NaNoWriMo 2018: Diary of a Novel in Progress

November 1, 2018

It has begun.

The madness that is writing a novel in a month.

The month of November no less, a month in which most Americans plan on at least two days of vacay with family and friends to indulge in feasts, football and holiday shopping. That mere thirty days quickly shrinks to twenty-eight, possibly twenty-five once a writer factors in Thanksgiving, Black Friday and recovering from the two!

In order to succeed and "win" NaNoWriMo, we can't dwell on how little time we have, but must instead forge forward. It starts at the beginning, even if the beginning you write is the end.

That's how my NaNo began this year. Having no outline or plan—just a general idea of some intriguing characters floating around in my subconscious—I began writing at the end.

When the best way out is through (to paraphrase Robert Frost), then maybe the best way to begin is to know where the "out" is.

At least that's what I'm hoping.

Onward to day 2.

November 2, 2018

It was a shaky start, and I still feel like what I've written is mostly shite that will be axed completely. Perhaps it's because I'm writing by the seat-of-my-pants this year, with no outline or plotting ahead of time. Or maybe it's because though I've written some short stories and other bits and pieces this year, I have not written a novel in over a year so I'm rusty.

At the same time, I have to say I'm enjoying the process more than I have for a while. It's coming from the subconscious and imagination. I'm feeling my way into the story. 

The word count at the end of day 2 stands at 3417. I'm a wee bit ahead of the target. That's a good thing because I've got a comic-con all weekend so I may not be able to write for a few days. 

I hope I can eke out some time, though, because more important than the number of words is the fact that after even two days in a row, I'm starting to "feel" the story. I don't want to break the spell!

How is your NaNo coming along?

NaNoWriMo Tips: An Ongoing List of Writing Tips & Links to Helpful Articles

Whether you’re writing your first novel this month during NaNoWriMo, or maybe writing your tenth, I’m reserving this space to gather helpful tips and ideas I’m gathering from across the net. If you have a helpful tip or link, please add it in the comments. :-) I’ll keep adding to this over the month.

Having trouble kickstarting your creativity? I found this post quite encouraging. It helped me understand why the daily writing habit (which I'm out of at the moment but hoping NaNo will change that) is so important. 

Creative Flow and Brain Wave States by Suzanne Murry

Incidentally, I’ve been using music with embedded brain wave stimulation for years. If you’re interested in trying it, I recommend Solfeggio Harmonics by Source Vibrations (link takes you to iTunes (not an affiliate link).

Ready, Set, Write! NaNoWriMo 2018

Photos via Green Chameleon, Thought Catalog & Raw Pixel

It’s no secret.

I’ve had a wicked-bad case of writer’s block for the better part of a year now.

Or perhaps “writing block” isn't the best way to describe it. Maybe it's more of a “finishing block.”

I’ve started over a dozen short stories and three separate novels in the past twelve months.

I’ve finished a grand total of 0.

I’ve completed six novels in six years. This dry spell is not typical for me.

The good news is that I have identified some of the gremlins gunking up my works. I’m got a plan on how to eradicate the little buggers (at least for now).

One of the best ways I know to get back into anything—exercise, healthy eating, writing—is to just get back on the horse and ride every single day.

Last week my post was about how to get and keep fans. One of the three points was about consistency (you can see the full post here). I have failed at my goal of greater writing consistency this year, but I'M NOT GIVING UP!!

Over the past ten years of my writing journey, I’ve learned that there aren’t many hard and fast rules in the world of writing. But there is one, and I’ll state here as black letter law:

There is no limit to the amount of editing you can do to a draft, but you absolutely cannot edit a draft that does not exist.

And this is where NaNoWriMo comes in. I “won” NaNoWriMo (I’ll use WriMo from here on) in both 2011 and 2012. I produced two finished novels from my work in those two WriMo years (Emily’s Trial was published in 2012 and Emily’s Heart in February 2014).

One of the great benefits of WriMo is the commitment the writer makes to herself to write every day (or nearly so) for a month. I recall feeling that it was easier to stay focused on the story because I was firmly planted in it by writing every day.

For me, stopping and starting while working on a novel can cause stall outs that turn into long-term parking. Perhaps you can relate to this.

