Let the NaNoWriMo Games Begin...

November is National Novel Writing Month, so what does that mean, exactly?

On November 1, thousands (last year it was 161,870!) people will withdraw from active participation in the "normal" world, sequester themselves in bedrooms, dens, coffee shops, or other venues, and attempt the nerve-wracking challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. Some will drop out for various reasons: illness, family emergencies, the threat of failing out of school, or the overwhelming desire to make sure the rest of the world is still out there. But others will push through exhaustion, loneliness, pressure, and the prospect of losing the continuity of their favorite TV programs (or watching the TiVo'd episodes instead of Christmas programs in December), to reach the pinnacle of word-count mania for the grand prize of having their progress bar turn purple and the thrill of placing a NaNoWriMo "Winner" badge on their webpage or blog. Oh, they may emerge briefly to partake of the turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but will not truly re-enter society until December 1, when they will reintroduce themselves to their friends, family, and pets, clear out overstuffed in-boxes, and spend the next week or so catching up on Facebook and Twitter.

Last year, I did a daily blog post during NaNo. I'll be posting again this year, but am not sure I'll try to do it on a daily basis. I began this year's NaNo adventure at 12:04 a.m., and exceeded the word count for Day 1. However, for the first time in four years, I'm not sure whether to keep it or scrap it and try again. Either way, the creative juices are flowing, and it is helping me to balance the anxiety of waiting to hear if my son and daughter-in-law made it safely to their Mexican destination.

For those who are new to NaNoWriMo, you might want to read last year's posts in my archives for the history of NaNoWriMo, suggestions for preparing yourself for this crazy writing adventure, tips on the writing process, and more. And don't forget to peruse the various forums on the NaNo site and hook up with some writing buddies for mutual support and inspiration. Until next time...

Day Sixteen: Why Do You Write?

Some of the best elements of NaNoWriMo are the people you meet in the forums, the ideas they generate, and the questions they ask. One such question, asked by Lynnafred, piqued my curiosity: "Why Do You Write?" I asked if some of the participants would allow me to quote their responses on my blog; and today I'm pleased to be able to share them with you. Some general themes that emerged were:

--to make a difference in someone's life;

--to be published, have a degree of fame;

--because I must, I can, I want to, I love it;

--because it became a habit as necessary as breathing or

eating, because I live;

--because I have stories in my head that must come out

Other reasons given for writing were:

krist3ng: because there are certain types of stories I like, certain kinds of main characters, and I have trouble finding them represented in already-published fiction.

edgewritermom: because I like to write. Sometimes I even write well, and it's a shame to do something well but not try to get better at it. Otherwise, you get rusty. If a person wants to get better at something, s/he needs to practice. NaNoWriMo is one big month-long practice writing session. Also, I'm of an age when I need to try new, different, and especially hard things on a regular basis.

friesaregood: because one of the best things in the world is finding the right string of words, the words that go together and just make you think, "That's beautiful." So, I don't write for the sake of getting stories out there, or relieving stress, or creating my own private worlds. I write so I can get feedback, and so I can have the knowledge that I wrote something good. It's how I boost my ego.

Soulless: because it is the only thing that is mine...when everything else can be snatched away, no one can snatch the words you place on here, because even if they claim it's theirs, it's never really theirs.

Sashataakheru: because imagination is a mysteriously and awesomely powerful thing

Lynnafred: because it's...a way to get away from whatever was bothering me...I would work out a solution in my own way--through my characters' eyes, and through their own battles; it would always help me try to find a reasonable solution to my own problems.

Hanabi no Enigma: because I like to say something I think is funny or awesome or chilling; because if I don't do it now, when will I?

libby1861: because writing makes me want to live and get inspired and experience new things. It gives me control over something and it gives me a place to leave my ideas behind...It's necessary, important, and freeing.

Aliteratus: because it's what I am most passionate about and because it's my way of communicating to the world. Nothing makes me feel like I matter as much as writing does. It's simply the thing that I do best, so I have to do it.

Sakatsu: because these are the things that will be left after I'm dead...My art, words, music and photography--everything I do is in some way trying to preserve the idea I want to portray--to make a difference in another's life for the better.

