So I get into work this morning and discover this delightful scene:
My manager's office...
And one of my co-worker's cubes:
The perpetrator got the phone, the mouse, their Buc-ee's mugs, coffee cups, bookshelves, name plates, and drawers. Unfortunately he missed the USB powered nerf missile launcher that sits atop the cube wall. Although, the perp was none too smart and left scraps of wrapping paper on his desk. So, it was really easy to figure out who it was that spread the x-mas cheer all across their workstations. The choice of wrapping paper was an excellent one however. Kitty and puppy prints are very befitting of the guys that occupy these cubes. Just next time dude, hide the evidence.
I'm still chugging along slowly but steadily with my NaNoWriMo novel edits. I'll have an update and lessons learned on that soon.
I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a great holiday weekend!
NaNoWriMo 2010 has come to a close. And I have to say that I'm glad it's over. I started off strong right out of the gate getting in just over 2,600 words down on the first day. I stayed ahead of the target word count for the first 10 days or so, then I hit a wall. The idea well had dried up. It was imperative that I kept moving forward so I would write parts and pieces that weren't to my liking, but moved the story line forward. It would get me to a better place where I would pick up the pace when I got to a happier place with my plot. I rode this manic-depressive writing roller coaster for the last two-thirds of the month. There were some very dark and bleak times during the month of November where all hope was lost and I thought I wouldn't make it. In the end, I managed to pull it off by the skin of my teeth.
The result is a 50k word manuscript that needs a lot of TLC.
So where do I go from here? The obvious answer is edit. But, where do I begin?
Before I move forward, my instincts are telling me to take a few steps back. The plan is to first revisit my characters. Some of the less than pleasing parts of the story are a result of not being able to answer the question, "What would this character do next?" Now that I have more time, I'm going to go back and do a more detailed character study for each of my MCs. Getting to know them better will help me work out some of the kinks in the plot. I'm going to do this first, even before going back and re-reading what I've written.
Why? Because if I have a better handle on my characters, as I'm going back over the manuscript, I'll be able to provide more constructive criticism on the story. I'll be able to provide comments like "Have the MC take her dog for a walk first as is her normal routine" rather than "This part really sucks"
If you're at the same point in your writing/editing process, you might find these character sheets helpful:
Tara K. Harper Character WorksheetPamela Dowd Character WorksheetThe Lazy Scholar Character Worksheet
Hey everyone!
I'm deep in the NaNoWriMo trenches. I'm coming up for a bit of air today. I'll have my NaNoWriMo Lesson #3 post up shortly so stay tuned!
Happy Writing :)
How to pad your word count...
It's day 9 of NaNoWriMo we're almost a third of the way through and all though I'm still typing full steam ahead, I'm looking down the road to the latter parts of the month when I will probably start running out of ideas.
In order to get to 50k as efficiently as possible, consider these methods of word count padding:
- Include lists of items. Is your character going to the grocery store or on a trip? Perhaps one of your characters likes to make a to do list to start off the day.
- Introduce a character that likes to spontaneously break into song.
- Take the time to include a detailed description of the scene. Really get descriptive. Include points on all five of the senses: Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, and Sound. (Ooooh, Look! A list!)
- Have the character get into a heated back and forth and back and forth argument.
- Add a prologue or an epilogue. Each is good for an extra 1000 words or so!
Keep that word count flowing! :)
What ever you do. DO NOT GO BACK AND READ ANY OF WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN UNTIL 12:00:01 AM ON DECEMBER 1ST!!! If you do you might be overwhelmed by a compulsion to edit.
Last night I crossed the 5k mark after finishing a scene with a lot of dialogue in it. I didn't have much of a plan for it other that 3 key elements needed to be covered in the scene, I was totally flying by the seat of my pants (which completely offended my engineering sensibilities). The resulting scene was clunky and awkward and...well...crap. It took all my willpower, and a bit of wine, to accept it for what it was and just keep writing. It is just a rough draft and it can be changed as soon as the calendar flips to December 1.
...Hoping to cross into 7k territory tonight!
How's everyone's current WIP coming along? (both NaNo and non-NaNo alike)
