Experiment with Something That Scares You

October is the perfect month to prepare yourself for NaNoWriMo (if you partake) or just another month of writing for those who don’t, so why not… scare yourself?

I don’t mean by saying Bloody Mary three times in front of a mirror – although if you do that, would you let me know if it works? - but by tackling something totally out of the ordinary for you, within your writing.

For us YA writers and readers, we tend to stick within our own preferred age-range (I know it’s a bad habit of mine anyway) so occasionally I’ll make myself read books aimed at younger or older markets than YA. It’s amazing what branching out with your reading and writing can do for your writing skills. This October, try your hand at a paragraph or too of writing for a different age-range. 

Even if it’s not your cup of tea, you’ll be able to identify what it is that makes YA, YA, and why you love writing it so much, and either stick to it, or invert it some way that puts a new spin on your writing.

Then we have genre – personally, I love anything fantasy, sci-fi or thriller, which means those are naturally the books I’m drawn to at the book shops/libraries, as well as the ones I’ll pick up first from my bookshelf. But this October, I plan to shock myself and pick up some literary fiction or cosy mysteries. Maybe I’ll even dabble in some horror on October 31^st.

Because we all remember that amazing scene from “Bring it On” when the cheerleaders combine a range of dance styles to create a kick-ass dance routine (…. oh… only me then?) and I like to think experimenting with genres is a sort of the writing equivalent to creating that dance routine. As we read and write, we come to learn the expected tropes of a certain genre, which means we can use them, or invert them within the genre we prefer. You’re more likely to create that gobsmacking-ly original, cross-genre, industry-redefining novel if you’re well read in every genre there is out there, so get cracking!

Experimenting with tenses, POV, age-range, story-length, and genre means that you might discover a new style of writing that you absolutely love, but even if you don’t, you can combine all your new knowledge to make that sizzling dance routine. What makes that horror so scary? That thriller suspenseful? Romance swoon-worthy?

You’ll have fun finding out, discover new authors and genres that you love, and your writing will develop as a result. So, get out of your comfort zone and into that Halloween outfit! (and then do some reading and crazy writing.)

My Experience with NaNoWriMo (And Why I May Never Do it Again)

In 2014, I did NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which is November). I didn’t officially sign up, probably because I’m just not a joiner, but I started November 1 with a manuscript I’d mostly plotted in September and October. I wrote Monday thru Friday, taking weekends off out of respect for my family, and three weeks later, I was finished. Over 70,000 words in fifteen writing days.

Since November 2014, I’ve applied the concept of NaNo—taking a month to focus on writing a novel—two more times. In May 2015, I wrote a manuscript in just under four weeks, and last month, I took a week to focus on my WIP, which sat at 35,000 words, and in seven days added 44,000 words, bringing it to completion.

So, I suppose you could say I’m a fan of NaNoWriMo, and I recommend everyone try NaNo at some point. The effort required to succeed will teach you skills that can be useful when you write any time of the year. Here is my list of skills you may learn:

1. Discipline. How to sit at your computer and write, even when the words aren’t flowing. The muse may not visit you daily, but what happens when you are a contracted author, working on a deadline? Then you won’t be able sit back and let the muse show up when she will. So learning to write even when you’re not feeling particularly creative is a valuable skill. After forcing yourself to take the time to write, even if you’d rather play games on your phone or catch up on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you’ll learn that even when you aren’t feeling in the mood, you can start the words flowing if you just start writing.
2. Plotting. I know, for some, the word “Plotting” is evil. But it doesn’t have to be. I’m not suggesting that everyone (or anyone, for that matter) needs to outline the entire manuscript before writing—though you may want to give it a try at least once—because for many, that is death of the creativity and the story. But plotting doesn’t have to be an outline or a synopsis of the entire, unwritten story. Simply thinking ahead before you write on a daily basis can be helpful, especially if you struggle with a muse who takes unexpected and extended vacations. By “thinking ahead,” I mean spend a little time—5-10 minutes—looking over the previous writing and scribbling out ideas about what you envision happening next. You don’t have to follow this mini scene or chapter outline, but spending some time brainstorming will get you into the story a little quicker.
3. Scheduling. Some things can’t be removed from your daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, but others can be. Like a monthly hair appointment. Stretch the style an extra week or two. Move your dentist appointment. Skip book club. Cut back on workouts (but don’t cut OUT workouts). But with all the things you take out of your schedule, please remember that an occasional shower is necessary. At least one a week. Besides, showers are great places to brainstorm, so really, showering is as important to your creativity as to your socially acceptable-ness.
4. Balance. Actually, I think balance is impossible if you seek balance daily between all your responsibilities. You can’t do it all or be it all every single day. Without considering writing, some days your schedule is so full of errands, appointments, and/or kids’ activities that you can’t cook a meal or get the laundry done. So why shouldn’t writing be—temporarily—the thing that leaves those tasks undone or delegated to another family member? There’s nothing wrong with asking the kids or your spouse to help with meals or laundry. Maybe you eat out a little more—or the rest of the family eats out while you eat at your computer, furiously typing. It’s only temporary. This is easier when the kids are old enough to help and the spouse is willing to assist. If that’s not possible, make a list of daily or weekly chores that you could ignore for a couple of weeks. Or make one day “chore day” and do as much meal prep and laundry as possible. If your kids are too young for you to do much writing during their waking hours, find a babysitter or exchange favors with a mom-friend. Or this might be a nice time for grandma to make a lengthy visit, if grandma is a helpful guest, not a needy one. And if your spouse is helpful (and even if your spouse isn’t helpful, because it’s good for a marriage), remember to thank him or her. You can always go back to the computer after expressing your gratitude ;-)

Despite the success I’ve had, I may never do NaNoWriMo again, because November is not always the best month for me to take time off and focus on writing. Other months may work better. But November isn’t the only month when a writer can write! If you can’t participate in NaNo this year, schedule your own during a month or a block of 4-5 weeks where you CAN focus on writing. The skills practiced and learned during a writing marathon will help in the future when you only have a week or a few days to devote to your manuscript.

The 'S' word

I have a problem. Or I at least used to think I had a problem. Now, thanks to my readership, I see it as more of a blessing. I’m not sure that’s the right word, but there it is. So my problem blessing is that I can’t help but remove clothes when I’m writing. Before you get carried away or think me a total nutcase, I don’t mean my own. I definitely do not sit butt naked in front of my computer! It’s when I write. I’ve previously talked about how the Bearwood series was initially written to target the young adult market, but due to my need to add somewhat detailed steam (that goes beyond what is expected in YA), I ended up rewriting it as NA, which worked pretty well for me. I like a little spice in my books, actually, I LOVE writing steam. Currently, I’m writing another book set to be a set of standalone in a series, and all of them will be what some deem ‘smut’. Now I’m not an erotica writer, although I could probably give it a fair whack, but I do like my paranormal or contemporary romances to have a lot of heat.

So why am I writing about this on YATopia? Good question! Well, while transferring files from an old computer to a new one, I stumbled across my 2014 nanowrimo project, a NA Dystopian. I started reading it and for once when I read an early version of my own work, I didn’t think it totally sucked. It needs work, for sure! Actually, it needs a total overhaul as I intend to change some major things and turn it into a sci-fi rather than a dystopian.

One of the things that I noticed was that, once again, I had added steam to it. Typical of me, but I also thought I knew when a steamy scene needed to be in a book and when it didn’t. For my PNR, I included them when emotions were running high and when there was an actual point to having them there. They belonged. But this nanowrimo project that I found, the sex is without a doubt out of place. Even reading it, I can see myself that this book is a YA pretending to be NA. The language is definitely geared toward older young adults, as are the small but technical descriptions when it comes to the science behind their existence. The sex just doesn’t need to be there—there is no place for it. Certainly the emotional relationship the two share can be explored, but I don’t need to include a detailed physical scene to do this.