My writing is rusty right now. I’ve been out of the daily writing habit for over nine months. Every day, I’m staring at a blank screen. I’ve full on planned three different novels (one of them I have outlined five different times!). Talk about a stall out! I’ve talked myself into assuming the story would suck before I’ve even written it.

The thing is, I know better. I talk with writers at comic cons and book festivals frequently, and the advice I give is to keep pushing through. Don’t read back over what you’ve written because you’ll talk yourself into thinking it sucks and not worth continuing. 

I know this because I’ve done it, but learned not to. That’s how I produced six novels (rather than giving up on the first and never writing again, something I know lots of people have done).

I know that I’m not alone; that the fear of the blank page affects most writers, even capable and experienced ones. (Check out this bit of advice from one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver.)

The bottom line: I refuse to give up on the stories cawing at me like crows from pillars in my mind. This year I’ll use WriMo as a tool to get back on the horse and ride.

Are you with me?

Who else is doing NaNoWriMo this year? 

Drop a line in the comments if you've done NaNo before and let us know how it went? Any hints or tips?

And if you're a WriMo "virgin", shout out your intention to give it a try this year.

Hey Writer Lady—How do You Get and Keep Fans

Photo via Unsplash by James Pond

A few months ago, follower Nick asked me on Twitter:

Any advice for aspiring creators on how you get/keep fans (without pandering)?

What a great question.

As soon as I read Nick’s tweet, I knew that I couldn’t answer it in a single tweet. I also immediately thought, “I wish I knew the answer to his question!”

If getting and keeping fans were easy, there wouldn’t be such a long list of one-hit wonders and endless lists of “where are they now” slideshows on Buzzfeed.

As I considered Nick’s question, what immediately came to mind was a quote from legendary dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, a woman who transformed dance:

Martha Graham by Yousuf Karsh (1948)

There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

Writers are often looking for that elusive combination that will lead to the best-seller—the next big thing. They imagine themselves the next George RR Martin, JK Rowling, Stephen King, John Grisham or maybe Patterson.

While there is nothing wrong with aiming high or hoping to have the next breakout novel (or song, or dance, etc.), chasing someone else’s tail is a losing game from the start.

I’ve been creating things nearly my whole life, and now at half a century and counting, I can say without the doubt that the more I follow Martha Graham's advice above, not only am I more content in life, but my work is more successful as well.

Look inside anything highly successful, and you'll be sure to find a person or people following their individual muse as they seek answers to their own questions. Each of us indeed is unique. When we unplug from the noise, ignore the inner and outer critics, and focus on that little voice inside that nudges us toward creation—then and only then do we create art.

Okay, you say, fair enough Natalie, but how do I get and keep fans?!

It is as simple—and ridiculously difficult—as this:

Consistently create content that you are passionate about.

Let’s break that down a bit.

1. Create content…

First, you need to have content. What do I mean by content? From blog posts to articles, poems to novels and short stories, songs, videos, social media memes, and posts, or any other creative content. The saying goes that “content is king.”

When getting ready to post or share any content, ask yourself this question: “Does this entertain, inform or provoke thought?” This is another way of saying, “Is it engaging?” If the content you created doesn’t help people in some way (i.e., entertain, educate, inform, etc.), then consider if you need to share/publish it. Not everything we create needs to be given voice to an audience wider than one.

2. With Passion…

If you are a creative person building a brand, you need to build your brand around something you are passionate about. You will spend countless hours talking about your product/idea. It’s something you may be working on for years. 

And, if you aren’t passionate about it, why should anyone else be?

Consider the Harry Potter franchise of books. Do you think JK Rowling was anything less than 100%+ into her story? Her passion for the characters and world she created is evident on every page. And that passion for her work comes through in her writing (and of course has led to a devoted following).

If you are new to creative work, take the time that you need to consider what it is that you are passionate about. What do you want to say? What is your unique contribution to the world?

Find the heart of your work, then throw yourself into it 100%+.

3. Consistently.

True confession, this is likely the hardest part of the formula for me. Being consistently productive can be difficult. Passion is great, but consistency takes planning and hard work.

