50,000 Is Just a Number: NaNoWriMo Wks 3-4

#DailyWings: "The question should be, is it worth trying to do, not can it be done." -Allard Lowenstein

Whew! National Novel Writing Month is finally over, my fingers are about to fall off and I can go back to having a real life again. Wonderful. 

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and dragging plotlines and flying  candy bars. First and foremost, I want to give a very big congratulations to all the NaNoers in Chapel Hill, N.C., and around the country who met their personal goals, whether they were to 5k or 50k or simply write every day. We did it.

For those of you who are curious, I made it to 43,705 words by the stroke of midnight. Unfortunately, I did not reach my goal of 50,000 words, but I was so close! On Nov. 30, the very last day, I wrote more than I ever have before -- about 10k in one day.That is crazy.  (The words weren't exactly fine contributions to the novel, but quantity > quality is the essence of NaNo.) This year's writing challenge taught me so much about myself and my writing. For one whole month, I showed that I love writing enough to put it above all else, even school work and health -- this is no exaggeration, as I was sick during the last week. Still, it was worth every hour spent groveling over word vomit. 

Even though I didn't "officially" win, I still felt like a winner when it was all over because of so many new developments that would've otherwise not been created. If I hadn't decided to partake in the writing challenge this year, my book would still be less than halfway done. The thing is, 50,000 is just some lame number. It's really no different from 49,999. Technically, you could just type "the" 50,000 times and enter "50,000" into the word count validator and say you "won." But that wouldn't feel very fulfilling, would it? Even though NaNoWriMo is all about how many words you write and not how meaningful each word is, it's also about how far you can take your characters. Where the story takes you and get you to where you want to be. I've learned that it's never, never too late to finish what you started.  Just because November is over doesn't mean I'll stop writing my novel. The best thing NaNoWriMo has trained me to do is write on a daily basis. It's more than just a habit, it's a lifestyle. 

One last note: This was the first year I publicized my NaNoWriMo endeavors so extensively on Facebook and Twitter. My goal for doing so was to hold myself accountable, but I discovered something else as well. What kept me going every day wasn't the fear of feeling guilt for not writing, but the desire to strive for what everyone -- my family, my friends and all the people who believe in me -- sees me as: a passionate writer who doesn't give up. Throughout the month, I received so many personal messages from different people who knew I was participating in the challenge. And when I ran into friends on the quad or in the dining hall, they would ask me how NaNoWriMo was going. This meant so much to me. 

Thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement over the past month. Proud to be a writer. 

NaNoWriMo Word Count 2012: 43,705
Overall Novel Word Count: 101,486 (and still counting...)


Now that NaNoWriMo is over, it's time for finals.

Wendy Lu

P.S. Like reading The Red Angel? "Like" my blog on Facebook to receive updates and more #DailyWings! Hoping to reach 100 fans by Christmas. Help me reach my goal, please?

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50,000 Is Just a Number: NaNoWriMo Wks 3-4

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NaNoWriMo Owns My Soul: Weeks 1-2

#DailyWings: "Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end -- if not always in the way we expect." -Luna Lovegood

The Office of Letters & Light

I used to think seven hours of sleep was a necessity for my brain and body to function, but I have underestimated myself. This month of November, it's a lucky night when I get five hours of sleep. Sometimes, I'll pass out at 9 p.m. and then wake up, dizzy and bleary-eyed, at midnight to start working for the next four hours. All thanks to National Novel Writing Month. 

Okay, that's not entirely true. It's NaNoWriMo, but it's also my writing classes -- including Reporting and Feature Writing -- as well as the trillion organizations I'm involved with and The Great Internship Search. What is a college student to do? 

Even with lack of sleep, I'm still behind on my word count. Very, very behind. Like, 10,000 words-behind. We're supposed to be past the halfway point right now, and here I am still stuck in the first 10k. It's not that the copy editor in me is trying to take over -- although the pesky adverbs and drawn-out descriptions make me shudder once in a while -- or that I have writer's block. In past years, that's been the case. But this year, it's something different.  It's that I'm working on a novel I started four years ago; obviously, my writing style has changed since then. 

The novel I am working on is the one I won NaNoWriMo with back in 2008. Those were the glory days, the literary frenzy that made me love the writing challenge. My characters had incredible self-awareness and social skills. They owned that novel -- not me. But when NaNo ended, I was exhausted and so incredibly high on the idea of reaching 50k that my novel never flourished into anything more. This year is the first since then that I have dusted off my novel and actually reintroduced myself to the world I'd once created. 

