Last Week of NaNo, Don't Lose Steam Now!!

The end of National Novel Writing Month 2020 is in sight.

Some people are done.

Some people have barely started.

But whether you’re in NaNo or not, let’s talk about the plot of your story for a moment. 

At the beginning of this NaNo adventure, we went through our favorite plotlines of our story as we got ready to embellish.

So let’s take a look back at the plotline you’d chosen as your favorite from the start.

Is it still your favorite, or has another storyline come along and shoved it out of place?

How has the shape of the arc changed from what you had originally intended?

Has the change of this arc shaped your story differently than you’d anticipated?

Don’t let any story disconnects keep you from finishing out NaNo.

Whether you’re doing NaNo or not, every month is a “WriMo” — a writing month — so no matter where you are in your story writing, spend some time in your favorite plotlines, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

My original favorite plot arc had be focusing on the relationship between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu. That is definitely still one of my favorites, although I’m not all the way sure I’d consider it a full favorite. Go’Ranashu himself is a favorite character, and without him, Vaeda would have crumbled in a blink. I’m definitely happy the honest between them continues as the story progresses. Vaeda needs at least one person he can fully rely on.

I think I’m more happy with what ended up happening during the development of Vaeda’s power. When I first started plotting out everything, that wasn’t something I had foreseen. I suppose his ability to raise the dead makes sense for the purpose of him being down in the caves. His inability to know anything at first developed, I think, a lot better than I had originally intended. Upon the reread and editing stages, I will definitely have a lot more fun developing all of that.

Overall, now that I’m done with the book, I think I’m happy with the way at least things went down. The relationship between Go’Ranashu and Vaeda was definitely strong throughout. All of the relationships Vaeda had with the other characters worked well. They had to figure out if they trusted each other or not while trapped in the dark. Although, I will say, I kind of would say I doubt I’ll ever do something like that again.

Fall in Love With Your Story With This #WritingPrompt

What’s up all you beautiful writers out there?

I hope this video is finding you well.

Whether you are well into National Novel Writing Month 2020 or not, maybe you need a little extra boost for your writing session today.

Maybe you’ve felt either a great connect or a disconnect with your storyline.

Let’s focus on that real quick, because we’ve let out some frustrations over the last couple of weeks, and it’s time to look on the bright side of things.

What do you love about this story your writing?

How is it changing you as a person, or as a writer?

Has it become something more than you could have ever dreamed?

Writers and creatives are often known to be their own worst critics, and sometimes it’s hard not to be.

Spend some time focusing on everything you love about your work in progress, then get write on in to your daily session.

My Response

I’ll admit, I wasn’t really feeling my story too much at first. It was kind of slow going in the beginning, and it was really forced. I tried so hard to connect with it. I thought of everything I could do, tried everything I had done in the past to make that connection, but nothing work. It really shook me, and right at that halfway mark, I seriously considered DNFing my own book. 

But then, I don’t know, something just clicked. I got into a scene I liked, and the characters started making more sense. Things got better, more exciting, and it’s almost like the moment I got over that little hump, the floodgates are just about to unleash. Now, I’m really excited about where this book is going and what’s going to happen between this point and the end.

I’m coming up into the last act, just one more chapter until then. The climax is on the way, so, even though this a short book, everything that things are building up to is about to happen. I guess so much of me wishes I could have started this from the end to the beginning like a Benjamin Button type story. That’s not a bad thing if you’re any type of writer, to write whatever section of the story you want at whatever point you want to. It’s just not as good an idea when you’re posting the whole thing daily :)

Feeling That Plot Disconnect? This #WritingPrompt Will Help You #GetWriteOnIn to the Solution

Are we done with National Novel Writing Month 2020 yet?

No, but we are only a day away from the halfway point!

Whether you’re ready to pull your hair out like I am because you’re in NaNo or because you’re just braving the venture that is writing a book, today’s prompt brings us back to a focus on our plots.

If you’re like me, you might be feeling a little stuck on the storyline.

So what’s bothering you?

Are you just not feeling it like you had hoped?

Does the story feel forced?

Do you wish it could be something else already?

It’s all right to feel frustrated with your story sometimes, just don’t let it stop you from writing it anyway.

Remember that the first draft stages are supposed to suck.

So write out your plot frustrations, then get write on in to your daily session.

GO WRITE!

See you tomorrow.

My Response

My story is actually driving me crazy right now. I know I’ve crafted it all up from the nothingness of the ether that was my brain on a random generator, but man I feel like I’m writing in circles. It’s weird, since I’m posting it, and I know that some people are enjoying it, but I feel like I don’t even know what’s going on in it right now. I’m not reading it before I post it, because if I reread it, I’m going to get too caught up in trying to fix it. I know I can’t do that, because then I’m going to fall behind and never get anything done.

It’s just frustrating because, like I said, I feel like I’m writing in circles. The characters are kind of going in circles, I know, and they’re stuck in this cave, which is what makes things hard for me I guess. I’m just wondering how it’s making the reader feel, even though that’s the last thing I should really be thinking about right now. I just feel like the story is moving slower than I would like, but at the same time, I’m not even 100 pages in! It just feels like blabber at this point.