Life can lead to setbacks, shifting priorities and unexpected pitfalls. (For example, my broken foot last year!)

Consistency may be the setback experienced by all those one-hit wonder creators out there.

As difficult as it is to have a bestseller, it can be even more difficult to have two.

Writers such as John Grisham, Robert Patterson, Nora Roberts, Stephen King, and Danielle Steele are like freaks of nature. These writers have not only (1) found their passion, but they (2) consistently produce works in their chosen niche year after year.

This is damned difficult to do.

Some creatives like to dabble in this genre and then try that one. There’s nothing inherently wrong with trying new things (and if you are a young/newbie at being creative, you definitely SHOULD dabble). 

But swerving from lane to lane is generally not a viable way to create—and keep—a fan base. Creating and maintaining fandom should not be confused with the creative process itself.

If you are fortunate enough to gain fans of your work, they will want more of whatever it is that you create. And they’ll want it often, or at least know that it’s coming their way.

To sum it all up, I’ll leave you with this:

Consistently create work that you are passionate about.

That is the first—and most important—step to creating and keeping a fandom of your work.


Do you have any tips for Nick and others about creating and keeping a fan base?

If you are part of a fandom, what keeps you coming back for more of your favorite book/movie/art/music?

PENuary is Officially HERE!

Happy New Year!

And Happy PENuary!

The official prompt list is now live. We start with the word snarling.

Participation in the PENuary writing challenge is simple. 

Write for a minimum of 20 minutes inspired by the one-word prompt.

You can write fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Write a sonnet or a short story. Heck, write a grocery list! What you write doesn't matter, so long as you write for 20 minutes.

Set the timer and go.

When finished, share on social media. You can share a portion of your day's work, the whole piece you wrote, or even how the experience of writing was for you today. 

Please retweet, share, and comment (kindly) on each other's work. Encourage other writers! And remember to use the official hashtags:

#PENuary

#Write20for31

#Penuary2018

Write. Share. Repeat.

If you’d like more information about PENuary, please check out the official PENuary website or the PENuary Facebook page.

PENuary Warm Up: Writing Prompt of the Day

Photo by John Jennings via Unsplash

Ah, December.

The month of colder weather, shorter days, shopping, holiday lights and roads congested with traffic. The time of family get-togethers, office parties, and ugly sweaters.

And also a month when we writers look forward to a second opportunity for literary abandon!

In my house, we're gearing up for PENuary as much as for Santa.

Okay, I'm the only writer in my house, but my family is preparing to eat meals out or that come in a box for a month (and I haven't told them yet, but laundry probably isn't going to happen either ;-).

PENuary will see me not only focusing on the daily writing prompts and my commitment to a minimum of 20 minutes of writing per day, but I'll also be commenting on and sharing other writers' work and cheerleading the writing community as we commit to a new year of more consistent writing habits.

One of the great things about PENuary is that you don't need to prepare for it. No research required. No outlines or planning.

You simply show up and write.

So how about some practice?

Here's a one-word prompt inspired by the nail polish I'm currently sporting for the holiday season:

GLITTER

Of course, you can take the word in different directions. That's one of the beauties of a prompt. My interpretation of glitter will not be the same as yours.

I'm particularly interested to see how horror writers interpret the prompt of the day.

Don't forget to share at least a portion of your work for the day—a sentence, paragraph or another snippet—here on my blog, on the PENuary official Facebook page, and/or on your own social media outlets. Make sure you use the official hashtags so we can all follow your work:

#PENuary

#Write20for31

#Penuary2018

Writer Wednesday: Acting Professional by Randy Ingermanson

Photo Courtesy Pexels.com

I can’t believe it’s December, y’all! And that means that in less than a month, it will be time for PENuary. In support of encouraging better writing habits—for myself as well as other writers who struggle to maintain consistency—I’m working to re-establish my Writer Wednesday habit here on the blog. If you’re a writer, check in on Wednesdays for writing and marketing tips as well as writer inspiration.

Today I’m sharing a post for writers written by Randy Ingermanson (credit and links to his website below the article). If you don’t already subscribe to Randy’s E-Zine, I highly recommend it. His newsletters always contain useful tips for writers.