Amanda Fair: because it's fun, it's escapism at it's purest, and because it honest-to-goodness makes me happy.

severeannoyance: because...finding out that I could tell stories was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

[anonymous]: because I think I have something to say in a different way than has been said before; because it usually makes me happy; because it is art, it's an expression of my spirit.

Alt-world: because I have a story I want to tell and the words keep escaping from my head, down my arms, through my fingertips, and onto the keyboard.

End-of-Eternity: because I can begin in a genre/formula that people are comfortable with, then slowly take them somewhere else. I write because I want to one day be published and hear someone say, "Oh, yeah, she's doing something different." I write because I have something to say, and some things can't be expressed through speaking.

Elegy: because it gives me the oppportunity to offer you my views and opinions and let you decide if they're important to you, if they matter. It also gives me the very small and unlikely chance to become rich and famous.

elentari: I write for myself first, for the sake of telling the story and the escapism of the process...Mostly, though, for the satisfaction of seeing my story on paper and being able to think, "I wrote that." If a piece makes someone smile or cry, creeps them out, hooks them in and gets them turning pages, or just makes them feel something, then I count it a success.

stephen_g: I used to write a lot...in high school, and when I could in university...Eventually, as I switched from university to college...my writing dropped off a bit. As I transitioned into a full-time job, I didn't write at all...[other than] private journaling. I'm writing because my fiancée is encouraging me to use the creative gift I've let stagnate for far too long.

Gewher: [because] I want people to look back at the writings of this era in history and be inspired. And it would be very nice if my writings were among history books and artifacts...other than that, it's the pleasure that only something requiring hard work, dedication, and self-discipline can bring a person.

Astonished Lemons: because I've got a heck of a lot of random ideas in my head, and they never stop making more. Writing them down is the only way to...flush them out...[and] figure out where they go. The only thing worse then an idea rattling around in your head uninvited is a half-finished idea rattling around in there.

David Brynham: because I owe a debt to so many people in this world. My life has been filled with so many interesting experiences, so many unusual people, that it would be an insult to them if I could not give them some faint tribute on paper.

em56: because it's fun to create characters, and settings, and really a whole little world of your own. I like the challenge of trying to craft something good to read...[and] because I would someday like an audience to read my books...I would be lying, plain and simple, if I said wanting some level of fame wasn't at least a small factor.

pencilcase: because it's my own space. Nobody can tell me what to do...What I do with it is my own business.

Somnia: because it feels more natural than not writing...I have never gotten tired of it...This is something I can do, whether I do it well or not, no one can take it from me. Other people may enjoy it or not, but it gives me a sense of zen and completeness that I don't get from anything else.

mmannm5: I write in the hope of making readers FEEL something: pain, longing, happiness, giddy. That's what makes me love books, and I want everyone to love books...And it's what makes people remember them.

sushimustwrite: [because] there are stories ideas and abstractions living in my head. Without writing, they'd just be trapped...with no escape, and I'd be there too, wondering how to break free. Committing the ideas to paper means I won't be committed.

DBR: because I love language, and words are the building blocks of language. Words are the means of conveying our thoughts and ideas, and creating stories that entertain, teach, provoke, ignite discussion, inflame passion. I love their variety, their potential for precision or vagueness, deception or veracity. Words can paint a picture as detailed and beautiful as any artist ever painted on canvas. They dance across the page and stimulate the mind to create the visual images they describe, a mental motion. Through writing, as with reading, I can travel back and forth in time, go anywhere in the world (or in other worlds), can be anything, do anything. I'm not limited by my physical body, finances, modes of transportation, schedules or responsibilities. In fact, the only limit is what my imagination can create.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request and gave permission to be quoted. I regret not being able to include everyone, but I appreciate each one of you.

Day Twelve: Stop...Look...Listen

Stop...look...listen. As children, we were taught to do this before crossing a street. But it is also a good reminder for writers.

Our lives seem to be busier than ever, and the pace of life is often in overdrive. Especially, as we get older, time seems to fly by at warp speed. Our "To Do" lists get filled with so many things that need doing, that our "wants" get relegated to the bottom of the list--if they make the list at all. There is too much happening, too much information "out there," and too little time. As a result, we tend to narrow our focus to those things that directly affect us and ignore the rest.

