Looking for a pick-me-up for your writing this month? Come join me in a March-a-thon—but first, how I did last month.
February accountability
I was really hoping to finish this first draft in February, but (sigh) it didn’t happen. But I’ve been keeping careful track of what I did do:
Critiques for my CPs
Blog posts (yay!)
Newsletter
Travel for my cousin’s wedding and spend time with my visiting grandparents
First read through on the novella I finished last month
And, yes, I did write!
So, in the interest of accountability, how much, exactly, did I write in February? 31,275 words: not too shabby!
Saturday night, I made out a list of all that I need to get done in March, and the deadlines for each task. Then I did the math to figure out how much I need to write or revise or whatever to get it done on time. Woot!
But once again, I’m facing a lot of work. Luckily, I’ve got just the thing to push me onward . . .
March-a-thon!
For the second year in a row, I’m running a March-a-thon! It’s primarily for Authors Incognito, an online writers’ support group where I’m serving as Education Director. We’re setting lofty goals for March and encouraging others with pep talks and other fun events.
What does this mean for you? I’d love for you to join me in the “public” side of the March-a-thon. Come share your goals for March!
Here are mine:
Project A: incorporate feedback and take this to finished product
Project B: finish first draft (~28,000 more words)
Project C (novella): get ready to send to critique partners
In the wake of NaNoWriMo, many of us have just finished a new novel. Now what? Here’s what I’m planning to do in writing this month. Come share your plans, too!
So, that Nano novel…
We talked a little about my Nano novel. The first week of the month I devoted to editing my Nano novel—the final polish on the last section of pages on my Nano 2011 novel and a critique group meeting for those pages, and exporting my Nano 2012 novel into Word.
Something old, something new
Aiming really high, I’d love to spend the next couple weeks working on a short novella, a prequel to another piece, from a minor character’s POV. My first draft goal would be around 18,000 words, and at the rate I write, that should be two weeks of work fairly easily.
And then?
Time off for the holidays! That’s all I’ve got planned writing-wise for the rest of the year, but there’s always lots more on my plate (case in point: some of the handmade gifts I’m planning this year).
Although the very first draft is “done,” I haven’t totally settled on a working title for my Nano novel. I’ve got two titles in mind. I’m using one because I like it better, but I kind of feel like the other one suits the book better.
The two candidates? Slash and Burn and Scorched Earth.
About the book
A quick synopsis of the premise:
The war for Earth is over. But the battle’s just begun.
In a depopulated post-apocalyptic California, 17-year-old Adrienne Lucas has finally found some semblance of normalcy in a collective farm led by her father. Then newcomers arrive, promising a return to the comforts from Before. Adrienne’s father represents the voice of reason against the newcomers’ siren song—until they silence him forever.
Adrienne’s devastating loss is compounded when she discovers the man she’s loved for years, the man who saw her father as practically his own, the man who lives in her home as part of her family is also the man who betrayed her father and sentenced him to death.
Now Adrienne will destroy them all. Starting with him.
I was discussing this with a wise writing friend (who will GO PLACES), Wendy Swore, at a retreat last month. She asked a very incisive question: What do the titles mean to you?
Naturally, my interpretations of both of the titles have a lot to do with the origins of the phrases, but there’s a lot more to the psychological processes drawing me to them.
Scorched Earth refers to a war-making policy of attacking civilians and burning down everything in your path. Sherman’s March to the Sea is often used as an example (and I’m Southern, though not Georgian).
But I think the reason why this popped into my mind was a blog post I read earlier this year that stuck with me. Nathan Bransford very candidly discussed the implications of divorce in the Internet era, and he mentioned his ex-wife had pursued a “scorched Earth” policy in social media, deleting her Facebook account and blog and starting over. While he avoids rancor in his post, the image stood out in my mind.
To me, “scorched earth” brings to mind images of leaving a wide, blackened swath in your wake.
Slash and Burn has some similar connotations, of course. It denotes a agricultural technique for clearing land: slashing and burning the existing underbrush. (Sounds kinda dangerous.) The agricultural angle is kind of nice, since the main characters live on a collective farm.