There are many aspects of marketing, but in this article, Randy succinctly pinpointed an issue that all writers need to take to heart: Professionalism. And he has three easy, highly actionable tips to improve your writer professionalism.

Marketing: Acting Professional

I went to my first writing conference in the summer of 1989. That was life-changing for me. Up till then, I didn’t know any authors. Or editors. Or agents. I met a few of each at that first conference, and some of them have been part of my life ever since.

The talk that had the most impact on me at that conference had a very simple message: “Be professional.” 

The author who gave the talk said a lot of things I don’t remember, but I do remember her repeating that simple phrase. “Be professional.” And I remember that she translated it into actions. “Being professional” really boils down to “acting professional.”

She wasn’t talking about being phony. There are writers out there who talk a big talk but aren’t actually doing much writing and certainly aren’t professional.

She was talking about behaving in a way that marks you out as a serious writer who will someday be a professional writer, even if you aren’t there yet and aren’t making any money. Writers who start out right tend to end up right. That’s just the way it is.

Back in those days, “acting professional” included getting some expensive letterhead paper for correspondence with editors. I dutifully went out and bought a ream of high-quality paper and spent some time creating an electronic template that would make a nice letterhead when printed. I even used it a few times. But I’d bet I’ve still got 480 sheets out of the original 500. Times have moved on, and nobody needs letterhead anymore. 

So what can a writer do that will fit the description of “acting professional” these days? I don’t want to overwhelm you with a long list, so I’ll keep this short.

Here are three things for starters.

Set up a Writing Budget

Very early on in my writing career, I realized that it takes money to make money. In those days, going to writing conferences was essential, and conferences cost money. I didn’t have a lot of cash, but I began setting aside $15 every month. That was money that I could spend on my writing, no questions asked.

The amount you budget is less important than the fact that you’re doing it. 

Having a writing budget means that you are serious about this writing thing. It means that you’re telling the rest of your family that this is important to you, it has value, and it has a cost. It also means that when it comes time to buy something you need for your writing, you don’t have to fight about it with anyone. You just take the money out of the pot you’ve already set aside.

Own Your Domain

Your “domain” here means the domain for your web site. You may not need a web site yet. You may not need one for several years.

But eventually, if and when you start getting your work published, you’ll need a domain for your web site. And it won’t be fun to discover that the domain you had in mind just got bought by a porn star who happens to have your same name. It can happen. It did happen to a writer I know.

You don’t buy a domain name; you rent it. You pay an annual fee to a domain registration site (for example GoDaddy.com or one of the many other sites that let you register a domain). 

It’s not terribly expensive to rent a domain. Figure around $10 per year. You just need to keep paying it every year without lapsing. It’s easy to set up an auto-renewal for your domain so it keeps renewing every year.

Ideally, your domain name should be your author name or something as close as you can get to your author name. 

But you need to be careful here. If your name is hard to spell (say your last name is Umstattd), then you’ll catch a lot of grief from people who can’t spell your name, which is almost everyone. In that case, you might want to think about not using your last name in your domain. You might need to get creative here.

Let's say your name is a more common one that's reasonably easy to spell. We'll take Jane Smith, as an example. What domain name should you use? There are a couple of issues to think about.

First, if you create a web site using one of the inexpensive builder tools (for example, Wordpress.com), you should make sure you get a custom domain—not the default Wordpress domain. You don’t want to spend five years building a site at JaneSmith.wordpress.com, and then move it to JaneSmith.com. If you do that, all the links to your old web site will fail.

Second, if your name is extremely common, it might turn out that the domain you want is already taken. If JaneSmith.com is taken, you might have to add a middle initial and make it JaneKSmith.com. Or JaneSmithAuthor.com. Or JaneSmithBooks.com. Generally, with a bit of thinking, you can find a domain that works for you.

With domain names, shorter is better. And it’s nice if you can pass the “radio test,” meaning that if you’re doing an interview on the radio and give out your web site address, people can easily figure out how to spell it. But you can’t always get exactly what you want. Do your best.

Have a Professional E-mail Address

This is easy to do, but it’s where a lot of writers fall down. 

