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I thought about it and NaNoWriMo is a go for me. It’s taken me more than a month to decide but I’ve come to the conclusion that it can only do me good. Or, more to the point, the pressure of the event will work well for me.
NaNoWriMo Badge 2
There is going to be one small difference: I won’t be writing just one novel. What I’m actually going to do is carry on with the projects I have on the go at the moment (see Writing Wednesday for more details), and add in the extra aim if writing at least 50,000 words across all of those.
The reason behind not starting a separate novel (and I do have at least two more that would be worth writing) is that it will invariably lead to me wanting to edit it, tweak it and generally do all those things with it that I don’t have time to get done. It would also mean that I’d be taking a year out of writing the other two novels, as well as not producing the Friday short stories.
So, yes, I’m doing NaNoWriMo, but technically I’m not doing it as it should be done. Having said that the rules for the event are reasonably flexible, so I don’t feel any more disingenuous then normal.
For those who want to find me on NaNoWriMo here is my profile. I will also be blogging about my progress and other NaNo things that crop up.
October makes my thoughts turn to two things: cool autumn evenings and planning Christmas parties.
NaNoWriMo Badge 2
Okay, it doesn’t. What my thoughts have turned to is National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNo or NaNoWriMo.
Last year I was just starting out in the world of writing and while I’d written a load of short stories I had no idea if I could write a novel (or how to write one). In October someone mention NaNoWriMo to me and I thought this would be an excellent way to get going.
I planned out a story following a useful guide I’d found and come the start of November I got stuck in. The endeavour was a success (you can read the result here) and I proved to myself that I could write a full length novel.
This year I’m at a different point in my writing. I have two novels underway, I’m also dong weekly short stories and I’m churning out other pieces as and when. I don’t need NaNo as much as I did and so I’ve been wondering if I’ll take part.
On the other side of the coin encouragement to write never goes amiss and NaNo would certainly offer me that. What with the daily word count, weekly meetings and banter in the forums, there’s plenty of reason to write.
At this point I haven’t decided if I’ll be participating or not, but I do know I’ll be giving others support during the month.
In the middle of last year I started writing stories. Some of you may have noticed. In November I took part in NaNoWriMo and by the end of that month I had produced a novel that was just over sixty thousand words long.
The plan there after was to get started on the next novel while at the same time publishing three chapters each week from the novel I had written (The Wandering Year) via my web site. This did happen, but then in January updates stopped appearing.
The reason is simple, but, as ever, I’d like to give you a bit more background.
After deciding I wanted to get on with writing I became aware that I needed to learn quite a bit. Heck, I might think my stories were wonderful, but I’d never been in the industry and even if what I write was half good I had very little idea how to get it published. The solution I thought of was to join a writers group.
After joining and leaving a few that didn’t offering the feedback I wanted (a group of people nodding is all well and good for one’s self esteem but I actually wanted constructive feedback), I remembered that the British Science Fiction Association operated writers groups via the post. The fact that they were focused on science fiction wasn’t a problem as that’s what I enjoy writing. Besides which most members don’t mind a bit of fantasy or horror every now and then.
So, I joined the BSFA and asked to be put into one of the Orbiters (their name for writing groups). Things had moved on a lot since my teenage years, when I was previously a member, and now manuscripts are sent via email. Not only that, but the Orbiters are split between short stories and novels and include published authors and science fiction magazine editors.
Once I’d been accepted into one of the groups I sent out the first section of The Wandering Year and waited for the feedback. What I was told gave me plenty of food for thought. Put simply my writing was okay, but I had a lot to learn, both about the structure of a novel and what bits stay in what gets taken out during editing.
This led me to suspending publishing while I improved things.
As I never wanted to do an entire redux of the chapters which have been published, I have simply shifted some of them around to (hopefully) improve the flow of the story. (Those who have read up to chapter fifteen can therefore continue on without re-reading, and those who are starting from scratch should have a more enjoyable experience.)
So, now, some six months later I am ready to replace what has already been made available and get back on the publishing wagon. In answer to the question at the start, the writing has never stopped but the publishing got put on hold while I tried to learn some stuff. Hopefully it’s worked.
Six days after NaNoWriMo has finished and I have been taking stock of all the things that have fallen by the wayside in the last month. Most of what I’ve had to put to one side was reading various things – magazines, books, forum posts, beta reading other writers work and admiring new art.
I thought I was doing well on clearing up the magazines until I received the latest BSFA mailing. As far as books go I’m just going to have to spend a night or two in as I would really like to finish ‘Still Life With Woodpecker’ and ‘Going Sane’. Forums and looking at pictures can be done a bit at a time, so maybe that will also be solved by next week and I’m going to spend an evening to doing some beta reading.
Of course, on top of this, normal life rolls on, it’s party season, I’ve got the chapters from ‘The Wandering Year’ to check over and publish and ‘A Crow to Pluck’ is stoically refusing to write itself.
But who am I kidding. I’m loving it all.
So the countdown begins again. 
Okay, I’m not really spending the next year counting down to 2009 NaNo.
I have, however, decided to do 365 blogs in 365 days. People show such little dedication these days. Give up drinking for January? Try a couple of months you slackers. Buy a push bike or join the gym then pack it in on February 14th.
Challenges should be difficult. That’s the point. Here goes one of mine, although I’m already thinking one year is too short a period. As ever though, ask me in a year.
November is at an end and not only did I complete the 50,000 words needed for NaNo I also finished the novel and managed thirty blog posts.
None of this was as difficult as I thought it would be, the blogging everyday has been especially easy. (Anyone noticed I talk too much? 
)
As I’ve already mentioned December is going to be filled with publishing the chapters of The Wandering Year, and writing the next book. I’ve also got to catch up on some reading of other people’s work.
What I’ve not decided is what to blog about going forward. Part of me wants to stick with just talking about writing, but I have a back log of other stuff I’d also like to mention. Plus, a blog just about me writing might be rather boring once NaNo has passed.
Any opinions are more than welcome – as usual I’ll probably just do what I want anyway.
There was another fail yesterday. Not an epic, server like, fail, but a fail none the less.
The fail came in the form of not publishing yesterday’s post, the second time this has now happened. Once WordPress fools me, the second time it is my own fault. (It was probably my own fault the first time but boys and responsibility mix like oil and water. )
On other things my band of rotating proof readers are working hard (thanks guys, I love you) – chocolates for one and all.
There is much I need to mention – the cascade of books, the wonder that is NaNo (and the people I’ve met), short stories, posts post NaNo, why MS Word spell checks adaption and what to do with the screen on my desk – but all of these will have to wait. Even when it is marred by the missed post of yesterday today is a great day.
As I mentioned yesterday, things are getting back on schedule. The chapters for The Wandering Year are now ready to roll out every few days (I’ve settled on every three days) and the next novel is taking shape rather well.
More importantly I have collected further readers. Not only people who know the game City of Heroes nor friends I have badgered and bothered, but people who like the story. This is the sort of thing that makes a young writer happy. Which reminds me, I must get those leaflets printed and the plane booked.
