Archive for ‘NaNoWriMo’

November 20th, 2012

Wisdom Through Generations

by Holly Dodson

I’m not going to regale you with my life story here today, but I would like to share with you a tidbit of wisdom that has been passed down through my family over the years.  It’s something I never understood as a child or teenager, but now that I’m a grownup (WHAT?!  When did that happen?) I actually get it.  And use it on Super Spawn quite often.

My very favorite saying is: Can’t never could.

My Pappy used to say this, which my mom picked up, which now I catch myself repeating to Super Spawn.

At first, I never got it.  Can’t never could?  Duh.  Because he can’t.  Says so right there in the first word.

Ah, to be a child. 

I realize now the wisdom my grandpa and mother were trying to impart.  The fact is that if you say you can’t, you never will.  If you believe you can’t, then of course you won’t!  But if you take that silly little word out of the equation, suddenly anything and everything is possible.  Even if it doesn’t wind up turning out the way you thought it would, you proved something: You CAN try.

 

And you should try, because if you never try you’ll never learn, and you may miss out on something wonderful.

With NaNoWriMo over halfway through, and my own WIP being a bit stubborn here lately, I’ve found myself thinking a lot of can’ts. I guess this is my way of acknowledging it and setting them aside.  Because all I have to do is try, and I can.  And that’s all you have to do as well.

Because can’t never could.

Categoryinspiration, NaNoWriMo, Writing | Comment1 Comment »

November 16th, 2012

NaNo Check-In #3

by Holly Dodson

 

Well, we are back from Disney and had a fantastic time, but I am still utterly exhausted.  I’ve been taking on more responsibility at work, which is keeping me running like I’ve never run before.  Which is good and nice, but tiring anyway.  :)   (I’m NOT complaining at all, I LOVE my job. I work for the best company on the planet.)

As expected I’ve only managed to add about 1,000 words all week to the WIP.  Which is fine.  I’m a little stuck too.  So I’m trying to decide whether I need to push through, make an outline, or maybe even add in another POV.

Hmm.  Decisions.

I’m pretty sure my problem is that I’m writing a very contemporary story with absolutely no otherworldly or fantastical elements – which I’ve never done before.  Eek!  It’s fun to try my hand at new things though.

So let’s hear it…how are your NaNo projects going?  Flying along smoothly or are you as stuck as I am?

CategoryNaNoWriMo, Writing | Comment3 Comments »

November 9th, 2012

NaNo Check-In #2

by Holly Dodson

 

Alright guys, how’d it go this week?

I met my goal of 10k!  Actually, I’m at about 10,650 words as of Thursday at noon (which is when I’m writing this).  ;)   So, HUZZAH!  I did it!

Now, as you’re reading this I am actually on the road to DISNEY WORLD!  So, I’m not setting a goal for the next week.  If I get words in, we’ll count it as a bonus, because my focus for the next five days is on vacation with Super Spawn.

This week though I realized that if I have someone to word war with online I am WAY WAY more productive than writing alone/without that motivation.  Even if I impose a set “sprint” time, I don’t get near the number of words I do in a real war.

And for some reason I seem to write better when I write faster.  Which I find a little strange, but whatever.  If it works, it works.

So, thank you to Alicia and Ghenet for word-warring with me and helping me meet my goal this week!!

How are you all doing?

Categoryfriends, NaNoWriMo, Writing | Comment2 Comments »

November 2nd, 2012

NaNo Check-In #1

by Holly Dodson

So guys, NaNo has officially begun!  Two days in, how are you faring?  What are you writing?  Did you plot and plan or are you flying by the seat of your pants?

 

 

I am 6,048 words into my own WIP at this point (remember I started prior to NaNo).  As far as planning, I wrote a synopsis back in March or so that I’m working from, but I have not done a detailed chapter by chapter plot sheet this time.  Which is surprisingly freeing.

Something that has been a nice surprise is how much fun I’m having writing this story. (I feel like I’m going to jinx myself by saying this out loud! lol)  It’s exciting and makes me happy to sit down to it.  At the end of a scene or chapter, the next bit appears in my head as if a gift from my MC telling me where she’s supposed to go next.  I mean, I know where she’s going in a general (I do have that synopsis, so I’ve got the bones), but the how she gets there is what’s in the air.  Which has given my writing a fresh breath of life.

The hardest part at the moment is making the time to write.  But I knew that’d be an issue from the start, which is why I’m *not* trying to hit 50k this month.

My goal by next Thursday night is to be at 10,000 words.  We’ll see how I do with that.  It’s a pretty ambitious goal with my current schedule.  Will you guys hold me to it?  ;)

What are your goals for the next week?  Has anything positive surprised you in the first couple days?