There are two mistakes to make here:

1. Using an e-mail address with a domain that isn’t yours.
2. Using an e-mail address that doesn’t have your name in it.

Let’s talk about these in a little more detail. It’s important to get these right, but you need to also do them in the correct order.

First, your domain name. It’s very tempting to use the free e-mail address that comes with your internet service provider. So if you’re using Comcast, then maybe your account is John17@comcast.net. 

The problem comes five years from now, when you move to a new place and you’re no longer with Comcast. Now maybe you’re using ATT.com or CenturyLink.net or whatever. And suddenly your old e-mail address no longer works.

Now you’ve got five years worth of friends who all have the wrong e-mail address for you. If these include all your editor, agent, and writer friends, you’ve got a problem.

The solution is blindingly simple. If you’ve already nailed down your domain for your future web site, set up an e-mail account that goes with that domain. So if your domain is JaneKSmith.com, set up an email address for yourself as Jane@JaneKSmith.com. Later, if you get a virtual assistant, she might be Camy@JaneKSmith.com. If you add a PR guy, he might be Brad@JaneKSmith.com. Or if you change PR people every six months, maybe the email address they use will just be the generic PR@JaneKSmith.com. 

Some writers insist that they can’t set up an e-mail address on their own domain yet because it’s too much trouble. So they set up a free account at hotmail or yahoo or gmail or whatever. 

This is not ideal. A hotmail or yahoo email account definitely marks you as an amateur. A gmail account is a step up; it’s perceived as more professional. If you insist on using a gmail account, you still need to make sure that your name is part of your address. 

JaneKSmith@gmail.com is an acceptable e-mail address. If somebody gets an e-mail from that address, they know who sent it.

But imagine getting e-mail from any of these people:

• Jack1947@gmail.com  (Now we all know what year Jack was born, but he may not want us to know that. Unfortunately, we don’t know his last name, and he probably does want us to know that. Who is this Jack?)
• JaneAndBillAnd3Cats@gmail.com (This looks like a shared account, which means an e-mail sent to Jane might get read by Bill. Or deleted by Bill. But what happens if Jane and Bill split up next year? Who keeps the e-mail address? And again, who is Jane?)
• IWrite4Jesus@gmail.com (Great, but who ARE you? And does Jesus know you’re writing for him?)
• SpaghettiMonsterGuy@gmail.com. (No doubt this is hilariously funny to your five buddies you hung out with in college. However, the rest of us aren’t in on the joke. Also, we have no idea who you are.)

And yes, I’ve seen e-mail addresses similar to each of these, some of them many times. 

Act like a professional. Get an e-mail address that looks like it came from you. (And yes, I know that you can set up your e-mail program to put your name in the “from” line along with your e-mail address. Not everybody does this. Oddly enough, it’s usually the people with unrecognizable e-mail addresses who don’t do this.)

This article is reprinted by permission of the author.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 17,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Writer Wednesday: Ray Bradbury says …

I recently posted this meme on my Facebook page and Twitter and posed the question of whether this idea is perhaps the hardest part of being a writer. It led to further conversation about the true meaning of this quote. Some balked at the idea of “reject acceptance.”

But in order to fully embrace “accept rejection,” one must also learn to reject acceptance. You cannot have one without the other.

Why?

The artist must perpetually seek joy in the creation of the art regardless of external gratification or criticism. 

Writing for approval is the path to the dark side.

The writer writes because she has a story to tell. It's like an itch that needs scratched. Writing is a way to give the “voices” in her head space to be heard. The writer puts words to the page not to get a gold star or win the prize but because life is incomplete without the act of writing.

The writer grows and matures in his craft when he learns how to know when the work is “good” and when a piece is finished. He does not need someone external to approve of the story. He writes the story of his soul, not the story that he believes others want him to write and/or that others will accept.

And the great beauty of this process is that when an artist/writer/poet/creator digs deep and stays true to his path - when he accepts rejection and rejects acceptance - he is more likely to create a work that is lauded by others. Such works are seen as creative, original, and masterpieces.

Of course not all masterpieces of the soul are recognized as such. But that does not matter to the artist because she did not labor for the purpose of acceptance anyway. She labored because the story needed to be told and she was the only one that could tell it.

