NaNoRevisMo

So NaNoRevisMo is going strong...when I actually get to sit down for a chunk of time and immerse myself in the story. See, I'm still at the stage where I'm tweaking the heart of the story. Of course there are times when I can't resist doing a few line edits, but for the most part I'm focusing on getting the story flowing correctly. Pacing is a big issue for me right now.

I've come to the realization that different stages of revision require different amounts of brainpower. I can line edit in the middle of the living room while Thing 1 drives trucks across the wood floor and Thing 2 goes to town on the Wii. But when it comes to smoothing the story, to adding in missing details and clues, I need quiet. And I need a chunk of time. My brain just can't immerse itself in the story when one eye is constantly on alert for a sibling scuffle.

So I'm squeezing in the edits where I can. An hour here another hour there. It would be nice if I didn't need so much sleep! I can draft in the early morning hours because my sleepy mind just lets the story flow. This revision requires analysis, and an alert brain. So sleep, at least for me, is a must.

I have to admit there are times when I just want to throw the whole thing out and start something new. It's that seductive lure of a new story. But what a waste of two years that would be. And really, no story gets to the end without massive revisions. So really I'd just be delaying the inevitable. So I persevere. I'll get to "The End" one of these days, and so will all you. See you guys on the other side. :)

Write on!

Holli's Ramblings

I'm all over the place these days. There never seems to be enough time. And yet I always take a portion of my day to click through the blogs I follow. I may not always comment, but I always read. One blog in particular really grounded me this afternoon.


If you have not ventured over to Holli's Ramblings, I suggest you do so today. Her post on African missionaries stopped me cold, made me think about my own life--what's important.

http://hollisramblings.blogspot.com/2009/11/modern-mission.html

So often we stress over trivial things, we get bogged down in stuff. We forget the suffering that goes on in the world, because it's not our world. Not today.

I may never see Africa, may never set foot on her parched piece of this Earth, but I think of her struggles when I read Holli's words. And I remember. And I hope.

Hello, 1950s!

I am in love with this dress. A fellow blogger (PJ over at Seens from the back of my eyelids) had a post up today with some great Christmas present ideas from a place called etsy. Maybe I'm living in a bubble, but I'd never heard of it. Me, not knowing an online store? How can it be???

Headed right over, of course. And look what I found. 1950s Love.

You can get the full experience here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33737811

But if you buy it, you have to send me a pic of you wearing it. Consider it my finders fee.

Sometimes I wonder if I was born into the wrong time...

No NaNo here.

Every November the NaNo posts start popping up around the blogosphere and I find myself going through fits of hair-tearing jealousy. Of course, I could push my revision aside and start a new story. Oh, the joys of a new story! Ah...just thinking about it makes me flushed with happiness.

No. You hear me, brain? No, no, no!

It seems every November I'm revising. My timing must just be off. But, I can't give up on this story. I have to see it to the end. So I've decided that this November I'm going to take motivation from all the NaNo word count meters and bust my butt with revisions. If I could finish by the end of the month I'd be ecstatic. Ecstatic I say!

So, go go go all you Nanoers. I'm rooting for you, even if I can't officially join you. :)

Time flies and all that

Three days until my company leaves. Then Halloween. November 1st my time will be my own again until Thanksgiving. I should do NaNo just to give myself that kick in the pants I always lack once I get the house back in order.

I always forget how much company wears me out. There's just another dimension there, the entertaining even when just hanging out. Last night I went to bed when the boys did. Today I'm feeling much more refreshed.

Writing suffers during visiting time. I try to sneak away and crank out some edits, but my head just isn't in it. So I read. Just finished Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. If you haven't read it, and you write YA, go get it. Becca did a fabulous job building and maintaining tension throughout. I loved it!

Reading from Nora's POV in Hush, Hush got me to thinking about my MC, Cara. All along I've been feeling a little removed from her. She's closed off by nature, but as the writer, she just shouldn't be this closed off to me. I realized last night what the problem is. At times, I'm fully there, with her. But at other times, I'm not in her head. I'm only behind her eyes. And while you can tell a story that way, the depth just isn't there. I don't want to just see what she sees. I want to feel it, live the story with her. Add that to my editorial letter. :)

It's always good to recognize where your writing is lacking. It makes me feel like I'm growing as a writer. If you can't see the mistakes, you can't fix them. This I can fix. It's certainly not going to be easy, but it will be worthwhile. Which brings me back to reading.

I think as writers we (at least I do at times) push aside the reading to work on our own stories. And yes, absolutely that's important. But so is reading. Reading a good book is motivating on so many levels. It isn't just for entertainment. Reading teaches us what works, what doesn't, and everything in between. I forget that sometimes in the push to finish a round of revisions.

So in a way, my company helped me to recognize a flaw in the telling of my story. My character can be stronger, and now that I know the problem. November will be all about fixing it.

I'll get back to the revision post shortly, but wanted to share the revelation. Read, read, read, there's a reason we love it so much.

