Guest Post: Deva Fagan

Well, folks, National Novel Writing Month is coming to a close.  I can hear the tappity tapping of each little key as NaNovelers frantically try to meet their deadline!  What better time for another fabulous guest post?

Today I'd like to welcome Deva Fagan, author of Fortune's Folly (Henry Holt & Co., 2009), The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle (Henry Holt & Co., 2010), and the upcoming Circus Galacticus (Harcourt, 2011).

Deva presents...

A Tale of Two NaNoWriMos

I first did NaNoWriMo back in 2003, and it was a wonderful experience. I tried it again last year and failed miserably. Don’t worry, though, this isn’t going to be a tale of woe and misery. I still think NaNoWriMo can be a great tool. But as with everything in your writing kit, you have to decide if it’s the right tool for you, and for your current project.

In 2003 I had been grinding away on a long, serious epic fantasy novel for the past year or more, when a friend of mine told me about NaNoWriMo. He said a bunch of other folks I knew were going to give is a shot, and invited me to join them. By that point I was sick of my “serious” book, and also kind of desperate to meet some other writers. So I dusted off a funny little idea about a girl who told fake fortunes, and said yes. The six of us created a Yahoo group to cheer each other onward. And at the end of the month, I had over 50K. A few weeks later, I had a completed draft of Fortune’s Folly. A few years later, that book got me an agent, and then a publishing contract. And now it’s out there in libraries and bookstores. Sure it’s changed some-- I completely rewrote the ending and went through at least five beginnings-- but the heart of the book remains the same as the story I was madly outlining on October 31, 2003.

Fast-forward to last year, when I decided to give NaNoWriMo another try. I’d written a couple other books since 2003, and sold a couple of them. I had an idea for a new book, and I figured NaNoWriMo would be a good way to kick-start it.

I think I wrote about 6K words total that month. And then I didn’t write anything at all in December.

So what was the difference?

First, I had a support group in 2003. Okay, the competition probably helped too. I sure didn’t want to be the ONLY ONE in the group who didn’t finish! (And in fact all of us DID finish, go team!) Last year, while I did know folks who were doing NaNoWriMo, and added dozens of “buddies” to my list, it wasn’t the same. I think it’s fantastic that NaNoWriMo now has such a rich array of forums, but I also think that for folks like me, it can be more helpful to form a smaller, more focused support group.

Second, I picked a project in 2003 that was light and breezy. I do like to think there are some deeper themes and issues in Fortune’s Folly, but it’s also fairly plot-driven. The book I was trying to write last year was darker, more emotional, and more character-driven. So maybe it just wasn’t a good choice for NaNoWriMo: the more I forced the words out, the more I hated what I was writing.

Third, last year I was lazy. I have no excuse for that except that I had recently discovered Project Runway.

So would I do NaNoWriMo again? Definitely. (I may even have signed up for this year...) The best thing about NaNoWriMo, in my opinion, is the kick-in-the-pants it can give us when we’re struggling to get started on something. So if you need it, go out there and grab some of that enthusiasm! But if it’s not working for you, or for this book, give yourself permission to break the rules, and do what is best for YOU and YOUR BOOK, whether that’s writing fast, or slow, or somewhere in between.

Deva Fagan writes fantasy and science fiction for teens and tweens.  She lives in Maine with her husband and her dog. When she's not writing she spends her time reading, doing geometry, and dressing up as imaginary people. She believes stories have the power to change the world. You can read more about Deva and her books at www.devafagan.com.

So, NaNovelers, take heart!  If you're able to finish, fabulous!  If not, there's always next year, or maybe NaNo's just not the right tool for you or for your book.  

Thanks, Deva, for wrapping up our NaNoWriMo guest posts with such a super one!

A NaNoWriMo Confession

I have been putting off writing this post, but I won't put it off any longer.

I am not going to finish NaNoWriMo this year.  I knew going into it that I'm busier now than I ever have been in Novembers past, and I decided (about 2 weeks ago) that it's more worthwhile for me to concentrate on the things I need to do (my job, the Cybils) and the things I really want to do (practice my choir music, read awesome books, sleep) than to grind out 30k more words.

Going into this year's novel, I had a strong idea of what I wanted to write, but my idea turned out not to be a 50,000 word idea.  And you know what?  That's okay.  I'm okay with giving up on NaNoWriMo this year.

If you have already hit 50k, that's amazing!!!  Huzzah!!!

If you are still going with your novel, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!  You can do it!!!!

