Oh dear. "Oh, yes, I'm going to post every few days..."
Right.
Anyway, we're more than halfway through Camp NaNoWriMo. I'm almost 70% of the way to my goal, which is fortunate because I only have till the morning of the 26th to hit it. However, I've been slowing down in the past week. A couple of days where I got nothing written really hit my motivation and now...
Well, when I actually get sat down and writing, it's fine - I can bang out a few thousand words in a couple of hours. 3k evenings are not unusual. But it's the "getting my brain to focus" bit which is causing the real problems. For example - I am writing this in my lunch break. My brain tells me that really I should be working on my novel, but I don't feel like it. Argh. How do I get my mind in the right place?
In other news, I keep finding gaping characterisation issues. Oh, the hatred of two-dimensional characters. Just sitting there, failing to actually engage the reader. They're fully formed in my head, but as soon as I start writing them they sort of deflate. It's most annoying.
I also made the mistake of googling frostbite yesterday. I needed some more information on causes and symptoms. I did not need images of severely frostbitten digits during my lunch break. Ugh. Note to self: do not search potentially stomach-turning things while eating.
Right, let's see if I can salvage what remains of my lunch break for proper writing...
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
July Camp NaNoWriMo 2014: Day 4
After struggling to hit my word count goal yesterday because I was busy doing New Zealand planning (which you can read about here), I needed to get back on track today.
Fortunately, Camp NaNoWriMo is organised in such a way that you can be assigned to a "cabin" of fellow writers. The cabins are there for support and general chatting - anything to ease the month along. My cabinmates have turned out to be a lovely bunch.
I've found word sprints to be useful in the past - just sitting down for 10, 15, 20 minutes and rattling off as much as I can without thinking about corrections or editing. Doing a series of them seems to increase my writing speed without having too much impact on the quality of my writing, so they've been great when I lacked the motivation to write. The @NaNoWordSprints account on Twitter pretty much pulled me through those days of NaNoWriMo when I just couldn't get myself to focus.
Earlier this evening I suggested the idea of doing word sprints in the cabin. A few of my cabinmates got into this idea and it's really helped my word count today. We've also been able to just chat about random things, like football (actual football, not American football) and the unfortunate time differences between me and most of the other folks in my cabin. I didn't realise just how much being able to chat to other writers might help with my own writing. Not so much with the actual content, but with motivating me to get it written down in the first place.
I suppose it also helps that one of the folks read my synopsis, which I personally thought was a bit rubbish and told me it sounded amazing. How's that for a confidence booster? On top of that, we haven't even finished the first week and I've already hit 20% of my target for the month. So here's to the remainder of the month and all those words just waiting to be written.
Fortunately, Camp NaNoWriMo is organised in such a way that you can be assigned to a "cabin" of fellow writers. The cabins are there for support and general chatting - anything to ease the month along. My cabinmates have turned out to be a lovely bunch.
I've found word sprints to be useful in the past - just sitting down for 10, 15, 20 minutes and rattling off as much as I can without thinking about corrections or editing. Doing a series of them seems to increase my writing speed without having too much impact on the quality of my writing, so they've been great when I lacked the motivation to write. The @NaNoWordSprints account on Twitter pretty much pulled me through those days of NaNoWriMo when I just couldn't get myself to focus.
Earlier this evening I suggested the idea of doing word sprints in the cabin. A few of my cabinmates got into this idea and it's really helped my word count today. We've also been able to just chat about random things, like football (actual football, not American football) and the unfortunate time differences between me and most of the other folks in my cabin. I didn't realise just how much being able to chat to other writers might help with my own writing. Not so much with the actual content, but with motivating me to get it written down in the first place.
I suppose it also helps that one of the folks read my synopsis, which I personally thought was a bit rubbish and told me it sounded amazing. How's that for a confidence booster? On top of that, we haven't even finished the first week and I've already hit 20% of my target for the month. So here's to the remainder of the month and all those words just waiting to be written.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
July Camp NaNoWriMo 2014: Day One
So, I thought that in addition to generic writing rambles, I'd also attempt to do a short post every few days for Camp NaNoWriMo this month. Here goes.
Day 1 has gone fairly well. It got off to a bit of a dodgy start though. I had intended to start writing at midnight, but having a full time job has skewed my body clock from what it used to be (go to sleep at 1am, still wake up in time for 9am lectures) and my brain just wouldn't function.
