The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. (An average YA novel is 60-80K words...closer to 90K if you're me.) You may not think that's a huge deal, but that means writing almost an entire novel while doing such things as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, the day job, and regular life things. (You don't get a free pass to let your house fall to pieces, and no one awards you with a one-month maid.)
I tend to be a slower writer, but in 2008 I decided to NaNo. And I won. 50K words in 30 days. And they were awful. Every. Single. Word. I put that book through four critique partners before setting it aside to become a real story "one day." Right then and there I vowed to never NaNo again.
But guess what? With two major deadlines fast approaching, I've decided to try it again. Part of me knows I'm going to regret it. Part of me says, "Yeah, but you're so much more experienced a writer now!"
Which voice should I believe?
Ready to guess the lie and win a book?
Last week, I offered up 3 copies of SOULLESS for the easy peasy price of naming your favorite spook.
And the winners are:
...DRUM ROLL...
Alex J. Cavanaugh--Headless Horseman
M. Pax--Spaceghost
Meradeth Houston--Witches
M. Pax--Spaceghost
Meradeth Houston--Witches
Congrats friends!
And now to today's feature...
Seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth shouldn’t have to
seek peace of mind in the streets. But as family pressures mount, his anxieties
increase, and he turns his back on comfort for a life in homeless camps and
back alleys.
Kai has recently fallen in love with Tillamook's Garlic White Cheddar and puts it on everything. Hamburgers, crackers, omelettes, mashies. She's seriously considering stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey with it.
Kai gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of WORTH THE EFFORT --AYDEN'S STORY. How awesome is that?
You have until Tuesday, November 11, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on November 12.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. Kai once played the part of the planet Venus – dressed as a Venus Flytrap.
2. She considers herself a
scorpion queen, because they tend to appear wherever she is. Yes, it's as
creepy as it sounds.
3. She came down with the flu and missed being crowned Prom Queen.
Today's AMAZING tour stops:
Ellie Garratt's sharing a cast of Villains and Outcasts
J. L. Campbell at The Character Depot unveils the Men of SOULLESS
And be sure to enter the
Rafflecopter
for your chance to win some amazing prizes!
The happy pony is lapping you! Don't eat its dust. Get to the other tour stops before he wins the race and you'll get the magical cheese at the end. That's right, magical.
Which is the lie? Have you read any great contemporaries lately? Are you NaNo-ing?
I believe the voice that says, "That's not your writing style so it's an invitation to disaster." I can give you an example of what I mean by that some time next week.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kai!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Crystal, with NaNo! I've always wanted to do it. But since I host T'day for the extended family, I don't think it's a good idea for me.
I'm kind of tempted to try this NaNo thing. What do you do about your blog during November? Do you post what you've written, or do you wave goodbye to your blog for a month? Do I sign up some place, or do I just do it?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
If I tried NaNoMo I would crash and burn by November 2nd, LOL! I'm a plodding, slow, edit-and-reedit-while-writing, can-barely-find-time-to-do-it-at-all kind of writer, and I stress enough as it is. NaNo would absolutely send me to the looney bin!
ReplyDeleteBut I wish you the best of luck, Crystal! Give it a go! After all, it's not like you've got anything else on your plate at the moment, right??? ;)
But you know what? 100,000 words or 10 words during NaNoMo: You're an awesome and talented writer destined for huge success!
I'd believe the voice that said you're a better writer now is correct. But I don't do NaNo. It's not the way I work. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard about Nano, I was in the middle of a book and didn't want to stop to start something new. By the time it rolled around again, I had found how I wrote best. It wasn't Nano style, so I never do Nano. I wait for it to be over.
ReplyDeleteI am doing Nano again this year too. I understand what you are saying about your first experience. The first time I did it, I just sat down and started writing a story until I had 50K. It was total and complete dreck. Awful does not even come close to how bad that story was. I was embarrassed by how bad it was. Still, I do it every year but I do it differently. I now have a story fully outlined before I start, have done the work of knowing all the characters fairly well, and go in with no expectation of having a finished anything at the end of the month. I use Nano to push myself through a rough first draft of a story with the understanding it will need major editing after the first of the year.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I love NaNo, and I'm on board. Even though I'm scrapping a lot of what I did in 2012, it wasn't because it was awful. It just didn't fit into the bigger picture. I actually quite enjoyed rereading what I'd written. I suppose NaNo is my style. :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your month! I hope you win and I hope you don't hate it.