And if you have decided that 50,000 words are not in the cards for you this year, that's okay.  Maybe next year.  Or maybe the year after that.  Or maybe not.  For me, I don't plan on seriously pursuing publication, so the most important thing about NaNoWriMo for me is to have fun.  And this year I decided to have fun doing other things instead of writing my 50,000 words.

Guest Post: Author Denise Jaden

My excitement over NaNoWriMo continues and so do the guest posts!  In honor of National Novel Writing Month, I'm hosting several wonderful authors who started or worked on their books as part of NaNoWriMo.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Denise Jaden, author of the 2010 debut Losing Faith (Simon Pulse).  Denise is a member of the Class of 2k10 and lives in British Columbia, Canada.  I asked her about her experience with NaNoWriMo and this is what she had to say:

Back in 2007 I had heard of NaNoWriMo a few times, but didn’t really understand what it was until my critique partner explained it to me. She pretty much insisted we attempt it together, since she’d had great success with it the year before. I was excited, and at her suggestion, I worked on my first outline in anticipation.


I knew from the start that I didn’t want to get too absorbed in the social aspects of NaNo. I barely thought I had the time to write the book, let alone spend anytime online talking about it. I generally just checked in each day and updated my word count. Sometimes my critique partner and I would email and congratulate each other on big milestones.


I’m an extremely goal-driven person (just ask my husband, who lives in our hurricane of a house each November). The daily word count updates, and that nifty little bar that showed me how far I had gone and how far I had yet to go were the things that kept me going. I needed to complete it. It’s just how I am.

I believe my first draft of my 2007 novel, Losing Faith (Simon & Schuster, 2010), came in at around 48,000 words complete. I could not bear to leave the goal undone, so I went back and fleshed out a few of the bare scenes (there were lots to choose from, as I am an under-writer). I was truly ecstatic when I hit (and surpassed by a couple thousand words) the 50k mark. It felt like such an unbelievable accomplishment, and even though I knew the story had some holes, I felt so incredibly capable. If I could write a draft in thirty days (twenty-one actually) then I felt like I could do anything!


I’d been trying to get published prior to NaNo, so I definitely had hopes of get this novel published, but really, I was amazed at how quickly the process happened. I’d spent several years on each of my first two novels, but with my NaNo novel, I revised it and had an agent representing it within just under a year. And I had an offer after having it out on submission for only about six weeks.


I can’t say that every NaNo project will go this way, and in fact I still have novels from the last couple of years that are nowhere near ready for publishing. But it only took a month of my life to write each one of them! And I know if I spend the time, there is some good stuff there to work with. Which is more than I can say for a blank page.


I LOVE NaNo and encourage all writers to give it a try. People need to find their own system that works for them—some may need a lot of the camaraderie in the forums to keep them going. For me though, all I need is the goal, and it works every time.

Thanks for stopping by, Denise!

Guest Post: Laurel Snyder

As y'all know, I've been hosting some very special authors this month in honor of National Novel Writing Month.  We're halfway through the month (how's your word count?)  Today I have the pleasure of hosting Laurel Snyder, author of several children's books including the recently released Penny Dreadful (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2010).

Here's Laurel!

My involvement with NaNoWriMo actually began when I was asked to send them something, as an author, for the Young Writers' Program. They wanted to me to offer some personal inspiration for writer's block, and I sent this:  http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/node/501138.    I remember being  amazed at the resources they offered to  kids. The experience was great.  I patted myself on the back for participating as a mentor of sorts.


But when, only a year later, I found myself getting ready to start a new novel in October, I was a little scared to  try the NaNoWriMo experience as a participant.  I knew that if I was going to nudge kids into sticking with the system, I should be able to do it myself. Yet  I remember being pretty intimidated.


For me, the hardest part was just learning to write FAST!  I started my writing career as a poet, and I tend to work slowly, word by word. I'd never really measured myself for speed/length before.  Often, on any given day, my WIP actually shrinks. So the idea of measuring in word count was mildly terrifying.  But I kept at it.  And it was a really good lesson for me.  I learned to work in solid stretches. To keep my butt in the chair.

Of course, Penny Dreadful changed dramatically after NaNoWriMo ended.  I rewrote the book several times.  But the great lesson for me was simply that I can do that-- can write fast and sloppy, work like a fiend, and then let go of my mistakes.  It's a hard thing to learn, but well worth it. In a sense, NaNoWriMo taught me that any month can be NaNoWriMo.