And then I thought I'd get up a bit earlier than normal before work and rattle off a few hundred words. Yeah, right - I love my bed too much. So that didn't happen.
Normally I write in my lunch breaks, but today's was taken up with more important things (read: feeding my mum's dogs). So that didn't happen either.
Finally, I got a chance to write this evening after work (and the staff quiz, which my team won). Settled down with the laptop, my map and a scratty list of place name elements. Rattled off a paragraph or two and promptly got interrupted by a puppy wanting a cuddle. I have an inability to say no to my mum's dogs, so I got sidetracked for a few minutes having hugs.
Fortunately, he soon lost interest and I've actually managed to write over 2000 words today. I'm only targeting 1600 words a day anyway for Camp NaNoWriMo, so it's a good start. Hurray!
I am totally not now watching a documentary about the battle of Bannockburn and claiming it as research into convincing battle sequences. Not at all.
Day 1 has gone fairly well. It got off to a bit of a dodgy start though. I had intended to start writing at midnight, but having a full time job has skewed my body clock from what it used to be (go to sleep at 1am, still wake up in time for 9am lectures) and my brain just wouldn't function.
And then I thought I'd get up a bit earlier than normal before work and rattle off a few hundred words. Yeah, right - I love my bed too much. So that didn't happen.
Normally I write in my lunch breaks, but today's was taken up with more important things (read: feeding my mum's dogs). So that didn't happen either.
Finally, I got a chance to write this evening after work (and the staff quiz, which my team won). Settled down with the laptop, my map and a scratty list of place name elements. Rattled off a paragraph or two and promptly got interrupted by a puppy wanting a cuddle. I have an inability to say no to my mum's dogs, so I got sidetracked for a few minutes having hugs.
Fortunately, he soon lost interest and I've actually managed to write over 2000 words today. I'm only targeting 1600 words a day anyway for Camp NaNoWriMo, so it's a good start. Hurray!
I am totally not now watching a documentary about the battle of Bannockburn and claiming it as research into convincing battle sequences. Not at all.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Snow Hedgehogs: Dealing with procrastination
This post being a prime example: how the hell do I deal with procrastination? Or rather, how do I make myself do something useful when I don't really want to?
For starters, setting myself challenges tends to work. NaNoWriMo was brilliant for making me actually write instead of procrastinating, as was April Camp and then my Daily Writing Challenge. However, in the lead up to July Camp, I'm finding myself struggling to write.
As a wonderful example, I spent about 4 hours on Sunday evening creating a beautiful (read: kinda rubbish) map of my new fantasy setting. It's got a lovely realistic coastline, mountain ranges, rivers, a few little towns and even a massive marsh. It didn't actually contribute anything to my planning because none of these landmarks have names, so I can't properly reference them in-universe.
What I should have been doing was creating some location appropriate placenames for things that'll be mentioned in the novel. I took one look at my list of possible roots and decided that, bugger it, I couldn't be arsed. Which means I should now be spending my lunch break doing it instead.
But I'm not. I'm writing this blog. This is a bad move, because I intend to start writing at midnight and other than a couple of countries, none of my places have names, I have no idea how far it is between important landmarks and [thing]. On top of this, I only have 25 days to complete July Camp because I'm spending the last week of the month (and the first two of August) in New Zealand. Argh.
Once I get into Camp proper, I'm pretty sure I'll be back into the swing of things, but until midnight... my brain won't focus. So, um, I'm totally going to spend the rest of my lunch break making up place names. Promise. Not browsing the NaNoWriMo forums. Of course not.
---
Edit: turns out I had a fairly productive lunch break which is great. Apart from the fact that I forgot to add my notes to Dropbox so now I can't access my massive list of place name elements and Camp kicks off at midnight. Bollocks.
For starters, setting myself challenges tends to work. NaNoWriMo was brilliant for making me actually write instead of procrastinating, as was April Camp and then my Daily Writing Challenge. However, in the lead up to July Camp, I'm finding myself struggling to write.
As a wonderful example, I spent about 4 hours on Sunday evening creating a beautiful (read: kinda rubbish) map of my new fantasy setting. It's got a lovely realistic coastline, mountain ranges, rivers, a few little towns and even a massive marsh. It didn't actually contribute anything to my planning because none of these landmarks have names, so I can't properly reference them in-universe.
