NaNoWriMo Questions, Answers, and more than you wanted to know
This meme is brought to you by the blog of Benjamin Solah, and the letter N.
When and how did you find out about NaNoWriMo? How did you go?
I found out about NaNo sometime in 2002, then a friend suggested I participate in it in 2003. Naturally, being 14 at the time, I knew I wouldn’t have the patience to do that sort of thing, so instead I edited another person’s entry.
How many times have you done NaNoWriMo?
I haven’t! This round’s my first – I haven’t done a NaNo beta in six years either.
How many times have you won? If you haven’t won, what was your best result?
The closest I’ve come to entereing was doing 19000 in November for an entirely different reason.
How did you go last year?
That 19000 was last year. 
Where do you write and with what do you write?
I have three computers, googledocs, a small notebook for ideas when I can’t access one of those computers (which is unlikely; the smallest is one of those netbook things and is going with me EVERYWHERE these days).
How do you find time to write?
I cut out sleep.
Are your partners, friends and family allies or enemies?
No partner (TT_TT), but I have a few friends doing this. My family would much rather I do all of my homework and inventory for moving (and I don’t blame them for this) and then spend more time with the dog.
What are you strengths and what do you use to help you get to the end?
The ability to take a prompt and run with it, for over 1000 words in 20 minutes.
What are you weaknesses, obstacles and challenges that hinder you from finishing?
Time. I have very little of it. Too many prior commitments, and a working knowledge of the gentle art of procrastination.
Do you plot/outline/plan or do you write by the seat of your pants? How much do you plot or how unprepared are you?
I know where I’m starting, who my characters are and what they’re like, and where everything’s going to end up. Beyond that, however, I have no plan.
Do you participate in the real life community, go to write ins and meet ups in your area?
One of my friends has suggested I come to a write in with her IRL. That might be interesting. But see above about the prior commitments.
What are your writing aids? Special snacks, music, totems, rewards or punishments?
I have an iPod stuffed with music and the promise of ongoing adventures. And a panda who sits on top of my desktop and looks at me if I don’t write.
What JK is doing
This year, I have done something very, very, very stupid.
I’ve Signed Up For Things.
Some of you may be aware that I’m vaguely considering writing a novel. Well folks, I’ve decided to take the plunge. This year, in addition to doing the due South Seekrit Santa, running On the Nightstand for November, moving house, creating NaNoBetaMo
I’m doing NaNoWriMo.
In fortunate news, I’ve got all of my books for Nightstand sorted (a smattering of modern YA books, some oldskool kiddie stuff, a newskool kiddie book, an ageless book, some graphic novels, and a variety of different other books, including a nonfiction one); now I just have to reread them and write up the reviews. I haven’t chosen the audiobooks, however (as some of my collection is leaving me partway through, Catherine has agreed to let me use Audiobooks. I’ll be commenting on the reader’s skill as well as the book itself). We have… 21 physical books to read through. So far. If I can find I Am David, then that’ll be 22, thanks.
In really fortunate news, I know exactly what I’ll be doing for my playing of Santa Claus. I hope my recipient enjoys it, because I’ll have to finish a great deal earlier than usual.
Oh, yeah. And I’m doing Bartending for the American Embassy in the evenings. I need to come up with a signature drink, and I’m actually thinking of just mixing up something and maybe something else with maple syrup, to create a properly authentic Canadian Drink. Thoughts? (If I had a choice, I’d actually use Birch Syrup, but it’s a bitch to get hold of.)
Last but not least, I want to try to get a redraft done of High Kick ch1 by the time I get home, so that I can submit it for approval/disapproval when I get back to Wellington. I’ll be keeping the first two pages, definitely (mostly because the first page is hilarious, and the second page is just a cover), and maybe modifying the rest a little bit. And after that, the ‘how to stretch’, ‘how to punch’, and ‘how to do a certain block’ with Carmen, Kyoshi Jack, and Senpai Patrick respectively (all of which I have sketched out in decent detail). I have a new copy of ArtRage (I went and paid for the full version this time), so I feel I’m just about ready to rumble with that.
But right now? Time to do that Ouzo assignment…
Zen and the art of not writing
If you eliminate the destination from the equation and make it about the journey again, you may find your path simpler.
Well, that’s fairly deep – I might even go so far as to call it zen-like, but that may be the influence of watching Life again. And it’s a piece of advice I recently gave to a writer who happened to be completely stuck.
But what does it mean within an editing context? Well, actually, nothing. But it may help in the writing.
Some people like to work with an outline firmly in place. Others seriously do not, and frankly, that’s okay. Lots of people need to write things in direct order, but for those who don’t?
If you’re stuck, it may be an idea to write something from the far future – or perhaps from the far past – of your story. Keep the characters, or at least the world, and just write. Hell, it may even be the end of your story. But don’t let Writer’s Block get you down. Just work out a way to move around it.
As a beta, my task is equally about the journey as the destination. After all, the journey is nothing more than what is built and layered upon the previous steps for that same journey, while the destination is the culmination thereof – and all the little details from the journey need to be checked over, so that it does indeed fit with the ending – and vice-versa. For us, the destination doesn’t matter until we get there – and by then, it may be time to restart the whole journey all over again.