Because writing is a metaphor for life, the same holds true for how we live. 

And that is, I think, the most difficult part of both. To live the life our soul seeks to live without need for others to tell us "good job" and to stay on our path even when others are hell-bent on pushing us onto another road.

Why do you write? Do you feel that you have achieved Bradbury's advice - to accept rejection and reject acceptance? Do you agree with Bradbury?

Writer Wednesday: How to Create Your Own Writing Retreat

When I say "writing retreat" do you think of this?

Or maybe this?

For me, "retreat" means free of distraction. Time devoted to the thing I'm "retreating" for. Whether it's for a few days or a few weeks, when I say I'm going to a writing retreat, I mean that I'm going to spend time doing essentially one thing only from morning to night (and sometimes well into the night): Write.

A writing retreat can be a great way to get yourself back into writing if you've had a long break. It's also perfect for when you're nearly done with a project and need to do a last final push to get to the end. 

Writing retreats can happen with a small group of writers (friends or strangers) or they can be solo affairs. They can be high-end posh affairs that ensconce the writer in luxury, or they can be bare bones and simple where the focus is on writing.

If you have the funds, you can travel to a cool location for a hosted writing retreat in the company of other writers. I've done this before, and it was great fun. But there are two problems with this kind of retreat. First, it can cost quite a bit. From a few hundred to several thousand. Second, I have found that often the programming takes up a lot of time which means that there's little time for what you probably came for: Writing!

But you don't have to travel to an exotic location or spend thousands to have a writing retreat experience. You can create a writing retreat for yourself or your small group. Here a few tips to ensure a great experience:

1.  Retreat! You can schedule a few nights in a hotel in town or maybe the next city over. Or you can send your family away for the weekend and take over the house. Staying in your home environment doesn't feel "retreat" enough? How about a short car trip? I've done all three of these, and any of them will work. The main thing is to find a way to give yourself time without distraction. No kids, spouse, significant other, housemate or responsibility for taking care of other people. This is probably the most important thing. You don't want to have to worry about whether other people are being taken care of. Use the resources at your disposal (spouse, parents, sister/brother, friends, etc.) to take care of others you usually have primary or co-responsibility for. Schedule yourself at least 48 hours of time when you are only responsible for you. Makes your lists and obsess about the details ahead if you must. But once you've shuttled all responsibility to the others, let it go. You're on writing retreat now!

2. Plan Ahead: Book your hotel in advance. Find others to help take care of the kids (and dogs, etc.). Schedule time off of work. And if you're retreating at home, consider a meal subscription service or cook and freeze meals ahead for yourself. For me, cooking is relaxing and enjoyable, so I pamper myself with Plated or Blue Apron and take a break from writing, pour a glass of wine and cook myself a tasty, gourmet meal. If you hate to cook, order takeout or go to a local restaurant (that way you don't have to clean up!). 

3. Unplug: Are you easily distracted by cat videos and toddler memes? Do you get on Twitter and two hours later find yourself still engrossed in tweet after tweet? Or maybe you find it impossible not to open email when you see a notification pop up. Regardless of your general level of distraction, UNPLUG! This is not negotiable. Let everyone know that you'll be away for a few days. Your readers, fans, and family will be supportive. After all, they want to read your next book (or story or poem). So close your email, turn off the ringer, put your phone in "Do Not Disturb", leave the television off. Play music that feeds your soul and allow that to be the only soundtrack to your writing weekend.

4. Have Your Tools Ready: Make sure you have the tools you need to write as much as you want and can. If you write with a pen on paper, ensure that you have plenty of both. And this is no time to skimp. Get the good paper (I love Moleskine notebooks - smooth paper without drag). Get out the good pen that feels great in your hand and make sure you have plenty of ink refills. If you write on a computer, ensure that you have batteries for your mouse and a comfortable keyboard.

