NaNo WriMo by Numbers

NaNo is a pretty large monster of a word count to tackle. 50,o00 words in one month. I'm not even writing my actual book. I'm writing a book about my book. The back story and character sketches . . . if I get that far.

It helps me to break down those mongo-freaky numbers into smaller parts. Let's see . . .

There's 5 weeks in November. That = 10,000 words per week.

week 1 has 5 days = 2,000 words per day
Week 2-4 has 7 days =1428.57 words per day
Week 5 has 4 days = 2,500 words per day

OK. I think I can manage the daily word averages. All that will take is discipline to make useless time into writing time. (buh-bye facebook games)

This is what I need, though. I need to get back into a regular writing schedule. Dump my brain-numbing down time and make it productive again.

Let's see . . . what other numbers will this month of NaNo Wrimo hold?

at least . . . .
30+ cups of coffee
29 time of scolding myself for checking facebook
8 pens
7 pencils
26 sticky notes that I misplace
25 late nights
24 more times of scolding myself for checking facebook
3 scones
22 cups of tea
21 new songs on the i pod
10 crumpled pieces of loose leaf paper
50 times pushing my cat off my keyboard

and a partridge in a pear tree. . . . . (squawking at me for checking facebook)

But it's not really about the numbers . . . is it? It's about setting a goal and reaching it. It's about getting your backside nice and comfy in your seat of choice for the long-haul.

Even if you're not doing NaNo this month, what kind of goals do you have and how do you set yourself up to meet them?

Win an ARC

Want to win an ARC of a book, MY VERY UNFAIRYTALE LIFE, that sounds like loads of fun and has an aWesomE cover as well? Of course you do!

go to Anna Staniszewski's blog to enter! Click here!

I'm gonna do it!

OK. I'm in. At first I didn't think I'd do NaNo again. I've done it a couple of times and the novels I wrote ended up being junk. I did learn a lot, but it's a big goal in a short amount of time. I didn't know if it would be worth it.

I just signed up to take the Full Novel Course through the Institute of Children's Literature. I'm just getting started and I wasn't sure if I should put any more work on myself than I already have. I decided to approach this differently, though. This year, instead of writing my actual novel, I'm going to brainstorm the back story of my current book. That way I'm not working against the course that I'm taking. Instead, I'm supplementing it.

Plus, I need to get back into a regular writing routine. My discipline has gone astray over the past couple of years. It's time that I get serious again and get my butt back in the chair. NaNo is a great way to do it.

So, who else is in? I'm CEvers on the Nano web-site if you want to add me as a buddy. :0)

Ahoy maties!

In honor of ye ol' Talk LIke a Pirate day, ye best be sheddin' yer land lubbin name and get yerself a name fittin' for a pirate at Ye ol' Pirate Name generator. ARRRRRRRRR!

My new pirate name be Burnin' Juliana Hawkins. What be yers?

click here or click ye above to go to the name generator.

Stairs to Nowhere

I was recently walking in downtown Raleigh when I came across these stairs that lead to nowhere. I had to take a picture. I love the way a sight like this starts my creative story wheels a-turning. Let me count the possible ways to find a story behind this image . . .

Why was the entrance covered up? What are they hiding? Is it a porthole to another world? Maybe there's a secret code or trigger that opens up an unseen door. . . ..

Or maybe this image is a metaphor for something in your life. I've got to admit, right now I feel like those stairs leading to a brick wall represents my writing efforts. (not to mention other areas in my life.)

What about you? What thoughts or stories are brought to mind by this picture? I'm curious.

Play a game with your Characters

The Best Day/ Worst Day Game

Character development doesn't have to be dull. Try playing a game with your characters. In John Green's "Finding Alaska" his characters play a game of "Best Day, Worst Day" where each character told the others their best and worst day. I found this interesting because the answers each character gave told the reader the experiences that made them tick, gave them their drive and direction in life.

So . . . I thought, that may be a good character development game. Then I started to wonder what other games might be fun to play while getting to know our characters. hmmmmmmmm

Trying someting new: Developing character voice

Since I started this adventure in writing I learned pretty zippity-quick that in order to make it in this business, you have to have a strong voice. It took a while for me to get a grasp on "what" voice is. It's not the easiest to explain. However, KNOWING what voice is doesn't mean that it comes easy. I've finished my first Novel, UNSEEN, but I tried so hard to make sure all the words were perfect that I think the voice came across unnatural. I still love the story and will most likely go back to it one day and try to fix it. For now, I'm starting a new book. I'm aiming for a natural yet unique voice. So . . . before I begin the book, I've decided to get into my main characters head. I am starting a journal as if my main character were writing it. I'm hoping this will give me a good idea of who my character is, how she thinks, talks and even how the story will unfold. Usually I need an outline to write a book. But with this journal thing . . . I can just let the story take on a life of it's own. I'm hoping this journal will give me the structure for my outline. Who knows. It's worth a shot to try. That's part of the fun of writing . . . right?

So . . . what do you do to get to know your characters and develop their unique voice? I'd love to hear more ideas!