“Slash and burn” is a little more proactive, in a way. You’re not just burning as part of total war, a reaction to your enemy. You have a purpose, a goal, and you’re taking the initiative. In reality, it isn’t as violent as it sounds, and the blackened swath here becomes the fertile fields of future growth. But it leaves the same image of destruction, which is very appropriate for the novel. Or, at least, I want it to be and hope it will be after revisions .
The covers!
I made up a book cover this year, because I love looking at my mock covers for a little burst of inspiration. As always, it’s a very rough draft, but here’s the idea:
Come vote!
What do you think? Which title attracts your attention more?
I’ve been friends with Jami Gold since we met years ago in the Edittorrent comment community. Now I love to read her thought-provoking writing advice on her blog. I can’t say enough good things about it!
So, naturally, I was flattered enough to accept her tag in the “Next Big Thing” meme. Plus, since we’re all prepping for Nano, I’m also really excited about my next big thing!
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
It took me a little while to come up with one, but right now I’m leaning toward either Scorched Earth or Slash and Burn.
Hm. There should probably be a fire in the book then, huh?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I had a dream last week. I was totally planning on writing a different book—had the characters picked out, using an idea I’ve had for a while, plotting was fun, but I wasn’t in love with the idea yet. (Sometimes it comes later, you know?)
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s really really different from anything else I’ve written: YA post-apocalyptic.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Normally I’m better about this. Lately, I’ve used Hollow Art to look for my characters. The user-submitted site features small pictures intended for LiveJournals and the like, usually from TV & movies. You can search by a physical attribute (hair color, age, etc.) or name, and possibly find hundreds of pictures of different shots and expressions. I browse through the pictures until I find someone who inspires me to be my character—often someone I’ve never heard of.
And I almost got out of answering the question with that, didn’t I? Okay, so the actress who most seemed like my main character was someone I haven’t heard of, but you might have: Nina Dobrev, who plays the lead (and her doppelganger) in The Vampire Diaries.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
LOL, right now I’m trying to fill in all the blanks, not condense it! But let’s give it a shot:
In a depopulated post-apocalyptic world, 17-year-old Adrienne Lucas must protect her farm and avenge her father’s execution—even if it means destroying the man she loves.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
We’ll see. Right now, I’m querying another book. (It’s going okay, but slowly, of course.) We’ll see where that one goes.
I guess the only thing I’m ready to rule out at this stage is the publisher who has an offer in on my book (yay, our one year anniversary is next week). This book has some elements that I don’t think they’d find so “savory.”
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Let me check my crystal ball….
Probably two to four weeks.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hm. It’s similar to other YA post-apocalyptic novels, but the main plot of the book isn’t the struggle to survive. My friend compared the plot to The Eleventh Plague, though I’m waiting for my library’s copy so I can confirm or deny this.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Uhhhh . . . okay, let’s be honest: DH and I love the TV show Falling Skies. Although my set up is somewhat different, that’s where the dream came from.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Hm. I was going to wait to share, but how about this?
We’ll talk more about how to make one of these soon!
Sharing the love: Tag! You’re it!
To pass along the fun, you’re supposed to tag five other writers/bloggers. So here we go!
Rachelle J. Christensen has two novels and a nonfiction book out, and she’s got a few more with her agent—but I think this Nano is her first! Come cheer her on!
Julie Coulter Bellon is a traditionally published author who’s recently moved to self-publishing. Her latest novel, All Fall Down, came out earlier this month and it’s awesome! (It doesn’t hurt that I’m her critique partner.) She’s got so many projects on tap that I can’t wait to see which she picks.
Our other critique partner, Emily Gray Clawson, is also premiering a self-published novel soon! Her faith-based YA novel Things Hoped For is coming out next month. She unveiled the cover recently.
Deana Barnhart is the amazing woman behind the Gearing Up to Get an Agent blogfest. She’s been a little blog quiet for a bit, trying to get back into the swing of things after GUTGAA, but I always like to hear what she’s working on. Once upon a time, I gave her voluminous feedback on an early manuscript, and rather than getting discouraged, she got excited and dove in to revisions! That’s a definite predictor of success right there .
Krista Lynne Jensen makes me smile every time she tweets (even if the tweets are from a Caribbean vacation. Sigh). She’s got a bunch of books coming out soon, and it seems like she’s always working on more!
