Slightly Unprepared But Excited

Camp NaNoWriMo starts in two days.

Two days!

Am I ready?

Not exactly. Not as prepared as I’d like to be, anyway.

See, I used to be a pantser, a writer that has a small spark of an idea and then dives into writing the story by the seat of their pants. The creativity and flow of that style is wonderful and right up my alley. However, when I used the pantser method, I inevitably ended up with slumpy middles and struggled to finish out the final chapter or two of my stories. This was a huge problem.

Therefore, I decided to read articles (and I mean dozens of articles) about plotting. There are charts and graphs and tips and many, many outline types out there. It can be overwhelming. Even as I felt myself sinking in the vast ocean of plotting advice and forms and such, I knew that I had to figure out a way to pull some details together prior to writing the first draft. I needed the guidance of a plot or outline. It would be helpful to know my characters at least a little bit before trying to tell their story (otherwise, I end up exploring and discovering who they are in draft one and then having to do heavy edits in rounds two, three, and four).

Preparing for Camp NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo is in one month.

One month.

I am not yet ready for this, but I will be. During March, I'll be doing prep work for the first NaNo event of the year.

Character development is a large part of my preparation. If I don't know the characters well enough, writing in their voices becomes practically impossible. So I'm learning all I can about them as I work through a couple of different questionnaires. The loooooong one is only for the two leads, whereas the short form will be for several supporting cast members. I'm diving into their personalities, emotions, and dreams as well as their fears, faults, and sorrows.

One of the neat things I've already learned through the long form is that this particular form gives me insights not only into the leads but also into their friends and relatives. Any important relationships they have get explored through this form, which should, in theory, make the short form for the supporting cast go a lot quicker as I'm already figuring out bits and pieces (and sometimes large chunks!) of who these supporting characters are and how they effect the leads' lives.

November Review {part one}

Late again, I’m afraid. The holidays and recovery from the busy week have caught up to me, apparently. I’ll try to do better next week, y’all.

The next few weeks here at Writing to Inspire will be a recap of my November. I'm eager to hear about yours too, so please share in the comment section as you're able.

NaNoWriMo

November’s writing challenge, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), was wonderful for me. I started out editing several chapters of an old favorite, but then I discovered writing crawls in the NaNo forums.

Writing crawls usually contain different tasks within a story format, and each task is writing related. For example, you might be challenged to write 300 words in 15 minutes, to sprint to 100 words, or to write for 30 minutes without taking a break. Some of the crawls even incorporate stretch breaks, snack times, and exercises to keep the back, wrists, and neck from getting too tight from being hunched over the computer (or pad of paper).

NaNoWriMo Has Arrived!

My new computer is working great. The transition came just in time too, because this month is NaNoWriMo. Now, I'm editing on paper this year, but that doesn't mean I don't use my computer. I still have to log in my word count. And if I need to look up something in the manuscript I'm working on that might be found hundreds of pages apart, I can quickly open the computer document and do an easy search. Plus, there's research that needs to be done along the way to make sure that special layer of atmosphere satisfactorily saturates the reader in the world my MCs (main characters) are living in.

The story I'm working on is one that's been in the works for over a decade, first as a screenplay and more recently (since 2012) as a manuscript. I would, of course, love to see both the book and movie versions come to a reality that readers and viewers could enjoy at their leisure. But this writer's got more work to do on them both first.

Things I might be researching while I edit this baby:

Why NaNoWriMo is Crucial For Me

Finding focus is often a problem for me. As a writer, that is not good. It takes a lot of hours of concentration to create stories worthy of being seen by readers’ precious eyes. When one has undiagnosed attention deficit disorder, as I do, the battle for focus is significantly more than half the war for words.

When I discovered National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWrimo) in 2013, I was skeptical that it would work for me. The goal for that writing challenge is to write a novel (50,000 words) in a single month. Well, that particular month is November, one of the busiest of the year for me. I had already discovered that my mind is very goal oriented, but I hadn’t yet attempted to set such a huge goal for myself in my writing journey. However, I felt like it was a challenge worth taking.

