Wannabe Writers #39

Wannabe Writers is a great online meme for those of us that are working to become "real" writers.  Every week Sarah posts a question on her website that you answer on hers, you sign up on the Mr. Linky, and then ask a question on your website.  A great way to get tips from other writers.


Where I am in the writing process:
I've put aside my Lilith story for the moment to start gearing up for NaNoWriMo. I'm slowly starting to work out a story idea that I'm getting excited about.  I've been using the Snowflake method that I linked in a post earlier in the week, although I'm planning on skipping several of the steps that seem repetitive to me.

My current problem: 
Procrastination.  I'll do a day where I pound out 2400+ words of planning (character sketches, summaries, etc) and then won't type a single thing the next day.  It makes it a bit hard to focus sometimes.  I did however come up with what I think is a pretty cool title and signature for the forums on the NaNo site:

The artist that created the picture is Allan Donque, a really gifted photographer that has most of his stuff on Flickr Creative Commons licensed.

My question this week:
The Snowflake method has you creating a spreadsheet of every scene in your book, and then writing at least a paragraph about each scene.  The creator says you're likely to end up with a 50 page document.  That seems like overkill to me, and is one of the reasons I'm adapting the method for me. When do you feel that outlining/planning becomes too much?

Also:

Have you signed up for my Small Packages Blogfest yet?  I'm looking for blogs with 300 followers or less to take part in it.  Review the guidelines and topic for November and spread the word to others!

Looking Ahead to NaNoWriMo

(First off, how adorable are the badges for NaNo this year?  If you're interested in getting your own, go here.  Remember, you can use a badge to just promote the cause, even if you're not participating.)

If you're like me and you've signed up for NaNo, you're just about reaching the panicking point.

What on earth am I going to write about?

How am I going to produce that many words?

Is it going to be pure drivel? (Sorry, I've been watching a lot of British TV lately)

If you're reaching Orange alert, here's a couple of sites that might help you calm down a little:

Random Title Generator
I have a terrible time coming up with titles. It usually takes me until I've finished, and even then they usually suck. This handy generator creates six titles at a time.  Sometimes they're very odd like "Bride in the Man" (that sounds like a 70s self-help book doesn't it?), but they can also be very cool sounding like "The Edge's Lord."  I hate having "Working Title" as my title, so this is a great jumping off point to get your mind working.


Plot Scenario Generator
Completely stuck?  This generator gives you a jumping off part for a story and an idea about a side character.  I went through random creations for about 30 minutes one night, keeping a list of the ones that interested me (about twenty-five).  Then I narrowed it down, cobbled it together, made some tweaks and created the kernel of the story I'm going to be writing.

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
I came across this in the NaNo forums.  It's a great way to start planning your novel other than a typical outline.  You start with a one sentence summary of your story, then move the three paragraphs (like the ones on the back of a novel), then character summaries, etc. until you have your whole novel just sitting there waiting for you.  I'm planning on using this method today, once I quit procrastinating by blogging.

Serendipity
Are you planning your novel, but just can't come up with the next big event?  Serendipity gives you random suggestions about what your story needs: At this juncture a paranoid psychic arrives, toting a suitcase; Suddenly, in walks a sultry shopper; What you need now is a rocket launcher.  I mean who doesn't need a rocket launcher?  Fun, silly suggestions that can still get your mind over a roadblock.

Write or Die by Dr Wicked
The name itself is pretty intimidating; the idea, even more so.  I'm a bit afraid to use it.  You set a timer (or word count goal) and it prods you to reach the goal when you stop typing.  There are different levels, such as a pop-up reminder, an annoying noise, or Kamikaze mode.  In this setting, if you hesitate for too long, it starts erasing what you've already done.  Just the idea of that gives me the shakes.  Not for the weak-willed, but maybe for the Professional Procrastinators out there.

Well I hope this gave you some ideas, as well as a way to kill time before jumping on the NaNo planning horse.

Remember, only 10 more days to put off planning!

