NaNo on and keep it real.

As many of you know, I never NaNo.  This time of year is just too busy for me.  Sometimes I JaNo and sometimes I SEPTEMBO, but never NaNo. I wish that I could, but I just can't.  I do, however, enjoy the excitement other authors are sharing as they embark on this endeavor.

For example,  I do have a close friend who has decided that not only she, but that her whole family will NaNo.  I am so thrilled for her and have been cheering her on for nearly two weeks.  I try to give her space so that she can get those words out in peace, but I am also available for walks and talks so that she can work through various writing issues.  It is fun to be a part of her writing process.

 Now as she and countless others fast approach the halfway mark, I just thought I'd put out a reminder call for you all to keep it real not just in your stories, but also your personal lives.  Don't forget to get out in experience life this month; it'll only help to make your writing that much stronger.  I think it is important to write as much as you can while on a roll, but sometimes, you hit a snag in the writing process and no matter how hard you try to force the writing it just doesn't come naturally.  Fine - take a break.  Get out and experience life.  Inspiration will come again and you'll be back at those keyboards in no time.

Best of luck NaNo writers.  Keep it real, find that voice, and torture those poor characters a little.  Your readers will thank you.

Now lace up those shoes and get out there!
And don't worry, your characters will be with you every step of the way.

Enjoy life, enjoy writing!

The Skimm: How to Keep Up With Current Events When in Your Writing Cave

It's November, which means that thousands of writers will disappear into their writing caves for NaNoWriMo, churning out 1,667 words per day until they hit 50,000. When you're cranking on a new project, it can sometimes feel like you've literally fallen into a hole, with barely any time to eat or sleep, let alone keep up with current events.

Allow me to introduce you to The Skimm, a daily email that compiles the previous day's headlines into one quick, easy-to-skim article that arrives in your inbox each morning. The tongue-in-cheek writing makes even the most boring headline enjoyable, and it takes all of about five minutes to finish (for you multitasks out there, you'll be done by the time you finish brushing your teeth.)

Who says you have to lose touch with the world just because you've fallen into a writing cave?

Happy reading Skimming!

How to Do NaNoWriMo Even When You Can't

It's November, and you know what that means. Hundreds of thousands of writers are stealing whatever time they can this month, pounding the keys to get an average of 1,667 words a day. The dedicated will reach 50,000 words by the end of the month and win National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.

Participating in NaNo has many benefits. You get motivation to finish (or make good headway) on your novel and the chance to meet like-minded people. If you like writing in a group, there are lots of local meetups in libraries, coffeeshops, and other locations.

Sounds great, right? But what if the idea of committing to write 1,667 words every day for a month makes you want to laugh hysterically? Whether it's because of a slower writing speed, a job that takes up too much time, or family commitments, many people can't figure out how to make it happen.

But that doesn't mean you can't benefit from all that NaNo has to offer. Why not set your own goals? Maybe 1,667 words per day isn't realistic, but what about 800, or 500? You'll still be able to cheer on your fellow writers online and in person. Better yet, you'll still be making writing a daily habit.

I'll be shooting for 500 words per day on my new project throughout the month of November. I'm using the excellent (and free!) project tracker at http://writetrack.davidsgale.com/ to make sure I stay on target.

If you want to do a modified NaNo but don't think you can stick to a daily word count, what about putting in a certain amount of time each day? The Pomodoro Technique discussed in this NaNo post on the Project Mayhem blog might work for you, just like the author of the post.

Will you be NaNo-ing this year?

If you've ever done fundraisers, then you can promote your book.

Congratulations!  You're done!  NaNo is over and it is time to start editing, but before revision it might be a good idea to think about marketing.  That's right marketing.  It is never to early to start "selling" your book.

For some of us, writing is the easy part, but "selling" ourselves is a bit trickier. So what to do?

Well, if you've ever done fundraisers, then you already know how to promote your book. I found this out recently when I won a singing competition to Carnegie Hall.  Out of thousands of people, I won a tenor spot in an all High School Honors Choir performance at Carnegie Hall.  The catch? I have to pay my way.  Thus, the fundraising campaign. That's when it hit me.  Fundraising and promoting one's book are pretty similar.  Here's what I learned:

1. Start early - get the word out there to create interest in your project so that people have time to  
     think about it.

2. Establish goals and timelines

3. Try many methods - social media, online, cold calls, booths, etc.

4. Promote
    * Post signs, flyers, & posters
    * Write a press release to the local newspaper, television, and radio stations

5. Use friends as networks

6. Have a party or book launch

7. Be professional

8. Be friendly.  Smile.  Be ready to talk about yourself

9. Set up a table at a craft fair, library, grocery store, etc. and do the following:
    * Stand - so that you are easy to approach
    * Bring a blown up poster for your stand so that it can be seen from far away
    * Decorate table to attract interest
    * Have giveaways like bookmarks, pens, or candy

These are just a few examples.  What works for you?

If you've ever done a fundraiser, then you can promote your book

Congratulation!  You've done it!  NaNo is over and it is time to start editing, but before revision, it might be a good idea to think about marketing.  That's right marketing.  It is never too early to start "selling" your book.

For some of us, writing is the easy part, but "selling" ourselves is a bit trickier.  So, what to do?

Well, if you've ever done fundraisers, then you already know how to promote products.  I found this out recently.  I won a signing competition allowing me to perform as a Tenor at Carnegie Hall.  The catch?  I have to pay my way.  That's when it hit me.  Fundraising and promoting books are pretty similar.  Here's what I learned:

1. Start early - get the word out there to create interest in your project so people have time to think
    about it.

2. Establish goals and timelines

3. Try many methods - social media, online, cold calls, etc.

4. Promote

    * Post signs, flyers, and posters
    * Write a press release to the local newspaper, radio station, and television station

5. Use friends as network

6. Have a party or book launch

7. Be professional

8. Be friendly.  Smile.  Be ready to talk about yourself.

9. Set up a table at a craft fair, library fair, grocery store, and the following:

     * Stand so that you are easy to see and approach
     * Bring a blown up poster that can be seen from far away
     * Decorate table to attract interest
     * Have giveaways like bookmarks, pens, or candy

These are jus a few examples.  What works for you?

Is first person really the right choice for your novel?

It's the second week of October already--and you writers out there know what that means.

Okay, yeah, it does mean Halloween is coming. But it also means THIS is coming:

I'm not planning to officially participate in NaNo this year, because I already have about 90% of a first draft written. But what I am going to do is take the opportunity to give myself a kick in the revision pants. What better time than when thousands of other writers around the world are slaving away over their laptops, too?

The first big edit I'm making in this draft is to change the point of view from first person to third person limited. The change will mean hours and hours of painstaking work, but I really think it's the right choice for this story.

Which brings up a good question: how do you know which one is right for your story?

I know I tend to link to him a lot, but as usual, former agent Nathan Bransford has an insightful look at this topic on his blog. His perspective on where the narrative tension comes from in both POVs makes a lot of sense.

My last manuscript was in first person, so it seemed natural to jump right into the head of the main character in this one, too. But in that last manuscript, the feelings, reactions, and worldview of the viewpoint character were a major part of the story. 

This new one is a cross between an adventure story and a coming-of-age story, so it fits this description from this first vs. third person blog post of a good candidate for a third-person limited point of view: "Third-person limited offers a nice balance between a plot-driven story and a character-driven story. It is often a good choice when the outer events of your plot are closely tied to the protagonist's inner growth."

What do you think? Do you prefer the complete immersion in the character's head that first person perspective brings, or do you like a little distance?