From a Nanowrimo Champ-ee-yon!!
Why NaNoWriMO:
To be succinct, I needed to get over some serious writer’s block.
In the third grade, I had a teacher who became my “inner critic.” (Note: Read The Artist’s Way, by Julie Cameron, for more information on the inner critic).
I had written a short story (the first part, I should say), about a girl who found an old trunk with treasures, and somehow became transported into a magical world. This teacher, who never intended to be cruel so far as I can tell, implied that in order to begin this story, it was essential that I already know the ending. I should only write if I know the ending, I became convinced.
I have spent about 40 years since, in and out of writer’s block, and have not finished anything but one short story (which I discarded) in all that time. I wrote for work, and not for myself.
***Now I know it does not matter if I know the ending from the outset. I am NOT tied to an outline, or any preconceived notions.
How I succeeded:
Find your voice. This includes what makes YOU unique. (more on that in later blogs)
Find what makes YOUR characters come alive. That is not found in their appearance, wealth, education, or even their diction, although these things may help you flesh out their character development.
No, characters come alive through their dreams; their pain, their past, their motivation. Think it over.
It does not matter if your first draft is total MUSH. JUST WRITE!
You can look for gems in the rubble after your first draft is done.
Right now, I have about 58K words. No, it is not finished; but two major story arcs are finished and I have a lot of subplots to work with. On November 1st, I had NOTHING!
TIPS:
*Plan ahead of nano wri mo if you can, but if you didn’t don’t be afraid, JUST WRITE!
*Use incidents from the news, from your past or those of your friends, from your favorite movies or books, but change them to make them uniquely your OWN
*Go ahead, and go into the Forums. Make friends, get moral support from others!
*Also, read the posts of other people who are panicking about NaNo, and realize that you are NOT alone!
*Go to the adoptables forum, and/or the “dare” forum, and decide if you see something there you want to write about, or just see if you can get some great ideas. You can always alter the ideas to fit what you are interested in writing about.
*Try to write about characters that excite you: you love them, you hate them, or you identify closely with them.
*If you don’t know the exact word for something right away, don’t waste a lot of time poring over it. Just put in the word “ROVER” instead, and mull it over later. You can go in at the end and say “Find” all the ROVER’s, and then fix them. But you’ll have a rough draft, YAYY!
**Best tip: go to Word Wars. Challenge others or just declare war against yourself. Don’t be afraid: JUST WRITE!
See my other blog, which will focus more on issues:
http://writinglite.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Poetry challenge
So here is an effort....
A haiku that I wrote when David and I worked together on the reading fair project:
Dawn
Cliff pierces grey sky
Orange clouds blanket needles
As lights pierce darkness.
--Tracy Hinote
13 Nov 2010
On Christian writer's dot com page, there was a challenge that you are to compose a poem as your first line, the one on the 5th line of the preceding poem: so I wrote this. Too worried about it though to post it on CW, so here it is...
Poetry challenge from CW using the fifth line:
while shepherds watched the sleeping sheep
a bridge to light and life
while shepherds watched the sleeping sheep
The Word crossed the chasm deep
A bridge to life, and light.
while slime and horror did seep
soul’s dark night made Heaven weep
for
a bridge to light, and life.
so He sent the Light to keep
His truth from darkness sweep
a bridge to light, and life.
He climbed the hill so steep
to bitter cup turned sweet
a bridge to light, and life.
--tlh Nov 27 2010
I think it gets the point across----thank God for sending his Son to us!!!
Talk to you soon....
Writers Write -- Always
Ok so here is one of those days when I felt like I "ought" to have written something. This weekend I did a lot of Christmas shopping; David stayed home sick from church with a bad cough; and it's back to work in the morning.
There is not a lot else going on...Jess and Mike are coming this week and of course we are excited about that.
I need to go work on my reviews, and plan to re-start brainstorming tomorrow..but today I am plumb out of anything creative to say. So I'll just say it! I'm out of creative ideas today!
I did write some poetry yesterday. I'm thinking of putting it in here...I'm just a bit afraid that it stinks. Phew!
Friday, November 26, 2010
/Users/tlhinote814/Desktop/nano_10_winner_120x240-5.png
So the above is supposed to be my badge of winning; for some reason I'm having trouble posting the actual badge instead of a code/script. Hmmm. Maybe I need some lessons in MAC? I thought it was click and drop technology.
Anyway, have WON NoNoWriMo 2010 with Coming Up To Dream. It is a very, very rough draft. It didn't start out as a dragon-land type fantasy, but writing that type of fantasy seemed to come more naturally than a The Shack style fantasy. (No I haven't read the Shack yet, just heard about it. It's on my shelf, it's on my list!)
Anyway, you can see my synopsis on the nano site. I hope you enjoy it. The final draft, if ever submitted for possible publication, certainly won't look much like this very rough and tumble draft! :-)
My writer's block has been well treated though. At this point I have a lot of ideas for writing both fiction, and nonfiction. I think it's going to be fun.