Writers, though, need periods of time in which to slow down in order to refill the creative tank. Physically, this might mean getting away for a period of personal refreshing of body, mind, and spirit. Creatively, it might mean opening our mind's intake valve for an infusion of fresh ideas. For water to be fresh, there must be an inflow as well as an outflow. No inflow, and the stream dries up. No outflow, and it stagnates. It's the same with creative ideas. We must keep ourselves open to new ideas and engaged in life, or we may suddenly find ourselves unable to continue writing--otherwise known as "writer's block." If nothing fresh is flowing in, nothing can flow out as stories, articles, or essays. I have a friend who is constantly observing, listening (eavesdropping, if you will) to those around him. I recall one time when we were walking down the street and he pointed out a young couple ahead of us. He began telling me all about them: why they were there, what they were doing, what was going on in their lives. When I asked if he'd known them long, he replied that he didn't know them at all--he'd just spun a story about them from the things he observed as they walked ahead of us: their gestures, how they looked at each other, whether or not they were holding hands, the tone of their voices. This is the creative mind in action. You can learn a lot, and get fresh ideas for your writing, simply by observing people around you. So, S-T-O-P: Stop To Observe People.

As I said, because our lives are so hectic, we tend to narrow our focus. We limit ourselves to what's familiar, to what touches us personally: our interests, our family, our friends, our community. But to keep fresh ideas coming, we need to look beyond the familiar, to see what's going on in the lives of those around us and around the world. In our modern age, what happens in other countries affects what happens in our own. Rising energy costs and the global recession are just two examples. Likewise, we need to understand how our actions affect others both at home and abroad. We also need to be lifelong learners. While working on this year's NaNo novel, so far I've learned about mucking out stalls, milking cows, and gained a rudimentary knowledge about mid-19th century barns and the modifications their construction went through in the early 20th century. I'm also learning about the history of Stowe, Vermont, where my story is set. Will I ever really muck out a stall? Probably not. Nor do I see milking cows and building barns in my immediate future. But learning stimulates the mind, gets those synapses firing, and the creative wheels turning. It keeps our brains from stagnating. So, we need to L-O-O-K: Look Outward, Optimize Knowledge.

And then we need to listen, not just with our ears but with our minds and hearts. Learn to hear what's NOT being said. Learn to "hear" body language: facial expressions, gestures, posture. Listen to people's hearts, not just their words. As you're going about your day-to-day business, listen to what people are talking about. Carry a pen and pad with you and jot down snatches of conversation that are interesting or that stimulate creative thinking. Did you hear something your characters might discuss? Is that woman's body language saying something other than what her words are saying? How could you use that in a story? While sitting in a coffee shop or in a park, waiting in the checkout line at the store, or dining in a restaurant, spend time observing and listening to those around you. Do you just hear an indistinguishable buzz, or do bits of conversation stand out from the background noise? If something does stand out, allow your creative mind to speculate "what if?" So, L-I-S-T-E-N: Listen Intently, Sift Through External Noise.

STOP...LOOK...LISTEN...then WRITE!

Day Ten: NaNoWriMo--the Short Version

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) began in July 1999 with twenty-one people, including founder Chris Baty, each setting out to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Now, in its eleventh year, that small number has grown to 158,716 people registered, who have adopted that goal as their own. In the official history on the NaNoWriMo website, Chris refers to that first year of "noveling" as "half literary marathon and half block party."

By the second year, they had a website, moved the event to November, and had 140 people sign up, including some from Canada. A Yahoo group was added, along with a set of guidelines to govern the NaNo process. These included the minimum total word count, the deadline, the statement that the writing had to be the original work of a single author, and it had to be a novel. Of the 140 who had begun on November 1, twenty-one reached the 50,000 word goal by midnight on November 30. In celebration, two more components were added: a star by the name of each person who reached the goal, and a "Thank God It's Over" party for those who lived close enough to attend.