The debate on whether to include sex in YA books has been going for a while now. I support the inclusion. Indeed, it has to approached with care, and it definitely can’t be graphic, but for me this didn’t matter. The sex simply didn’t belong. And that’s really what this post is about—knowing when to include it and when not to. To me, the answer is really quite simple. If they belong there, if they truly move your plot forward then that’s a-okay, but if there is no other reason for them being there other than ‘they just are’, then maybe that particular sex scene needs some rethinking.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever publish this book, but I do intend to work on it, so part of that includes deciding whether there is a place for sex in this book, and there isn’t.

E.L. Wicker

50 Ways to Generate Ideas for NaNoWriMo

November is...

National Novel Writing Month!

Or NaNoWriMo. I don’t need to explain what that is because I know you already read Kate's post here on YAtopia a few days ago. (If you didn’t, come on, get with the times.)

As October winds down and you stock up on candy to devour pass out to all the kids dressed as Elsa and Star Lord, you’re probably devising magnificent plans for your NaNo novel. You might even have an outline so thick you could use it as a step ladder.

Or maybe not. Maybe you have nothing planned. Maybe you’ve been staring at the wall, biting your nails until they bleed, eating too much Halloween candy.

Wherever you are on that spectrum, things will change for you starting November 1st. If you have it all planned, your characters will take control and switch things up without your permission. If you have nothing planned, you’ll touch that keyboard and a story will leap from fingers. Either way, a little inspiration can only help.

Which is why I’ve made of a list of 50 ways to generate ideas for your NaNoWriMo novel. Pick one or do all fifty–it’s entirely up to you. Apply these as you wish. Go nuts. That’s the spirit if the month, after all.

1. Order Chinese food. Use your fortune cookie.

2. What’s the next class being offered in/near your city?

3. Check out the “personals” section on Craigslist. (Be careful! Stranger Danger is real.)

4. Go to Wikipedia and hit “random”.

5. Go somewhere public and eavesdrop.

6. Most awkward middle or high school memory.

7. Twelfth Pin you see on Pinterest.

8. In the grocery store checkout lane, pick a magazine headline.

9. On Facebook or Twitter, scroll down to the fourteenth story.

10. Pick your favorite supporting character in your favorite TV show and research the actor/actress. Use something about their life.

11. Repeat, but with your favorite movie.

12. What’s the first thing that pops in your head when I say “animal”?

13. Go ask a child what you should write about.

14. Go to any college or university website. Find the courses offered. Scroll through until you have a lightbulb moment.

15. Who’s the "wild card" in your family or circle of friends? What’s his or her best quality?

16. Who is your personal, real-life hero? What’s his or her fatal flaw?

17.  Turn on the radio and listen to the lyrics of the first song you hear.

18. If you had to change your identity, how would you look? Why?

19. Page fifteen of the next magazine or newspaper you come across.

20. The reason behind the next tattoo you see.

21. The next Vine you watch.

22. Dictionary.com's  word of the day.

23. What’s next on your social calender?

24. What would never be on your social calender?

25. A local job posting.

26. Go to a resale store and find an item that “speaks to you”. What's that item’s history?

27. Look up quotes about life, death, love, and food. Which one would speak to your protagonist the most?

28. What place do you want to visit?

29. Notice the next stranger you see. Why are they dressed the way they are?

30. Go to the spam folder in your last email. Pick one of the most recent ten.

31. Type into you search bar, “Why do people” or “How do you” and pick one of the suggested searches.

32. Use a motive generator. Here are three: RanGen, Chaotic Shiny, Springhole.net

33. Ask Cleverbot for ideas.

34. Go to http://www.theuselessweb.com/ and click the button. (Most are truly useless, but I got a site with a guy saying, “Bury me in money!” Hmm...

35. What pops in your head when I ask, “What if?”

36. Look up some “would you rather” or hypothetical questions.

37. Uselessfacts.net

38. Open to a random page in an old diary or journal of yours.

39. Imagine you're standing in front of a huge bookshelf at the bookstore. Right in front of you is a new book you've never heard of that you're dying to read. What is it? Write it.