I'm doing such a loose version of NaNo it can hardly be classified, ha, but I'm applying the principle to my WIP and it's really helping me get my butt in gear! :)
ReplyDeleteI did an adapted style of NaNo 3 years ago. I wrote every morning for 2 hours, a more realistic goal for that time! I look forward to hearing how your process goes this time around!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on NaNo, Crystal. I did my own version (with edits) last month. LOL I admire everyone who does NaNo. I don't understand why you all don't have maid service in November. LOL
ReplyDeleteWOW, you amaze me, Crystal. Even with deadlines looming ahead you're participating in NaNo. I could never fathom writing that fast!! Much Luck!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the copy of Soulless! Best of luck in NaNo--I do think it's easier to get in a lot of words once you've had some good experience under your belt.
ReplyDeleteAnd best of luck to Kai! I am going to have to go with #3 :)
Worst case scenario you don't like the work overall but you come out of it with some great ideals. And the again maybe you write a book that blows you and every one that reads it away. Matt @ JC's Book Haven.
ReplyDeleteI do my personal Nano's because I've had writing spurs where I wrote thousands of words and then tossed them away because they were awful. So now I set personal goals, but I try also to keep in mind that it's not about the number of words I put down in a day/week/month, but it's about the quality I manage to achieve.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you're a better writer. And, the challenge is to get you writing and in the routine of writing and stop overthinking the thing and just get some words out. Good for you!
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
I have no idea which one is the lie. Totally stumped.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo. I love fast drafting, but that's no secret. :)
Thanks for hosting my fibbing skills, Crystal. I'm actually a totally sucky liar, so I'm glad you are doing it for me.
ReplyDeleteKing of Bad was a NaNo book. It was an utter mess & I vowed to never do NaNo again. But it served its purpose, so I'd believe the voice that says you are a more experienced writer. Good luck!
Good luck tackling that writing beast this month, girl, you can do it! I'm not entering that race, I have plenty of my own crazy, self-inflicted deadlines:)
ReplyDeleteOf Mist And Magic
Good luck with NaNo! I have total respect for anyone who attempts it! Happy blogging!
ReplyDeleteI've never participated in NaNo, but I want to try it one year. Although, I don't think I'll do well because I can't fast draft.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!!
Hi Crystal. I think #3 is the lie. Good luck with NaNo! I don't do lonnng novels. Picture Book and MG are what I write. I am participating in PiBoIdMo - I have to come up with 30 picture book ideas during the month of November. So far, I am ahead of the game. I've got 6 ideas and am working on drafts of a couple of them already. I write about picture books and MG on my writing blog- Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with NaNo! I think the lie is #1.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on giving NaNo another shot. I think you're right to keep believing it could work for you, but I tend to love challenges--even when they make me miserable. It just feels nice to accomplish something.
ReplyDeleteYou can do this! I'm KickboxingWriter if you'd like to be NaNo buddies.
I have never done Nano, but I want to try it one year. If one has a good outline, then I don't think NaNo will be difficult.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with #3 for the lie.
ReplyDeleteAs far as NaNo goes, I think sometimes we can psych ourselves out. The first year I tried NaNo I fell flat on my face despite the fact that I've written over 50 and even 60k on several non-NaNo occasions, and I can only write at night most of the time. We're really only talking about a couple hours a day max here for one month to reach 50k, even if we are a slow writer. I think pushing ourselves to write quality quickly and under pressure can only improve our writing. Don't listen to the voice that says you can't do it. You can most definitely do it.
Oh man, a one month maid should TOTALLY be part of NaNo! Just think how much more we would all get done!! And we'd be creating jobs. See what a good idea this is, powers that be??
ReplyDeleteSigh. I wish. Good for you for doing it! I would say listen to your gut, and follow that, and if rushing to make 50,000 words is going to make all of them cruddy, then make your own personal goal that you know you can meet and STILL write well. 25,000? 30,000?
GOOD LUCK! :)
I'm doing NANO, but I'm not stressing the 50k mark. I don't think my first draft will cut the bill. My goal is to finish my first draft, whatever the word count. And if I drift into the first week of November, it's still a win for me.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
And.... I'll go for lie #3.
Good luck with NaNo!
ReplyDeleteIt's not for me (I don't think so....) as I write slow, plus I tend to be an edit-as-I-go-along kind of person.
I MAY try it sometime. Who knows?
I'm guessing the lie is #1.
ReplyDeleteI signed up for NaNo at the last minute, for the first time, and am making a good pace so far. I was blown away when I saw one of their message boards is for people committed to knocking out the first 50K in the FIRST DAY. Even if Day One was a Saturday this year, how do you have the time and interest to just spend 16+ hours typing at your computer? And how do they expect such a speedily-generated first draft or first 50,000 words to be much good?