5. Pamper: Next to creating a space free of distraction, the next most important part of a retreat is to feel pampered. Make it special for yourself. Get a nice bottle of wine (not the "2 Buck Chuck" from the bottom shelf). Tea or coffee drinker? Stock up on your favorite. If baths are a luxurious ritual you rarely have time for, make sure you have the supplies for a soothing bath during your retreat. Schedule a massage for a break and to ease the tension in your tight shoulders. Buy some good quality dark chocolate or another treat that feels special to you. Get out the candles and create an ambience to support your muse. Think ahead of time about what feels luxurious - special - to you then create that in your space.

Unplug, retreat and pamper. Give yourself the opportunity to freely follow the creative urge and see what happens.  Cheers!

NaNoWriMo November: After NaNoWriMo by Stefanie Spangler Buswell

NaNoWriMo

Now that we're in the third week of NaNoWriMo and moving into the home stretch, it's a good time for a post about what to do after NaNo. And I have the perfect guest writer today to share tips on what to do with your NaNo baby after November. Stefanie Spangler Buswell is not only an author, but an editor at RedAdept editing (which also happens to be the editing house I use and highly recommend :-). 

And be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway at the end of the post for your chance to win a bundle of books from 5+ authors!

After NaNoWriMo

By Stefanie Spangler Buswell

There’s something about NaNoWriMo that inspires authors. Knowing all those other writers are toiling away at their own WIPs really pushes others. Many of my clients love to participate in NaNoWriMo. No more procrastination, and no more excuses. It’s time to get the ideas down and out of your head. But once the glorious euphoria of NaNoWriMo fades, that free flow of ideas generally leaves an author with a messy first draft. But that’s okay. There are several steps you can take to get your writing ready for editing and publication.

Outline

During NanoWriMo, you might have done a little more pantsing than usual, so a reverse outline is a great way to ensure that your story comes together in a cohesive final draft. Start by summarizing the basic plot: characters, goals, and obstacles. Then, from memory, write out the major plot points. Next, sit down with your outline and your manuscript, ready to take notes. Most stories change as they come out on the page, so be aware of leftover plot points that didn’t pan out in the end. Your reverse outline should help you find plot holes and decide what needs reworked, cut, or expounded upon.

Research

Take time to research points of your story that you couldn’t stop to check while meeting your NanoWriMo word count. If you’re writing a detective novel, check into police procedure. If you’re writing a fantasy, you might need to ask an expert how to properly wield a sword. Google the names of famous people and places to check for spelling. Don’t be afraid to rework parts of the story based on your research.

Fine-tune Descriptions

Pore over your story, looking for repetitive descriptions of characters and locations. Double-check for conflicting descriptions leftover after you made changes to characters, plot, or locations. And remember, great descriptions should flow with the story, not read like a grocery list of characteristics.

Look for Repetition

As you’re rereading, you’ll probably notice repetition of certain words or sentence structures. Shake things up a bit with fresh sentence structure and spend time with a good thesaurus. I really like Thesaurus.com because it brings up synonyms for words that are similar to the one I searched for. So I don’t have to get it exactly right to get close.

Round Up Beta Readers

Beta readers are a fantastic resource. These readers aren’t editing your work, but they are going to read your story and give you honest feedback about the strengths and weaknesses of it. Find people who are serious readers, ones you trust to give honest criticism.

Get Psyched for Editing

You might decide to put your story through content editing, line editing, and/or proofreading, since it’s always important to have a professional put eyes on your work before your put it out into the world. You want your book to represent the level of writing your readers expect of you. But remember, the best editors are busy, so don’t wait until the last minute to schedule the work.

After the rigorous pace of NanoWriMo, it’s entirely possible that you’ll spend more time on revisions than you spent on writing. Hang in there, and remember that your efforts will all be worth it when you have that polished final draft.

Stefanie Spangler Buswell

Stefanie Spangler Buswell has a bachelor of arts from Western Illinois University, and she tried out a few other careers before settling down to read books for a living. Books and reading have always been her passion. So she's excited to be a part of creating great books.

Stefanie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and daughter. She is currently the executive publisher assistant and a line editor at Red Adept Publishing. When she's not editing, she enjoys gardening, knitting, and forcing others to read her favorite books.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Stefanie-Spangler-Buswell/e/B00MU3M5SU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1444057633&sr=8-2

Red Adept Editing: http://www.redadeptediting.com/editors-proofreaders/

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