Anticipating modest growth for year three, the NaNo website and those in charge were totally unprepared for the 5000 who registered. Bloggers had discovered NaNo, and their readers were enthusiastic about the project. Then the newspapers got wind of it. With help from several friends, Chris managed to get everyone registered before the figurative starting gun sounded. However, other problems surfaced ranging from the physical (painful wrists for those trying to get everyone registered) to the technical (overwhelming the small web-host's ability to host the rapidly growing site, hackers, and an overcrowded Yahoo club). Some of the problems were resolved when participants created regional boards, volunteered to validate each other's word counts, and one of the key elements of NaNo was born--mutual support and encouragement among those taking part. The one area lacking was financial support to keep the organization going.

Over the next two years, a new computer program made reinstatement of official word counts possible, colorful graphics were added, new forums created, t-shirt sales helped raise revenue along with donations, and the number of participants jumped from 5000 to 14,000. NanoWriMo received the attention of NPR's "All Things Considered," CBS News, and even the BBC in Scotland! The position of Municipal Liaison was created. These volunteers served locally, offering encouragement and support to participants in their own regions. In addition, two staff members were added to help answer e-mails and deal with technical issues, respectively. There were still glitches from time to time but, by 2003, there were 25,000 people participating, including a monk from India.

Year six brought a new site design, new logo (the running man with pen), additional staff, and 42,000 adult participants. In addition, school teachers were promoting NaNo among their students. In 2004, NaNo partnered with the children's literacy program "Room to Read" and the Cambodian Libraries program was born. Chris was also busy with a book tour for his book "No Plot, No Problem," which he referred to as "a NaNo survival guide." While on the book tour, he discovered that NaNo had spread to colleges and even "real" writers were taking part.

The following year, server problems caused the site to crash repeatedly on opening day. By making some adjustments, the month progressed without further serious malfunctions. In 2005, they sublet a warehouse space which not only accommodated the NaNo t-shirts that had been ordered, but gave them a base of operations. New author pages were added for participants, and the "Young Writers Program," which involved 4000 children in 150 schools, began on another site. Those in the youth program set their own word count goals. It was also in 2005 that WriMoRadio began, with podcasts of participants' stories about their experiences with NaNo, as well as readings of excerpts from some NaNo-novels. The year was also a financial success.

While in Scotland for several weeks, Chris heard an announcement on the radio for Scotland's "Write Here, Right Now" contest. BBC Scotland had interviewed him years before. Apparently, they'd come up with their own variation of NaNoWriMo in which people tried to write 28,000 words during the month of February, and sent participants daily pep talk e-mails. This encouraged Chris to begin the process of turning NaNoWriMo into a non-profit entity complete with a board of directors, an official name--"The Office of Letters and Light"--and an office. Non-profit status was confirmed the night before NaNoWriMo 2006 began. With the website sluggish, not uncommon on the first few days, Chris accidentally discovered that NaNoWriMo was featured on Yahoo's front page. Overnight, an additional 7000 people registered. Likewise, the Young Writers Program jumped from 4000 to 15,000 students, and several colleges added NaNo as part of their course offerings. By this time, thirteen manuscripts by NaNoWriMo writers had been published, including Sara Gruen's bestseller, Water for Elephants.

At the close of NaNo in 2007, to keep the momentum going, Chris started "The Year of Big, Fun, Scary Adventures" during which people would do something they had wanted to do but had kept putting off--anything from learning another language to starting a business. You won't find this next tidbit in the official NaNoWriMo history, but 2007 was also my first year doing NaNo.

There had been many requests from people for additional NaNo-type events so, in 2007, "Script-Frenzy" was born, and a new staff person hired to run it. Eight thousand people participated that first April, with two websites: one for adults, another for children and teens.

When November rolled around, the number of people enrolled in NaNoWriMo crossed the 100,000 mark and the youth program had 366 schools participating from such diverse places as Pakistan, Indonesia, and Sweden. In addition, The Office of Letters and Light received their first foundation grant, held their first major fund-raiser, and had celebrity authors write pep talks. While these were exciting, there were also problems. Site issues that had been resolved in the past, along with the other pressures, threatened to overwhelm the staff. One thing that helped to lift spirits was a December Young Writers Program at a local bookstore, where children and youth who had written books during NaNo in November, got to read them and were rewarded with enthusiastic applause.