Remember, you can write about a recently finished WIP or a planned one, whether you’re participating in Nano or not!
Rules for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop:
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.
Didn’t get tagged? I still want to hear about your next big thing! Join in the comments or just steal the meme!
I’ll admit it: I love to read, but when I’m writing, I don’t do a lot of reading. (Oh, crud, there’s a secondary confession in there: I typically don’t write [i.e. write brand new material in a first draft] every single day. Gasp.) There are a couple reasons for this. (The reading, not the writing. That’s another post.) When I am writing a book, it usually consumes every second of “free” (read: writing or reading time) time I have for those weeks. But don’t worry—I still get my (non)fiction fix in! Here’s how!
Research!
Occasionally, I can work in a little bit of reading while drafting. For me, nonfiction research reading can often feed my creative beast muse—very important when you push it as hard as I do (we’re talking 4-5000 words/day while drafting).
I have to do a lot of research anyway (since I’m a little obsessive), and research reading is a great source of new ideas. I’m revising and editing right now, and I’m digging deep into my research reading at the same time—and the ideas I’m discovering are fantastic! Man, I wish I’d done this research sooner. Sigh.
Fiction, however, is another story for me. When I read fiction while writing, the voice or style of the book I read often bleeds into the book I’m writing. That usually isn’t so good. So let’s just assume that we’re not going to be reading fiction while drafting, but we definitely can’t take off all our time from reading. What’s a writer to do?
Take a reading break
One thing I try to do periodically, especially when trying to get necessary distance from my book, is to take a break from writing/revising/editing altogether and just read. It’s a good time to catch up in your genre, explore another, try something new or completely different, or just enjoy yourself. Reading breaks are also a great place to find ideas. Way back when I wrote three books in one year (before I did 4–5000-word days!), the thing that got me writing that third book (insanity!) was an idea I just couldn’t resist after reading a fantastic book.
Read carefully while editing
Reading while editing will vary from writer to writer, but for me, I think I actually benefit from reading writing that I . . . don’t care for, we’ll say. If you’ve been editing your own work long enough, you probably rewrite sentences in published novels at least occasionally. (Admit it, we all do!) When you feed your editing habit, you may look at your own writing with a more critical eye.
On the other hand, I’m sure some writers find it more helpful to read really, really good novels while editing, giving them a mark to shoot for. Me, I go for the petty alternative .
Set a reading goal
And make it public!. I pledged to read 50 books last year, and I thought that wouldn’t be too hard. I’d read 40 the year before (um, including a 6-week leave from all writing while I read [and had a baby]), and even very long books seldom take me a week to read. You know, except for the weeks I can’t, when I’m consumed by my own books (or, heaven forbid, the humans with whom I cohabit)(okay, or the frog)(and Randy makes his blog debut!).
That public pledge ended up pushing me pretty hard, especially since I did NaNoWriMo, too. It came down to the wire, but I got in my 50 books, even if a couple were rereads of some classics of writing craft.
What do you think? Can you read while you write? If not, when do you read?
The kids are in bed, the house is clean, you’ve spent some quality time with your spouse and you’ve watched your favorite show. Now it’s your time—time to write with nothing hanging over your head. You sit at your computer, fingers poised over the keys and—
Nothing happens.
What do you do? Spend the next two hours checking email and blogs, playing Text Twist and Minesweeper, coming back to your story every half hour without anything new to add and drifting away again until you can’t face your computer anymore and go to bed, strangely empty and guilty?
No! You don’t have to succumb to writers’ block—you can fight it, and you should. What makes a writer vs. a wannabe is perseverance (and the same is true about revisions, finding an agent, getting published, selling books, etc., etc.). Working through writers’ block makes you a stronger, better, more creative writer. And here are eight ways to do it.
Come up with more ideas
Easier said than done, I know, but try brainstorming new events and directions for your story. I recently came across an analysis of the story conference for Raiders of the Lost Ark. The surprising thing about this conference is the sheer volume of ideas—the writer, director and producer threw out ideas while brainstorming, not worrying about how outlandish or stupid they might sound—you never know if it could be made workable.