Making Progress

I'm not really in a blogging sort of mood today. Last week and the weekend were physically rough on me, so I'm pretty worn out today. Instead of wracking my mind for something important or creative or story-related to write, I'm going to update you on a few things going on in my corner of the world right now.

Health: My knee that I hyper-extended in early February is finally on to the next phase of healing, in which I am able to do light exercises to regain strength and range of motion in the left knee.

Faith: I'm reading through the Psalms this month. Each one brings such comfort and encouragement. I'm incredibly grateful that writers before me shared what they learned of the Lord Almighty, because they've left trails of faith for me and many others to follow into Glory.

Thanksgiving

by Andrea Renee Cox

Happy Thanksgiving week! I hope your family and you will create wonderful memories as you eat great food, play board games, watch movies, chat up a storm, and whatever else you might do during the holiday.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

A Glimpse at a Rough Draft

by Andrea Renee Cox

This month is insanely busy for me, but I am remembering to take time to enjoy life and rest between my various projects. This weekend, I saw Murder on the Orient Express, which was a phenomenal story, one which I recommend studying to learn how to write complex plots that keep viewers guessing until the very end. I also saw a re-showing of Casablanca—a celebration of its 75th anniversary—an old classic I didn’t appreciate the first time I watched it. Cut me some slack, though. I was a teenager who understood nothing of politics back then. Even though I am still not a fan of politics, I understand more about them now, and I’ve learned a great deal about WWII since the last time I viewed that classic movie. 

As for rest, I’m soaking in snippets of the Word of God. I’m finding it helpful to meditate on a single verse or small section of verses these days, since I am so busy. This still keeps my mind and heart focused on God and His Word, even as chaos is pinballing around me. I love writing these verses on the white board in my room as well as on 3-by-5-inch notecards to stick in my purse, keep at my desk, and prop up on my bookcase (which I visit often, as you can imagine, my being an avid reader). At other times, I like to flip open to a favorite section in the Bible and read a full chapter. While doing this, I pay extra-special attention to any passages that I had previously highlighted, underlined, or circled—and I often end up finding hope, encouragement, and a whisper of love from the God I serve. Those moments are the most precious of my day.

These days, I need all the encouragement I can get, because I’m nearing the middle of NaNoWriMo, which is a challenge to write at least 50,000 words toward a new book during the month of November. Believe it or not, I’m past 40k already. Still going strong too. I’m at that point now where I’m doubting the quality of my work and dreading the editing. Normally when I reach this point, I hit a slump in my writing. I don’t know if it’s a dip in my confidence or a gap in my timeline (or lack of a timeline altogether). This year I have most of a timeline, and my confidence is stronger than in NaNos past. Still, I find myself struggling to find words right when I sit down.

Since I’m talking about NaNoWriMo and the story I’m working on, how would you like to see a section of my very rough first draft? Sharing something so raw and unedited makes me nervous, but I appreciate you guys so much that I want to share this tidbit with you. Here goes…

Work-In-Progress

by Andrea Renee Cox

November is here. What does that mean to you? For me, it means family, Thanksgiving, and NaNoWriMo.

Do you remember when I told you about my project for this year's National Novel Writing Month challenge? I began writing it on November 1, and I've been chasing words every day since then.

Would you believe that I've already passed 16,000 words? I've written three and a half chapters, cried several times (twice on day one!), and am enjoying getting to know these characters better as I step into their upturned world. More than that, while I'm in the beginning chapters of this work-in-progress, I'm loving discovering (again) that I am a work-in-progress.

One of the things I was most nervous about prior to beginning this book was finding the right tone in the first three paragraphs. I love a dynamic opening line too, so of course I was hoping for one, but I wasn't really sure if I would find one. I prayed for God's guidance for the first line and opening paragraphs, as I do over every chapter and every word, because my future readers and this book are so special to me. In addition to that, I want this story to make an impact from the beginning. I knew if I got the tone wrong from the start, I'd end up having to rip the entire story apart in rewrites, and I dislike having to do that -- though sometimes it's necessary.