What I should have been doing was creating some location appropriate placenames for things that'll be mentioned in the novel. I took one look at my list of possible roots and decided that, bugger it, I couldn't be arsed. Which means I should now be spending my lunch break doing it instead.
But I'm not. I'm writing this blog. This is a bad move, because I intend to start writing at midnight and other than a couple of countries, none of my places have names, I have no idea how far it is between important landmarks and [thing]. On top of this, I only have 25 days to complete July Camp because I'm spending the last week of the month (and the first two of August) in New Zealand. Argh.
Once I get into Camp proper, I'm pretty sure I'll be back into the swing of things, but until midnight... my brain won't focus. So, um, I'm totally going to spend the rest of my lunch break making up place names. Promise. Not browsing the NaNoWriMo forums. Of course not.
---
Edit: turns out I had a fairly productive lunch break which is great. Apart from the fact that I forgot to add my notes to Dropbox so now I can't access my massive list of place name elements and Camp kicks off at midnight. Bollocks.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Snow Hedgehogs: Trying to explain writing to colleagues
That wonderful moment when you have to explain to your colleagues why you're looking up ancient coinage. As you do. I was spending my lunch break researching types of coinage while creating my own currency system for the novel I plan to start writing soon. I spend a lot of my lunch breaks doing such things. Colleague peers over my shoulder and just says, "Coins?" in that tone which screams "What are you doing with your life?"
So I have to explain to said colleague that I'm planning for a novel. Which leads to the inevitable, "you're writing? What are you writing?" and the just as inevitable confused looks when I tell her I'm planning for a fantasy which involves small amounts of magic and snow hedgehogs.
Yes. Snow hedgehogs. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
I suppose I should be glad my brain put the brakes on before I told her that said fantasy also involves human sacrifice and amputation of frostbitten toes with a large sword. To be fair, she did drop the subject quite quickly. Seems fairly standard in my office - my colleagues discover I've been writing, show vague interest in the mere fact that I write, but have no actual interest in what I'm writing.
It happened when I started on NaNoWriMo last November as well. We had a new member of staff in the office who started just before I vanished into the murky depths of my imagination. Trying to make conversation, I mentioned that I was working on a novel. Awkwardness ensued when I then had to explain that this was Lord of the Rings fan fiction. The polite smile came into play and I didn't bother trying to explain the plot.
It's probably a good job my colleagues don't actually seem that interested in what I write - the snow hedgehogs have taken on almost drop bear status in my mind. They're not as friendly as they sound. The coinage is rather more straightforward - I think I've got that one sorted. Now onto all the other small details I'm obsessing over.
Y'know, I love my snow hedgehogs so much, I think I'll make them a thing here too. Snow hedgehogs - things you have to do when you write. Ha. Like that's going to last more than a post or two. We'll see.
So I have to explain to said colleague that I'm planning for a novel. Which leads to the inevitable, "you're writing? What are you writing?" and the just as inevitable confused looks when I tell her I'm planning for a fantasy which involves small amounts of magic and snow hedgehogs.
Yes. Snow hedgehogs. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
I suppose I should be glad my brain put the brakes on before I told her that said fantasy also involves human sacrifice and amputation of frostbitten toes with a large sword. To be fair, she did drop the subject quite quickly. Seems fairly standard in my office - my colleagues discover I've been writing, show vague interest in the mere fact that I write, but have no actual interest in what I'm writing.
It happened when I started on NaNoWriMo last November as well. We had a new member of staff in the office who started just before I vanished into the murky depths of my imagination. Trying to make conversation, I mentioned that I was working on a novel. Awkwardness ensued when I then had to explain that this was Lord of the Rings fan fiction. The polite smile came into play and I didn't bother trying to explain the plot.
It's probably a good job my colleagues don't actually seem that interested in what I write - the snow hedgehogs have taken on almost drop bear status in my mind. They're not as friendly as they sound. The coinage is rather more straightforward - I think I've got that one sorted. Now onto all the other small details I'm obsessing over.