40. Take something from the last dream you remember.

41. Think of your favorite person from history. Why do you respect them?

42. Imagine a person from the future.

43. “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do...”

44. What’s the number one song on the charts?

45. Next radio commercial.

46. Make inspiration boards on Pinterest for your characters. Pick out fashion, quotes, and anything else.

47. Your favorite childhood game.

48. Google "weird news".

49. Pull out your psychology book.

50. The Plot Generator

BONUS: If you’re in need of inspiration to keep going at any point, read No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. It’s a hoot and helpful to boot.

Other random pieces of advice:

Don’t take yourself or your novel seriously. In the words of Chris Baty, “You should lower the bar from “best-seller” to “would not make someone vomit.”

My favorite quote about first drafts is Hemingway’s, “The first draft of anything is shit.”

You'll find lots of pep talks and fellow writers at http://nanowrimo.org.

On the days you feel inspired, write like your life depends on it.

On the days you feel like having Netflix marathons and eating a gallon of ice cream, write like your life depends on it.

Happy rapid-writing,
Jessie

P.S. Go here if you want to be my NaNoWriMo writing buddy!

P.P.S Leave a comment! Were any of these helpful? What would you add to the list?

Getting Lost In Your Manuscript

Last weekend, I got terribly lost in a corn maze.  On purpose.

Rainy weekends and soccer schedules made us miss out on apple picking, and we were determined to get one fall staple checked off.  While my husband and I referenced weather reports, sliced oranges, and programmed the GPS, my kids popped on boots and ran circles around the yard in happy anticipation. 

As the sun rode high, there we stood at the entrance to the maze, listening to the wind click-clack through the dried-out corn stalks, and wondering what the next few hours had in store for us and how many children we’d be carrying on our backs by the time we exited. Then we stepped into the unknown. 

My eldest son (though he doesn’t know it, because we tell my twins we “forgot” who came out first; no one needs that kind of one-up over a measly minute) had a plan in mind: a left, right, left pattern he determined to use at every juncture. Incredibly and without actual reason, it worked!  Ten minutes later we were standing in the same spot, having just exited the maze.  We were giddy with accomplishment and breathless at the staff’s shock.  And then we were… disappointed.  That had been far, far too easy.  And now it was over.  No fun!

We looked sideways at one another and my youngest (and yes, she knows it and uses it to every advantage) proposed, “Let’s go again!” So we turned around and plunged back in, this time with no intent but to get good and lost. 

About 45 minutes later, with nothing but towering stalks on all four sides of us and out of hearing range of the hayride circling the perimeter, we held our flag high above our heads to signal for help.  A staff member located us within minutes and gave us a choice.  He could escort us directly to the exit or we could follow him onto a wooden bridge in the center of the maze that would allow us an overview of the entire labyrinth. No one needed carrying yet, so we opted for the bridge. 

“Hey,” exclaimed my other son, “The maze is shaped like a rocket ship!” From far above we could see shapes and patterns. We could see the outer space theme and we could see the way we needed to proceed to reach the end. We took deep collecting breaths and descended back into the corn with purpose.  We got a little lost again, but this time we course-corrected more easily.  With the sun riding low and the corn casting shadows, we again stood (or in the case of my daughter, rode piggyback) at the exit, more tired, but far more accomplished for having done the real work of solving the maze.  Of course, there was no real time for reflecting: hot cider donuts awaited.

Now you’re all smarty-pants writers, so I know you’re picking up on my analogy here, but let’s be corny (get it?) and talk about how this could relate to your writing.

You may approach your novel as a plotster, analyzing the publishing market for your genre the way we checked the forecast, preparing outlines the way we programmed our GPS and envisioning possible disaster scenarios the way we packed food and water for the inevitable mid-maze hunger meltdown. Or perhaps you’re a panster, whipping out your laptop in the same manner my kids slid on boots and bubbling over with happy anticipation at the murky mess that awaited.  Either way you find yourself at the beginning, staring into the unknown. 