November 2008 was the tenth anniversary of NaNoWriMo, but Chris was so busy getting things ready for this year, he hasn't had time to update the history, yet. I've tried to give you a brief summary of the bare bones of NaNo from its inception to the present. The official history, written by Chris Baty, is far more complete and was my source for this post. You can read it for yourself on the NaNo website at http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/history. However, it might be best to wait until December, though, so as not to crash the site for those who are engaged in writing their novels this month. And perhaps next year, you'd like to try NaNoWriMo for yourself.

Day Nine: What's the "Write" Time for You?

For many people their most productive time of the day is the morning. They jump out of bed at first light, throw on their clothes, bound down the stairs, grab breakfast, and are raring to go. These are the "Good morning, Lord" type of people.

Then there are those, like myself, who are the "Good Lord, it's morning" type. I have never been a morning person. I think it was programmed from birth since I made my "debut" late at night. Having begun life as a night owl, it set the pattern for life.

Although as a child I had to get up early for school, and as an adult for work, when left to my own devices (ahh, those blessed weekends) my body wouldn't rouse from slumber until around ten o'clock and would be ready for sleep sometime around 1:00 a.m. In college, however, I remember actually having to take NoDoz (the caffeine equivalent to several strong cups of coffee) in order to stay up past one o'clock to study for an exam the next day or to finish a term paper. Later in life, I developed chronic insomnia and my day shifted to the equivalent of a third-shift schedule which means I'm up most, if not all, of the night and sleep through the morning and sometimes into the early to mid afternoon.

This means that, for me, the most productive hours are between midnight and 3:00 a.m. It's not unusual to find me busy folding laundry, making out grocery lists, paying bills, etc., all during the hours when "normal" people are lost in slumber. It's also the best time for me to write. During NaNoWriMo, those hours often extend to between six and seven in the morning.

A few years ago, Neil Diamond wrote a song called "Thank the Lord for the Night Time." It should be my theme song. During the day there are too many distractions and interruptions for me to be able to concentrate on writing: the phone rings, the dog needs to go out, the cat wants attention, my husband needs to ask me something or wants to show me something, there are noises outside from cars, people and their kids. But after midnight, all of that stops. The phone is silent; the dog, cat, and spouse are asleep; the cars are quietly parked; people and their kids are snoozing. Yes, Neil, thank the Lord for the night time, indeed.

When it's dark, and the world is quiet, that's when I can concentrate and the creative juices seem to flow. Perhaps for you, it's the early morning hours before anyone else is up. Or it might be the afternoon after lunch and before the kids come home from school. The important thing is to find a time that works for you, then block off that time for writing. Morning, noon, or night time--whatever is right for you is the "write" time.

Day Eight: School is Now in Session

If you're not willing to learn, don't become a writer. It's a given that if someone is writing a non-fiction book, they will have to do research in order to write intelligently about their subject and be able to convey that information to the reader in a clear, understandable manner. But what about the writers of fiction? If you're making up a story, doesn't all of it come from your own imagination? Can't you just create things the way you want them to be? Why would a writer of fiction need to do research?

When I sat down to work on my NaNo novel today, it didn't take long before I knew I was going to have to stop and gather some additional information. A large section of my story takes place in the second half of the 19th century in rural Vermont. As I began to write a scene set inside a barn, I wondered: What kind of clothing would these people have worn? What tools and implements would they have had available to use in doing their work? How would their lives have been different from ours in terms of opportunities and attitudes? What names were common at the time? So, I began combing the internet for the answers to these questions, sifted through the material, and decided what and how much applied to my particular characters and their situation. Due to the time constraints of NaNo, I couldn't spend a great deal of time on this, so there will be more to delve into when I begin the revisions after the holidays.

Attention to detail helps to ground your story in time and place, and makes it more authentic. A farmer from 1870 would not be listening to music on a boom box while hitching his cows up to electric milking machines. Boom boxes did not exist, and while attempts were made earlier in the century to develop a milking machine, the first successful one didn't appear until 1870. Therefore, it would be highly unlikely for a poor rural farmer in Vermont to have one in the first year of its existence. Nor can I have people wearing fabrics and styles that didn't exist in the 1800s. If my character is a farmer, I need to know what kind of farming was done at that time. For example, Vermont is known as a dairy state; but prior to 1850, Vermont was known nationally for its sheep farming. It wasn't until the middle of the century that sheep farming began to decline, and dairy farming took over. Public libraries and public education didn't come into being until the late 19th/early 20th century, so my characters can't go trotting off to the public library to check out a book, because such an institution didn't exist.

