Thursday Review—NaNoWriMo

I know you're as excited as I am that it's the first Thursday of the month. It's Lynn Blackburn's day to post her review. Join me as we welcome her back!
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

National Novel Writing Month
by Lynn Blackburn

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). (See Edie’s latest post on The Book Doctor for more details). The event is frequently referred to as NaNo and the participants are Wrimos. I was explaining this to my sister and her response was “You’re all a bunch of MoRos—short for Morons.” Not because of the goofy acronyms. But for the trip down Loony Lane that is NaNoWriMo.


Who do we think we are trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Have we lost our minds?

Probably.

So why bother?

I can’t speak for everyone participating, but for me, it’s about two things. Stifling my Inner Editor (again, see Edie’s excellent post) and making time when there is no time.

Let me tell you about my Inner Editor. She’s a vicious little thing. Reminds me of a yapping dog. Small but ferocious. Determined to be heard and seen.

Are you picking up on the fact that I have a hate-hate relationship with her?

Not really. When I’m editing, I’m quite fond of the little monster. She’s ruthless. Which is what I want during an edit. But not during a first draft. And after giving her the run of the place for the past several months, it’s been near impossible to muzzle her.

But NaNoWriMo is all about shutting her up. Or at least ignoring her until I’ve met my word count.

My other issue is time. I’m learning that successful writers make time. They don’t find it. It doesn’t just happen. They hunt it down and use it whenever they can. In the carpool line, during naptime, early in the morning, late at night.

I tend to want to write whenever the time fairy sprinkles me with pixie dust and stops the clock for a solid hour. Which is to say, almost never. But NaNo doesn’t give me the option to wait for the right opportunity. I have to make time. I have to remember to charge my laptop and think about how to fit writing into my day.

I have to choose to write.

When this month is over, I hope to have written 50,000 words. They won’t be perfect. They’ll need a serious review by the Internal Editor (she’s gnashing at her leash and she’ll be a terror after a month of solitary). But if those 50,000 words have found their way out of my head and onto the page by November 30th, I’ll have had to scrape out time. Five minutes here. Ten there. I’ll have had to write fast and furious.

The tagline for NaNoWriMo is 30 Days and Nights of Literary Abandon.

I’m not usually much of an “abandon” kind of girl. But I’ve been stewing on this draft for over a year. Maybe a little “abandon” is what’s called for.

Care to join us? In NaNo land, I’m “LynnHB” and Edie is “emelson”. If you sign up, link to us as buddies and we’ll cheer each other on.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Lynn

Silencing Our Inner Editor

I’ve spoken with a lot of writers who have trouble disconnecting their INNER EDITOR. This overly helpful person lives inside most of us and comes in handy when we’re putting the finishing touches on our manuscript. But when we’re in the midst of a creative surge, that same person can short circuit our progress.

There’s a scientific reason for that roadblock. The creative act of writing your first draft stems from the right side—or creative side—of the brain. Later in the process, when polishing begins, the left side takes over. Here are some of the characteristics of each side.

Right Brain

• Visual in process, focusing more on patterns and images
• Generally intuitive, led by feelings
• Is the epitome of multi-tasking, able to process ideas simultaneously
• Progresses from the big picture to the details
• Lacks organization, utilizes free association

Left Brain

• More verbal, needs to find specific words to express ideas
• Analytical, led by logic
• Takes things step by step, one idea at a time
• Organizes details first before moving to the big picture
• Very organized, utilizing lists and detailed plans

Mixing up the process—trying to use both sides of the brain at the same time—can lead to a tangled mess and a major roadblock. All of this information is good to know, but what if our left-brained, INNER EDITOR won’t go away? How do we make her be quiet? Unfortunately, there isn’t one way that works for everyone, but here are some tips that should help.

1. Don’t give in to temptation. Our INNER EDITOR gets stronger the more frequently we give in to her demands. If she thinks you need a certain word before you can finish that sentence, stay strong. Type XXX and go on. Later, during the rewriting process, you’ll have plenty of time to find the right word. This goes for anything that demands you slow the creative process. At this point in your manuscript speed is your best friend.
2. Set a daily and weekly word count goal. This can often sidetrack the INNER EDITOR because of her need to meet a goal. Sometimes, in her drive to succeed she can even become an ally.
3. Make lists in a separate notebook. Use your computer for the story, but if the need for details overshadows the creative urge, make a quick note in a notebook. Don’t let yourself get bogged down, but let the free association part of your right brain give you ideas to explore later with your more logical left side.
4. Don’t give in to fear. Many times our INNER EDITOR is driven by fear. Fear that this draft isn’t good, won’t work or just doesn’t make sense. Remind yourself that this version isn’t written in stone. Sometimes just giving ourselves permission to write what Anne Lamott calls the sh*%&# first draft is all we need to derail our INNER EDITOR.

All of these can help, but I’d like to know what tricks you use to keep that INNER EDITOR quiet.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie