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NaNoWriMo and Beyond…

Hello fellow NaNoWriMo’ers!

How are your fingers feeling this month? Have you recuperated and rested in December or are you still going strong?

If you’re like me, you haven’t written much since November 30th. I need a push to finish my novel, and maybe some help polishing it when it’s complete.

Do you need the same things? Would you like feedback on your writing from fellow writers?

Fictionista Workshop is a volunteer, web-based literary group that specializes in helping authors improve their writing. We are offering several Writing Collectives this spring. The Fictionista Writer Collectives feature small groups of authors working together to help each other grow as writers and better each other’s work.

For the Writing Collectives, we are accepting a limited number of authors whose manuscripts are over fifty percent complete. If you can invest an hour a week in a meeting, and two or more hours reading the work of fellow collective members these collectives might be for you.

And the best part is, it costs nothing more than your time.

If the Writing Collectives sound like a good fit for you, please apply at the following address:

http://www.fictionistaworkshop.com/collective-application-form/

If you want information about Fictionista Workshop, please visit our website, here:

http://www.fictionistaworkshop.com/category/workshop/

After registration, you will receive further details via email.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Resources: Self-Editing

by Jennifer deSylva

Self-editing. Is this a joke? My writing is perfect, my are characters richly drawn, my dialogue is realistic, and my plot has not a single hole.

Right?

And herein lies the problem with self-editing. We become so attached to our work that we can’t see what’s right in front of us. We live in our manuscripts for months, sometimes years on end and we know them better than anyone.

Right?

Well, yes. We do. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we realize there are problems that need fixing. It’s letting go that’s the hard part, though. We’re so in love with our own creation we don’t want to see any of it go. How could anyone not love that secondary character? She’s cute and funny, so what if she doesn’t really further the plot? Flashbacks? Completely necessary for the story.

The truth is if we’re not critical of ourselves and not willing to make changes we know are necessary, we’re never going to get where we want to be. If you want your manuscript in the best shape it can be before you query, and you should, the hard editing needs to start with you.

Start with the easy stuff.

Run a spell-check.

Delete extra adverbs, unnecessary dialogue tags, extraneous ‘that’s and ‘had’s.

Check for proper punctuation, especially around dialogue.

And for goodness sake, unless someone is truly shouting, remove all exclamation points.

When you get in the swing of editing, be more critical and try to look at your work objectively. Remove yourself emotionally from the work (not always an easy thing to do), and try to see it as an editor or agent would.

Is your voice passive or active?

Are all of your plots wrapped up satisfactorily?

Are all sub-plots necessary; i.e., do they further the main story?

Are you showing rather than telling?

Are you over-explaining to your readers?

Is your dialogue realistic for time and place?

Do your characters undergo some sort of change or are they stagnant in their ideas, beliefs, behavior?

Are you being repetitive?

Once you’ve edited, edited, edited, hand your work over to a trusted beta reader or editor for more tweaking. If you think a great story alone is going to set you apart, you’re likely fooling yourself. You want your work to stand out among the manuscripts in the huge slush pile on the agent’s desk. The first step is handing over the cleanest, sharpest manuscript possible.

On a personal note, I have a manuscript with a plot point I logically know needs to go. But I simply can’t change it. So the manuscript sits in a drawer, unread by anyone except me because I know what they’ll say, and I simply don’t want to hear it. When I’m ready to, which I hope will happen some day, I’ll hand it off to a trusted editor.

And if I don’t change it, I’d bet money I’ll know what her first comment will be.

The Value of a Critique

by J.K. Peake

We’ve all been there. You finish that story giving it all your time, love, and attention. Your kids think your laptop is an extension of your hands, the household has run out of clean clothes to wear, and you have survived via coffee IV alone.

With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you relinquish the story to your editor. You are absolutely convinced that you have just blessed upon her the next great American novel. Like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, you expect her to dance with joy upon reading your manuscript. There’s no way there will be anything but love for your story. Right?