I just wish the story would speak more to me. By this point, with all of the connection I’ve forced, I just wish it would connect back with me a little bit more. I’m feeling a little burned out, and I think the story knows it. The story always has more control than the author admits, but that’s frustrating. If I’m supposed to do a good job writing it, then why wouldn’t it want to help me out some if it were really in control?

Choose a Favorite Scene and #GetWriteOnIn to Your Work in Progress

Hopefully, by this point in your National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure, you’ve written at least one scene of your book that you enjoy.

Same statement if you’re writing a book at all.

Authors have a tendency to become their worst critics, especially during first draft stages.

We know the stuff we’re putting out isn’t our best.

We know as soon as that editing stage hits, our hideous words will magically transform into glinting jewels.

The problem is, sometimes we can lose motivation along the way if we ever start to feel that disconnect.

Today, I’d like for you to pick your favorite scene thus far from your work in progress, wherever you stand on that.

Either write about why it’s your favorite, or take a break from the written word and act it out for yourself.

Connect with why it’s your favorite scene, and let it motivate you to get write on in to writing more just like it.

I’d totally pick a scene to act out for myself if I wasn’t trying to keep these so short.

Such is life.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

So far, my favorite scene has been when Vaeda is trying to figure out “eyes open” and “eyes closed.” I’m having some fun trying to figure out his little memory things, even though sometimes it’s a little circular. But it’s really fun developing everything going on without the main character actually being able to see. That was something I was a little worried about at first, but it’s proving to turn out just fine. Gotta take the wins when you get them, man.

Another reason it’s my favorite scene is because it was challenging for me. I don’t like setting, I feel like I’m awful at writing it. That’s part of the reason I took sight away from the main character in the first place, so he could basically be blind for me, ha. It’s fun trying to develop everything based on the memory that he can’t hold on to. That aspect of the writing challenge in this book has made me feel like I’m growing as a writer, and I can never be mad at that.

I also enjoy this scene because it gave me the opportunity to explore the cave they’re in a little bit. There will be more of that coming up, I’d assume, but it’s fun to take some time building things every once in a while. For someone who loves to read, I sure am scared to write out some details sometimes. I get scared thinking people will get bored, and while I do tend to overwrite sometimes, there are people who do love details, as well. So I’ve had a great time detailing out this cave and allowing Vaeda to find his inner strength through that exploration.

Side Character Spotlight!

Hopefully, you haven’t lost too much sleep on this National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure.

Or, hopefully you’re not too hard on yourself for wherever your word count is at whenever you are in your personal writing storyline.

Anyone who knows me knows I love me some good character-driven stories, and I’ve, personally, enjoyed responding to the character prompts from this month the most.

However, if you are anything like me, sometimes you can get stuck on just one character.

The main one, usually.

Today, whether you have one character that hold point of view screen time or multiple, choose a side character that we never get to spend time with and explore a side story for them.

What is something from their past that makes up who they are in the present?

How has that event shaped them as a character?

What relevance might it have to the story, even if you never get to physically write it out?

The main character is sometimes only as strong as their supporting cast, so delve into the minds of the people surrounding them, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

When Cochava was younger, she never asked to watch her sister get murdered. She never asked to feel like she was next, or to hide underneath her bed as she shook and waited for the murderer the leave. The murderer she had trusted at one point in her life. A man she could probably give thanks to for being alive. A man she once called father.

She never knew what her mother, her sister, nor her had done to upset her father so. But she’d never forgotten the last look on her sister’s face as her father sliced her neck open. The way their eyes met in a last look of pleading. Cochava wished, still to this day, that she could have done something to save her. It didn’t matter, for regardless of time — even that spent in the Lanniswell Hollow — she did not forget.

From that moment forward, she swore she would never trust anyone. Her father had looked at her after he killed her sister, and it seemed as though seeing her crouched underneath her bed forced him to realize what he had done. He let her go, for whatever that meant, and left her, alone and scared, to fend for herself. She was all of nine years old when that happened, and no amount of time passed could change the effect it had on her psyche. She’d never seen her father again after that, but she swore if she ever did, he’d never live to see another day.

Plot Problems? Please. Let's #GetWriteOnIn to a Fix With This #WritingPrompt

Whether you are kicking off National Novel Writing Month 2020 week two or just somewhere on your writing path and struggling to connect with your plot, I’ve got the prompt for you today.

Today’s plot prompt is so simple it’s almost stupid:

Describe your favorite plot arc.

Here’s the thing: 

Characters have main stories, side stories, secret stories, and everything else in between.

There’s only so much focus you can spend on the plot in a scene-by-scene basis.

So take this opportunity to pick your favorite arc in the story.

It doesn’t have to be the main one, and it might be a little easier if it wasn’t.

What makes it your favorite?

Is it an arc you chose on your own, or one you feel chose you?

Is it a side arc that, after some exploration, may need more attention?