Laurel grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Atlanta, GA.  She's a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, a former Michener-Engle Fellow, a commentator for NPR's All Things Considered, and, most importantly, a mom.  


Thanks so much for stopping by, Laurel! 

Dear Character, I'm Sorry

(This one goes out to my dear friend Meghan who loves this game. :) 

That's right!  It's time to play Dear Character, I'm Sorry, in which National Novel Writing Month authors write letters apologizing to their characters for the mean and nasty stuff we have to do to them (or just for how bad our writing is).  It's a fun way to get a little glimpse into your fellow novelists' books, without sharing any of the hideous, cliche-ridden writing (I'm speaking only for myself, of course).  And HEY, if you play along, drop me a link in comments and I'll round 'em all up.

Dear Raina,

I'm sorry that I put you in a position of having to choose, but hey, I needed some INNER TURMOIL.  I'm sorry that you have felt uncomfortable for basically the past sixteen years.  And I'm really sorry your heart pounds so often.  I really need to think of a different way to say that.

Dear Meryl, 

I'm sorry for what happened to you because, really, it is truly awful.  HOWEVER, I think there *might* be a cure in book 2 (if I ever write book 2... maybe for your sake I will...)

Dear Elijah, 

I'm sorry that Raina is probably not going to pick you.  You are adorkable and only slightly creepy.  Plus, what a magnificent kiss you guys had...

Dear Luke,

I'M NOT SORRY FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE FABULOUS.  If Raina doesn't pick you, she is a moron.  I just hope you expose your sweet, soulful side and treat her right.  (I am pretty sure you will.)

Dear Jada, 

I'm sorry you don't have a boyfriend!  I might just have to remedy that!

Love,
Your Author

Guest Post: Dia Reeves

It's that time again!  Time for another jolt of NaNoWriMo inspiration and I'm pleased to welcome Dia Reeves, librarian (!!!) and author of the 2010 YA debut Bleeding Violet (Simon Pulse, 2010) and the upcoming Slice of Cherry (Simon Pulse, 2011).  Dia lives near Dallas, TX.

Without further ado, here's Dia!

I did my first NaNo in 2005 with the first book I ever wrote and finished, which was Bleeding Violet. I won that year and went on to publish that book (but only after two and a half years of revision). In 2008 I did NaNo again with Slice of Cherry, which is about to become my second published book (it comes out in January). I consider NaNo to be a good luck tradition when it comes to me and my books, and that's why I'm entering again this year with book number three.

Writing fifty thousand words in thirty days isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, though. People tend to write their beginnings really easily, but then once that initial excitement wears off, they find themselves at a loss and with no idea what to write next. What I do to combat that mid-novel slump is this: In October, I come up with my master list. I write down thirty scenes that I need in my novel on just one sheet of paper, and each day in November I pick a scene and write. That way, come November 15th, I don't run out of gas and end up staring blankly at the computer.

Even though October is over and NaNo is upon us, I think writing down a list of scenes is still something people can do if they find themselves stuck. It's certainly much more effective than yelling at your computer or throwing pieces of Thanksgiving turkey at it. Trust me on that one, and happy writing!

So, NaNovelers, if you feel yourself starting to run out of steam, take a hint from Dia and spend some time jotting down the scenes you want to write.  The month is still young!  You can do it!

Thanks for stopping by, Dia!

Guest Post: Author Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

It's November!!!  That means it's time for NaNoWriMo!!  And I'm so excited about it that I've coerced several awesome authors into writing guest posts for me about their experiences with writing 50,000 words (give or take) in a month.

Today, it's my pleasure to welcome Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of the wonderful upcoming novel Selling Hope, to Abby (the) Librarian.

NaNoWriMo was, to me, always one of those things like running a marathon: “Wow, wouldn’t it be fun to write a novel in 30 days?” Then the doubt would creep in: “You don’t write like that, Kristin.  You’re an outliner, a meticulous planner.  If you were trapped in a paper bag, you’d draw a map to find your way out.”  And on and on and on.

But then in late 2008 my friend Candie Moonshower (The Legend of Zoey, Delacorte 2006) encouraged me to give it a try.  What do you have to lose? she pointed out.  It was true – I wouldn’t collapse from exhaustion or extreme dehydration.  The very worst thing that could happen was I’d end up shy of my goal, with a bunch of crummy words.  The very best thing that could happen?  I could finally finish Selling Hope.

