NaNoWriMo Update

Wow what a week!

Well technically it's been nine days  but the whole "week ends on a Sunday" thing kind of sticks with you after a while.

This is my first NaNoWriMo and I have had an amazing time plugging away at this book.

I've tried writing a novel several times in the past but I always seem to get distracted or frustrated with where the story is going or overwhelmed by the need to write 100,000 words.

This time, with the combination of pressure and support from NaNoWriMo and some wise words from one of my favorite authors, I have been able to get further along in the process than ever before.  Even more important, I can now see where the story is going how its going to end.  I just need to let the words hit the page - something that has been happening in alarming quantity for the last few days.

I think the main factor this time around is that I've turned my focus away from any kind of publishing goal for the final product.  I'm not bound a high word count required by publishers (they usually don't even look at manuscripts under 70 or 80 thousand words, too hard to make money on them).  I can just write the story for what it is and if the end product is worthy of sharing I can find the best way to do just that.

It's funny to me how we as writers get hung up on word count sometimes.  So many of our stories will never see the light of day with a traditional publisher yet we try to shoehorn stories into those constraints.  Allowing a story to be whatever it actually is has been amazingly liberating.

Maybe this is a lesson other writers have long since learned.  Maybe I'm just late to the party but I've had enough conversations and read enough articles on the subject to think that's not really the case.  Either way, it has helped me tremendously this first week plus.

In nine days I have written over 21,000 words.  I've never come close to reaching that kind of production before.  I'm over 40% of the way through my goal for the month and I still have 3 full weeks to go.

The best part is, I really think this will wind up being something to share when I'm finished.  I was willing to treat this project as a learning exercise if the quality wasn't there but I really think it is.  The story will of course need a large amount of revision and polish, after all I'm not stopping to correct as I go, but that's what December is for (and January, and a large part of 2014 most likely).  Yet when it's all said and done I really think I'll have something to share with the anyone willing to give it a try.

Thanks again for all the support.  And if you haven't already, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter!  It will go out quarterly and anyone on the list will get first looks at some content.  Subscribers will also be automatically entered into any drawings I hold for published works.

Slainte!

Dwight.

And So It Begins

Got up at 5:00 am for a kickstart to NaNoWriMo.  It is kind of exciting to be setting off on this challenge.

I've put Dogwood on the back burner until after NaNoWriMo.  During the outline process I realized this was going to be a much bigger novel than I first thought and I don't want to rush the first draft for the November challenge.  So, with 10,000 words behind me on the first draft Dogwood will take a break until December.

For NaNoWriMo I will be taking on another project, one that hits a little closer to home. They say write what you know and I think I've found a really fun, exciting way to do that.  The book is titled "Fatman" and it's something of a memoir in that I'm using a lot of personal knowledge to build this protagonist.  That's all I'm going to say for now but you can track the progress with the meter to the right.  I'll also have daily word count and progress updates on my Facebook and Twitter pages as well as weekly updates here.

Thanks again to all of you for the support lately.  I hope to have at least one finished product on the e-market next year so stick around.

Slainte!

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The Indie Inquisition

If you follow self publishing news you may have seen several stories recently about authors paying for reviews. This has of course created great consternation within the community. Bloggers haven taken to their web pages to lash out these authors, claiming these paid reviews tarnish the system and make it harder for consumers to find quality material. This position is understandable as many of these authors decided on self publishing in order to avoid the somewhat messy traditional publishing scene.  I have no problem with authors getting upset about paid reviews.

The part that really bothers me though is the witch hunt atmosphere that has emerged. Unfounded accusations are being tossed about. Even worse, unsupported blanket statements are issued, making successful authors look guilty by association. Authors are forced to try and prove a negative, leaving them in an untenable situation. They’ll never be able to prove a negative, at least not to the Inquisition’s satisfaction.

Accompanying the paid review witch hunt is something I find even more perplexing. Many in the industry feel that peer to peer, family/friend and trade reviews are just as bad. To clarify with some examples:

Peer to Peer - Writers from a co-op review each other’s work

Traded Reviews - Authors trade review for review with other authors

Family/Friend - If I have to explain this, well just stop reading now

There are other similar, unpaid reviews out there as well and the problem seems to be that these are not unbiased. Unbiased reviews can’t be trusted so we must do away with all of them.

I say: So effing what.

Seriously, how the heck are we supposed to make it as independents if we take away every avenue we have to get the word out? The few indie books that become successful do so by word of mouth. Where the heck do you think that starts? Mom, dad, drinking buddies, the guy you serve a grande nonfat mocha caramel to every morning at 6:45 who found out you were an author and couldn’t wait to see your book. They’re the ones that support us. Why can’t they have a voice?

