NaNoWriMo - My Approach

As you know it's that crazy month when writers all over the planet sit at their desks with the sole intention of bashing out 50,000 words - known as National Write a Novel in a Month.

It is not, in my personal opinion of course, about writing a polished manuscript which is ready to submit to agents and publishers come December. For me it is about starting with an outline of a story, and with some pre-planning and a fair bit of fairy dust, writing out a number of scenes which may or may not continue with the path you've plotted. Some writers have become overwhelmed with other participants word count, so much so it has affected their own writing targets. And if I'm honest, as a beginner NaNo'er some four years ago, I can understand their distress. However I have learnt an approach which suits me.

My current word count is over 37k on day 13 of the challenge, but in fact I've only spent 11 of those writing for NaNo - I take Sunday's off. I'm told over at the NaNo camp that by November 18 I will have hit the magical target of 50k. Shall I stop there and declare myself a winner? No, I have another project planned for the second half of the month, which may or may not be realised. But that matters not, at least I'm writing.

My approach is as follows:

• Plan the 'novel' out in some form of outline prior to NaNo. This is not cheating, it's preparation and will help to understand your story before you begin. After years of claiming to be a 'panster' and sitting in front of an empty page, this has been a key development in my writing
• First thing each day I write another outline of each scene I'm going to write - a page of A4 in longhand which might have some dialogue, themes or just the hub of what my characters are getting up to. So I know I can at least write something
• My best time of writing is the morning before the internet is allowed to awaken and I work in silence. However, life often gets in the way and if I've take the twenty minutes to do my scene planning in point two above then I can write any time of the day
• The internal editor and those in any writing software I use (my personal preference is Scrivener) is turned off. I write from my notes and let the characters and story lead the way. Some of it I know I won't use, but you never know, do you?
• Finally, I call my project a 'work in progress' never a novel, that accolade will be used for the published product. Which I know is a long way off, but hey at least I've made a start.

It works for me... and your system will work for you - you just need to find it and believe in it. 

Happy NaNo Writing!

The Moon Goddess Fantasy - NaNoWriMo Project

Last week I awakened my sleeping blog with news of my intention to participate in NaNoWriMo 2013.

Well it's day six and my total word count is 17,113. For those of you unenlightened with NaNo, it's where writers take up the challenge to write 50k words in one month, so by now I should be at 10k at least. So progress is good. I'm aiming for at least 3500 words per day, excluding Sundays, because I believe everyone needs a day off, including my characters. And as I'm hoping to achieve 50k by around day 15, I'm planning another 50k on my Penny and George series. So a kind of double NaNo.

The Moon Goddess Fantasy was first inspired by a Monday Muse I did over at my writers group, Writers Abroad. Each week we take it in turns to post creative writing prompts (on a Monday) and then we are tasked to write for 15 mins freestyle or 500 words. Xanthe, the heroine of this story appeared in this muse.

My second inspiration was seeing huge moon, known as Wolf Moon, the original title of the story. A Wolf Moon occurs in January and because it is closer to the earth than normal, looks as if it is much larger. As though you could walk right through it.

Finally, I came across the symbol of the Moon Goddess, one full moon and two crescent which represent, apparently, the three main stages of womanhood; the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone.

The Moon Goddess fantasy is a pleasure to write, I've created a world that no-on can challenge (because it's of my making) and characters that have animal forms such as a wolf, a white peacock and even trolls! This is a story that began a long time ago, so by the end of November I should have in excess of 80k words, though then the hard work begins, and the real writing must begin...

Next time I'll tell you about Penny and George...

NaNoWriMo 2013 Beckons

Yes, I know it's been an awfully long time since I posted but there are two things that have prompted my need to blog.

Firstly NaNoWriMo 2013 kicks off in a little more than a day and I've signed up. Last year, my darling Simon was ill and I had to give up on November 5th. But all is well now and after a stressful start to 2013 I finally feel as though I have my writing MoJo back.

Secondly, the return of my MoJo has resulted in a complete critique of my 2011 NaNo novel, The Duke's Shadow, which I am now preparing for self publication. More on that in a later post...

So I'm hoping that I can encourage you to stay with me and hopefully, I'll be able to attract more of you to help me shout about my publications. 