Selling Hope was one of those stories that had been chewing away at my brain for years, and I had tried to write it several ways: YA, then middle grade.  With several siblings, then without them.  With an evil father, then with an understanding father.  I finally developed a very detailed, 20-page outline for the story that I really liked. Now I just had to write the darn thing.

Coincidentally, that was the end of October.  So when Candie approached me with the idea of participating in NaNoWriMo, I was ripe for the pickin’.  I signed up and never looked back.

I suppose it’s considered “cheating” by NaNo standards that I’d already plotted my story.  But Selling Hope is historical fiction, and I’d been researching it for years.  I knew the story I wanted to tell – one of hope in a time of near hopelessness – but I didn’t know the exact path it would take until I finished the book in 30 days in November 2008. 

I typed “The End” before the end of November.  The final manuscript was just over 50,000 words.  After a few rounds of revisions, I submitted it to Adams Literary, and Josh Adams became my agent in February 2009.  He sold the story to Feiwel & Friends in March.  Selling Hope comes out this November 9.  

NaNoWriMo taught me to silence my inner critic and plow forward.  It taught me to write in smaller snippets of time, rather than in the huge chunks I’d always “required” prior.  And having a handful of us going through it together, cheering each other on via a private Yahoo! email group, made it fun, too.  

If you’re considering giving NaNo a try, remember that the worst case scenario for you, too, would be to end up shy of your goal with a bunch of crummy words to show for your efforts.  But the best case scenario is having a book come to life.  

Kristin O’Donnell Tubb is the author of Selling Hope (Feiwel & Friends 2010) and Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte 2008/Yearling 2010). Her website is www.kristintubb.com. She will be polishing a middle grade fantasy, The 13th Sign, during this year’s NaNo, and would love to see you on the NaNo boards!

Happy NaNoWriMo Eve!

That's right, folks!  Tonight at 12:01am, it will be November 1 and the official start of National Novel Writing Month!  Happy NaNoWriMo Eve!

So, now I want the scoop.  Who's staying up 'til midnight to start writing?  Who's taking the day off tomorrow to work on the novel?  

Do you have an outline or are you winging it? 

I'm happy to announce that I'll have some special guest posts from YA and Middle Grade authors during the month of November to celebrate NaNoWriMo.  Who'll be here?  Well, 

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of the upcoming novel Selling Hope (Feiwel & Friends, 2010), as well as Autumn Winnifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte, 2008). 

Denise Jaden, author of the 2010 debut Losing Faith (Simon Pulse, 2010). 

Laurel Snyder, author of Penny Dreadful (Random House, 2010) and Any Which Wall (Random House, 2009) and a bunch of others!

And more...! 

So, Happy NaNoWriMo Eve, everyone!  Good luck! 

YA Authors + NaNoWriMo

Hey, are you or someone you know a published YA or children's author (or have an upcoming pub) who started or worked on your novel as part of National Novel Writing Month?  Are you willing to write a short guest post for me (I have prompts!  You don't have to follow them if you don't want to!)?

If so, please contact me at abbylibrarian@gmail.com (or leave a comment here or Tweet me at @abbylibrarian).

Thank you, thank you!

(As you can see, I'm cooking up something for the blog for next month... if I get any responses to my plea...!)

Sign Up for NaNoWriMo (If You Are Crazy Like Me)

I was so excited about the Cybils nominations opening that I almost completely forgot that registration for National Novel Writing Month opened on October 1!

National Novel Writing Month is held in November each year and participants try their darndest to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.  The purpose is to encourage creative endeavors, to get words down on paper, to stop worrying about how good it is and just do it. 


Nothing counts except your word count.  No one will read your novel unless you want them to.  The novels aren't necessarily ever published (although in some cases, authors have gone on to revise and sell their NaNoWriMo novels!).

Write a novel because it's fun.  Because you love to write.  Because it can be great therapy at the end of a hard day.  Because there's a whole community of thousands of other people doing the same thing you are, and they will commiserate with you and root you on and challenge you more than you ever thought a community of relative strangers could.

I love NaNoWriMo and I've "won" it (to win, you must complete at least 50,000 words by the end of the day on November 30) the past six years.  This will be novel #7!

So, anybody with me?  Feel free to add me as a writing buddy!  I promise to cheer you on!!

Done! DOOONE!!!

And with 50,275 words, I am officially DONE. Hooray!

I don't actually hate my entire novel (though I do hate most of it) and there remains a small possibility that I might actually make a go of revising this one. I know a few changes I want to make right off the bat.

