Reflections on NaNoWriMo 2011

After my epic fail attempt at NaNo last year I wrote this post. At that time I did not expect to try NaNo again.

Um, I so did NaNo this year and whupped its sorry arse. Can't tell I'm proud of myself, can you?

So, what was the difference between last year and this?

1. I joined an online critique group full of some pretty amazing people with lots of insight. They've taught me a lot.
2. I've attended writing conferences and critique bootcamps (LTUE, Storymaker, UVU Book Academy).
3. I've joined associations for writers (iWriteNetwork, ANWA, Authors Incognito, LUW)
4. Through blogging and conference attendance, I've met and become friends with lots of other writers, many of whom I've met in real life.
5. After attending my second critique bootcamp, some of us formed a local in-person critique group. We range in age from a 15-year-old boy (he's amazing, btw) to grandmothers older even than I am.
6. I learned how to use sprint writing and the pomodoro technique to help me focus and really crank out the words. I love using their timer and will continue to do so when writing and editing.
7. I forced myself to keep writing even when I wasn't sure where to take the story, knowing it was going to change some in the editing process anyway.

When I did NaNo last year, I was very much alone. I had no cheerleader or people with whom to bounce ideas off (except for my sons, who are wonderful but not writers). This year, if I ran into a snag I had three different sprint writing locations  and social groups via Facebook and Yahoo Groups I could go and there'd be writers I could bounce ideas off or get ideas from.

I hear often that writing is a solitary business. It can be, as it was for my first year. But methinks times they are achangin'. I know that not all writers/authors are made of sweetness and light, and I realize many find themselves on different sides of the debate about where the future of publishing will end.

Overall, however, I've found this community to be full of helpful, giving people who are happy to share from their experience. Rather than feeling threatened by potential rivals they are out there cheering us on and more than willing to give us a helping hand.

I think that's why NaNo was such a different experience for me this year. Next year? Real life will determine that but I'm hopeful. I had a tight schedule what with putting on a municipal election that I won't have to worry about next year (I'll be able to attend the writing retreat--squeee!).

What about you? Have you found the writing community to be as friendly as I have? Did you attempt NaNo this year? If so, how are you doing?

And a humorous note, I stole this from Stina Lindenblatt over at Seeing Creative. It made me laugh.

Professional Critique Sessions & Lugheadedness

Source

I've had the opportunity on two occasions now to attend a live critiquing session. The first time was in what they called Bootcamp in May as part of the LDS Storymaker conference.

My second opportunity was Saturday. It was hosted by Precision Editing Group, LLC. My particular group included a fun assortment of people and was lead by Annette Lyon (see one of her posts here at the Precision blog). Annette is a writer as well as an editor, and she taught one of my favorite classes at Storymaker on Show, Don't Tell that I talked about here.

Since WIP #1 was what I took to the Storymaker session, I needed something else. But I've been focused only on that project for so long I wasn't sure what to do. I've been dying to work again on my SciFi, but it's got kind of a rough first couple of chapters, and I wasn't sure it would be a good fit for this particular group. Plus, I've learned so much over the past year that I'm sure it would take tons of work.

My other option was to submit the first pages of my NaNo project from last October. I hadn't worked on it in many months, and it also had a problem in that it began its life as a middle grade fantasy but is now going to be a young adult fantasy. I decided to go with this one, and I took two days of vacation time last week to work on it.

Oh. My. Heck!

I never realized how hard it was going to be to take that original project and move it into a different genre. I struggled almost from the beginning, clinging to the idea that I could just edit it.

Nope.

My breakthrough came, when I opened a new Word document and started fresh.

Duh!

A twelve-year-old main character just does things differently than a sixteen-year-old does, is interested in different things. I knew that. Honest. So why didn't I know that from the start?

• Do you ever find yourself stuck in one mindset, when the the one you need and will take you where you want to go sits quietly in a corner just waiting for you to take notice? 
• Do you have any tricks that have helped you to step back and realize you're not suffering from writers block so much as you're simply on the wrong track?

Storymaker and Bootcamp

I'm off to bootcamp this afternoon. I'm sure this one will be a little different from the one I survived a bazillion years ago. At that long ago bootcamp we had to qualify with the M-16, use gas masks, identify foxholes, and get through obstacle courses ... to say nothing of learning to march to cadence and salute (and who to salute). It was exhausting, and I ended up with an injured knee and rehab, but I made it through.

I don't think today's bootcamp is going to be any easier. I've already discovered that having your work critiqued is a lot like going through physical therapy. It hurts like hell, but in the end you're better for it. Today I'm paying for the privilege

The full Storymaker conference starts on Thursday. I'm really excited.