This is how I’m doing NaNo

I call it the “be kind to myself”approach. It’s a little bit like this  or this when things don’t go my way.

Here are my rules:

1. Try to write every day.
2. Try to write more than I think I can.
3. Try not to start a new book when things get hard.
4. Try to stay focused rather than rummaging through the cupboards or cleaning out my closets.
5. Being okay with messes both in my book and in my life.

So far so good!

Monday, Rainy Monday

Three Things to Help You if You’re Staggering Along with NaNoWriMo.

I’m behind, but I’m writing. Trying to every day unless something comes up (like last week’s headache).  Here are a few somethings that might help you as you try to keep writing this crazy number of words. All this brainstorming can be counted in your words for the day.

1. We’ve done this exercise before. It’s a good one. Set your timer for, say, thirty minutes. In that time, write EVERYTHING that could happen to your character. EVERYTHING. He blows up. He dies. He changes into an alligator. He fights his best friend. His best friend wins the fight. He kisses his best friend’s girlfriend. He kisses his best friend. As you’re writing anything and everything, think about what’s happened so far in the book. What crazy things could go along with that? Write out of that box of This Must Be and go for things you didn’t expect. Think of moving the story forward with plot or dialog.
2. Write a list of all the scenes that you know must come still. Add these things two things to your notes–sense of place and emotion. You don’t need to go in depth, but how do you feel as you’re writing? What emotions are stirred up? Put those on the page. Who will be in these scenes? Write their names down. Write these ideas a little more slowly and, if you feel like it, complete the scene. Scenes will make your novel.
3. Skip one hour of TV, of using your phone, of being online–whatever. Give that up every day for just one hour and write as fast as you can during those moments. What’s your word count now? Was it worth missing Grey’s Anatomy? Of course! You’re closer to that 50,000 words! Woot!

Three Thing Thursday on THURSDAY!

Cheryl:

I watched an interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda recently where he spoke about being invited to the White House to perform years ago.

“Actually,” he told them, “I do have something I’ve been working on. It’s a rap about Alexander Hamilton.”

They all laughed. “Wait,” they said after a moment. “You’re serious?”

Little did they know that the song he sang that night would go viral and lead to him writing a Broadway musical that would be nominated for a record-breaking total of 16 Tony awards.

It reminds me of that quote by Jules Feiffer:

“Artists can color the sky red because they know it’s blue. Those of us who aren’t artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we’re stupid.”

For 7 years, this is what Lin-Manuel Miranda did. He painted the sky red and ignored everyone that called him stupid. “You can’t write a rap song about Alexander Hamilton,” they said.  “It just can’t be done.”

And they were right…until he did it.

What is your red sky? Are you writing it yet? And if not…why?

Me:

So, I am behind on NaNoWriMo, just as I expected I might be. However, this time I’m just going to move ahead. Not panic. Have fun. Write!

Don’t give up if you fall behind.

No matter what, if you try you’ll be that many more words ahead. The first forty pages on a novel is the first forty pages of a novel. 20,000 words is 20,000 words, even if it’s NOT 50,000.

And if you write consistently, no matter the number of words reached, you will begin to make writing a habit.

(Still–I’m headed toward 50,000!)

Good luck!

Me again:

Answer these questions: What is it the stops you from sitting down and writing?

How will you conquer that in a month?

NaNoWhoMeMo

Have you written?

I haven’t. But I have eaten Skittles. And Reeses Pieces. And a very small Heath bar.

Yesterday I put a water bottle in my hair and I felt very amazing. But I didn’t write.

But I am going to write today because it’s a new day.

And then I’m going to write tomorrow.

And even the next day.

I’m going to write every day in November (except Sunday Funday) and if I finish a novel, I’m going to buy myself something very fancy. Like tapioca pudding. And I might go to a movie. I might sneak tapioca pudding into a movie. And eat it.

What will you do if you finish a novel?

Dessert and the cinema?

One thing to remember: You can do this. It’s up to you and only you.

Another thing to remember: It’s okay if it’s bad.

And a final thing to remember: Writing every day on the same project, even if you think it’s bad and not going anywhere, will make you better. It will make you think hard, it will help you create good habits, it will teach you things you didn’t know you needed to know, and most of all, it will show you that can do something really really hard.

And you’ll get tapioca at the end. The best food that my mom used to make which I haven’t eaten for years and which I hope to eat in 30 days.