In addition to time, place, culture, and customs, it's surprising what your characters themselves will teach you. Tonight, one of my characters had to teach another the proper way to muck out a stall. Since I'm not an authority on stall mucking, it appeared I would also have to learn this skill. After doing another search, I can now state that I know the proper steps to take in cleaning out a stall, the order in which to take them, and the proper tools to use. I also learned what happens if you overfill a wheel barrow with horse manure and try to move it--unfortunately, so did my character.

Writing requires imagination, observation, discipline, and a willingness to be a lifelong learner. It's not enough to have a good plot and an interesting story. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and an astute reader will quickly know whether or not you've done your homework.

Day Six: Who's in Charge?

In my blog entry for Monday, November 2, I began by saying that, as an author, you are in control of the people in your story: "...who will populate it, who will visit your town and how they'll arrive, what kind of work people will do, whether or not they are married and have children -- and pets, who their friends are, and their relatives. You are in control of their waking and sleeping, their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and expirations. You decorate their houses, pick out their clothing, and even determine their personalities and character traits, and how they will talk. In short, you control everyone and everything in your book." Sounds logical, right? But writing is a creative process, and creativity isn't always logical. It's the old right brain/left brain conundrum.

So, is it possible to lose control over your story? What happens when a character does something you weren't expecting, or turns rogue and hijacks your plot completely? Do you reign them in, sit them down, and give them a thorough tongue-lashing? Or do you let your curiosity get the best of you and give them free reign to see where they'll lead?

In the novel I began during last year's NaNoWriMo, I thought I knew my plot and characters pretty well. I knew who was going to be killed, and who was going to do the deed, and when it all would happen. The intended victim, Grace, was home alone during a snowstorm while her husband was in town at a meeting. She'd stayed home because she hadn't been feeling well. The roads were bad, he was late, and she was becoming anxious. She looked out the window, then went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Suddenly, just as the tea kettle begins to shriek, she hears a noise, feels someone grab her, and falls to the floor, dead.

But hold on...that's not the killer bending over her, it's her husband. He'd arrived home, heard the tea kettle, and walked in the door just in time to catch Grace before she hit the floor. So, what just happened? Where's the killer? Did he run his car off an icy road so he couldn't get there before her husband did? Did he get the wrong house? Or did my characters just hijack my story? Maybe Grace decided she didn't want to get killed off. As it turned out, I liked Grace and was glad she hadn't died right then, so I developed a subplot for her and her husband and a different character emerged as the killer...someone nobody would have suspected. For that matter, I hadn't suspected them, either. The story took a completely different path from the one I had originally set out on. The basic plot didn't change, nor did the ending, but the route my characters traveled to get there did.

Sometimes, giving your characters the freedom to develop on their own can work for you. Other times, not. It's fine if you know what the characters are doing, where they're going, and if it all fits within the parameters of the story you want to tell. It's not so fine if they lead you into a muddle of events and subplots that turn your story into a chaotic, rambling, jumbled up mess with no way out short of resorting to deus ex machina, defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as "An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot." Nothing screams amateur like resorting to this device to make everything turn out right. If your characters and plot are starting to look more like a tangled mess than the beautiful tapestry you were weaving, do what knitters and weavers do: rip it out--at least back to where it veered off track--and start over.

Writing requires creativity, but it also requires discipline. When all is said and done, you're in charge. You can allow your characters to have input into the story, but don't let them get carried away. As the author, you are in charge and all final decisions about what happens, and to whom, are yours.

Day Two -- Using Real Places in Your Story

When writing fiction, sometimes it's fun to create the setting out of thin air. You are the founding father of your city or town: you get to name it, decide what buildings are there, who will populate it, who will visit your town and how they'll arrive, what kind of work people will do, whether or not they are married and have children -- and pets, who their friends are, and their relatives. You are in control of their waking and sleeping, their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and expirations. You decorate their houses, pick out their clothing, and even determine their personalities and character traits, and how they will talk. In short, you control everyone and everything in your book.