If we want to support independent authors why are we tearing them down for being independent? Did Deathcab for Cutie tell their fiends to not talk about their first few albums (you younger kids can substitute Haim or MGMT for Deathcab if you want)? No, indie art gets out however the hell it can. Why in the world would we stifle that?

Some make the argument that you can’t trust these biased reviews. Well, tough. You can’t trust a lot of reviews. Some people rate all books a 5, they just love everything so much! Some people hate puppies and babies so they sure aren’t going to give your book more than a 1.

If you’re looking for something to read outside of your normal referral channels, the trick is to read a bunch of review. Pay attention to what is actually being said. Isn’t that why they publish the actual reviews on Amazon, so you can read them?

If you buy a book, site unseen, solely because it got a crap ton of 5 star reviews, well then don’t come cryin to me when it sucks. Read the reviews. See what people are saying. Take the “It’s the best book ever” and “This was pure crap” reviews with a grain of salt and pay attention to the ones that specify what was good and what was bad. You know, use your brain. It’s why we read in the first place right?

We can have the argument over whether paid reviews are OK if you want (although my argument will start with the fact that the traditional industry pays for them too). Let’s lay off the witch hunts and the snobbery though, OK? Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and go create something. Yes, a multi-book deal with a massive advance would be great but that’s not why we do this. We do this because we love to tell our tales, to get those epic yarns out of our head and onto the page.

Let’s stop throwing stones and get back to telling stories. That’s what it’s all about anyway.

Later.

Dwight

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Breaking Bad and The Art of Storytelling

Jenny and I recently jumped on the Breaking Bad bandwagon.  I know we’re late to the party but it’s not without good reason.  We’ve always had a hard time finding shows we both enjoy.  I watched the first episode when it came out on Netflix a couple of years ago and realized right away Jenny would love it.  It only took me 18 months or so to convince her.  Actually, I didn’t even do that.  I just got sick of trying so I started watching it on my own.  She wound up in the room one night, playing Words With Friends on her phone, while I was watching and it just drew her right in.

It’s been a blast watching her get sucked into the show.  I have a long history of addiction to quality small screen programming. Lost, Doctor Who, Fringe, they’re just a small sampling of the shows that hooked me with the free sample then had me begging for more.  Jenny, not so much. In fact she actively avoided such shows after seeing how they tortured me with cliffhangers.

Breaking Bad finally got her.  After she admitted to an interest in the show we went back to episode one and started fresh.  I forced her to stop after three episodes and she just about shot me.  She’s had basically the same reaction each night.  We sit down to gorge on Walt and Company. She gets hooked.  She throws things when I make her turn it off. It didn’t matter that she had forty more episodes left.  She didn’t care that was no way to watch them all at once.  She couldn't quit.  She HAD to know what happened next.

Watching her get caught up in this show has gotten me thinking about the art of storytelling.  Well, that plus the fact that I’m reading Stephen King’s memoir “On Writing” right now.  Storytelling dates back to beginnings of language.  We’ve captivated each other with re-tellings of our conquests, our dreams and our inspirations.  Yet some of us do it far better than others.  

What is it that makes a great story?  Are there tricks?  Is there formula?  Is it just something certain people are gifted with?

I am very wary of anyone who says they have a sure fire formula for storytelling.  Sure, it can be done but it winds up being, well, formulaic.  You wind up with stories that all sound the same. The names and places change but the stories are all alike.  It may work once or twice but, for me at least, it doesn’t last.

The best stories are written by the characters themselves.  Stephen King likens it to excavating a fossil.  The writer has little control over what is there, only how much of it is uncovered.

 “Stories aren’t souvenir tee-shirts or GameBoys. Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing     world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”  ^[1]

This is also evident in Breaking Bad.  Vince Gilligan has admitted that Jesse Pinkman was originally supposed to die at the end of the first season.  Yet as the character developed, and the actor’s portrayal played out, Gilligan realized Jesse was actually central to the story.  Gilligan listened to what the character and the story were saying and let them develop on their own.

At it’s core, good storytelling gives us a reason to care.  Whether it’s the lovable nun turned governess (my kids are in the other room watching The Sound of Music so it's top of mind), or a bumbling school teacher turned psychopathic drug manufacturer, great stories wrap you up in the characters first.  Once you care about what happens to them they drive the story.  They can take you pretty much anywhere.