CategoryNaNoWriMo, WIP, Writing | Comment1 Comment »

October 24th, 2012

NaNo With Me?

by Holly Dodson

I know a lot of you are currently gearing up for NaNoWriMo — which is awesome — and I wish you all the best of luck.  I will be writing in November as well this year, but I will also be traveling, attending multiple family events, and kicking off the winter soccer season for Super Spawn.

 

File:Youth-soccer-indiana.jpg

Photo shot by Derek Jensen (from Wiki Commons)

 

So I won’t be writing 50k, I feel sure. 

I do think , however, in honor of all my NaNoing friends, I’ll do a weekly check-in on progress!  I’ll talk about how things are going with my WIP, and I want you guys to all chime in in the comments with how your own WIPs are going.

Blogs are meant to be a community, after all.  And I’ve been quiet long enough.  So let’s hit the ground running, lovelies, and dive back into this thing.

Are you ready?  Because the buzzer is about to sound.  And every Friday I’ll be here to check up on how you’re doing!

Care to share what you’re writing about this year?  Or is it a big secret?  I can’t wait to hear.

CategoryNaNoWriMo, Writing | Comment4 Comments »

November 7th, 2011

NaNoWhatWasIThinking…Oh.

by Holly Dodson

I’m not sure where my brain was when I decided to do NaNo this year.  Obviously it wasn’t looking at my calendar, which has an event on just about every single day through November.

For example, this week Super Spawn has TWO nights of hour long lessons for violin, plus extra practice time each night, PLUS a recital on Friday.

 

What was I thinking?

Last week we went to a musical, the fair, and a birthday party.  That’s before I ever mention things like the grocery store or laundry.

And THEN super amazing beta Erinn finished critiquing TATE’S HELL yesterday.  *Happy Dance!*

So, let’s suffice it to say, I’m not going to be writing 50k this month.  :)   I’ll be writing some additional material for TH, and I’m certainly not closing the door on my NaNo project, I’m just not going to rush through it.

I will still be cheering all of you other NaNo-ers on though!  How are the word counts coming?

CategoryNaNoWriMo, Tate's Hell, Writing | Comment6 Comments »

October 26th, 2011

Building a World

by Holly Dodson

So, something that has happened in my new project is leading me down a path of a whole bunch of world building.  Now, I’ve written my share of fantasy, but usually my stories have a firm basis in the real world even if there are crazy fantastical things happening to them.

With this new story, which I’m calling OLEA (Oh-lee), the world building is going a little further.  It’s set in a sort-of alternative future, where an event in our history going very differently changed the shape of the world they live in.  (And not in a little way, like in HUGE ways.)

Since I was home with a sick kiddo yesterday, and got zero time to write, I pulled out my box of drawing supplies and decided to try my hand at creating the images in my head on paper.

Well, I kinda suck at drawing.  I mean, I took some classes back in the day, but…yeah.  An artist I am not.  (No matter how much I’d like to be. lol)  Proof:

The dress is *supposed* to look like a flower — the top being the stem.  See?  Yeah, not very good, but now I have at least got a good visual for writing.  :)   I’ve also started drawing out the layout of their city, and as plants play a really big roll in this story, I’ve started sketching some of those too.
Now, I think you all know by now I’m a big fan of pinterest and photo inspiration, but this is the first time I’ve set out to create my own images of what my world is like.  Have any of you done this before?  Do you find it helpful?  I’d love to hear what you think.
By the way, this is the NaNo project, not the WIP I keep mentioning.  :)   In case you’re curious.

CategoryNaNoWriMo, world building, Writing | CommentNo Comments »

October 24th, 2011

A Successful Weekend

by Holly Dodson

So…I finished another round of revisions Saturday on my WIP.  What did I learn?  That with five hours of uninterrupted time a day I could rule the world.  For real.

It was lovely, Super Spawn went to the movies with grandpa and the house was so deliciously quiet.  I sat at the dining room table and worked and worked and worked.  It was the most focused I’ve been in a long time, and it was so nice.

In fact, as backward as it seems, it’s exactly what I needed to recharge my writing batteries.

Now I’m kinda in this weird limbo place where the WIP is waiting for more feedback and I really, really want to write something.  But I was going to do NaNo so I should wait.  But I really, really want to write.  ;)

So maybe I’ll just write and not count the words toward my NaNo goal.  lol  I mean, if the muse is there, why tell her to hold on, right?  Write!

I’d love to hear how all of your projects are coming.  Who all is doing NaNo this year?  I personally feel a little insane for attempting it since I just did this a month ago, but hey, whatever.  Nobody ever accused me of being normal.  ;)

CategoryNaNoWriMo, revisions, Writing | CommentNo Comments »