NaNoWriMo

This year I'm going to try this again.
Last year I didn't even come close to crossing the 50,000 word finish line and I think I know why...

Sure, the idea is that you can marathon sprint your novel into existence but like every marathon, you need to practice. At the time, I was writing maybe 1,000 words a month. It is not a completely terrible pace considering I have a full-time job, and a life. But to go from that to trying to strangle 50 times that out of my brain is freaking difficult.

Another thing is I didn't plan. Wrimos call it "pantsing" as in "flying by the seat of your pants." It is a fun idea to see where the winds of inspiration will lead. But the winds died in the second week into it last year and I deleted my account out of spite.

As I registered my new account this month, I went poking around the website and I found the "regions" section. I didn't bother with much beyond the word count on the website last time and now that I decided to look around, I'm glad I did. The regions' tab got me connected with people in my area who participate in NaNoWriMo too! The foreigners in South Korea can be quite diverse and it can be hard to find others who have similar interests. So, not only is this a chance to create a motivating network, it also serves as a way to meet new and interesting people who already share a lot in common.

So here is the checklist of things I need to work on BEFORE November 1st rolls around:

1. Start getting the hang of writing every day with small goals at first and work up to larger word counts.

2. Plan a general outline of the story. This includes characters, major events, plot twists, culture tips, Pinterest the crap out of pictures that give great visuals for the story, and a good music playlist.

3. Connect with people who are also doing NaNoWriMo and share inspirations, tips, and give support. Don't be so selfish!

While I did some reading on ways to be successful at NaNoWriMo and how to prepare for it, I also saw a lot of people out there who are completely against the idea of a National Novel Writing Month. Most of the negativity seems to revolve around the belief that it is just about a word count and will be worth nothing at the end of a month. Where do you go with a novel that is full of "reallys and verys?" You edit.
This is only a first draft.
Maybe they should call December the National Edit Your Draft Month. No, wait...we need a break after that marathon in November and a chance to enjoy the holidays since Thanksgiving gets all gobbled up. Pun intended.
Anyway, my point is to stay away from the naysayers and just work on getting the novel out of the brain. Worry about the cutting board later.

Let's do this!

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How To Find Inspiration Through Topic Immersion

Imagine with me for a minute, you get inspired to write a story about some kids who solve a mystery in their hometown. You decide to write out the first scene that comes to mind, and as you write the scene you start to wonder "Is this a realistic conversation between kids?" It's a valid concern since you haven't been a kid in a while (well at least I haven't). So, what do you do about it?

I research! My favorite way to research in this particular case is by watching movies/tv-shows, or reading books that are already out there that have this same sort of topic. Off the top of my head, three movies, and a tv show come to mind: Hocus Pocus, Stand By Me, Earth to Echo, and Granite Flats. All of these are a great jumping-off-point for getting your dialogs rolling and who knows, maybe you will pick up some good ideas for more characters to add or mysteries to include?

This type of research method is what I like to call "topic immersion." Of course you can also include a diet of documentaries, and news articles, or get out there and do field research! A long time ago, I was working on a story that was based in a small town in Connecticut. I watched a lot of Gilmore Girls and browsed small town websites in the area I wanted to base my story in, but ultimately it was traveling there and having a good old-fashioned road trip on the back roads of Connecticut that helped me visualize the story and make it feel more realistic. It's the same method Janet Evanovich used while she was researching her Stephanie Plum novels. She actually did a ride-along in a cop car to understand what it was like in a day in the life of a New Jersey cop. 

Topic immersion is also the method I choose to keep the muse alive in my head. For instance, while I work on a space opera I will watch anything from Star Trek to The Fifth Element, to get a feel for a space-themed culture of sorts, as well as browse through interesting articles in Science News for topics that might work for possible plot twists or character development (can we say "biohacking?").

News articles are goldmines when it comes to plot twists, in my opinion. What was the saying..."truth is stranger than fiction?" Especially when I come across articles about mysterious objects being found and experts speculations on them (have you ever read into the Voynich Manuscript?). GOLD. PURE GOLD.

I could go on and talk about how the life of a writer is hard since we have to know so much...but this picture pretty much sums up everything I want to say...

One more thing: don't get discouraged when you feel overwhelmed by too much info out there. Take a break and remember not everything is pertinent to your story.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the way I like to research.
How do you research your stories? Let me know!

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