The Next Big Thing - The Duke's Shadow

Thanks to Vanessa Couchman, for tagging me in The Next Big Thing Blog. Vanessa is a fellow member of Writers Abroad and a talented, versatile writer. She puts her writing skills to use in her day job as a corporate business writer and regularly writes non-fiction pieces for various markets. Vanessa has also had success in the short story and flash fiction market and has won a Writing Magazine competition for one of her pieces, a prestigious accolade in the writing world. And just lately she has turned her writing hand to more longer pieces, having participated in NaNoWriMo 2012 with her project, The House of Zaronza – her Next Big Thing.

What is the working title of your next book?

Ha, I had to laugh at next… all my ‘books’ are works in progress. But I do have plans to have ‘The Duke’s Shadow’ published by hook or by crook this year – 2013.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It actually came from another book by Bill Bryson, ‘Notes from a Tiny Island’. He makes reference to visiting Welbeck Abbey, which once belonged to family seat of the Dukes of Portland. The fifth Duke of Portland, known as the Mad Duke, was a bit of a mystery but he invested a lot of time and money in the Abbey. It has a vast array of underground tunnels which meant he could get in and out without being seen and a due to his love of horses he built the second largest riding house in the country. He also made a large rink for roller skating when it became fashionable. On further reading of this introverted but fascinating man, I discovered a rumour that he had a second identity, which has never been proven, but which I have fictionalised for the purposes of my novel.

What genre does your book fall under?

I would say first and foremost historical, though many historians might beg to differ. I work on the pretext that historians write about facts and historical writers tell the story.

Which actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Colin Firth for the Duke; Maggie Smith for his mother, The Duchess (if she hadn’t already been taken for Downton so I’ll have to think of someone else); Alex Kingston for his sister, Lottie; Elizabeth Taylor look for his spurned lover the opera singer and Annette Benning for Amelia, the woman he marries. For the creepy butler, Mabbot I would have to cast John Malcovic, though he might even be too creepy! Such Fun!

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

William Kenilworth is a young aristocrat who was never born to be a duke, when his elder brother dies he creates a second identity which he hopes will give him the life he yearns for whilst serving his obligations to his family and his legacy.

Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

I would love to be represented by an agency but need to buckle down to a marketing plan. If not I will self publish the novel.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

30 days as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge 2011, though I did do quite a lot of planning, something I’ve discovered helps my writing, rather than hindering it. I always thought I was a sort of ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ kind of writer… but I don’t think anyone is.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I couldn’t possibly say, I told you that I need to work on my marketing strategy!

What or who inspired you to write this book?

Lots of people; my mother, who I lost all sense of communication with due to Alzheimer’s; my writing group, Writers Abroad, all of whom are so constructive and have helped to build my confidence and skills as a writer; and most of all my husband, who always has so much faith in me.

What else about the book might pique the readers interest?

It is set in mid Victorian times when there was a lot of changes going on industrially, culturally and most importantly for women. Although the main character is male, he is very influence by the women in his life and I hope grows as a character because of that. That someone could create a second identity is also an intriguing plot line if not a complicated one and I hope to make the transitions smooth. Truth will out no doubt.

I’m supposed to tag other writers to this, but despite my efforts I have been unable to find anyone who hasn’t already been tagged or has a project which they would like to tag. So if you are reading this and would like to be tagged  - shout out and I shall do my duty…

Rising from the Ashes

It's been a long time since I blogged. I was intending to take only couple of months off but life, as usual, had other plans. So like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes, it's the time to dust of the cobwebs and knuckle down. I'm not a great fan of the New Year, I must admit. The pressure (most of it of my own making) to put on a happy face and welcome the opportunity of a 'clean sheet' can be a little wearing. I don't make resolutions, but I do always make a writing plan (this year I've called it a 'pledge', more of an intention than a plan!).
It's a pretty ambitious list of pledges, but I'm going to be celebrating (very quietly) a big 'O' birthday this year, and I just have to make a big effort to become a published writer of a novel. That might be the traditional way, though highly unlikely. And the only one who can make it happen is me. So I'm dedicating my spare time (of which I have more than most) to making 2013 'that' year.

Resurrecting my blog wasn't one of them actually but a request from a friend had me thinking (more of which you will find out in the next post).

So, a Happy New Year to all my fellow writers, many of whom I shall be needing a strong shoulder to lean on and a constructive deconstruct of my scribbling....

Until Later