Writing From the Trenches Surviving the Writing Journey even when you’re in the trenches.

I’ve been busy working on my Nano masterpiece and I have had some rather interesting experiences thus far. It seems that my characters are busy talking to each other in my head. But they aren’t only talking with each other, they are also talking to me. I must admit that it is kind of fun to chat with them. I am sure that my family thinks I have finally gone off the deep end and am loony. But for a writer, this is just part of the writing process, at least for some of us.

When I began plotting out my novel, I had all sorts of ideas and directions that I planned on taking my characters. After all, I was in charge and they had to do what I said, right? It has been funny to listen to them as they are not content with doing as I say. They have real feelings and thoughts. They have opinions and sometimes, those opinions are rather strong.

Take my main character or protagonist, if you will. I had orginally after much thought given her the name of Noel Robinson. She didn’t like it. She pestered me and insisted that her name was not Noel. It was Nicole, and she liked her friends to call her Nikki. She chattered nonstop until I relented and made the change.

This morning I channeled one of my main supporting characters, Edna. She is a very strong character and I have had fun making Edna comments off and on all day long. I am sure that I will enjoy this for a long time to come. She is just one of those characters and I think she is quickly becoming a favorite. Shhh…don’t tell…

So what am I learning through this process? I have learned to listen to my characters and guide them through this story writing process. I am still in charge, but they can help and aid me along the way. It makes it more fun when I consider their feelings. They still have to do what I say, but they can sure come up with some twists and turns that I hadn’t thought of before. It makes for interesting characterization, and I am ending up with some well-developed characters. Listening to your characters can be a good thing, even if you may seem a little on the strange side to friends and family. In the end, who will really care when your masterpiece is written?

Posted under Fiction Writing

Well the time is almost upon those of us who undertake the great NanoWriMo contest each year. I am determined to not only participate, but actually complete my 50,000 word masterpiece. I participated last year, but only got a few hundred words or so actually done. I am determined that I shall be dubbed a winner this year. I will admit that I want the glory of the title of winner.

I am so determined this year, that I have recruited not only my sister to participate, but also my son. He will be participating in the YW Nanowrimo event. It will be a good challenge for him, although he will not be actually doing the 50,000 words that my sister and I will be doing. He will be attempting to create a story of at least 8,000 words, which is much more appropriate for his age level. We originally thought we would do 12,000 words, but after some careful consideration and negotiation on his part, we finally settled on a goal of 8,000 words.

For those who are slightly confused by the term NanoWriMo, let me briefly explain. NanoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It is a time when would-be authors all over the world dedicate themselves to the task of writing a novel of at least 50,000 words in 30 days time. NanoWriMo is a fun, silly and productive venture for the writer. It is a time of serious writing and no editing. Editing is strictly forbidden during this month. The goal is to just write, write, and write some more. The thought is that the creative process will break open and the prose will begin to flow freely. At least that is what we hope.

Granted, there will undoubtedly be some awful prose written during this time by many. However, for some, it will help them to experience the creativity that they crave. Hopefully it will show them that they really can write that novel they have always dreamed of writing. It is a call to action instead of just talking.

Surprisingly, there have actually been a few of the novels crafted during this time published. I hope that I can join the ranks of those authors. In any case, it will be writing for ME. I will learn from what I write. That makes it worth it just in itself.

I will post more about my crazy venture this next month as I craft my novel. I will post my highs and my lows. It should be an interesting experience for all. If you want to join me, then you still have time to get signed up. It should be crazy fun. And if you just want to follow me or be a buddy, then my username at the Nano site is blemmet.

See you there!

Posted under Fiction Writing