Also:
Don't forget to swing by and sign up for my Small Packages Blogfest!  Looking for bloggers with 300 followers or less.  Spread the word! 

Where to start?

I'm really getting the itch to start writing fiction again.  After looking around the internet and reading a couple of books, I know the days of getting paid for short stories is just about over.  I'm not above putting some work out there to get some publicity, but it's no way to make a living. 

So, if I'm really serious about this whole writing thing, then I need to get started on a novel. 

I had thought about waiting for NaNoWriMo, since I did well with Script Frenzy, but I'm afraid if I wait that long then I'll have lost the bug.

So here's my questions (and feel free to put in your 2 cents worth):

1. Should I set a personal time/length limit like on Confessions of the Unpublished?
2. I want to write urban fantasy, but feel like vampires & werewolves are done to death.  Is there any market for yet another one?
3. I have a story I could see becoming novel length and lending itself to a series.  Should I try to lengthen what I have or try to start with a fresh idea?


So what's your thoughts?

Pandora's Box--Old School Edition

I think I've mentioned at some point (somewhere, too lazy to look it up) about how I have a ton of Pandora stations to fit moods. 


One of my favorite's is my Marvin Gaye station.  I've expanded it to include a lot of old Motown. It's a great station for just about anything you'd like to do. ;-)

But it's also really good for upbeat music to keep you moving.  When I'm cleaning house (like I'm about to do, once I stop using my blog as a way to procrastinate), it's great background music. 

So to help you keep at those tasks you're putting off, here's four songs from my Pandora Marvin Gaye station:









Have a great weekend! For real this time.

Only 29 more days of this!

Well, I started Script Frenzy today. (They're letting people sign in until April 5th, so it's not too late if you want to join up)  I'm not sure what I expected, but it was interesting.

Here's a rough breakdown of my first day's experience:
9:03--signed in to Scripped (free online screenwriting software) and got started. Or tried to rather.
9:15--started researching what all these heading things mean!
9:20--Opened up four extra tabs to explain the formatting and camera angle thing.
9:30-9:40--stare at screen blankly.
9:40-10:07--wrote like a madman, got a couple of scenes done.
10:07-10:13--read hubby's blog, laughed and taunted him
10:14--10:25--wrote like a madman again.

All in all, I got a little over six pages done.  The pages fly on screenwriting because of all the extra space.  Here's the plot synopsis of what I've got so far:

Olivia, a young woman writer, has just moved to a new city with her boyfriend.  Her parent's aren't thrilled with her, but supportive anyway.  She used to be a teacher, and begins writing a story about her students being zombies.  (That's just the way her mind works, not my mind.) She later goes on to a job interview with the local paper.  Due to a mix-up, she was accidentally called in.  They're actually only hiring secretaries at the moment.  She leaves sad.  Then she imagines a meteor pulverizes the building, and she is the one people are begging to tell the story.

It's basically a weird mixture of Kevin Smith, Northanger Abbey, my own weird daydreams, and a lot of other stuff I haven't figured out yet.


PS--I had a dream the other night (Influenced by this season of Lost) that I slept with my hubby from another dimension.  I say it doesn't count as cheating.  The husband says it does.  What do you think?

Fear and Loathing

I think it's one of the trademarks of a creative (or wannabe creative) mind to have an inferiority complex.  We may act bold and brash, but what we create never quite lives up to what we had in our minds.  I think that's what leads a lot of people to keep those poems, stories, novels, paintings, etc. locked away somewhere.

Then there's the fear of others' opinions.  What if they don't like it?  What if they do?  The second can sometimes be the hardest situation.  You don't think it's good enough for compost, much less publication.

So what do we do, my fellow type-A, procrastinator/perfectionist, neurotic creative types?

We do it anyway.

Or at least try. Maybe.  Hopefully.

Based on some advice from How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead (Linked in sidebar), I'm doing some research today.  Instead of trying to write anything (I still need to get in the hang of this creative thinking first thing in the morning), I'm going to do some searching for anthology submissions.

Good luck in your search!