NaNoWriMo 2010 - Day 16

[ladyseishou]

Day 16 - 14 days remaining

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not
the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.

- E.L. Doctorow



So we all have them: bad writing days. Here are some tips to consider for those times you've checked your word count (for the fifth time but who's counting?) and found that you were a little short...

Okay, the first suggestion is something that's been mentioned before but bears repeating: lay off the delete key. Keep everything. Every word counts even if it's misspelled, misused, or mislaid. So if you're tempted to spend good-as-gold writing time fixing up something already on paper, stop. Instead, write something new. Brain stuck in idle and the muse has stepped out for a smoke? Read on...

These next tips, some say, fall into the gray area of "word padding" but I say anything that adds color to your rough draft is fair game and who's to say what may escape the editor's pen after your story is done...

• Take today's quote to heart and write to evoke sensation. So instead of "Jim was mad" (three words), maybe write: Jim's hand curled up into a white-knuckled knot as his eyes narrowed to slits and nostrils flared, his breathing quick, thin, and tight. Twenty something words instead of three. Sure it's overdone and a shade of purple but it might turn out later to yield something important about "Jim" that you didn't know before: he gets mad enough to express his anger physically. Or not. But now you've come up with something more to work into your plot.
  
  
• Try the same by writing/adding a flashback or dream sequence. Make it a scene worthy of Christopher Nolan's Inception, something that will keep your MC's analyst/confidant/village wise woman guessing for years about what it all means.
  
  
• Write out the details of your MC's day, from the morning's first itch to the evening's bedtime tuck-in, everything and anything in between. Brand of orange juice stored in the refrigerator. Designer's tag inside the collar of the MC's shirt. Family, genus and cultivar of tree for a favorite magic wand. Specificity is the key here with a healthy dollop of sensationalism.

The following suggestions (culled from the creative and devious responses to the NaNoWriMo forum topic here) are okay for an easy quick hit but will probably be least appreciated by your reader and one of the first things tossed out during the rewrite:

• Whenever you use your character's name, write out your character's full name - every time
  
  
• Write out all contractions and numbers
  
  
• Add in all the lyrics for any songs that your MC sings or hears on the radio
  
  
• Encourage your characters to quote lengthy poetry, dialogue from movies, or excerpts from their favorite novels
  

Today's word count is 26,667! How is everyone doing? Questions? Comments? Additional tips or tricks? Remember: it's all good! Keep writing!

Comments

[geminianeyes]

Didn't get much done yesterday because I was exhausted from the all day outing I had. Am aiming to hit 35k today, and surprisingly this has been a novel with very little padding; I know what I want to do with the story and where it's going to go. Now I just need to get them there. XD

[ladyseishou]

Good luck hitting 35K today!

[pixel]

I hit 25756 last night, and while I left things in a spot that is a good place to start (right in the middle of the action!) I'm worried about today...

Aiming for 27456 or better today.

[pixel]

Managed to hit 27898 and I think I'm done for the day. Trying to pace myself...

The urge to push through and try to get to 30000 is kinda strong 'tho. Maybe tomorrow.

[cypher]

Finally started using Write or Die this morning to get back on track after a few rough days -- I'm at 28,026 now, and I might try to get in one more session before the day is over.

[twistingthetale]

Well done to everyone who's posted so far :) My total at the end of Day 16 is 33936 Things have slowed down a bit this week and I'll be out for half of tomorrow, but fully intend to make up some ground when I get back in the afternoon and possibly carry on through the night.

[druidspell]

I actually have one character, Lorelei, who isn't human, and she never uses contractions because her people don't do that; she has a "precision of language" SPEECH that she gives at one point.
And in today's writing, one of my secondary characters is quoting the entirety of two of my favorite poems. (Sadly, these poems are not Rime of the Ancient Mariner or Charge of the Light Brigade, as that would boost my word count immensely.)

[druidspell]

Hit my goal for myself of 34K! Am now sitting at 34345 words on day 16 :D

[medicalmouse]

I wrote 2083 words today, for a total of 31223! I might write a bit more before I go to sleep, but it's nearly midnight here so that'll go towards tomorrow's word count. I also finally managed to squick myself with a line I wrote, which I think constitutes a great achievement for a horror novel!

[insomniac_tales]

Having a bit of trouble keeping up the daily 1667. Managed to do it today, though I had to be short with the people in my life who kept trying to distract me. I will owe apologies and chocolate to everyone tomorrow. I finally hit 29 just a bit before midnight.

I wrote a chapter that was largely following a random tangent. Turns out it was pretty useful and I might just keep it in the novel after all. I also managed to finished some other scenes left hanging, like this bit in the excerpt:

"The offer still stands." He reaches across the table and grasps her hand.

"What offer?" she asks a bit thickly.

"The offer that I made to you last Christmas."

"Oh." Reese is a little annoyed by the way he's posing the question. She's sleepy enough to feel that she's been condescend to, but not sleepy enough to make a foolish decision. "You consider a proposal to be an offer?"

"Isn't it?" Lindsey realizes that he's probably made a mistake, but at this point he can't stop himself. "It's an offer to spend the rest of my life with you, protecting you, taking care of you."

Reese laughs rather loudly in among the quiet diners in the café. "Sounds like a contract."

"That's why they call it a marriage contract," Lindsey argues.

Reese sees immediately that this has gone entirely over his head. Without pause she stands from her chair, collects her bag and heads toward the door. She's leaving him hanging again and this time with a lot less guilt.