Company

Company has descended on my household. Translation: part two of my revision post does not yet exist. After fixing dinner and cleaning up all the dishes (in the same night, imagine! Cause you know my chores are never neglected or anything. *snort*), I'm pooped. So look for the post tomorrow. Now it's bath time for Thing 1 and Thing 2. Then bed for all.

Nighty night.

How I Revise (in parts)

I thought it might be interesting--and timely--to talk about the revision process. The point being, my process might be entirely different from yours, and if that's the case, we might all learn a few things. Here goes...


So you have a rough draft. Hooray! Totally not being sarcastic here. Do you know how many people start novels and never finish? That first draft puts you leaps and bounds above the masses. Give yourself a pat on the back. Done? Good. Now the real work begins.


I love writing first drafts. The creating, watching the story emerge, getting to know the characters, I love it all. Revision, not so much. But...and it's a big but, it's what you do after you finish that rough draft that makes the novel sing.


For me, the first thing I like to do is make a list of all the things I know will need to be changed in future drafts. Call it my editorial letter to myself. In this letter I include everything I can think of that will need to be accomplished in edits. Big, small, astronomical, it all goes in. My current letter is five pages long, but hey, I figure when the time comes, my real editorial letter won't feel so overwhelming. I'll have had a lot of practice by then.


Examples from my letter:

• Bring the setting to life. The reader needs to feel it, needs to know what it's like to live on the Rez.


• Make sure Cara's character arc is a reflection of her emotional journey. Don't lose sight of the inner journey once the s*&t hits the fan.


• Beef up the ____ subplot, it disappears for too long.*


• What is the ____'s motivation? Convey that.*

So with the first round of revisions, I like to tackle the big things. As hard as it is, I don't allow myself to fiddle with words, smooth sentences or otherwise polish. Big picture first. Why polish a chapter that could very well end up cut?

Okay, so you've got yourself a second draft. You've incorporated all the big things you had on your list. Character arcs are arcing, subplots are flowing, nobody disappears for half the book. Good. Do a little dance, it's time for a new draft.

By now, your words are stuck in your head like a certain Vanilla Ice song. You're too close to it. Here's my advice: Step away from the manuscript. Seriously. Step. Away. Couple weeks should do it. I'll be the first to admit this is tough. All that work you've completed makes you want to push on to the end. Don't. Trust me. A little distance will work wonders for the next phase. You're going to need all that freshness to catch the nasty little writing crutches that have slipped through your tired little brain.

Tune in tomorrow for part two.

*Names withheld to keep my CP in the dark. (mwa-ha-ha-ha)

First paragraphs

I did it. For years I've enjoyed Nathan Bransford's blog and contests, but have never had the guts to enter. Until now.

I tucked my nerves away and did it. I'm one of over 2000. Poor man will have permanent blurred vision by the time he's finished reading them all.

So there you go. The contest is open until 4PM (Pacific time) today if there's anyone out there who hasn't yet entered. And if you're reading this, let me know if you enter. I'd love to check out your opening. I'm number 1601.

Yay.

Author bios

I love author bios, especially when they're humorous. How fun is it to learn that ______ was ___________, or ___________ was _____________? Typically, I read these facts and chuckle. Of course, I also assume them to be true. Then again, I assume most things to be true, which has not always been the best thing for me. People, it seems, lie.

Anyway, lately I've been having thoughts about author bios. Not mine personally (ha! I try not to get ahead of myself), but as they relate to me. My life, it seems, has been fairly normal. And that appears to be a downfall. That's not to say I haven't had interesting experiences, haven't known unusual people. My ________ is full. Well, full enough for me. I just haven't ________, or ________. Odd jobs don't fill my resume. Nor crazy experiences my repertoire. Does this hurt my writing? Are such crazy histories necessary to write entertaining fiction?

Honestly, I don't think so. But the more I think about it, the more I realize all of us have crazy experiences. It's all about how we market them. I don't think about the time I got lost in Amsterdam at the age of 11 as a significant life event. But it is a good story, and maybe that's the point. The bio, like the novel, is meant to entertain. Because really, who cares that I spent years as a bean counter when they can know I once peed my pants at the World Series. (Did I seriously just type that?)

All things to consider. Yeah it's a long way down the road. But as you reflect on your own crazy life, maybe there's a seed there that will inspire you. It might not make it into your author bio, it might just make it into your novel. And what could be better than that?

Riding the beach towel

Thing 1 and Thing 2 have discovered the joys of riding a beach towel through the house. We have laminate wood floors throughout, which makes the perfect surface for their towel surfing. Hours of entertainment, I'm telling you.


I've been watching the phenomenon from the couch, surrounded by the plethora of toys they have chosen to ignore in favor of a beach towel.


This is a lesson for me, as a mother and a writer.


1. My children do not need so many toys. (Now there's a revelation. *snort*)


2. I can fiddle with words, craft lyrical sentences and elaborate metaphors, but sometimes all the fancy stuff just gets in the way. Sometimes all the story needs is a simple truth, an uncomplicated sentence. Sometimes, I need to push all the rules aside and ride the beach towel.


And sometimes I need to step away from the computer and ride along with them.

I'm off!