When your manuscript is returned, you wait with baited breath as your file opens, ready to read the glowing comments. Only they don’t glow. A dying flashlight gives off more light.

Yep, that’s your momentum that just hit the brick wall.

Let’s be honest. No one likes criticism, constructive or otherwise.

Some put a positive spin on it and learn to grow from critique, having “Why didn’t I think of that?” kind of moments. Others take it as a personal affront, certain that their editors wouldn’t know a good story if it bit them in the—well you get the idea. Either way, when it comes to our writing, our labor of love, we writers are a protective lot.

However defensive we may be, having your work critiqued is an integral piece of a writer’s puzzle. When you’re in the moment and the words are flowing, do you really think about whether or not that comma is being used correctly? What if your story is set in a cold weather climate and you insert an animal that would never survive the cold? These are just a couple of examples that can manifest themselves with another set of eyes gazing upon the fruit of our labor. Personally, I would rather my reviewer, or beta, find these things before I query my manuscript.

With every story, there are two sides. The process of critique is no different. As important as it is for a writer to embrace the sometimes harsh words of their reviewer, it is equally important for the reviewer to provide the words with the utmost care. This work is someone’s baby. The reviewer should provide their opinions and expertise in a way the writer can learn from it.

Fellow writers, it’s imperative to keep in mind a few points when facing the dreaded commentary:

• Take the comments as suggestions, not commands. After all, the writer makes the final call. You aren’t going to make everyone happy. Most copy edits (such as those pesky commas or em dashes) and major research inconsistencies should be heeded and corrected. Story edits require a more in depth look. A writer should take note as to what the suggestions are and ascertain what the problem could be potentially. Writers want to use their creative licenses’ and have fun entertaining the masses, but the masses should feel satisfied, not confused.
• The value of a critique is to grow as a writer. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in order to make it better. Writing is like anything else in life. There is always room for improvement and you can learn something new every day. Often times, we don’t learn from being alone, but from interacting with others. That brings me to my next point…
• Different points of view can be helpful. Another set of eyes can lift the writer out of the minutia of the story. Taking a step back can be useful in self-editing, but that can prove to be challenging. So to have someone go over your story and not be in your head is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to find out if the story you’re weaving is translating onto the paper. I have found that having someone from your target audience read the piece is also helpful. It gives a glimpse to see if you can capture that audience down the road.
• Know how to defend your story the right way. No one will fault you for defending your story, but keeping any open mind may be the difference between you being bird cage liner versus best-seller. There’s a fine line between passionate defense of your story and unyielding cut-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face dogma. You have to stay on the right side of that line. If you feel someone is attacking your work, it is to your advantage to ask why the reader feels that way. Telling a reader the way it is will make them feel that you’re closed off to other ideas. In the end, making statements, as opposed to asking questions, will result in a critique that has less honest feedback and more false accolades.
• Finally, don’t be difficult. To be difficult with someone that is ultimately trying to help you falls under the biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you category. It’s never smart. There’s no incentive for an editor to take time out to critique your work and be honest if their suggestions are met with bitterness. The writer will always be victorious, but it doesn’t always make them a winner. Because until you are selling millions of copies of your manuscript and/or raking in the dough for a large publishing house, “frustrating”, “hard to deal with”, or “exasperating” are not words you want associated with you. No one will want to work with you or for you. If you need proof, check out the demise of a particular starlet in Hollywood these days.

I have been on both sides of this equation. So I’m taking aim at the critics as well. The following points are some items I have found helpful when wearing my Kentucky Derby-esque critic’s hat.