Prep Work for Another NaNo

by Andrea Renee Cox

It’s just about that time again. NaNoWriMo begins on November 1, which is barely over a week from now. In case you haven’t yet heard, NaNoWriMo is short for the National Novel Writing Month—November—during which writers come together online and try to each write 50,000 words in a new book. Some are rebels and work on screenplays, short stories, or a new draft of an old book. I’ve been one of those rebels before, but this year I’ll be starting from scratch on an entirely new story.

How does one go about preparing for NaNoWriMo?

That’s a fantastic question. I used to simply wing it. Yep, I’m serious. I’d pick the idea most prevalent in my mind and dive into it with zero prep work done. No character sketches, no timeline, no backstories… nothing. It seemed to work… for a while. Then I’d get stuck. Not just I’m-in-the-ditch-someone-tow-me-out stuck, but actual I’m-in-a-fifteen-car-pileup-and-the-rescue-team-is-behind-miles-of-traffic stuck. It would typically take three to five days of precious writing time staring at the page and maybe getting a single paragraph written during that entire span.

In recent years, though, I’ve changed from a pantser (someone who writes by the seat of their pants, or without a lot of prep work ahead of time) to a plantser (a combination or pantser and plotter), but this year I’m considering myself more of a plotter (someone who prepares ahead of time and might have at least a rough outline of their story and/or character sheets worked up).

Camp NaNoWriMo + a Sneak Peek!

by Andrea Renee Cox

Hey y’all! How are you this fine Monday? I am busy as a little bee, working really hard on an outline for the project I’ll be writing for Camp NaNoWriMo in April. (Stay tuned for a fun sneak peek!)

Ever since my friend Hannah invited me to participate in Camp last April, I have loved and looked forward to it. Camp NaNo is a one-month writing session online (CampNaNoWriMo.org) where one may join a cabin of writing buddies. I like Camp better than regular NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) because of the cabin atmosphere and being able to set one’s own goals rather than being mandated to do 50k words. Sometimes I only have time for 20k or so; other times, I fly to 60+ thousand words before the third week of a month. Either way I go, the words build up into something amazing.

Pantser or Plotter?

by Andrea Renee Cox

Next month is one of my most anticipated ones of the year. Why? Partly because of Thanksgiving, but in large part it is because it's the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I've participated several times now, and this year I even joined in on the two Camp NaNoWriMos (held online in April and July).

What is NaNoWriMo?

Favorite Writing Phase

by Andrea Renee Cox

A question I see often in book release parties for other authors is, “What’s your favorite phase of writing a novel?”

My favorite phase is writing the first draft.

Sure, it’s terrible and needs a LOT of editing. The parts of the first draft I fall in love with don’t always make the final cut. Even some characters must say goodbye before the book is finalized, making them unknown at all to readers. Then there are the grammar mistakes that drive me nuts, since I’m a copyeditor.

So why do I like the first draft so much?

NaNoWriMo... in January?

by Andrea Renee Cox

Hey, friends! How are you settling in to the new year?

One of my work schedules has begun again, but the other one has been delayed. Instead of seeing this in a negative light, I'm choosing to see the positives. For one thing, it frees up some much-needed time to finish the novel I started back in November for NaNoWriMo. Is it possible to have a miniature National Novel Writing Month in January? I'm sure going to try! I'm hoping and praying to be able to finish this first draft by the end of this month.

Bit O' Inspiration: Part Two

by Andrea Renee Cox

One thing on my mind today:

The Dallas Stars

My favorite hockey team is playing well to start their season. As of Sunday afternoon, they hold the best record in the entire NHL, at 12-3-0 (for those of you who aren't hockey fans, that's twelve wins, three losses, and zero overtime losses).

New NaNo, New Challenge

by Andrea Renee Cox

Only six more days until November. Which means there are only six more days until the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins. The goal with NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in one month.

