Thursday Review—NaNoWriMo

Last November, our own Lynn Blackburn posted a review ofNaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month). This year, I thought I’d give you a little heads up BEFORE November arrives.

NaNoWriMo is an idea that has exploded in popularity. The idea is that you write the first draft (minimum of 50,000 words) of a novel in one month. At first this may sound ridiculous, but many writing instructors advocate writing your first draft quickly, without editing. James Scott Bell encourages this in his book, The Art of War for Writers. I highly recommend this book, by the way and it was the very first book reviewed on this blog. Curious to learn more? Click here to read the review.

So how do you get involved with NaNoWriMo?

• First, visit their website and set up an account.
• Second, familiarize yourself with their site and the many things they offer.
• Third, start brainstorming ideas. 

Yep, I’ve found it helps me to have an idea of where I’m going with my novel. I don’t want to get into the whole, plotter or pantster debate, but I highly recommend at least a glimmer of an idea before you start.

And I have the perfect place to help you get ready—My BookTherapy. This group, started by award winning author, Susan May Warren, is dedicated to help writers succeed. Last year, MBT began WriMo, a smaller group of NaNoWriMo writers and the result was phenomenal. They had contests, help groups, everything a manic novelist could need (except chocolate—and I urge you to stock up on that). This year they will continue with the contests and fellowship and I’ve also heard rumors of special WriMo recipes, organization techniques and lots of other fun. I strongly urge everyone pop over and see what they have to offer this year. You will need to register and become a voice. But there's no fee involved for general access.

Still unconvinced it’s for you? Consider this, people participate in NaNo for many reasons—many of them good—here are just a few to consider.

• For Fun: maybe you’ve been toying with the idea of writing a novel. Here’s your time to give it a try.
• To Jumpstart Your Next Book: if you write professionally, the work of writing can sometimes get in the way of actual writing. NaNo can help you get back on track.
• An Accountability Group: Some of us just do better when we have to report on our progress. NaNoWriMo actually requires that.
• A Deadline and Goal: I don’t know about you, but I can do almost anything for a month—give up chocolate, start an exercise program, get familiar with a new routine. Why not try writing a novel?
• Company in a Lonely Endeavor: writing is a solitary pursuit and can often be intimidating and discouraging. Aligning with a group that has a shared goal and purpose helps alleviate the loneliness and helps keep us motivated.
• To Win: yes, I admit it. I’m highly competitive and just thinking about NaNoWriMo gets my adrenalin pumping. 

I’d love to keep up with all of you who are doing NaNoWriMo, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know your NaNoWriMo name (you choose it when you register). Mine is easy to remember:

EdieMelson

Also, if you’ve participated in NaNoWriMo previously, we’d like your suggestions and comments on the experience.

So, don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Feeling Emotional—Don’t Tell Anyone!

instead show them

Telling the story, instead of showing it, is one of the most common mistakes beginners make. During the first draft almost all of us, no matter how advanced, tend to tell a lot of the story. It’s only natural. This is the time when our manuscript comes together and telling allows us to develop the bones or structure of the story before we refine it into a compelling work of fiction. But beginners often stop the refining process too early. So how do we take a story from just bare bones? One of the best ways is to add depth by showing how our characters feel without naming the emotions.

Now, I know a lot of you are probably having the same reaction I did when I first heard it wasn’t a good idea to name an emotion. I had a rather loud conversation with the writing book that first shared this nugget of information.

“You have got to be kidding me! Who made up this stupid rule? How can I tell the reader what’s going on if I don’t use words like scared or angry?”

And there is the crux of the problem—beginning writers always default back to telling the story. Writing fiction is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort to write a book and write it well. You already know this—after all that’s why you’re taking the time to read and study about how to improve.

Like I mentioned, I didn’t have a positive reaction to my first exposure to this convention. But now it’s an aspect of rewriting that I enjoy and even look forward to. I look on this as a challenge—a game of sorts. The best part of this game is that when I, the author wins, everybody else does too. Am I nuts? Absolutely, but I am, after all, a writer!

Let me give you some examples. I’ll start each out with an excerpt where I name the emotion. Then, in the second, I'll let you see how I changed it to let the reader name the emotion by interpreting the character’s actions.

Example 1

Emotions Named:

She began to cry as shame and anger warred inside. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice sounded hoarse as she tried to control her frustration.

Emotions Implied:

Tears flooded her eyes, making his features blur as she lifted her head and tried to focus. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice came out like a croak and she tried to clear her throat, but choked on the unshed tears.

The first excerpt tells the reader what’s going on. Granted, the writing is clear, but we’ve all heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words. The second excerpt is that picture. It invites the reader into the action and leaves them to draw their own conclusions.

Here’s another one.

Example 2

Emotions Named:

Manaen rose, her anger giving her strength as she faced her brother. “Do not think to intimidate me.” His arrogance amazed her even as it infuriated her. “I am not a child to be bullied. My Lord’s Spirit speaks to me as clearly as to you.”

Emotions Implied:

Manaen rose in response, her eyes almost even with his as she drew herself up to her full height, oblivious of her feminine garment. “Do not think to intimidate me.” Her jaw worked as she gritted her teeth. “I am not a child to be bullied. My Lord’s Spirit speaks to me as clearly as to you.”