• Give feedback from a good place. In other words, be honest but not hateful. A writer will not make everyone happy. As a critic, you should be objective. Does the story make sense? Are the characters developing as they should? If you’re more of a mystery/suspense sort of girl, but you’re editing a romance story, don’t turn your nose up at it. It defeats the purpose of your job: to aid a writer along in the writing process.
• Give suggestions, not commands when it comes to story edits. Don’t be afraid to ask questions for clarification. As a writer I understand that sometimes what I’m thinking isn’t what comes out on paper. As a reviewer, I understand that as well. If something doesn’t make sense, ask about it. Playing devil’s advocate can be a winning game at times. Perhaps that sentence could sound better than the way it’s written in your opinion. But keep in mind, it’s just your opinion. In that vein…
• Don’t force the writer to take suggestions, remember, it’s not your story! It is not your baby. Your job as an editor is to help that baby live up to its potential, much like a godparent. Though there will be times the reviewer will feel like they went through the labor pains as well, in the end, you are not the parent. Whatever final decisions are made have to be made by the writer

It goes without saying that having someone tear up your work is not the most fun you will ever have in your writing journey. But as the saying goes, “it’s not the journey, it’s the destination.”
Now, go knock down that brick wall!

J.K. Peake is an aspiring writer of contemporary and paranormal romance. She has participated in various writing workshops as a writer and editor. To learn more about her, please visit her website at www.jkpeake.com.

How To Develop Your Plot

by Annalyse Knight

Confession time!

When I was a teenager, I used to love Days of Our Lives. I’d rush home after school and wait with bated breath to find out whether Bo and Hope would finally declare their love. I spent many hours on the edge of my seat, biting my nails when Marlena returned from being kidnapped—for the sixth time. There was something completely addicting in the way the characters endured ridiculous circumstances.

As I grew older, and my life became more complicated. I figured out that all I had to do was watch the show on Mondays and Fridays and I could determine what had happened over the course of the week. Let’s face it; we all knew that nothing important would happen until the end of the week … or the end of next week … or the next.

Soaps invented the word cliffhanger (not literally, but … whatever). It’s a great plot device to keep your reader … er … viewer coming back for more. This tactic may work in soap operas, but you can only keep a reader entertained for so long before they lose interest and start skimming your story.

When writing a novel, you have to be mindful of story arcs, dragging out your plot line and adding unnecessary conflict that doesn’t move your story forward. Unlike soap operas where they have years to drag out a storyline, there needs to be structure to your novel so you can say what you need to say in under 120,000 words. For wordy ladies like myself, that can be extremely difficult.

When it comes to plot development, there have been numerous books and articles written that tackle the different areas pertaining to this topic. In each genre there are different plot patterns that require more attention than others to plan your story. In a mystery novel the author may withhold exposition (back story) to build the suspense and then release it toward the end for maximum impact. In a romance novel, the lovers are usually thrown into a situation where they cannot escape one another until they fall head-over heels in love. In an adventure story the protagonist embarks on a risky undertaking, encounters various characters and obstacles, and then reaches the object or internal growth that they were seeking. Even though each story is structured slightly different, there is common ground in each.

In the book Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, he refers to the LOCK system to create a solid plot: Lead, Objective, Confrontation, and Knockout.

Lead stands for the lead character. There are character driven and plot driven stories; however, the most captivating stories are those that find a fine balance between the two. Interesting characters are essential to every story. If the reader doesn’t connect with the characters, then it won’t matter how compelling your plot is.

The objective, or conflict, moves the story forward. It can be anything from a prize to true love. The objective is the wants or needs of the protagonist and how they are going to get it that drives the plot.

Confrontation, or the opposition in the story, builds the suspense and keeps the reader interested. Conflict is essential to maintaining a gripping story. If your main character moves toward his objective without any obstacles in his way, then you deny your readers the opportunity to root for his success. A strong, believable conflict, enhanced with obstacles, is essential to a well-written story.

Knockout is the conclusion and resolution to your story. A great climax and resolution can overcome even the weakest of plots and give the reader satisfaction; however, a weak conclusion will destroy even the strongest of stories.