This will be my third year to participate. The previous two, I was a winner. That means I reached 50,000 words each time. Exciting, isn’t it?

Well, this year I’m aiming a little higher.

November 2014 Movie Wrap-Up

By Andrea Renee Cox

Between NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and a couple of proofreading jobs, it was almost impossible to squeeze in time to watch movies. If I wasn’t multitasking, I wouldn’t have been able to watch the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars games, either. But I wrote while I had them on. Some pretty good games this month, from what I picked up between chapters, especially for the Mavs.

Early in the month, though, a couple of friends and I took time out of a Saturday to see a movie at the theater. When I suggested the movie, I knew they might not be huge fans of the idea. But they agreed it looked cute. What we weren’t expecting was for it to carry weight for adults as well as children. Once it was over, we all looked at each other, shocked expressions all around, and said, “Whoa. That. Was. Awesome.”

So, if you’re looking for a movie to take the entire family to see over the Thanksgiving break, check out:

Big Hero 6

When prodigy Hiro Hamada loses someone close to him, he teams up with a large, inflatable robot named Baymax. Though their mission starts out as a battle for revenge, with Hiro’s brains and Baymax’s programmed heart, both of them learn that balance is needed when it comes to dealing with complicated situations.

What surprised me the most about this animated feature is that it dove right in to difficult themes. Grief, revenge, “nerd school,” genius/prodigy, and superheroes. Also, there wasn’t a single bad word that I remember, which might have shocked me more than anything. Such a pleasant surprise! This movie is really clean and family friendly. It lets kids know that being really smart is super cool, and that grief is a normal process that takes time and connection with friends and family to overcome. I’m so glad the filmmakers chose to tackle deep topics in a way that will touch the hearts of all types of people from all different age groups. Honestly, it’s probably the favorite of all the movies I’ve seen this year, and I’ve seen quite a few, as you know from my other monthly wrap-ups. At least it’s in the top five, anyway. A definite must-see. Take the kids, your parents, friends … everyone will love it for one reason or another.

And have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Readers, what are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? What are YOU thankful for this year?

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

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Cowboys and NaNoWriMo

By Andrea Renee Cox

Since the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is going on this month, my schedule is quite packed, especially with a couple of proofreading jobs squeezed in along with my regular tutoring students. Not that I’m complaining; I love staying busy and challenging myself. But being so busy does have its drawbacks, one of which is less time to read books from my to-be-read basket. So, during November, I’m reading a couple of novellas, that way I can still read a book for fun in the evenings but it won’t be so lengthy as to pull me away from my other obligations for a substantial amount of time.

One such shorter-length book, which I just finished, is A Cowboy for Katie. I was excited when I received an electronic galley copy through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review, because I love reading about cowboys. I like everything about cowboys. The hats, jeans, and boots. The hat-tipping, let ladies go through the door first, show respect to women kind of chivalry that is hard to come by these days. Ooh, I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

In A Cowboy for Katie, Katie Pearl is known as a crazy woman. With a threat on her lips and a gun on her hip—if it’s not in her hand—Katie Pearl will stop at nothing to protect her land from the squirrelly cowpokes trying to steal it from her by way of marriage. Treb Rayburn doesn’t know what he’s in for when he hires on to rebuild Katie Pearl’s house after a tornado destroyed it, killing her Pa. The only question is, will he have the gumption to love an unlovable crazy lady?

Don’t let this story’s small size fool you. Like its main character, Katie Pearl, it carries a whirlwind of spunk in a small package. I found myself chuckling many times through many of the chapters, thanks to Debra Clopton’s creative humor woven through the plot. The essence of cowboys was captured perfectly in Treb, and I couldn’t help but hope he could somehow find a way through Katie Pearl’s defenses. All in all, I discovered a new-to-me author I’ll be keeping my eye on.