And a final one.

Example 3

Emotions Named:

Rage sent Josiah shooting to his feet. “I tell you, Manaen, I’ve never witnessed any Elder behave in this manner.” Josiah paced, feeling like his world was collapsing. Confusion made him restless. “I just don’t understand.”

Emotions Implied:

He shot up from the desk, upsetting the chair. “I tell you, Manaen, I’ve never witnessed any Elder behave in this manner.” Josiah prowled through the briefing area of their quarters, picking things up and setting them down again. “I just don’t understand.”

Now it’s your turn. Take one of these two sentences and show us the emotion in place of naming it.

Example 1

Susan’s agony flooded through her as sorrow mingled with guilt. “What have I done?”

Example 2

“Hello? Who’s there?” Jenny’s fear reached a crescendo as the footsteps above moved toward the stairs.

I can't wait to see what you come up with - so

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Thursday Review—Interview with an Internal Editor

Join me in welcoming Lynn Huggins Blackburn back as guest blogger!

Interview with an Internal Editor
by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

I successfully completed my 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo. It’s been a fantastic experience. However, my internal editor, well, let’s just say she sees things a bit differently. I thought you might enjoy eavesdropping on our conversation from earlier this week.

Lynn Huggins Blackburn (LHB): Hi!
Internal Editor (IE): I’m sorry. Did you say something?
LHB: You sound awful IE. Do you have a cold?
IE: No, I do not have a cold. I’ve been yelling at the top of my lungs for the past month.
LHB: Could I get you some, tea?
IE: I don’t want tea. I want answers. I want to know why you’ve been ignoring me. We were a team in September. Then November rolls around and it’s “See ya, IE.”
LHB: I thought I’d explained. It’s NaNoWriMo time. Time to churn out words and save the editing for later.
IE: You explained . . . and chose to ignore the fact that I told you this was a mistake. And I was right.
LHB: I don’t think so.
IE: You don’t. Well, let’s look at the facts, shall we. How about that little scene you wrote where your heroine spends 48-hours on a plane. Do you realize that unless the sun has started setting west to east, you’ve got some timeline issues?
LHB: Yeah, but—
IE: How about that subplot you started around 1/3 of the way in . . . and NEVER picked up.
LHB: I know I need to add a few—
IE: A few? You’ve left out the entire “suspense” subplot in the first 30K. I’m sorry, but you do claim to write romantic suspense, do you not?
LHB: I have some research to do—
IE: Ya think? I noticed all those notes you made in your Scrivener files. “Need to find out what kind of fish people catch off the Outer Banks.” You couldn’t take five minutes to find out?
LHB: Well, no. That’s the whole point. I’ll fix it while I’m editing and re-writing. I didn’t want to lose the flow of the story.
IE: Lose the flow . . . sweetheart, you barely have a story. You’ve got pages of drivel. By the way, do the initials R.U.E. mean anything to you?
LHB: Resist the Urge to Explain.
IE: Then how do you explain the way you seem to think your reader is an imbecile?
LHB: I think I’ll resist the urge to explain that.
IE: You think you’re funny, don’t you. Well, while you were enjoying your 30 days and nights of literary abandon, I’ve been looking at my new work load. In the 50K you’ve written so far, you used “was” 636 times. You can’t think that’s acceptable.
LHB: Some sentences will need to be re-written—
IE: And let’s not even get started on your pitiful excuses for speaker beats. How many times are you going have that poor girl nod her head or shrug? At least have her reach for a cup of coffee or brush a piece of lint off her pants.
LHB: People do shrug. Hey, did you just roll your eyes?
IE: Yeah. I did. But not as much as the characters in your story do.
LHB: Look, I get what you’re saying. But let me ask you this, what did you edit in October?
IE: Several blog posts, a book review, a few devotions.
LHB: Keep you busy?
IE: No, not really.
LHB: And how much do you have to work on now?
IE: 50,000 sloppy words. I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.
LHB: Well, don’t worry. You’ve got some time.
IE: Time? What do you mean time? We’ve got to get busy.
LHB: Um . . . I thought you understood. The novel isn’t complete. I’ve got another 50K to write. I don’t think I’ll finish until January or February.
IE: You’ve got to be joking. You . . . you can’t do this to me! You need me!
LHB: I do. But not yet. I’ll touch base with you in a few months, OK?
IE: A few months? But . . . but . . .NOOOOOOOO!

She’s not very happy with me, I’m afraid. Poor thing has lost her voice completely. Not that she isn’t still mouthing insults at me. Still, she loves a challenge. I’m sure she’ll come around when I need her.

In January.

So how was your November? Did you dive into NaNoWriMo? Let us know how it went. And if your internal editor is still speaking to you.

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

Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. On her blog Out of the Boat she writes about faith and family while her blog Perpetual Motion documents the joys and challenges of loving and rearing a child with special needs. A graduate of Clemson University, Lynn lives in South Carolina where she writes, reads, knits, takes care of two amazing children, one fabulous man and one spoiled rotten Boston Terrier.