Now that you have the basic premise needed for a good plot, it’s time to put the story together. Why is it that some stories seem to drag on, or don’t keep the interest of the readers? Many times it’s because they take too long to get to the conflict, give too much exposition, or the characters are flat. By following a simple ten-point story arc formula you can avoid falling into this trap.

Beginning – Hook the reader with something dynamic and limit the backstory and explanations to keep the reader turning the pages. The most important element in the beginning section is character development. Develop a bond with your main protagonist and the reader immediately through realism, sympathy, likeability, and their surroundings. Show the reader who the characters are through their dialog, actions and internal monologue. Introduce the conflict within the first 1/5 of the novel (this keeps things from dragging).

• Intro to main characters and their world. Avoid too much exposition. Give the reader the minimal amount of backstory and show the character through their actions, surroundings and internal struggles.
• Conflict is introduced. A believable conflict is essential to a great story. Avoid miscommunication as a conflict because it frustrates readers and prevents them from bonding with your characters.
• The main character struggles with the conflict.
• The main character crosses the threshold of the conflict. They decide to tackle the problem head on, or maybe they are dragged kicking and screaming. The result is the same in that there is no turning back. They must move forward or suffer the consequences.

Middle – This is where the reader sees the rising action. Avoid info dumps and try to disperse backstory in small quantities when needed to coincide with whatever the character is undertaking. Set important information that is needed for the story, yet may be dry on its own, inside confrontation or action. Introduce the opposition and expand the tension by raising the risks.

• Deepen character relationships.
• Various confrontations happen that projects the plot forward.
• The character has their darkest moment that they must overcome. This usually is the set-up to the final confrontation.

Ending – maintain the tension until the last possible moment. Last ¼ of the novel.

• Climax.
• Tie up loose ends
• Resolution

By following these simple ten steps, your story will have a nice story arc that will keep your reader engaged and coming back for more. If that doesn’t work, drag your story out for years, kill off your characters and bring them back from the dead, turn them into murdering psychopaths that only killed because they were programmed by crazy madmen, or make sure that all of their children have been switched at birth. When your novel is complete, submit it as a storyline to your favorite soap.

Annalyse Knight is an aspiring writer of romance and an active member of the Fictionista Workshop team. To learn more about her, visit her website at http://annalyseknight.com

NaNoWriMo 2011: Dialogue Resources

Dialogue Resources

by Tara L.

“Dialogue in fiction should be reserved for the culminating moments and regarded as the spray into which the great wave of narrative breaks in curving toward the watcher on the shore.” – Edith Wharton

As we continue our month-long NaNoWriMo theme, this week’s resources will focus on the importance of dialogue. I invite you to think about a conversation that you had today. Think about, not only the things you said, but also your tone, body language, and pace. All of these things combine to convey your message, both spoken and implied. Your written characters’ conversations are no different. Their dialogue will express their own unique perspectives while keeping the reader invested in the story.

To help you write your best dialogue, Fictionista Workshop recommends the following resources:

How To Write Effective Dialogue in Fiction – The author of this article provides 6 key points to follow when writing effective dialogue, from keeping “in character” to using slang sparingly.

Basics: Dialogue – This article provides a basic overview of dialogue structure and usage. This is a good starting point for the first time novel writer, because it provides clear examples of what resonates with readers and what does not.

Writing Dialogue with Good Tension – This is a fantastic resource that outlines the usage of dialogue to convey tension and emotion. The author also includes tips on highlighting a character’s unique traits through the way they speak and respond to others.

Revealing Characters Through Dialogue – All Write’s article provides information that can help you get the most out of your characters, and story, through cleverly written dialogue.

Dialogue Tags – A Study in Common Errors – LousyWriter.com offers you some insight in how to avoid the common mistakes in tagging your dialogue.

