The Artdog Image of Interest
One more thought as we approach National Novel-Writing Month, AKA Na-No-Wri-Mo. Remember: one week from today, it starts! But I have to admit that this is usually my strategy!
IMAGE: Many thanks for the ever-wonderful Debbie Ridpath Ohi and her Will Write for Chocolate blog, for this cartoon!
The Artdog Image of Interest
If you’re trying out new creative challenges this month, and you’ve never tried flash fiction before, perhaps now’s a good time. If you’ve tried it in the past–or if you’re proficient–have you done any lately?
What is flash fiction? The usual definition is fiction shorter than 2,000 words. But in that category, believe it or not, there are shorter-length challenges, too. Try 300 words. One hundred words. Even two sentences, like the Two-sentence Horror Stories I reblogged a few Octobers ago. How short can you go?
IMAGE: Many thanks to the ever-creative Debbie Ridpath Ohi, via Wendy Burke’s @WendyBurke101 Twitter profile, for this cartoon!
The Artdog Image of Interest
It’s a new year! Many writers begin with a resolution to write more, or to finish a project they’ve started, or to start something new. Don’t let the Procrastination Muse derail your creative process! I’m sure you know her well, if you’ve ever tried to write something. Don’t listen to her!
IMAGE: Many thanks to Kim Warp, via Evalyn Lee’s @Evalyn7 Twitter profile, for this cartoon.
It occurred to me the other day that I’ve got not one, but two projects ideally set up for a Na-No-Wri-Mo style writing blitz
On the eve of the event itself, no less! If ever there were a year when I was perfectly set to participate, this is it.
What is “Na-No-Wri-Mo“? you may ask. That is short for “National Novel-Writing Month.” It’s an annual event, held November 1-30 of each year. Participants attempt to write 50,000 words or more in a month (50,000 words is the minimum length for a novel, according to some definitions and in some genres).
Many participants look upon it as a competition (for well or ill) and for many it provides motivation. I think whatever helps a writer make progress on his or her work of passion is a positive thing.
It’s true that a rare few people actually can write a real novel in a month. For most of us, 50,000 even-semi-coherent words in a month is a stretch, and that’s the point. Na-No-Wri-Mo is designed to push writers beyond their comfort zones and help them achieve more than they thought they could. It’s a creative challenge that is a high bar, but not unreachable.
That’s extremely beneficial for a writer, whether you end up with a novel at the end of the month, or (more likely) with a steaming pile of first draft.
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| I know I’ve posted this quote from Shannon Hale before, but I thought it was appropriate here. |
I have never personally participated in Na-No-Wri-Mo, although I’ve been “Na-No adjacent” for years because I hang out with other writers. Why don’t I participate?
Mostly it’s because I’m a competition-averse person, and I write slowly. I’m persistent, but not fast. Also, I know myself. Trying to write 50,000 words straight through with no stopping or second thoughts . . . not gonna happen. It would make me nuts.
Also, it’s in November. That might be a time of miserable weather in San Francisco (the original reason for timing it then), but November is the month before Christmas, contains no fewer than three family birthdays for my clan, and it has Thanksgiving in it. NO WAY am I going through November with the minimum of distractions needed to produce 50,000 words!
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| In November, San Francisco looks like this a lot. No wonder the Na-No-Wri-Mo founders wanted to stay inside! |
So, no. I’ll flirt with the idea, but I won’t sign up for Na-No-Wri-Mo this year, either. But I’ll think of the participants often, as I regularly take chunks of time to work on my projects throughout the month, and I’ll be wishing them well!
IMAGES: Many thanks to Wikipedia for the Na-No-Wri-Mo logo file, to Ali Stegert’s “Spilling Ink” blog, for the quote from Shannon Hale, and to Free Tours by Foot, for the photo of San Francisco in November.
The Artdog Image of Interest
If you’re tired of Na-No-Wri-Mo posts, I’m sorry–gonna inflict at least one more on you. Because once you get to a certain point in your writing, it’s time to–GASP!–show it to someone else!! It’s pretty scary, because even after all that work, it’s inevitable that it’s not perfect.
Gotta be done. Find someone you trust and hand it over. It’s What Has to Happen Next, on the writer’s journey. Good luck!
IMAGE: Once again, I’m grateful to the wonderful Debbie Ridpath Ohi and her web comic “Will Write For Chocolate,” for this rueful look at the truth of a writer’s life.
November–and Na-No-Wri-Mo (National Novel Writing Month) is almost over. A lot of people will be trying their best to close in on 50,000 words by midnight tomorrow. To cheer them on, today’s post is a collection of wisdom about FINISHING.
A 50,000-word manuscript that has a beginning, middle, and end technically qualifies as a novel, in some genres. For my particular genre, science fiction, the contemporary normal finished length is 90,000-120,000 words, so 50,000 words will get you maybe about halfway there.
But no matter how you slice it, 50,000 words in one month is a prodigious chunk! It’s a noble goal, a major effort, and a valuable milestone. So here’s to finishing your fifty-thou, even if you aren’t “really finished”!
One more thing. Once you’ve finished your 50,000 words–or however many you manage this month–take time to celebrate! Yay! You did it!
ANY amount of words add up to more than you had written before, and every special effort deserves recognition. Just be sure to get back into the chair on December 1, and begin again.
IMAGES: Many thanks to Jeff Goins for the quote images for Bradbury and Lamott, to Happy Monkey for the cartoon about finishing your novel, and to 8 Tracks for the mountaintop celebration photo.
The Artdog Image of Interest
We’re about halfway through Na-No-Wri-Mo (National Novel Writing Month). Time to check in, again . . .
Whether you’re participating in Na-No-Wri-Mo or not, I hope your creative endeavors (whatever they may be) are going well. The creative process always involves frustration–but don’t let that stop you! Keep going!
IMAGE: Many thanks to Debbie Ridpath Ohi, her ongoing comic “Will Write For Chocolate,” and her Twitter feed for this image. It’s always a pleasure, “Inky Elbows”!
The Artdog Image of Interest
Think of it as a casting call . . .
As a tribute to all the writers brave enough to take the Na-No-Wri-Mo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge, I’ve dedicated most of this month’s Quotes and Images of Interest to observations about the writing craft.
IMAGE: Many thanks for this week’s image to Tom Gauld, a wonderful comics artist whose work I encourage you to explore!
The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week
Knowing that the blank page also frightens someone like Stephen King may perhaps be comforting to some of us lesser mortals. But knowing it doesn’t have to be all fear for everyone is a comfort as well!
This post is dedicated to everyone who’s taken the National Novel Writing Month (Na-No-Wri-Mo) challenge to attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel manuscript during the month of November. Good luck to all of you!
IMAGE: Many thanks to Now Novel’s page of writing quotes, for the Stephen King quote and image, and to Authors Publish for the Beatrix Potter quote and image.
The Artdog Image of Interest
Some of my friends are brave enough to take the Na-No-Wri-Mo plunge this month. “Na-No-Wri-Mo” stands for National Novel Writing Month, a program designed to help people write their books–or, at least, 50,000 words’ worth of manuscript–in a single, month-long endurance run.
My own life this year is way too chaotic for me to have many illusions about participating successfully, but my theme for this month’s Quotes and Images of Interest is encouragement to other writers, who are struggling to pound out their 50 thousand words.
IMAGE: While the writer in this cartoon isn’t making much progress, perhaps she’ll offer a smile (and a cautionary note) for others. Many thanks to Cathy Thorne, and her clever Everyday People cartoons!
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