NaNoWriMo Dreamwidth Writers

Day 20 - 11 days remaining



Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing.
It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting.
As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.

- Rhys Alexander

It's the start of the weekend, Nano Writers - one of two before August draws to a close. So take good advantage of the time, if you're able, and write, Nano Writer, write!

The word count today is 32,258 and if you find you're a little short, try out today's advice! Go back over today's work and add a little detail to your writing. Instead of a car, have your MC drive off in a 1995 Buick LeSabre that needs a brake job and a new right front tire. Or instead of high heel shoes, how about a pair of black lace and patent leather Jimmy Choos, broken heel optional.

Questions? Colorful comments? Shopping tips? It's all good Nano Writer so keep writing!

Day 18 - 13 days remaining



The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict and conflict. 


- James Frey

Today's word count is 29,032! If your story seems to be coming up short Nano Writers, one of the easiest things to do to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your plot is to add in more trouble for your protagonist. Think of conflict as the petrol that makes your story go-go-go and fill it up! And it doesn't have to be all save-the-world stuff - it could be as simple a thing as your MC can't find his keys one morning to start up the old dirigible. Not only does a simple scene like this pump up your word count but it also makes a steam punk type protagonist seem a little more down-to-earth.

Questions, Nano Writer? Shout outs? Writer fuel recommendations? Me, I've been doing matcha shots (powdered green tea - very thick and very green). It's all good! Keep writing!

Day 16 - 15 days remaining



Short stories can be rather stark and bare unless you
put in the right details. Details make stories human,
and the more human a story can be, the better.

- V. S. Pritchett

Congratulations, Nano Writer! Today's word count is 25,806... if you've been keeping up with the daily word count, you are officially halfway to the finish line!

And if you're a little short today, you might consider the wisdom of today's quote: add a little detail to your writing. We're not necessarily talking about full on purple flavored prose here but a little detail not only enlivens your writing, it adds on words to your count and gets you a little closer to that big five-oh bulls eye!

Questions... Comments... Favorite adjective? It's all congenially welcomed! Keep writing, Nano Writer!

Day 14 - 17 days remaining



Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end.
But not necessarily in that order.

- 
Robert Silverberg

The word count today Nano Writers is 22,580. How is everyone coming along?

If you have stalled out and you feel uninspired or unsure about where your main character is headed next, skip a scene or two or even jump ahead to your climatic scene or final scene. There's no rule that you must write your story in sequential order. Shake things up a bit. The change may jump start your enthusiasm and creativity... how does your MC end up on hanging from one of the girders of the Eiffel Tower?

Questions? Shout outs? Last word written today? Mine was rather plain: "see." But it's all good Nano Writers - keep writing!

Day 12 - 19 days remaining



First, find out what your hero wants. Then just follow him.

- Ray Bradbury

It's Friday, Nano Writer - the weekend is 'round the corner! The word count for today is 19,354. Enough said.

Questions/shout outs/excerpts? Keep writing, Nano Writers!

Day 10 - 21 days remaining



If you can tell stories, create characters,
devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion,
it doesn't matter a damn how you write.

- Somerset Maugham

Just for the day Nano Writer, forget about the word count (which I've hidden under a cut) and imagine that you're sitting with a good friend in a coffee shop/on a bus/at a camp fire, sharing a drink/a ride home/a marshmallow and you mention that you're writing a book. With polite interest, they ask you "about what?" (I did say that this was a good friend) and you talk a little about your characters, where they live and when they live and what your characters want so desperately that it makes your teeth hurt. So then your friend asks you those magic words every writer lives for: "what happens next?"

Tell them.

Write today whenever, wherever you can, as if you're telling your friend about the next part of your story, sincerely and passionately, without worries or doubts or second guessing.

Because at the end of the day, it's not the number of words you write that matters but the story you tell that really counts.

Questions, comments, ( today's_word_count? ) It's all good! Keep writing, Nano Writer!

Day 8 - 23 days remaining



For me, writing is exploration;
and most of the time,
I'm surprised where the journey takes me.

- 
Jack Dann

So begins a new week Nano Writers! And like all new things, it is full of promise and possibilities! Where will your story take you today?

The word count is 12,903 but for today ignore the numbers and just spend some time just writing. Write whenever you have some spare time. Write for as long as the moment takes you. Spend some time with your character and see where you go today.

Questions, Nano Writers? Comments? The important thing is to keep writing!

Day 6 - 25 days remaining



The ideal view for daily writing, hour for hour, is the blank brick
wall of a cold-storage warehouse. Failing this, a stretch of sky will do,
cloudless if possible.

- Edna Ferber

For me, I find that my writing flows best when listening to music. My favorite these days is something called movie trailer music (the score usually heard during previews for movies by artists such as E.S. Posthumus and Two Steps from Hell) and movie soundtracks (Lord of the Rings and Narnia) - so great for tuning out the everyday world and really getting into the world of my story.

Do you have a favorite place to be when writing or the perfect routine that helps you communicate with your muse?

The word count to beat today is 9,677, Nano Writers! Questions, comments, music recommendations? It's all good - so keep writing!

Day 4 - 27 days remaining



There are many reasons why novelists write –
but they all have one thing in common:
a need to create an alternative world.

- 
John Fowles

Today's word count is 6,451 words - how's everyone doing? By now, the first part of your novel should be coming to life... your characters going about their everyday lives, little suspecting how everything is about to change...

Questions? Comments? Cabin gossip? It's all good! Nano Writers: keep writing!

Day 2 - 29 days remaining



A word is a bud attempting to become a twig.
How can one not dream while writing?
It is the pen which dreams.
The blank page gives the right to dream.

- 
Gaston Bachelard

So the hard part is behind us, right? We've conquered the "blank page" and have forged bravely ahead, planting the seeds of our hero's story to see what blooms in the weeks ahead. And don't worry if you think that you're only going to get weeds. Even the dandelion has its uses, its own charms. So write on Nano Writer! Write on!

The word count today is 3,225 but remember it's still really just 538 words three times over the day, a handful of words, barely enough to describe what your character's wearing or what he or she's doing standing at the kitchen sink holding that bloody knife...

Questions, excerpts to share, recipes for dandelion wine? It's all good! Keep writing, Nano Writer!