Punctuation for Dialogue – A fun look at the art of punctuating dialogue using examples from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

Fictionista Workshop wishes everyone participating in NaNoWriMo the very best. Please check our site throughout the month of November for support, resources, and little inspirations along the way!

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo?

Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org to get started and continue to visit the Fictionista Workshop homepage for tips and tools to aid you.

Research: Beginning at the Beginning

by Sue S.

I would like to preface this article by saying that writing is not a gift that I have.
However, I have been told that research is something I am good at. Pretty much if you need to know it, either I can find it on my own or I know somebody who knows somebody.

Over the years, I have done a great deal of research, for all different reasons. I even do it when I’m bored and want to learn something new. I’ve come up with a system that works for me.

Research is important in any writing you do. Even if you’re creating a completely new world, this world must be plausible to your reading audience. This is where research comes in. You also want your world to be unique from anything else ever written. Again, research. If you wish to be published, you have to know your genre and how to sell it. Yes, you guessed it. You will need to research this, as well.

Back when I was writing papers in high school and college (before dirt was new), I remember my teachers and professors saying that you need to find reliable and varied sources to back up your information. We were told to only use an encyclopedia to form a general knowledge of a topic and then find some more substantial way to back up our claims.

Way back then, reliable sources for information would be a published book on the topic, an article in a professional journal, or an interview with someone who knew something about the topic (obviously there are other sources as well). So in the olden days if you were researching something, you’d start with an encyclopedia to get an overview of your topic. Next, you’d go to the library and hunt through the card catalog where you’d find the necessary books, sit at a table, write down your sources, find your info, and move on.

As you can guess, I went to school many, many, moons ago before the dawn of the information age. Now we have Google, Wikipedia, and professional websites like the CDC-Online. We have millions of blogs with people giving their opinions and information on everything under the sun. The sheer volume of information available is enough to make one’s head swim.

So how does the average person find anything reliable in this mess that is the web? The first thing I do is exactly what I did as a kid: look for a general base of knowledge and build from there.

First things first. Ask yourself, “What are the questions you want answered?” It’s easy if you have one question to answer. You search for it, find three reliable sources that can verify the same answer, and that is generally the right one. But what are reliable sources?

A lot of people think Wikipedia is not a reliable source because anyone can edit it. I personally find it to be a good place to start because it offers a good base of general information (much like my Dad’s old encyclopedias). Wikipedia can help you find more questions, thereby refining your search.

Now I am going to take you on a simple, guided tour of how to research something. Let’s pretend that I’m writing a book (try not to laugh too hard, just pity whoever has to do the editing). My book has a woman in it who loves costumes and she wants to know what women wore in colonial America. So I go to Google and type in: “Women’s Clothing in Colonial America.” This is what I get:

Now, I know nothing about their clothes except that they wore dresses. However, I need to know the layers of clothes, what body parts were acceptable to be seen, the types of cloth typically used, and the the differences in style based not only on location, but also the social status of the woman. Additionally, I need to know all about the undergarments’ construction and when they were worn.

Something as simple as what someone wore in a certain time period can lead to lots of questions, and generally the answers are in those pages. You can even look up a historical society (many of them have web sites) and they can point you in the right direction.

What if I want to find something medical? That can be a bit more tricky, especially if you have no medical background yourself . For one thing, you will need to keep dictionary.com open (I know I do) and use it to find the meaning of the words you don’t know. It also helps to be able to identify the discipline you are researching.

As an example of a medical search, let’s use my son’s condition: Sensory Integration Issues. When I first heard this, I asked questions. Tons of them. I wrote those questions down on paper and then went home and hit Google. Here is what comes up under the general search:

The very first site is a Wiki article. Since I knew nothing about this disorder, I read the article. I also went to the various foundation web sites, and then I went looking for more specific information on how to deal with him at home. In order to find out what might help him the most, I went to web sites specifically set up by Occupational Therapists (the medical professionals who treat the symptoms of this disorder, helping children adapt to their environment).