Let's get through the Cybils first, though, shall we?

To all my NaNoWriMo buddies out there: congrats if you've finished. If you haven't finished yet, YOU CAN DO IT! KEEP GOING! WOOOOO!

I am going to go collapse in a heap far away from this keyboard right now. ;)

(DOOONE!!!!!)

On the cusp of 30k...

After today's writing session, I had to put in one more Dear Character, I'm Sorry:

Dear Rafe, Embery, and Dinara,

I'M SORRY. This trip you're about to go on will be HORRIBLY AWKWARD for AWHILE. But you have to do it! THE FATE OF THE WORLD RESTS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THREE 16-YEAR OLDS!!

If you make it through without killing each other, I just might let at least two of you have a tasteful love scene (if you know what I mean). So keep that in the backs of your heads.

And behave.

Love,
Your author

Dear Character, I'm Sorry

As promised, here's my favorite NaNoWriMo game of them all: Dear Character, I'm Sorry. In which you write letters to your characters apologizing to them for what you've done to them/what you will do to them/how terrible your book is.

Dear Rafe,

I'm sorry that I had to make you kind of a jerk. You are not a jerk. You're just in love with two different women. And everyone's real mad at you right now. Sorry. I promise it'll get better and, more importantly, you'll end up with the one you want to end up with. And you just might save the world.

Dear Dinara,

I'm sorry I broke your heart. You didn't do anything wrong (except maybe you're a little superficial, but that's okay!). I'm also sorry that I wrecked your Midsummer Festival. I know you worked hard on it. To make it up to you, I'm going to write in a guy for you. An awesome guy. Way better for you than Rafe. Just wait. He's coming.

(Oh, and I'm also sorry that Rafe and Embery are about to use you for your family's money. Just go with it. It'll all work out.)

Dear Embery,

I'm sorry I broke your heart. Rafe's coming around, just wait. If you can forgive him (and you can forgive him), he'll make it up to you. He needs you to save the world! I'm also sorry that I had to have your little sister kidnapped by the evil Snow White. I know how important she is to you. ALSO, I'm sorry you haven't been more kick-butt. I meant for you to be, but except for that knife-throwing thing, you just haven't been. I promise you'll do better in the second half.

Dear Sam,
CC: Nathan

I'm sorry that you haven't hardly been in this book at all. I was so excited to write you, but then my story kind of went a different way and now I realize that maybe I don't need you at all. You'll pop back in before the end, I'm sure.

Dear Snow White,

I'm not sorry that you're evil because that's kind of what this whole story is about. I am sorry that you've gotten hardly any screen time and that you're kind of a mindless evil monster. Maybe if I revise this book I'll give you a larger role. Thanks for being deliciously creepy.

Love,
Your Author

NaNoWriMo Check In

So, how's everyone's NaNoWriMo going? I'm on track to finish and my novel's finally gotten fun now that I've started the love triangle. Next up is the discovery of the Big Bad (and then the figuring out how to defeat it... I'm not entirely sure how that's going to happen yet...).

Generally for NaNoWriMo, I'm a very fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of girl as far as research. There's NO TIME to do research when you're trying to write a novel in 30 days (in addition to reading for the Cybils, working a full-time job, and, y'know, having a life...). But this year I've found myself turning to Google multiple times for some brief fact checking.

Here's what I've been Googling for the first third of my novel:

- Bushes in West Virginia
- What game do you kill with an arrow?
- How to nock an arrow
- What vegetables are in season mid-summer?
- What damages a shingled roof?
- And how do you fix it?
- What kinds of large predators live in West Virginia?

(Can you tell that my novel is set in a fantasy version of West Virginia? And that I have never been there?)

So, tell me, how's everyone's novel going?

(And stay tuned for my favorite NaNoWriMo game OF ALL: Dear Character, I'm Sorry. It'll be coming up this weekend or next week.)

250-Word YA Novel Discovery Contest

I'm a little bit excited about National Novel Writing Month. Okay, that's an understatement. I can't wait until Saturday night when I will start my novel at 12:01 on November 1! And now I've been alerted to a contest going on this November where you could win a one-on-one consultation with a leading literary agent by submitting the first 250 words of your YA novel. I can pretty much assure you that the first 250 words of my novel are going to be total crap, but I might enter it anyway just for kicks.

Press release time!

Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first 250 words of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a one-on-one chat with one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.

Regina Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.