Recycle an old idea
Did you have an amazing plot twist you never got to use or used in another (preferably unpublished) work, or one you love in someone else’s story? Find a way to work that idea into this story. The mine cart chase scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom originally came from the conference for Raiders, but they didn’t use it there—an instant source for later ideas.
Look for more connections within your work
I got stuck in one WIP when I needed a task for my hero. He’d agreed to do something for the villain in exchange for a hostage, but I was drawing a blank as to what that should be. I tried to think of something the villain could send him after—but finally the right answer came to me. It shouldn’t just be something, it should be something related to the plot. And I had a subplot that could tie back into the main plot (and a minimystery that could be solved) right here.
Write something You may have to take some time away from your WIP to get the creative juices flowing. You can work on another idea—writing or plotting or planning—or you can find writing prompts to get started. Sometimes focusing on another story idea will give you the boost or idea you need to progress in your first story—just don’t get sidetracked for too long!
Write nothing
Do something mindless—like playing Text Twist or Minesweeper, or doing house or yard work. Do something creative—if you play an instrument, practice. If you do a handicraft—knitting, needlework, woodcarving, knapping—make something. Occupying your hands while letting your mind roam can have great creative rewards.
Erase
As hard as this may be, maybe you’ve written yourself into a corner. Maybe there just isn’t anywhere for the story to go now, and you need to delete the last paragraph or scene or chapter. (Ouch!) Look at where your story took a turn for a dead end and brainstorm another direction.
Read (or watch) Look for other ideas (and beautiful writing) in other works, in or outside of your genre. You can also watch a movie or TV show and play the “what if” game—what if something happened differently in this scene. (I came up with a whole story idea this way.)
Plot
You can often avoid getting stuck if you plan out where you’re going in advance. Not always, of course—I’m a plotter, and I can still get stuck in the gray areas of my outline. But back before I started plotting out my stories, I began with an ending in mind, but sometimes I spent weeks stopped in the middle, trying to figure out how to get there. Even loose plotting can help to keep the big milestones in mind to keep you moving toward your goals. Plus you can brainstorm in advance and save all those ideas for any lulls.
Beating writers’ block can be tough, but you can do it—and if you’re going to finish, you have to.
What do you think? How do you beat writers’ block?
Yep, it’s my birthday! I also finished writing my latest novel laaaate Saturday night, as I’d hoped! After three intensive weeks of writing, managing a “March-a-thon” and keeping up (mostly) with my normal life, I’m so ready for the day off.
I’ll have posts throughout the week still, but Marketing Monday is taking a break for this week. Be sure to join me back here next week, though! We’re going to move from author websites to author blogs (dun dun dunnn!), a topic I know we all want to hear more about.
I recently switched my browser from Mozilla Firefox to Google Chrome. It’s a few months in and I’m still getting used to it, but there is at least one feature I really like: an add-on called Incredible StartPage. Whenever you open a new tab or empty web browser, it loads a set of links/information that you might need: your bookmarks, your Chrome apps, your recently closed tabs, a set of notepads, links to your email and calendar, and a picture.
You can use the default picture from Flickr, or you can set up a custom picture. I decided to set up my Incredible StartPage to help fire me up to write. Since I like making covers for my WIPs, I resized the cover for the book I was writing or revising at the time:
Notice the little note to self: Shouldn’t you be working? It shows up every time I open another tab for more research.
There are lots of other ways to use your browser to get you back to writing. When I was on Firefox, I used an extension called LeechBlock to limit the time I spent on time-sucking websites. I loved how flexible it was: you could allot yourself a certain number of minutes per hour to use your web-based email or social networking sites (you specify which sites to block!), pick the days of the week, select the time of day, or block certain sites altogether!
I haven’t tried any of the similar apps in Chrome, but StayFocusd comes highly recommended.
What little tricks do you use to get excited for your story every day?
PS: a special reveal today. This month as part of the Authors Incognito March-a-thon, I set a goal to write a new book. And of course, I made a cover. So here’s a tiny peek at the book I should be finishing tomorrow!
love, lies, secrets, spies | craft your fiction
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I was really hoping to finish this first draft in February, but (sigh) it didn’t happen. But I’ve been keeping careful track of what I did do:
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So, naturally, I was flattered enough to accept her 