Since I need to work on my word count for NaNoWriMo tonight, I’m keeping this fairly short. I hope you have a chance to read A Cowboy for Katie soon. I’m sure you’ll get a laugh or two out of it. Happy reading!

Readers, it’s your turn. What is your favorite type of character to read about? What qualities do you like about them? Do you see any similarities between them and the people you interact with in your daily life?

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

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What Are You Thankful For?

Late in November, we celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday reminds us of the difficult times the pilgrims went through the first few years after they came to America. As the pilgrims went through hard times, each of us faces our own hard times at one point in life or another. This season especially, I think of the people and things in my life I have to be thankful for.

This year, I’m thankful for the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), among other things. This is the first year I’ve participated in NaNo, and frankly, I wasn’t expecting much. I didn’t know what to expect, really. All I knew was the goal was to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. So, each day I wrote, typing words into my computer. Sometimes they didn’t seem to flow very well. Other times they gushed out like a raging waterfall.

My word counts added up quicker than I thought they would. Every day of the first week, I beat the previous day’s word count. On the first Saturday, NaNo’s writing marathon, I managed to eke out just over 8,000 words. Imagine my surprise when I tallied that one up! The next week didn’t progress quite that well, but I did still manage to log pretty good word counts, compared to my normal ones.

The third week was slow for me, due to circumstances outside my control. But I still found some time to write each day. By forcing myself to sit in front of my computer every day in November, I reached the goal of 50,000 words by November 25^th.

Yes, I’m a NaNoWriMo winner.

I’m grateful for the experience, for it showed me just how much I can accomplish when I get my schedule figured out. When I sit with only my computer as entertainment, and with the Lord as my Guide, the words are sure to pile up and create the bones of a story I can work with.

Thank you to my family who supported my attempt at the National Novel Writing Month. They allowed me the undisturbed time I needed to write. Each day they were eager to hear the word count I’d reached. Their encouragement meant the world to me and helped me reach the count on the difficult days that seemed to drag on and on and on. Without their support, I wouldn’t have reached my goal and felt this awesome sense of accomplishment.

How has your family and/or friends supported your dreams? What people and/or things do you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season?

National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This year is the first time I’ve ever participated in NaNoWriMo. I’m not quite sure how it works or what to expect, but I’m giving it my best shot.

From what I read on nanowrimo.org, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. My last novel came in at about 94,000 words, so I’m aiming a bit higher than 50k to call the story complete. But accomplishing the goal of 50,000 words in a single month will be a great jumpstart on my first draft.

My personal goals with NaNoWriMo this year are things that will help me on all my future projects, along with the current one.

1) Write every single day (with Sundays as my only free days). Having a routine is essential to me, especially as I struggle to focus with my undiagnosed ADD. I’ve been aiming for a regular writing routine, and I’m hoping to use NaNoWriMo as motivation to settle into a good schedule.

2) Increase my word count each consecutive day. I’m often impressed by my fellow authors who log 5k to 10k words per day on their works in progress (WIP). My typical 600 to 1,500 words pale in comparison, but I’m always happy when I pass the 1,000 mark. If I can beat my word count on a consistent basis, perhaps one day I’ll log in 5k words . . . or maybe more!

3) Most importantly, continue to seek God’s help. He is my source for words to write. Without Him, my word bank would dry up like a puddle on a hot Texas summer day. “Come to the fountain . . .” is my daily plan. If I seek the Word to feed my soul and commit my writing to the Lord, He will faithfully fill me to overflowing and grant me the words that will create novels pleasing to Him. And I pray He receives all the glory.

Excitement describes my first foray with NaNoWriMo (click the link and become one of my writing buddies). I’m anticipating a productive month of writing. I’m sure I’ll be exhausted come December, but blessedly so. What a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Are you a veteran or a newcomer like me? What are you hoping to get out of it? Any tips or advice you’d care to share?

For those of you not involved with NaNoWriMo, what activities are keeping you busy in November? Is it something you do throughout the year or exclusively during the winter months? Does your whole family get involved or is it a solo project?