In my searches I was able to find toys and activities that assisted my son in his discovery of things.

As you dig through articles and other information, you may want to find more personal accounts of how people deal with particular issues. This is where blogs come in. Yes, a blog can be a good source depending on what you are using it for. If I need to know how a mom feels when she has a child with a certain disorder or how someone copes with loss, or even potty training, reading a blog is a good way to learn from another person’s perspective.

Just remember, a blog is something personal. The information is tainted, in a sense, with another person’s feelings and opinions. There are still good facts to be found, but take the information with a grain of salt. The same thing goes with message boards. Again, they can be sources to get you pointed in the right direction, but they are not always a very reliable sources of facts.

Now, I am sure you are asking, “Sue, what does this have to do with me finding out about (insert your topic here)?”

My point is that research is a process. You cannot accept fact from just one source. You need to vary your sources in order to find the truth. Utilize all of your resources; you have more at your fingertips than you can imagine.

One of my greatest sources of information is Twitter. It’s faster than Google and I have a lot of followers from varied backgrounds who can point me in the right direction or outright answer just about any question. I’ve also been known to ask my kids not just their opinion, but what they would want to know about something. Sometimes an adult’s mind is too full of stuff to get to the very basic questions that need to be asked, so do not discount the kids! My boys have often helped me find things just by asking questions I didn’t think to ask.

In my opinion, good research can make or break the story. You, the author, do not want me, the reader, scratching my head fifty pages in and thinking that something back there didn’t work! If I get fixated on something that is not plausible, you’ve lost me as a reader.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo?

Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org to get started and continue to visit the Fictionista Workshop homepage for tips and tools to aid you.

NaNoWriMo: Research

Research

by Tara L.

If there is one thing that successful writers from all genres have in common, it’s good research. Without it, a plot can’t be fully realized, characters fall flat, and settings tear apart at the seams. For example, if I ask you to picture a hulking, 10th century Viking King, does the name Blaine sound like a good fit? Would it make sense to have Blaine-The-Terrible captaining a specialized Spanish Armada ship? Probably not. While readers will often forgive small incongruities in a story, large errors can pull the reader out of the narrative and make it difficult to follow.

Luckily for today’s writer, good research can often times be just a few mouse clicks away. Here are a few online resources to jump start your research:

Little Details – Little Details is a Live Journal community that bills itself as a “community for writers concerned about factual accuracy in their stories.” Writers can post specific questions relating to their own story, or simply search tags to review all of the information amassed on a specific topic.

Shelly Thacker – Prolific author, Shelly Thacker Meinhardt, outlines 7 key steps to successful research.

HistoryBuff.com – A great resource for any writer that is venturing into historical settings. The site focuses primarily on how news of major, and not so major, events in American History were reported in newspapers of that time.

Library Spot – A research hub that is a great starting point to any research project. It provides breakdowns of online literary sources that start out very general, but can be distilled into very specific areas of information.

So grab your outline, open your browser, and find the details you need to make your story sing. Next week Fictionista Workshop will look at the process of creating original characters as we continue to provide resources for NaNoWriMo writers.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo?

Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org to get started and continue to visit the Fictionista Workshop homepage for tips and tools to aid you.

NaNoWriMo: Story Development

Outlining for the Pantser, Pantsing for the Outliner:

Planning just enough and winging it sufficiently so you don’t get stuck during NaNoWriMo

by Killian McRae

Do you know what you’re having for dinner tonight?

Okay, how about tomorrow night?

If you have your meals planned out, even three days from now, chances are you take the same methodical approach with your writing. That is, before you even label the first page with a prominent CHAPTER ONE across the top, you have your story mapped, tracked, and tagged. You know exactly where it’s going, who falls in love, who dies, who gets abducted by aliens, etc.  You, my dear writer, are an outliner. Nothing left to chance or folly, you hit your novel with all the strategy and wherewithal of a Roman general on the field of battle. You know what your character finds behind door number three, and you like it that way. Now, all you need to do is take that skeleton you have in the corner, and write some clothes, flesh and muscles on him.