It’s been fascinating watching the characters and story evolve on Breaking Bad.  I think the combination of our binge watching schedule and my focus on story creating has helped me see things from this perspective but it truly is a phenomenal story.  I only hope someday I can create something a fraction as good.

Until Next Time!

Slainte!

Dwight

^[1] King, Stephen (2000-10-03). On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft (pp. 163-164).      Scribner. Kindle Edition.

Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

Exiting times are afoot around here as I gear up for NaNoWriMo.  I started using the Snowflake method to hash out the characters and plot for Dogwood a few weeks ago.  I've already made more progress using this method than in last three months.  Sure, it's not actual draft yet but I've been able to mold my characters into real people, figure out where the story is taking them and how to get there.  I still have a few weeks of prep to go but I fully expect to have the journey fully blocked out so come Nov 1 I can start banging out text.  

When I tried writing this story in the past I just had a loose idea of what was going to happen.  Now I feel like I have a firm destination and a robust GPS to guide the way.  I'm sure things will change a lot along the way but I'm not in the dark about the in between parts anymore and that is incredibly exciting.  If all goes well I'll have a first draft completed sometime early to mid December.  

I've also jumped into the forums over at NaNoWriMo and it has been incredibly encouraging.  There are so many people out there with cool ideas and everyone has been really supportive so far.  I'm really looking forward to an exciting month of November.  

The writing office is set up (It's in the kid's play room but when you live in a small house you've got to do whatever you can).  I have my document all laid out in Scrivener and I've got three weeks to do about two weeks worth of final outlining.  I can't wait to get this going.  

Stick around for updates.  I also welcome any feedback and comments you care to send my way.

Slainte!

Dwight

Backward Progress

Is it possible to move forward by going backward?

If so that's what I've done this last week.

I was feeling pretty excited last week when I hit 10,000 words on the novel.  I felt like,  even though it was only about 1/8 of the expected length of the book it was a really good start.  I felt like I was on my way.

Then a funny thing happened.  I was doing some research last weekend on writing styles, techniques etc when I came across this site.   This technique for outlining a book seemed tailor made for the way I think.  In just a couple of hours of reading I started thinking about the breakdown of my story and quickly came up with several great ideas.  I decided to give the outline a try and by the end of last week I realized I needed a complete rewrite of pretty much everything I'd written.  Everything I've put together will probably still be used but its all going to move around quite a bit, some parts will stay put, some will show up later, some will ultimately get cut.

The bottom line though is I knew I had a better story to tell than the one I had started.  So, 10,000 words down the tube but I know this book is in a better place today with essentially 0 words written than it was nine days ago with 10,0000.

I'll be working on this outline for the next couple of weeks which will lead to a scene map where I will lay out the overall path for the story.  I'm hoping to have it all laid out by Oct, 31 so I can sit down and bang out my first draft for NaNoWriMo in November.  If all goes well I should have a killer first draft, ready for Beta reading and editing.

I know this is going to push back my schedule but I really want this to be a great book when I'm finished, not just something that I finished only to say I did.  After laying out the changes that have come up so far I'm more excited today about it than when I first sat down at it this summer.

Anyway, wish me luck.  I'll keep updates coming regularly.  The short stories will be on hiatus for a couple of months too.  I'll kick them back up in December when I have a bit more time to devote to them.

Till next time!

Dwight

Old School

Remember a couple of days ago when I mentioned being frustrated with the writing process?

Turns out all I needed was a pen and some paper.  I've spent the last few nights staring at my screen, not sure where to go next.  I tried brainstorming, outlining, free writing, none of it got me anywhere.

Today I grabbed my notebook and a pen and tried again.  Somehow the ideas popped right out.  I sketched out the outline of what I had so far, leaving blanks for where I was stuck.  I just started jotting down ideas until one stuck.  After that the rest just kind of fell into place.  Now I've got the direction I needed to connect the major plot points.  I'm sure a lot of the specifics will change but I feel like I have a map to get me out of the dead end.

There is just something about pen and paper for me.  I'm a stickler for fine tip pens too, can't write with anything else.  The feel of the pen drawn across paper is incredibly satisfying.

I could never write an entire book or even a short story that way though.  My handwriting is atrocious and only gets worse the higher the word count. It really seems to work for note taking, brainstorming, outlining etc.  For some reason I always want to do everything on the computer but I guess I need to embrace my inner anachronist (Is that even a word?  Who cares it is now).

Do you have any tricks or tips for getting unstuck, any favorite "old school" techniques that you use?

Sláinte!

Dwight