See you later!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Excerpts from writing prompts
So, on Nanowrimo, the point of the whole matter is to get a LOT of writing done quick. To completely vanquish the inner critic and get something on paper.
Later--you get to go through it and pan for the gold.
When I got stuck, I went to the forum "writing prompts." Essentially, I picked one that talked about eating a fruit that has an unusual effect (it could be deadly, euphoric, give special powers, etc--whatever you choose.)
I wrote this scene, and am trying to figure out the effect!
I believe it will give those who eat it prophetic dreams....but haven't decided yet.
Here is the excerpt, written -- IN TRUE NANO STYLE--in about 10 minutes:
Reaching the copse of glorious trees, Lisa flung herself down into the soft moss underneath the trees. Peri strolled after, watching her. “You seem tired.”
“I’ve never worked so hard or walked so much in all my life! Yeah, I’m not in very good shape, not like you guys.”
Peri thought of that; what kind of life had she lived, where she worked indoors all day long, and never had to walk very far, and had a “car” take her everywhere—she said it was like a wagon, but didn’t need a mule to pull it. It was powered, Lisa had said, by an en-jinn.
It must be a very soft life there, he mused.
“What is that smell?” he noted with curiosity. “It smells wonderful!”
“It does…I’m really hungry, too.”
“It’s this fruit…I’ll try it.”
“Wait!” Lisa tried to stop him from trying the fruit which hung from low-lying branches just above them.
“Why?” Peri asked, surprised at her outburst.
“Because…of course, if you don’t know what type of fruit it is, it could be poisoned! You could get sick!!”
“That’s silly,” Peri reasoned. “If it was poisonous, it would not smell good, or look so pretty.”
“On Earth,” Lisa explained, “plants and fruits sometimes look and smell good but are poisonous.”
“Why??” he asked incredulously.
“I…I don’t really know,” she admitted.
“Well, on Lucenia, that does not happen. Food that smells good is good.” With that he picked a piece of the fruit. The fruit was shaped kind of like a heart, reddish golden, with pretty, bright orange lines criscrossing it in filigree patterns, making it look lacey. Then he rubbed it on his sleeve and took a big, mouthwatering bite. The juice started slurping just a little out the corner of his mouth.
The sound of it made Lisa’s mouth water!
“See!?” Peri asked with a smile. “I’m fine, I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
“OK.” Lisa accepted the fruit Peri offered. “I’ll try some.”
Later--you get to go through it and pan for the gold.
When I got stuck, I went to the forum "writing prompts." Essentially, I picked one that talked about eating a fruit that has an unusual effect (it could be deadly, euphoric, give special powers, etc--whatever you choose.)
I wrote this scene, and am trying to figure out the effect!
I believe it will give those who eat it prophetic dreams....but haven't decided yet.
Here is the excerpt, written -- IN TRUE NANO STYLE--in about 10 minutes:
Reaching the copse of glorious trees, Lisa flung herself down into the soft moss underneath the trees. Peri strolled after, watching her. “You seem tired.”
“I’ve never worked so hard or walked so much in all my life! Yeah, I’m not in very good shape, not like you guys.”
Peri thought of that; what kind of life had she lived, where she worked indoors all day long, and never had to walk very far, and had a “car” take her everywhere—she said it was like a wagon, but didn’t need a mule to pull it. It was powered, Lisa had said, by an en-jinn.
It must be a very soft life there, he mused.
“What is that smell?” he noted with curiosity. “It smells wonderful!”
“It does…I’m really hungry, too.”
“It’s this fruit…I’ll try it.”
“Wait!” Lisa tried to stop him from trying the fruit which hung from low-lying branches just above them.
“Why?” Peri asked, surprised at her outburst.
“Because…of course, if you don’t know what type of fruit it is, it could be poisoned! You could get sick!!”
“That’s silly,” Peri reasoned. “If it was poisonous, it would not smell good, or look so pretty.”
“On Earth,” Lisa explained, “plants and fruits sometimes look and smell good but are poisonous.”
“Why??” he asked incredulously.
“I…I don’t really know,” she admitted.
“Well, on Lucenia, that does not happen. Food that smells good is good.” With that he picked a piece of the fruit. The fruit was shaped kind of like a heart, reddish golden, with pretty, bright orange lines criscrossing it in filigree patterns, making it look lacey. Then he rubbed it on his sleeve and took a big, mouthwatering bite. The juice started slurping just a little out the corner of his mouth.
The sound of it made Lisa’s mouth water!
“See!?” Peri asked with a smile. “I’m fine, I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
“OK.” Lisa accepted the fruit Peri offered. “I’ll try some.”
Need more power Scotty!
The engines have definitely slowed down the last few days--I'm still in the green, but now slated to finish around 27 Nov. I need to get to writing this morning, so of course I took this opportunity to write in my blog instead!