ADDITIONALLY: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at Random House, HarperCollins, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. All 20 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary and a one year subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to get feedback on a full YA manuscript and win a free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

Please submit all entries via the contest website at http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/YAPitch.php. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET) on November 30, 2009.

NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo

In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days—this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.

So apply now! http://bit.ly/1PYGaN

JUDGING

YA literary agent Regina Brooks, along with editors at Sourcebooks, will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Dan Ehrenhaft, head Acquisitions Editor at Soucebooks Fire; Alisha Niehaus, Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin); David Linker, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books; Michele Burke, Editor at Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House); and Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to four winners and a grand prize winner—all five will be provided commentary on their submissions.

Just kidding?

Hah. So remember how JUST YESTERDAY I posted about how I wasn't signing up for NaNoWriMo this year?

Well, tonight I came up with a really awesome idea. And I sat down and outlined, like, the first third of the novel. And, well, yeah. I signed up again this year.

I'm trying to tell myself that it's okay if I fail this time around (and never fear, Cybils panel - Cybils reading definitely comes first!). I just know that I can't let this idea sit. And November was going to be so strange without a word count...

So. Let the countdown begin!

No NaNoWriMo (for me)

I have come to the decision that I am not going to do National Novel Writing Month this year. It is kind of a sad decision because I've completed a (terrible, awful) novel every November for the past five years. November is coming! It feels like it's time to ready those typing fingers! And I know I'll be sad when everyone else's word counts start coming in and I don't have one.

It's just that I feel like I'm already so busy that I can't get everything done that I want to do. I debated with myself over whether it's better to attempt and fail or not attempt at all. And I think it will stress me out, so I'm going to skip this year.

Maybe next year I'll be back with some great ideas* and more time-management strategies. ;)

To all who are doing NaNo, best of luck! I will be rooting for you on the sidelines.

ETA (Oct. 9): Hah. My resolve lasted all of one day. Yes, I did come up with an awesome idea and yes I signed up for NaNoWriMo again this year. Sigh. I can sleep in December, right?

*And I did have an idea for this year. I reserve the right to change my mind and sign up at the last minute if an outline pops into my head. But I probably won't.

NaNoWriMo for the win!

Total: 50,093 words

*falls over*

Boy howdy, am I glad to be done with this novel.

New widget and NaNoWriMo update

If you're reading this in a reader, you might want to click through to my actual site so you can admire the shiny new Cybils nominees widget. Mine rotates through all our fantastic YA Fiction nominees (so you can sympathize with me when I tell you that we have a Very Hard Job ahead of us to narrow this list down to 5-7... oy!). Like what you see? You can get one of your very own! Choose the categories you want to show and customize the colors to compliment your site. Very, very cool.

And my novel is coming along, slowly but surely. I know that there are some authors out there who object to the idea of NaNoWriMo, an attempt to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I can see their point. After all, they work hard for months and months (or years and years) to perfect their manuscripts and I can see how it might be offensive to them that thousands of people call themselves "authors" and "novelists" after a 30-day writing frenzy.

For me, though, it's just fun. I don't intend to become a writer (although I guess I would never say never). And I don't typically brag about the fact that I'm working on my fifth novel (because then people might want to read my novels and, well, all of my novels are... very not good). NaNoWriMo is an outlet for me to be creative with a support group of thousands of other people who are also being creative. It's an excuse to let go and to write something that I know is bad and to not care that it's bad.

I have been finding this year's novel hard going. Um, in fact, I hate this year's novel. But yesterday I gave my main characters X-men-like super powers and I think I'm starting to like it a bit more. I passed the halfway mark this weekend and I'm up to 27,469. And I hope that the second 25k is going to be much easier and more fun than the first 25k.

Here's hoping, anyway...

NaNoWriMo here we come!

Holy moley! It's almost November! Which means it's time for NaNoWriMo!

Yes, yes, I am again joining the ranks of the insane and attempting to write a novel in November. Actually, you are reading the blog of a 4-time NaNoWriMo winner (I don't mean to be braggy). Even though this year poses unique challenges (Cybils reading comes first, I promise, Jackie!), it just wouldn't be November without typing my fingers to the bone.

ANYhoo. The point of this post is to say that if you are considering trying NaNoWriMo, DO IT. It's fun! And if you'd like to be my writing buddy, feel free to add me. I will tell you encouraging things like "Your novel doesn't suck!" and "Just write 500 more words and then you can watch Scrubs for awhile!"

If you'd rather watch from the sidelines (totally understandable), my word count should be automatically updated in the sidebar there.