Are we there yet?

Halfway done!

I know this is a sad excuse for a post, but working on the NaNovel is about all the writing I can muster most days.

That's a big knife you've got there.

I love that NaNoWriMo has such influence these days that most writing blogs are littered with references all throughout November.

Here are my picks this week:

Editing—Are You Butchering Your Creativity?  by Kristen Lamb  (I think Kristen channeled my subconscious for this one.)

Structure Part 6—Getting Primal & Staying Simple  by Kristen Lamb

Writing on a Theme  by Mary Kole

Be a More Confident Writer:  5 Choices That Might Be Hurting Instead of Helping  by Annie Neugebauer

The Art of REwriting  by Susan Dennard

Can You "Fast Draft"?  by Jami Gold

Description:  Novel Openings  by Karen Strong

Sweat Equity:  Perspiration vs. Inspiration in Writing  by Laura Drake

You're not so tough, NaNo.

I'm still alive!  Made it through the first week intact, more or less.  

I finally put up a word counter over there on the side bar so that you can spy on my progress.  I would have done it earlier, but they weren't available on the website when NaNo began.  Just to warn you, I'm taking the rest of the week off to work on plotting so the counter's probably not going to start moving again until next week.

I'm enjoying the process much more this time around.  Not a single tear so far!  I'll elaborate once the month is over.

Until then, keep your fingers crossed for me.  Or your toes, if your fingers begin to cramp. However, I don't recommend crossing your eyes for any length of time.  :-)

Doubt as a good thing?

A small, but potent bunch.


Ways to Develop Your Unique Writing Voice by Kristen Lamb

Structure Part 5—Keeping Focused and Nailing the Pitch—Understand Your "Seed Idea" by Kristen Lamb

Turning the Soil by Sarah Callender  (Thought provoking-post.)

Reversals by Donald Maass

Macro-Revision:  Take It One Piece at a Time by Tracy Hahn-Burkett

This feels familiar.

source

And that just about sums it up.

9 hours to go.

Don't wave anything leather, tailored, and/or antique at me during November.  I don't want any distractions!

The book cover 2.

I can't ever leave well enough alone.

I'm conflicted over the NaNo book title.  I originally chose Redeeming the Stars.  Then decided on The Redemption of Stars.  Now I'm back to preferring the former again.

I don't know what I'll end up with—there's a good chance I'll change the title altogether—but here's version two:

See here for version one.

I realize that the title font isn't entirely legible, but I really like the look so I'm going with it for now.  It's not as if a publisher would use that cover or that title anyway.

The book cover.

Less than three days before NaNoWriMo begins!  I still have quite a bit of plot and character to work out.  And yet, yesterday I found myself creating a book cover.

My defense?  Peer pressure.  Hey, I'll take any excuse I can get to procrastinate and/or use my mad artistic skillz.  ;-)

Last year I was surprised by the number of NaNo participants that had a cover.  Peruse this forum to see what I mean. Apparently, for many, they're visual motivators.

I'm a visual person so this year I'd planned to have somebody make one for me since there are many that offer.  But then I decided that my Photoshopping prowess had improved enough to give it a shot myself.

I think it came out great!  Especially for a first try.

Stock sources here, here, and here.

A larger version of the book cover is here.  Check out the details on the lightbulb.  Old astronomy illustrations.

Now I'm even more excited for NaNo to begin! <----- Rationalizing the hours spent working on the cover in lieu of the actual book.

Beginnings and endings.

More girl power!


Structure Part 4—Testing Your Idea—Is it Strong Enough to Make an Interesting Novel? by Kristen Lamb

Character Self-Description by Mary Kole

Writing scenes with Tom Huang by Buffy Andrews

NaNo Prep:  Planning Your Novel's Beginning by Janice Hardy

The End—Wrapping Up Your Stories by Amy Rose Davis

Back to Basics:  Writing a Novel Synopsis by Jane Friedman

5 Elements of a Resonant Closing Line by K. M. Weiland

Acquiring Editor's Checklist by Sue Grimshaw

Final NaNo countdown.

Less than a week before blast-off.

I thought I was doomed to another disappointing week of NaNo prep, until Sunday happened.  I convinced D to brainstorm with me—it helps to think out loud—and of course he cracked the thing wide open.  I'm telling you, that man is a brainstorming wizard.

Suddenly, the story has vitality.  It has the potential for resonance.  Resonance is often the difference between just a good book (or movie) and one that stays with you for days or weeks, sometimes years.  That's not to say that my story will have that sort of impact, just that it could.  If all the elements of a well-crafted story—voice, structure, character, conflict, artful prose, etc.—are in place.  If, not only being key, but the whole dang door too.

As I'm writing the first draft of this story in 30 days, the odds of every last if obediently lining up to stand at attention by December are miniscule.  The odds would be small with even 300 days.  Still, simply the possibility of achieving resonance is exciting.  It's like a dangling carrot to this writer.

Here's the next tease hint.

source

That should answer any lingering questions, no?

My NaNo goals for the week are:

1. Determine the second doorway (a la James Scott Bell), which is what pushes the protagonist towards the final battle.
2. Brainstorm for subplots.
3. Flesh out secondary characters.
4. Prepare a beat sheet (see Larry Brooks).
5. November 1st:  Go!

I suspect that this blog will be taking lots of naps this week and through November, but I'll try to pop on every now and then to shove energy bars at it.  Once November hits I'll add a NaNo word count widget on the sidebar here to help keep me honest.

Wish me luck!  I'll need it if last NaNo decides to rear its pathetic head.