Going to church this morning and plan to ask for lots of guidance and inspiration in my writing. The nanowrimo novel I'm writing is not going to be the most brilliant piece ever written, but with any luck (or heavenly intervention, to be precise!) there will be some gems in there to mine in the end.
Yesterday I went to Sam's and stocked up on all kinds of staples: rice, sugar, canned goods, toilet paper. Just in case inflation really does go sky high as predicted. ??
At least we've got a steady paycheck: some people don't even have that. So I have to be grateful.
OK so I'll post my widget--that's obviously the main purpose of this rambling post: show off my word count!!
Bye for now.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/LiveParticipant/663431.pnghttp://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/LiveSupporter/663431.png
http://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/MyMonth/663431.png
Going to church this morning and plan to ask for lots of guidance and inspiration in my writing. The nanowrimo novel I'm writing is not going to be the most brilliant piece ever written, but with any luck (or heavenly intervention, to be precise!) there will be some gems in there to mine in the end.
Yesterday I went to Sam's and stocked up on all kinds of staples: rice, sugar, canned goods, toilet paper. Just in case inflation really does go sky high as predicted. ??
At least we've got a steady paycheck: some people don't even have that. So I have to be grateful.
OK so I'll post my widget--that's obviously the main purpose of this rambling post: show off my word count!!
Bye for now.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/LiveParticipant/663431.pnghttp://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/LiveSupporter/663431.png
http://www.nanowrimo.org/widget/MyMonth/663431.png
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Book Fair
David's book fair is today, will try to post a picture. It was about the "Dragon of the Red Dawn" by Mary Pope Osborne. He did a lot of the work himself, but I have to honestly say that Todd and I did about 40% each. He made a beautiful diorama of the mountain top near Edo (old Tokyo), with a dragon and Jack and Annie figures riding its back.
I helped David type the information on the book, found pictures from the Internet, and helped him put them on the posterboard.
I think it's a little busy, now that it's done, but it's very cute.
It includes some poetry, including Basho's haiku Old Pond:
The best-known Japanese haiku is Bashō's "old pond":
古池や 蛙飛込む 水の音
furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
"An Old Pond
A frog jumps in
The sound of water."
So two days ago David tried his hand at writing a poem:
Flowers
The flowers bloom in the day,
but corals
Are active at night
A poem by David Hinote
What can I say?? The kid is simply brilliant!
...
Nano progress:
I had a snafu earlier today, working in Scrivener. I went to delete the title of a scene, to change it I think (can't remember, was so flustered)--and I deleted the ENTIRE scene!
A happy accident maybe. I just finished rewriting that scene and I think it's better now.
Happy writing everyone!
I helped David type the information on the book, found pictures from the Internet, and helped him put them on the posterboard.
I think it's a little busy, now that it's done, but it's very cute.
It includes some poetry, including Basho's haiku Old Pond:
The best-known Japanese haiku is Bashō's "old pond":
古池や 蛙飛込む 水の音
furuike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
"An Old Pond
A frog jumps in
The sound of water."
So two days ago David tried his hand at writing a poem:
Flowers
The flowers bloom in the day,
but corals
Are active at night
A poem by David Hinote
What can I say?? The kid is simply brilliant!
...
Nano progress:
I had a snafu earlier today, working in Scrivener. I went to delete the title of a scene, to change it I think (can't remember, was so flustered)--and I deleted the ENTIRE scene!
A happy accident maybe. I just finished rewriting that scene and I think it's better now.
Happy writing everyone!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
NaNoWriMo
Now we're rolling! I'm going to add my Word Count Total in my next post!
So what is my nano novel about? Well, it was supposed to be a novel about a 30 yo woman who has a brush with death, goes back to her life with a "mission" from angelic beings that she met while unconscious at the hospital.
But then it had sort a Tightrope Walker feel with a supernatural type of twist...but I really wanted to write a CS Lewis-type fantasy. So I added in some dream sequences of an alternate reality...
The next thing I knew the alternate reality was just as much fun, if not more, to write about, and will help explain Part Two of the novel! Weird how it just took off like that.
So, I have to say it's a Christian fantasy-style book, but with little "insights" and treasures, that will be appealing, not at all preachy.
I'll have two or three "send-ups" to--I already have a tribute (like a cameo appearance) to a character from Narnia...I need another from Star Trek, natch, but hopefully it will be very, very subtle....and from M*A*S*H.
She is in the hospital of course. So something funny has to happen...
If all this sounds confusing, JUST REMEMBER: It IS!
The whole point of nanowri mo is to get past WRITER"S BLOCK, which I have suffered from...forever...since my 3rd grade English teacher became my inner critic. She said "you have to know how the story ends right from the beginning" and that was when my story of a girl discovering a treasure box ended...Coz of course at that point I didn't know how it would end!!!
Anyway, enough procrastinating...time to take a quick break, roll up my sleeves and do a 30 min sprint!
Oh, which means I need to study today too. Back to work tomorrow. *sigh*
OOPS, will post my widget too! Wow that was easy!
Later!!
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