Then, there are writers like me. We are a different lot who sips tea while waxing the words poetic and listening for the muse whenever and however she may call upon us. We’re not just working on one manuscript, we likely have four or five competing projects going at any point. Each one is at a critical point where we’ve run out of words, where the flow of our creative juices has run dry, or where we just plain grew tired of thinking about it. Oh, they’re not abandoned, but our heroine has just grabbed the car keys and left in a huff after having a fight with her mother, and we just haven’t figured out yet to where she’s driving to or why. We have an idea, but every time we sit down and start her dialogue as she enters the gay bar on 3^rd & Vine, we remember that we didn’t want her to go there until after she met the guy with blue glasses, because then she would have noticed the mechanical bull already that we weren’t planning on her discovering until after she robbed the bank. Yes, we have ideas. Too many, in fact, to the point that where we don’t know where to take them without our story taking an emergency exit to Tangentville. It’s not lack of direction, it’s lack of destination that plagues us. We write by the seat of our pants and by the grace of the coffee in our cups. We are the pansters.

And one thing we pantsers have in common with the outliners is this: Come NaNoWriMo, we’re both screwed.

As with many things in life, those at the two extremes of the spectrum have more in common with each other than those in the middle. Plan too much, and you feel obligated to stay on the scheduled tour, even when you see an interesting spire rising from the sky in the distance. Don’t plan enough, and you’ll wander around the fictional streets between the Conflicts and Resolutions districts without finding an efficient route in between. In short, you’ll get lost and get stuck.  In NaNoWriMo, time is of the essence. Writing fifty thousand words in the span of thirty days is a completely achievable task, but only if one does not get mired down in the process of writing. Having too much of a plan may lead you to feel overly confident. That is, you may be all hat and no cowboy, taking on your novel knowing what you’re going to write, but not how. Also, writing is an art form, and in art there must be wiggle room to allow the artist to mold inspiration. Likewise, having no clear plan but only vague ideas may lead one to get delayed in the art of writing by overindulging in the process behind the words.

May I be so humble as to suggest, at least in preparation for NaNoWriMo, a hybrid of the two approaches?

I think it’s good to have more than a vague idea of what you’re going to write. I’ll admit, even as a pantser, I’m gearing up by at least sitting down and making a bullet point list of the major plot points of my story. I know, however, if I get wrapped up in microploting my characters’ actions before hand, I’ll lose inspiration and drive to tell the story. Think of it this way. I feel like I’m standing in the land of good intentions and yet-to-start actions, and across the river of Novelia, the imaginary land where I live most the time, lies Fifty Kay Acres. I need to build a bridge to this place, so I’m now pouring the concrete that will make up the pillars. But to truly cross the bridge I’m going to need to lay down the road. I’ve got all my materials ready, but I’m pacing myself to show up over at Fifty Kay by December 1^st.

Yeah, I use metaphors a lot. Sorry about that.

Some other tactics you might want to consider as you plan your own NaNoWriMo are listed below. The methods combine the best of the pantsing and planner approachers, allowing one to overcome the shortfalls with each.

• The Post-it Method: Who are your characters? What are the major events in your book? What is the journey? Write a little something about each of these things on post-it notes that you can either put on the wall near where you write, or in a binder you can easily access. Then, arrange them. How? Well, chronologically perhaps. Or if you’re more a punster, perhaps by want. There’s nothing wrong with having conflicting post-its about where your story might go. As you head in one direction or another, or as you achieve the plot point, take it down and make a stack. Not only will this keep you on track, the stack of post-its will give you a visual confirmation that all your hard work is adding up.

