NaNoWriMo « Journals of Journeys

8Nov/08Off

Day 7 Pick Write In Locations Wisely

NaNoWriMo Crazy Times So, you're having a write-in, eh? For those of you out of the loop, a write-in is where fellow writers gather at a public place to write. By doing this, some writers feel more motivated to write, can ask a question regarding their current work-in-progress and just share the "vibes" man. I have several words to the wise about picking a write-in location. Call it your voice of experience speaking.

Choose a place where the ambient noise isn't invasive. A coffee shop set in a brick walled building with a raised ceiling isn't a good idea. The noise reverberates to such an extreme your writers will get headaches and not much writing will get done. Likewise, a brunch house playing trance music at deafening levels will be just as problematic.

Tables and chairs are always a consideration to take when hunting down the right place. The coffee house we wrote at last night had seats that were a bit too cushy and tables that were so high, I had wrist spasms for the better part of the night. We've since relocated our upcoming write-ins because I simply can't handle another day of that.

Speaking of tables and chairs, it would be wise to check the locations first. A cafe with nothing but small round tables that fit just a couple people (but in reality, maybe one person with a laptop and notepad) could be a bit of a put-off for your invited fellow writers.

Foot traffic is another consideration. Try to snag an area that's a bit out of the path of doors and general foot traffic (such as nearby the restrooms). If you're first to arrive for a write-in and didn't organize it, mention it to the employees you're there for a writing group and indicate where you're sitting, then move to a location that's a bit out of the way. By telling someone that you're there, you won't be worried about whether your fellow writers will find you and can concentrate on your writing.

Don't be offended if you're not getting the responses you were hoping for when organizing a write-in. Not everyone can write that way. And, as a writer, don't feel put upon if you decide you'd prefer not to attend a write-in. I repeat: not everyone feels comfortable in those settings.

I won't update my word counts, both transcribed and longhand. I didn't get as much done and really would like to be working on writing so that I can meet the ultimate goal which is to get this done and move back over to the work-in-progress I set aside so that I could participate in NaNoWriMo this year.

To all my fellow writers, write on!

Filed under: 2008, Day by Day, Journals, Kathie, NaNoWriMo, Notes, Writing No Comments

7Nov/08Off

Day 6 Do Not Mess With The Ninja Writer, Foo

This was a miserable day for writing. My protagonist doesn't have to deal with bassackward garbage companies and customer service representatives claiming the customer cussed them out nor do I want her to have to deal with that. She's got enough crap to deal with as it is with a ghost chasing her and everything! I hate it when life interrupts with writing. It made me come dangerously close to bringing out the damned Ninjas. So I opted to put on my Ninja hood and write. There. Don't mess with the Ninja writer, foo'!

All my plans for pep talks and other newbie NaNo advice has gone poof. You can thank the garbage company for that. And yeah, I now have solid, indisputable evidence that (oh my husband is going to like this) I was right, they were wrong. Imagine that. So that'll just have to wait a day with the exception of this little snippet of advice: 1.) Why are you surfing the net, didn't you read the rules of engagement from the start of NaNo? 2.) Write! and 3.) If you aren't signed up for receiving the pep talks and other worldly advice coming from the esteemed Letters of Light (the foundation NaNo runs under), do. There are some great author letters coming out and wonderful pep talks. They've been doing this for 10 years now and they know what they're talking about. Maybe even more than I do. Eh, or not.

I think I may have transcribed a mere 200 or less words in the mix of all the mayhem yesterday (Day 6) but I did manage to write out via longhand another 10 pages, so that's about 2830 more to add onto the already staggering count. Of course, that's not official until it has been typed up. I'm hoping with the four write-ins scheduled over the next four days I'll be all caught up with the transcribing and by this time next week, done. And no, I'm not going to shoot for the double goal I did a few years ago. I am aching to get back to the work in progress that I had been editing before NaNo started. I mean, I dream about that one, so it has to get done!

Ciao! And for all my writing homies, write on!

Filed under: 2008, Day by Day, Journals, Kathie, NaNoWriMo, Newbie, Notes, Pep Talks, Writing 2 Comments

6Nov/08Off

Day 5: The Essence of Music

Flair: Bother me in November and I'll kill you with a pencil. Thanks NaNoWriMo Today I met with three other writers for a write-in, some of us working on our NaNoWriMo novel, some on other works in progress. We met at a coffee shop just a block off campus that played some swanky music during the majority of our session.