Y'know, I love my snow hedgehogs so much, I think I'll make them a thing here too. Snow hedgehogs - things you have to do when you write. Ha. Like that's going to last more than a post or two. We'll see.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Fantasy Calling
Years ago (and we're talking the best part of two decades), I used to dream about being an author. I'd always had an active imagination, always loved reading. My teacher told my little 6 year old self that my 7 page account of Jesus' ride into Jerusalem was wonderful. Writing was just a fun thing to do.
Then, when I got into my teens, my imagination went into overdrive but my ability to actual translate that into written work pretty much vanished. I'd manage to squeeze out a chapter or two and then get stuck, the same images playing over in my head for weeks, waiting to be recorded. Never happened.
I used to tell people I wrote, even though really I'd be writing angsty teenage poetry and the odd chapter of one completely disjointed plot or other. The stories in my head carried on growing, but the writing seemed nowhere to be found.
Finally, fed up with having too many characters running around in my head (and getting bored of them passing comment on my everyday life), I forced myself to take part in National Novel Writing Month last November. For those who don't know what it is, it's an event which runs (surprise surprise) for a month with the goal of writing 50,000 words over those 30 days. Enough to get the beginnings of a first draft down.
It should have been an epic fail, given my track record. That is, until I got to day 15 and realised I'd already hit the 50,000 word target. Imagine the joy. I can write. I can actually, if I put my mind to it, pour out all of the characters, plots, settings, intricate weavings of storytelling and have it make some sort of sense.
By the end of the month I'd written over 100,000 words. I have to admit it was fan fiction, so I had a head start on the world building, but for someone who had struggled to write for years despite her best efforts, it felt amazing.
And then of course I fell back into old habits. I didn't touch my carefully crafted narrative for months and when I did it was only to make minor spelling and grammar corrections. So when I discovered that there's such a thing as Camp NaNoWriMo, I made myself do that as well. Another 15k tapped out and then for good measure I set myself a new challenge.
Write. Every day. For a year.
I set myself targets ranging from 250 words a day up to 2500 during NaNoWriMo, set up a little reward system so that if I write certain amounts I can treat myself to something nice. And I set off.
Just short of 7 weeks in, I've already surpassed my target for the end of July. I haven't even considered the rewards - just seeing all those words is a glorious feeling. So glorious in fact that I thought I'd create yet another of my doomed blogs so I can prattle about my victories to the ether. Hell yes.
You never know. Maybe one of these days I'll actually get a book finished and published. Gotta keep dreaming.
Then, when I got into my teens, my imagination went into overdrive but my ability to actual translate that into written work pretty much vanished. I'd manage to squeeze out a chapter or two and then get stuck, the same images playing over in my head for weeks, waiting to be recorded. Never happened.
I used to tell people I wrote, even though really I'd be writing angsty teenage poetry and the odd chapter of one completely disjointed plot or other. The stories in my head carried on growing, but the writing seemed nowhere to be found.
Finally, fed up with having too many characters running around in my head (and getting bored of them passing comment on my everyday life), I forced myself to take part in National Novel Writing Month last November. For those who don't know what it is, it's an event which runs (surprise surprise) for a month with the goal of writing 50,000 words over those 30 days. Enough to get the beginnings of a first draft down.
It should have been an epic fail, given my track record. That is, until I got to day 15 and realised I'd already hit the 50,000 word target. Imagine the joy. I can write. I can actually, if I put my mind to it, pour out all of the characters, plots, settings, intricate weavings of storytelling and have it make some sort of sense.
By the end of the month I'd written over 100,000 words. I have to admit it was fan fiction, so I had a head start on the world building, but for someone who had struggled to write for years despite her best efforts, it felt amazing.
And then of course I fell back into old habits. I didn't touch my carefully crafted narrative for months and when I did it was only to make minor spelling and grammar corrections. So when I discovered that there's such a thing as Camp NaNoWriMo, I made myself do that as well. Another 15k tapped out and then for good measure I set myself a new challenge.
Write. Every day. For a year.
I set myself targets ranging from 250 words a day up to 2500 during NaNoWriMo, set up a little reward system so that if I write certain amounts I can treat myself to something nice. And I set off.
Just short of 7 weeks in, I've already surpassed my target for the end of July. I haven't even considered the rewards - just seeing all those words is a glorious feeling. So glorious in fact that I thought I'd create yet another of my doomed blogs so I can prattle about my victories to the ether. Hell yes.
You never know. Maybe one of these days I'll actually get a book finished and published. Gotta keep dreaming.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)