo! Which means, of course, that a lot of people are thinking about fast drafting because fast drafting is how you NaNo. So.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m a permanent fast-drafter. Regardless of the month or day of the year, when I work on a first draft, I blast through it as quickly as possible. It usually takes me roughly three to six weeks (then again, I tend to write lean first drafts), but I’ve been known to finish more quickly or slowly. Depends on the manuscript, but either way I have quite a bit of experience with first drafting. And so I’m sharing my personal fast-drafting rules.

Like any writing “rule” these of course are subject to change and can certainly be broken, skipped or ignored outright if they don’t work for you. The only real wrong way to fast draft is to, um, not fast draft.

So all of that said, here we go:

Have a plan. While this doesn’t work for everyone, many fast-drafters swear by outlining if only because it cuts out the time spent wondering where the manuscript is going or accidentally writing yourself into a corner. Personally, knowing where I’m going next has helped me tremendously in terms of writing quickly because when I always know where the story is going it helps me to keep forward momentum. That being said…

Be flexible. Sometimes my characters will completely ignore what I had planned for a scene and do something totally different. 10/10 times what I come up with while I’m writing is better than what I originally planned. Some of my biggest twists and greatest moments of characterization have come out of these spontaneous, unexpected detours, so in short, if you find your characters start taking you off the beaten path, don’t fight them. Your subconscious—and your characters—know what they’re doing.

Write in spurts. My #1 not-so-secret secret to writing thousands of words in a day? It’s writing in thirty minute spurts. Again, this doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, but when I set a timer for thirty minutes and watch my word count go with either Write or Die, my Scrivener doc or—something I haven’t tried yet but can’t wait to experiment with soon: mywriteclub’s online word sprints—it really pushes me to get the words down quickly without thinking too hard about the quality of said words. Which is key because…

Don’t worry if it sucks. Writing quickly doesn’t automatically equate to sucky writing, but it might. And seriously, that’s beyond okay. First drafts are allowed to suck. I usually think my first drafts are junk while I’m writing, and sometimes when I re-read parts I agree, but many times I realize it’s not quite as bad as I thought. So just get the words down and don’t worry about whether or not it’s any good until later.

Don’t look back. Part of not worrying about whether or not what you wrote is any good is making a pact not to go back and edit anything until after you’ve finished writing. I generally find it’s best not to re-read more than a couple paragraphs (to remember where I left off), and even then I often just do a brief skim, if that, before I dive in again. The temptation to edit, otherwise, is too strong.

Don’t censor. Even when I know it’s not true, I like to write my first drafts pretending that I am the only person who will ever read it ever. This means I don’t censor anything—language, sentences I think are stupid, dialogue that is definitely dumb, questionably acceptable content, etc. First drafts should be free and loose and fun—you can always cut whatever you think is necessary later on.

Leave blanks (if needed). That time that I finished NaNoWriMo stupidly quickly I used this method. I’ll be using it again, because sometimes the last thing you want is to stop in the heat of a scene to figure out what that rando’s name is going to be and totally mess up your momentum.

Have a daily/weekly goal. Keeping on task is pretty important when you’re fast drafting, and especially when you’re NaNoing. I like to build a buffer into my daily goal which then gives me room to take a break when I need to, or else I just write more than I need to early on when I tend to have the most enthusiasm and momentum. But at any rate, when you figure out good daily or weekly goal for yourself, do whatever you can to keep yourself on track.

Interact with other writers. Last time I did NaNoWriMo, interacting with other writers is a big part of the reason I blew my goal out of the water and finished really early. Events like NaNoWriMo are fantastic because there are so many excited, enthusiastic writers who are all embarking on the same goal, which means there are plenty of people to word sprint with and cheer each other on. And that alone, honestly, can be incredibly awesome for motivation.

But even if you’re fast-drafting when it’s not NaNo season, talking to other writers online and finding people who are also writing can be really encouraging.

Celebrate milestones. What milestones you celebrate are up to you, but make sure you celebrate! 10,000 words is my first big milestone because that’s when I call a writing experiment an official WIP (anything I abandon before that I don’t consider an actual WIP). But with NaNo, every 10,000 words, or the 25,000 milestone, or whatever you decide is a milestone worth celebrating is one you should be proud of. Because celebrating the little steps along the way can give you the boost of happy energy you need to get to the next one.

Have you ever fast-drafted? Will you be NaNoing this year? What tips do you have?

Twitter-sized bites:

Considering fast-drafting? @Ava_Jae shares ten tips for getting through a first draft quickly. (Click to tweet)

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo? @Ava_Jae shares ten keys to fast drafting. (Click to tweet)

Another NaNoWriMo Round-Up!

Photo credit: horrigans on Flickr

It’s October, and I, for one, could not be happier. September was a jerk to me, but October is looking much more promising. And! It’s now officially time for NaNoPrepMo and time for me to tell you guys all about the awesomeness that is NaNoWriMo and encourage you to participate if you’re on the fence about it.

As I said in last year’s NaNoWriMo Round-Up (of which this is a tweaked re-post), I’ve talked about NaNoWriMo a lot. But! Not all of you have been around for previous NaNoWriMo talks and even those of you who have haven’t seen me talk about NaNoWriMo in a while. So! NaNo round-up. Here we go.

For those who haven’t decided on whether or not they want to NaNo, I have a post for you. And if you don’t click, but you’re on the fence, I’ll say that I’ve participated twice and totally loved it. Granted, I'm a fast-drafter, and NaNoWriMo really works best for those open to fast-drafting (which is not everyone, and that's okay!), but it’s been super super effective for me in the past.

As I said last year, I’ve written three manuscripts (or a good chunk of it at least) in NaNo-like settings (two November NaNoWriMos and one Camp NaNo), and the community, and excitement, and pretty graphs all are very much tempting me to join in this year, as I’m anticipating being done with revision stuff by then…hopefully. I’ll be spending this month preparing a potential NaNo WIP if it looks like I’ll have the writing space in my brain. Fingers crossed!

Because it’s October and NaNoPrepMo, you will very possibly find this post on Pre-NaNoWriMo Tips helpful! Because prepping for NaNo, I’ve found, makes the whole NaNoing experience much easier.

To contrast two very different NaNo experiences, the first time I NaNoed, I made NaNoWriMo super difficult for myself by abandoning my first NaNo project on day fourteen and scrapping 24,000 words to start something new. (Yes, really.) Then two years ago I went a little type-crazy and finished in nine days. Still not totally sure how that happened, but I’m glad it did because it’s one of the projects I’ll soon be done revising. :D

I’ve also shared ten foolproof secrets to winning NaNoWriMo (which are actually not the least bit foolproof and please don’t do those things, thanks).

Last year I didn’t NaNo, but I did record a six-vlog, week-by-week vlog series (including before and after) specifically for surviving NaNoWriMo. You might find it helpful to watch early.

And finally, here's a compilation of helpful NaNoWriMo links that I shared on the first day of NaNoWriMo two years ago but I’ll give to you early! Because you’re welcome.

If you have any helpful links for future NaNo-ers, share them below! And also, will you be participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

Twitter-sized bite:

Thinking about doing NaNoWriMo this time around? @Ava_Jae shares helpful links for all of your NaNoing needs. (Click to tweet)