Music, as you may recall from my first NaNo post, is for many a vital component in the writing process. For Stephenie Meyer, author of the wildly popular Twilight Saga, it was an inspiration during the writing process, has become the soundtrack for the movie due out later this month and has just been released to the public with zillions of downloads off her site and across the Web. Of course, Stephenie's not the only one to use music to help inspire, calm and whittle out a few more well chosen words. However, I'm a bit brain dead so I won't go surfing about to look for some examples. That's your homework!

The choice of music being played at the shop was a bit, well, culturally centric and soon we were laughing as one piece moved to another. It changed my mood a few times and the tenor of the transcribing I was doing (I almost rewrote an entire chapter just because of the music!) For one writer whose novel takes place in Louisiana at one part, the music seemed to pop into her novel. And then it jumped back out and slid over into mine as the tune was a Caribbean calypso bit that reminded me of the Day-o song from Beetlejuice. Alas, I wasn't permitted to play the Twilight soundtrack I have loaded since one of the writers has yet to read the books and doesn't want anything giving it away. The end all was when a song I instantly recognized as the one Lucille Ball's husband, Desi, sang and a bit later, a very old gentleman sitting nearby confirmed I had it right when I overheard him sharing with the employee who changed the track on the CD (she didn't like the song) that was the theme song to The Lucy Show (actually, that wasn't, it was just one of the songs Ricky's band played on one of the episodes.) It was a bit embarrassing to be able to recognize it in just a few strains. I suddenly felt very, very old especially given the man who spouted off about it across from me.

Point being, music can help shape your writing, take it on a tangent you might not have expected as the author. I, for one, will be snagging the headphones. I really don't need to have my characters cavorting through a Parisian cafe or taking a trip to a dude ranch in the middle of the desert. Attending a write-in? Traipsing off to a coffee shop to get in a few hours of writing? Grab yourself a CD and some headphones for backup, just in case.

End of the day word count (transcribed): 15181. Estimated total word count (longhand) is (let's do the math!) 1 page = approx. 237 words X 91 pages = 21567. Not too shabby! How are you doin'? Look for tomorrow's installment with some thoughts and ideas on how to bump up your word count ('legally') if you're laggin'.

Write on!

Filed under: 2008, Day by Day, Music, NaNoWriMo, Newbie, Notes, Pep Talks, Writing 2 Comments

5Nov/08Off

Short and Sweet: Day 4

KathChoc I'm going trick-or-treating next year. I don't care if the kids don't want to go or think they're too old. It's a great way to get snacks and sweets to last out the entire month of NaNoWriMo or at least get ya through the first week. Or maybe I'll just get me this nifty little ensemble that's made out of chocolate and nibble on that through the month! Whaddya think?

I'm exhausted and have a write-in tomorrow with a few other writers, so I'm not going to ramble too much. Props to hubby who got me the Twilight movie soundtrack. I'm now moved. Play that or Enigma's latest and I'm able to rock and roll!

I wrote another 1,500 words today, give or take (still haven't caught up with the transcribing, so it's just an estimate). My total typed words is a grand total of 12,006. That's a whole lot of writing today. I don't expect it as high tomorrow but that's okay. I'm still way ahead of the game here and that's okay, too, because I really want to get back to the other manuscript I've got going and set aside for NaNoWriMo as well as a few essays, short stories and to revisit a few poems that I'd love to see in print by the end of the year. Or something like that.

After all, I have to have some way to pay for that pure chocolate corset!

Filed under: 2008, Day by Day, Journals, Kathie, NaNoWriMo, Notes, Writing 2 Comments

4Nov/08Off

Day Three: NaNoWriMo

Flair: Kill off my villian! The word about write-in's.

There's nothing better to build a character than to sit at a coffee shop in the midst of a college town along with a gaggle of other writers and stare at the patrons. Yeah, this button says it all: "If I stare at you, it's not because you look good. It's because you just helped me figure out how to off my villain." Or in my case, inspired me to write about the tweakers.

Thankfully I've scrapped that bit in turn for having to calm Ry-guy who wasn't too excited about seeing first hand the effects of "recreational" drugs. Of course being the responsible parent that I am, I did my part by explaining that's one of the reasons to steer clear of drugs.

I did more writing today than transcribing. A lot more writing apparently. I've transcribed 8,800 words as of this very moment (well, okay, my program shows 8.799 if you're wanting to split hairs) and that's just 23 pages of longhand. I have 71 pages of longhand, total. It appears I've written right around 16,800 words. That's well beyond the target, which is 5,000 words today.

Yeah, okay, I'm gloating. Just for a little bit and then it's time to catch up on some sleep! NaNoNeeners to you!