But what happens when you decide to introduce real people or real places into your fictionalized novel? Suddenly, the rules change. For example, if I decided to use George Washington as a character in my story, I can't call his wife Sally or have him reside in a twentieth century apartment in New York City. I might be able to write an account of a fictional event in his life, but family names and geographical locations would have to line up with what is historically accurate, and the fictional event would have to occur at a logical place in his life's timeline.

As I began writing chapter two of this year's NaNo book, I realized I needed to do a bit more research before I could proceed. Although my story is fiction, there are elements in it that are based on something that may or may not have really happened, but are definitely tied to a real place. Some of my fictional characters are college students at the very real University of Vermont. So, I had to do a bit of research about the dorm names and locations, what the library was like at the time in which the story is set, how long it would take them to drive from their dorm in Burlington to a friend's family home in Stowe (another real place), and where in Stowe that home would be located. The legend on which the story is based also takes place at a certain time of the year, so that, too, had to be accurate.

Had I known I'd be writing this particular story, I could have done my research in advance. But if you read my blog yesterday, you'll know that I switched plots at the last minute. And, although I had done a rudimentary outline for this particular story two or three years ago, I had not yet researched the historical elements.

Normally, that wouldn't create a problem. But when you're trying to write a novel in thirty days, you don't have a lot of time for anything other than writing. Time spent on research translates into less writing time, which translates into a lower word count, which translates into more pressure to meet the daily goal. So, how did I do today, you ask? Actually, not bad. Since I exceeded the 1167 word count minimum yesterday, it gave me a buffer for today. When I combined yesterday's 2425 words (a slight revision added one word to yesterday's original total) with today's 1268 words (a shortfall), I still had a two-day total of 3693 which leaves me with a buffer of 359 words heading into day three. It's not a lot, but at least I'm not lagging behind. And, who knows -- I might be able to work on it later in the day and get that word count even higher.

Preparations for NaNo Continue

To make sure everything is ready when NaNoWriMo begins, Paige made a checklist so we wouldn't forget anything:

1. defrag computer
2. stock up on caffeine, Fritos, and trail mix
3. notify family: say "goodbye" on Oct. 31 and tell them you'll materialize briefly on Thanksgiving, then disappear again until December 1--or 8--depending how much sleep you need to catch up on
4. notify friends: see #3
5. set "IN-BOX" to vacation mode
6. delegate cooking, laundry, errands, and communication with the outside world to spouse for the month
7. review plot outline, revise plot outline, and pray you don't scrap the outline when the bell tolls twelve
8. October 31 -- pass out candy to Halloween trick-or-treaters; then gather your materials together, gather your courage, sequester yourself with your computer, and be ready to go at 12:01 a.m.

So, let's fasten our seatbelts: it's going to be a wild ride!

A NaNoWriMo Journey - Prologue

This is the tenth year of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Every November, an intrepid group of people (some published writers, some not) of all ages, nationalities, ethnicities, genders, and walks of life subject themselves to the self-imposed discipline of trying to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. Notice I did not say a "finished" novel or "publishable" novel. One of the criteria is to banish the internal critic for a month -- perhaps send it on vacation to some tropical isle -- and do one thing and one thing only -- WRITE! What you end up with at midnight on November 30 might be total gibberish, or it just might be a pretty good first draft. The point is, if you want to be a writer and have your work published, you've got do the actual writing. And that's where the discipline of NaNoWriMo comes in. It takes thirty days to form a habit; so if you've been procrastinating and have ideas swimming around in your head, NaNo is a great way to finally get something down on paper -- or into a word processor. At the very least, it'll clear out the brain clutter.

Some people start cold turkey on November first: no plot, no outline, no title, no idea of what to write. Others spend some time in October (or even earlier) deciding on a story to tell, developing character biographies, thinking about setting, and perhaps doing an outline to help keep them on track once the insanity begins. When they sit down at the computer on November 1, they have a title and at least a general idea of who they're writing about and what will happen to them.