• The Flow Chart Method: That’s right, flow charts. Now, you don’t have to stick to all the rules, but just chart out your story. Make sure you leave room on the side to make notes. You can then branch out with different ideas if you have several about the twist your plot might take. As you eliminate options or advance in your plot, ex-out the unnecessary bits.

• The Popsicle Stick Method: Go to your local craft store and purchase a bag of popsicle sticks. Write possible routes your story might take or details about your characters on as many as you feel comfortable with, then throw them in a bag. When you get stuck or need a pointer, randomly draw out a popsicle stick and remind yourself what you were thinking of when you wrote it and, more importantly, how you frame that in what you’re writing now.

• Use a recycled plot. I’m not joking on this one. A wise friend constantly reminds me that there are no new stories. In fact, I don’t really believe that, but I will admit that there are very few. What changes are the details. If plotting isn’t your thing, but your excel at detail, at capturing the human condition, at examining the clockwork of soul, by all means recycle. But be wary: I’m not saying plagiarize. Plagiarism is bad, wrong, and lazy.  But there are some generalized plots you see over and over, and don’t necessary get warn. The young lovers separated by the station of their families, for example, or the virtuous, strong hero overthrowing the tyrannical despot. It’s okay to tell a classic story, as long as the story you’re telling is yours.

• Phone a friend. Do you have a person in your life who just… gets you? Why not use them as a bouncing board. Throw off some ideas about your book and get their general reaction. Perhaps even stage a fake pitch, as though your friend is an agent and you’re trying to sell your intended book to them.

• Pantsers: cut off shorts are also comfy. If you’re a pantser like me, you’re convinced that “outlining” is an ancient Norwegian cuss word. How about blurbing? Can you contain the essence of your book in 200 words or less? If not, why not give it a try? The brevity will give you lots of room to work as inspiration hits, but having a basic summary will orientate you about where you’re going.

Whatever method you use to help you get ready for NaNoWriMo, the most important thing is this: write. Write every day, even if only 100 words. Even if you know you’re going to delete those words in the first draft, write. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the novel about it might be written in a month.

Killian McRae is an aspiring writer of romance, alternative history, and fantasy fiction, and also has a sizable portfolio of derivative fiction. Her first published novel, 12.21.12, was released in December 2010. To learn more about her, please visit her website www.killianmcrae.com.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo?

Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org to get started and continue to visit the Fictionista Workshop homepage for tips and tools to aid you.

NaNoWriMo: A Survivor’s Story

by Kayla G.

Last November 30th, I spread sore, swollen fingers, looked around my filthy house and made a vow to myself to never, ever, try to do NaNoWriMo again. I mean, I’m a mother of six teens with a full time job, and they stuck NaNoWriMo in a short month with a major mother-intensive holiday! It’s like the writing marathon from hell, and there’s no way I could do that to myself again.

Then, on September 3rd, the evil people from NaNoWriMo sent out a reminder e-mail, a call to arms of sorts.

I tried to ignore it, I really did. But my treacherous mind reminded me how incredible it felt to see 52,000 words at the bottom of my manuscript. Yep, last year, I’d done it. For no other reason than a cheesy web badge and bragging rights, I’d written half a novel.

Urged on by such thoughts, the Plot Bunny, the fickle rodent that brings mayhem to my writing life, paid me a visit. I grabbed every weapon I could from my mental arsenal and tried to kill that rat-fink rabbit and all his demonic offspring. I’m too busy. I have a life! I need to be able to use my fingers for things other than typing. NaNoWriMo is nothing more than web-based insanity!

It didn’t work. Without permission, characters invaded my brain and began talking to me, teasing and cheering and demanding that they be given their story. Unwritten characters are vicious beings, unscrupulous and cruel. They’ll nag incessantly until they’ve nearly driven you insane.

On September 10th, I caved. I gave in to the characters and let them tell me their story while I took notes and outlined the plot.

And I fell in love with my own unwritten story once again.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org and continue to check the Fictionista Workshop website for tools and tricks along the way.