It's very possible that you will do better than you imagine. You've grown as a writer. Doing NaNo might just help you see that. Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with NaNo! I've never "won" the challenge before, though I'm usually quite a fast drafter.
ReplyDeleteI have huge admiration for those who participate in NaNo, the whole idea scares me! I'm sure you will be successful. Keep plenty of cheese to hand! I think the lie might be #1
ReplyDeleteI tried it once, but my slow writing style really hurts my progress. I also discovered that most of my best ideas come after I outline, while I'm in the middle of putting words down onto the paper, which totally kills my productivity.
ReplyDeleteI have never participated in NaNoWriMo. I think it would be torture for me. But I have always been a cheerleader on the sidelines.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to this even though you didn’t have much success with it the first time you tried is awesome. You rock.
You are one brave woman! I admire your courage and fortitude. Must be all that cheese; protein really does give you long lasting energy. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck Crystal. You've certainly got enough energy to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
ReplyDeleteI used NaNo to reach a deadline last year, and it worked wonderfully. I already had everything plotted out, so I got really good results. But even years that I've done it without plotting, it's still been good for strengthening my voice and stumbling across some great ideas that I could develop more!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo! (You can always order a turkey. Or maybe your husband can cook one. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to read your new book. Thank you! Break a pen with NaNo.
ReplyDeleteI know Kai in person and can't guess the lie. I'll go w/ #2.
I did the same thing, decided on Oct. 31st to do NaNo again this year. We are gluttons for punishment (as evidenced by our need to request critiques of our work!)
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog site for IWSG.
Believe the experienced writer you... I believe in you :) I can't wait to see how it all turns out for you Crystal xo
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed for you that you are definitely a much more experienced writer now and can do it. It's worth the try. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think Kai's lying about #1. New book sounds great. Congratulations. And congrats on taking the NaNo plunge again Crystal. I only just got started yesterday, so probably won't finish, but I'll get a long way into my new story. I look forward to it every year. :D
ReplyDeleteWay to go entering NaNo this month! I decided not to do it this year. I want to focus on querying this month even though I do need to start the sequel and work on a couple other manuscripts I've "started." Oh well, there's always next year, I guess. Good luck! Your experience and wisdom will take you far! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna guess the lie is #1.
You won't regret it. Even 50,000 awful words is still 50,000 words! And there is ALWAYS something to salvage from anything written down. I have three TERRIBLE NaNo novels sitting around my house and one awful ScriptFrenzy screenplay (that happens in April). BUT the stories are there and I can mine nuggets from each one.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you and your NaNo adventure. I'm behind in mine, but I'm enjoying the word count I'm building.
Magical cheese! HAHAHA!
Cheers!
Jen
Good luck with NaNo. It's such a gruelling thing! I admire all of you who do it. Maybe one day I'll join the ranks. Maybe ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not doing NaNo because I wrote almost twice that last month. O_o But I've seen a lot of people going for it with (metaphorically) a crazy look in their eyes, and that's awesome. Some of the best stories start as "What if I do this?" with no idea if it'll work. Hope yours goes well. ^_^
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo this month. I won't be able to take part this year, but I can still cheer for you!
ReplyDeleteYou're an experienced writer now, so maybe that will make the difference with NaNo? Either way, good luck! I'm calling the lie, erm, number 3. Just because the other two amuse me.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'll guess #3 as the lie. (1 sounds really cool!)
They say you need to get a million words out to become an expert. Meaning the first million aren't good. Or something like that. So do Nano! 20 times of it and you'd be a master. Ha ha.
http://nanowrimo.org/participants/j-lenni-dorner
Good for you doing NaNoWrMo, especially with deadlines! I have never done the November one (I'm a slow writer as well), but I did the "Camp NaNoWrMo" one year and it really helped finish a book I was having a hard time finishing. Although I won't be participating this year, I'll be cheering you on.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on your Soulless tour! I will be checking out your stops! :)
Sending you lots of ++++ NaNo vibes! It's my first time participating and I don't know what to expect come Nov 30. I'd like to finish but I know I'll have a heaping plie of crap to edit/rewrite at the end.... but at least it's forcing me to write on my ms every single day. :)
ReplyDeleteI think both are true. Every time I do NaNo I find my words a little less mucky and my story that much better. I've been doing NaNo this year and it is so interfering with my commenting. Sorry it to so long to visit. I know December will be better.
ReplyDeleteAnna from Shout with Emaginette
I think 2 is a lie.
ReplyDeleteIt's great seeing Kai here.
This summer I learned I could fast draft a novel in two weeks, and it's being published soon. No way could I have done that years ago.