My first year of NaNo, I dove in without any preparation -- and won! It felt pretty amazing to set myself such a daunting task and actually complete it. The first draft is still sitting here, waiting to be revised and sent out into the world. Last year, due to a death in the family, I wasn't able to finish NaNo, though I did have five chapters completed, and have been working on that story and like how it's coming along. So, this year, I decided to do some advance prep which included creating an outline of my plot, a list of characters and general facts about them, a word-count calendar, joining some forums (which I'd previously participated in), and pairing up with some writing buddies for mutual encouragement, support, and commiseration. It really helps to have someone to share the struggles and the joys with when you're pretty much isolated from civilization for a solid month, Thanksgiving Day excepted -- or not.

With three days left until the starting gun, I have completed the aforementioned tasks and even managed to introduce a couple of other people to NaNo. And as if trying to write a novel in thirty days wasn't enough pressure, I decided to blog about my 2009 NaNo experience. At this point, I haven't yet officially joined NaBloWriMo (National Blog Writing Month), which coincides with NaNoWriMo and requires daily blogging-- still thinking about that which, I suppose, indicates that I still have a few marbles left; but I am going to TRY (with apologies to Yoda and Mr. Miyagi) to blog every day. We'll see what happens.

I'll be posting daily updates on the process and story, and perhaps other interesting tidbits along the way, as the month progresses. And so, I invite you to come along on this journey. Three days and counting...

Welcome to Creative Muse Journal

My name is Donna B. Russell, and for some time my alter ego, Paige Turner, and I have wanted to create a blog but didn't know where or how to begin. As we were preparing to participate in National Novel Writing Month, Paige suggested that blogging about NaNo would be a great starting point. So, with her help, we will begin this blog by inviting you to share our NaNo journey.

Who are we?

Donna: The writing bug bit me when I was a child. Throughout my school years I wrote poetry, short stories, and plays -- some of which were performed solely within my own classrooms, others (including a Memorial Day pageant) for the whole school and invited guests. In college, I took writing courses as part of my English major; but when I married and became a full-time mom, I put the writing on hold. Then in 1990, I began writing a monthly column called "PetWise" about pets and issues relating to them. With the advent of an "empty nest," I took additional writing courses, and had some poems and a couple of articles published online and in print. I also write devotional material for "Wings of Prayer" (www.wingsofprayer.net) which I founded in 1999. Then in 2007, I heard about and participated in National Novel Writing Month, which finally helped me take the plunge to try to write a novel. In July 2009, through a quirk of fate, I had the opportunity to copyedit a novel for a published author. With his encouragement, I waded in a little deeper by taking on some additional freelance editing projects while continuing to pursue a writing career.

I am a native and lifelong resident of the Green Mountain State and can't imagine living anywhere else. I tell people my feet are rooted in Vermont soil, and Lake Champlain runs through my veins. I am a former teacher, musician, choir director, speaker, board president, and support chat host. I am also a wife, mother of three talented married children (a son and two daughters) and mother-in-law to their equally-talented spouses, pet parent, writer, committee co-chairman, dreamer, and optimist. For the past twenty years I have lived with the challenges of three chronic illnesses which have helped me to even better appreciate what a precious gift life is.

I live with my husband, David, who is the pastor/director of a church and street ministry, as well as a fine photographer and digital artist. Our nest has never really been empty since we share it with my service dog and our cat, who became "Queen of the castle" when our male cat passed away in August 2009.

Paige: Donna and I met through NaNoWriMo in 2007. There was never any doubt that I would be a mystery writer with a name like Paige Turner. My mother was a huge fan of Patti Paige, so when she married my father, Matt Turner, whose idol was baseball great Satchel Paige, my fate was sealed -- at least as far as my name was concerned. My mother was an avid reader, who also read to me, and taught me that, through books, I could travel to exotic places, have amazing adventures, meet exciting people (and some rather sinister ones, too), and expand my knowledge and horizons without leaving the comforts of home. Then I met Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, and knew that I either wanted to grow up to be a detective or a mystery writer. Since writers are less likely to get shot, the choice seemed obvious. I also own and operate the Live Free Bakery, which specializes in products for people with food allergies.

I live with my best friends, Cody and Noah, a pair of beautiful Border Collies, and Higgins the cat who is definitely master of the house. I'm single, and still hoping to find my perfect soul-mate. I also volunteer at our local Humane Society occasionally and am in the process of having Cody and Noah approved as certified therapy dogs.