Perhaps you have a formula to follow- a left, right, left of plot turns and characterizations.  It may even bring you to a smooth and quick finish.  The excitement! The envy of all around you!  The… let down.  That was too easy, not nearly satisfying enough.  And if you felt that way writing it, chances are your readers will feel that way reading it.  It may be time to get lost on purpose. 

Dive back into your manuscript, take all lefts until you’re good and stuck in the middle.  You know what to do now.  You have your flag.  Send it up to summon a critique partner or two or ten.  Bring them to join you in the mess and then let them show you to a bridge.  Stand above at a good distance from your story and see if you can spot the overriding themes.  See if you can spot the places you made wrong turns and the path you need to take to reach the finish line.  Let them point you in the right direction. Dive back in. Get a little more lost, but with assurance, knowing you’re close. Very close. Reach the end, exhausted but happy, accomplished, having put in the work to solve the full puzzle. You may be on your own two feet or you may be getting carried out by an agent or an editor, but you’ve done it nonetheless. Bask in the glory! Go forth and seek out hot cider donuts.

And whether your autumn plans include an actual corn maze or whether they include 50k worth of NaNowriMo, have fun getting lost and found.

Dare to NaNoWriMo

Raise your hand, who's doing NaNoWriMo?

No, seriously, raise your hands. But... you know, virtually. In the comments - and don't forget to leave your username. Because YAtopians connecting on the NaNo site is a beautiful thing! And trying to write a novel in a month that's only 30 days long and has a major holiday weekend? Not crazy at all, promise.

I've participated in NaNoWriMo for three years, but not this year. Not because I don't want to, but because I'm moving and starting a new job and I'm really not a sleepless vampire like some people like to think.

I wanted to talk about NaNo not only because I want y'all to connect and become NaNo buddies and cheer each other on - but also because I'm kinda cranky about some things I've been seeing online written by some people: the NaNoNaySayers, if you will.

These people will say you shouldn't do NaNo because there's no way you can pump out 50k words of quality material in a month - so why bother? Or even worse, they'll look down their nose at you and say you should do it to "exercise your creative muscles" and then on December - throw that shit away and never look at it again! The worst part is they say these things with a "I'm better than you because I don't try to stretch my limits or do anything out of my comfort zone" kinda air.

So I'm going to give you some NaNoWriMo advice: Don't listen to any NaNoWriMo advice!

If you're intrigued by the idea of writing 50k words in 30 days (or 22 days! go ahead and start now, it's totally do-able), dare to do it!

If you like pumping out your first draft very quickly and editing later, dare to do it! 

If you've done NaNo before and loved it, but are having second thoughts because your favorite professional author/agent/editor has said the event is for untalented amateurs? Accept that they can be wrong every now and then and dare to do it! 

If you like the discipline of NaNo, but like to write slower, finely crafting every sentence as you go and maybe would like to set a different goal like "write for two hours every day in November," dare to do it! 

Bottom line: If you want to do something, do it. Simple as that. Don't let anyone tell you that you "shouldn't" or "can't" or that what you write is "crap." Don't you dare give up because some person with a keyboard who doesn't even know you has said not to.

NaNoWriMo anyone?

Anyone participating this year? I wanted to, but I'm trying to slow down with my writing. I can get out a novel within a month anyway, which tends to mean that I rush through it all and have loads of things I need to add, edit, change during revisions.

But that doesn't mean that's everyone's problem! So, are you participating and what's your username? Put them in the comments and add each other so we can all support and rally and cheer!

A quick reminder, though...

Agents have been tweeting, blogging and discussing about their influx of submissions come January. If you're writing a novel in a month, you're going to need more than December to edit, so take your time and really make sure your story is the best it can be before querying. That means no January queries unless it is perfeeeeect.

I wish you all luck and I hope you're all winners :)