If it is your main plot arc, what about it intrigues you?

What about this story keeps you up at night or waking early to write it out?

So take this time to reconnect with your plot, then get write on in to your daily writing session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

My favorite plot arc is the one that focuses on the friendship between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu. Everything in this book has dark under themes and discussion of an inability to trust the people around them. With Go’Ranashu in particular, I’m always trying to make him as approachable and trustworthy as possible. I feel like Vaeda needs someone to be there for him through thick and thin and come to his defense anytime he needs it. Go’Ranashu is easily that person, and it’s also very easy to make it work.

Part of what I like about this particular arc, even though I suppose it’s more of a character arc in between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu, is the examination of different ethnicities through it. There’s some things I guess I’m trying to be careful about as far as my handling of sensitive topics. Obviously, with Go’Ranashu being an actual beastly creature, I’m not trying to be insensitive toward topics like race. My intent with him in particular is to showcase racial injustice through the judgment people place upon him simply for the fact he looks different and looks like he “could” be mean. I’m hopeful that’s coming across in what I’m trying to produce.

But all of it comes down to the whole idea of who is “good,” who is “evil,” and what the difference is between those two terms. Good and evil is as subjective as creative works, in my opinion. They don’t go as hand-in-hand, and that’s going to be one of the main plot arcs examined throughout this book as a whole. How much deeper can we go past the surface? Can we bring forth a unity by simply recognizing our differences with respect? These are questions that this particular relationship is going to help explore throughout the text.

Angry Characters? #GetWriteOnIn to Their Issues With This #WritingPrompt

If you’re here on publication day for this video, you’ve just made it through the first week of NaNoWriMo 2020.

One way or the other, so far, at least, we’ve all survived the first week of November 2020.

Hopefully.

Whenever you are, I hope your story is going well.

Our last few character prompts have seen us journaling as our characters and interviewing them, but today we’re going to turn around the spotlight.

Today, you’re going to let your character tell you all of the problems they have with you.

How much do you annoy them?

Are they happy with the way you’re representing them?

Do they think you’re giving them enough time and attention?

Are they bored and lonely?

Who’s really at fault for the disconnect here?

This is your time to let your character unleash all of their frustrations.

Once they’ve blown off some steam, it’s time for you to get write on in to your story.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

From Vaeda, my main character.

You better not screw this up, dude.

Seriously, I get it. I’m random. You had no idea who I was a few months ago, and it’s not like I just “came to you” like your other characters or whatever.

But do not for one moment forget that it was I that chose YOU.

So far, I think you’re doing a pretty good job, if I’m actually being honest. I chose you because I had faith in you, so don’t start getting twisted and egotistical thinking this is all your doing. If I hadn’t decided to make myself known to you through the randomness of the generators and by simply assuring that my name bore your favorite letter, this wouldn’t happen.

You’re welcome.

All of that being said, though, I’m getting a little tired of all of these comparisons you keep making to me and your other characters from other books.

When are you going to realize they have nothing to do with this?

This is OUR story — nope, I’m so sorry, scratch that — this is MY story, so if you would please desist with all of this self deprecation and just allow me to EXIST LIKE I ALREADY DO, that would be great. The story’s going fine, and it doesn’t matter if anyone is here or not. I’m with you on comfort levels when it comes to thinking about who may be here with us They may be your words on the line, but it’s my life people either attach to or don’t.

At least you (probably) don’t have to worry about people hoping you die.

Practice This #WritingPrompt to #GetWriteOnIn to Character Interviews

Getting into the mind of your character can be a bit tricky sometimes.

If you tried out the character journaling prompt the other day, it may have helped you connect with the mind of your character.

Today, we’re going to tweak that exercise, just a little bit.

Pick a character — perhaps a side one you haven’t spent as much time with for this one — and put them in the hot seat.

Play a detective and interrogate your character.

Ask them the questions to the answers they won’t offer themselves.

Dig deep into their psyches to see what makes them tick.

Sometimes, in journals, even when you act as your character, there are aspects of ourselves that remain in denial.

This is an exercise to “sit your character down” and have a chat with them.

Depending on the theme, mood, and character, this can vary in intensity, of course.

But talk some things out, get some answers you might be struggling with, then get write on in to your story.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

Character: Runavan

Me: Why aren’t you telling me what you know?

Runavan: *After a shrug* I have told you what I know. It’s not my fault you don’t want to believe me. My memory isn’t what it once was, and it isn’t my fault.

Me: Aren’t you afraid of what’s going to happen?

Runavan: Of course I am. But what else am I to do? The future is always scary, but sometimes so’s the past.

Me: I feel like there’s more to this that you’re not telling me.

Runavan: Of course there is, but why would I tell you more? Wouldn’t that take away the fun of the exploration?

Me: But I feel stuck sometimes. I feel like I don’t know where to go because I feel like I don’t know how to connect to people like you. People who know more than they let off.

Runavan: You aren’t as right as you think. While I know plenty somewhere deep within me, neither of us know how to unlock that yet. Until you go forth and explore, neither of us will ever know the answer.