Motivational NaNo stickers! (Drag to URL
bar for a closer look.)

At the beginning, every fiber of my being struggled against putting those fingers to the keyboard. Honestly, it's a mystery to me how I survived that first day of hell -- but I did. During Week One, I learned that falling in love twice is possible. Turns out, my characters have forgiven me for abandoning them in the first place. They only care about moving forward with the story. I zoomed past the first 10,000 words like a monkey driving a car with its feet. Okay, maybe that's not the best comparison to use, but you get what I mean. (Look at what NaNo has done to me -- such terrible analogies! But... #sorrynotsorry)

NaNoWriMo is halfway over, which is a relief, but also terrifying. What if I don't finish in time? My word count is terribly embarrassing after all, despite every effort taken to write during even the busiest days. There's this fear gnawing inside of me, a fear of not being able to finish what I started. Even now, writing this blog post has wasted time, time that could've been spent writing another few hundred words. Every day, I juggle three types of writing:  journalistic writing, scientific writing for psychology and creative writing. SOMEBODY SAVE ME. It's hard to remember that "the key is balance" when there are only so many hours in a day. But I'm doing my best with the time that I have left. 

The hardest part of any writing session is plucking up the courage to start. When I finally delve into the novel, I don't want to stop. It doesn't matter whether the session lasts for five minutes or fifty. For as long as it lasts, I'm flying. I am creating something of nothing. I've come to terms with the fact that most of my NaNo novel has been crap so far. But every once in a while, a clever reference or relatively intelligent insight about my character or an actually humorous -- not corny -- piece of dialogue will get slipped in somehow, and I don't feel so ineffectual anymore. 

Despite the word sprints and the race to finish and all this talk about reaching the average 1,667 words at the end of the day, perhaps that's not what National Novel Writing Month is supposed to be about. For me, it's about proving to myself that I have what it takes to put writing above everything else, if only for a month. It's about taking risks and making mistakes and experimenting. It's about surprises and the discovery of other worlds and friends you never knew you had. It's about reaching across infinite with your eyes closed without a clue as to what direction you're taking. The point is that you are moving. 

Wendy Lu

NaNoWriMo Owns My Soul: Weeks 1-2

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Templates for Story Outlining

#DailyWings: "Do not be concerned that you lack an official position, but rather concern yourself with the means by which you might become established. Do not be concerned that no one has heard of you, but rather strive to become a person worthy of being known." -Confucius, Analects 4.14

I'm not big on the realms of religion and philosophy, but we're studying Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy in one of my summer classes and I came across today's #DailyWings quote in the Confucius section. During my ROW80 and JuNoWriMo journey so far, I have noticed something. The less I write, the more self-conscious I become and the less focused I am on my work. But the more I write while "in the zone," the less concerned I am with the prospects of publication, fame and other ridiculous things. Instead, I write for writing's sake, for portraying the truth genuinely as life portrays it every day for us. I care more about the story and about the characters than anything else at that moment. 

I think that's definitely something I would like to strive for as a writer. It doesn't matter if I become nationally acclaimed for our bestselling, ground-breaking novel. Well, okay, maybe it does - a little. But what's more important is that I work hard to get to that point. In the end, all we want to do is write the best darn novel we possibly can. Yet, as we approach the midway point of JuNoWriMo, let's focus on actually getting the writing done before we focus on quality and bestseller lists, shall we? 

As promised, I have replicated the templates that I used for The T-Project, my current writing project, and have provided them below. The actual outlines are scribbled in my Moleskine notebook and very messy (who's isn't?), so I thought I'd recreate them - except using a different story plot. 

The story plot is made up, but I was inspired by the movies, I Dreamed of Africa and The Gods Must be Crazy. 

OUTLINE TEMPLATES:

*Everyone knows the line, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Each project has its own process - with a beginning and an end. For Page 1, start out with a vision of where you want your project to be at when it's completed. The "moon and stars" keep you motivated. Working out themes help you decide what you want your project to be about on a grander scale. 

One of my ROW80 goals is to write character-driven scenes. This is a mini version of the giant relationship bubbles that should focus on Main Character (MC). Readers are with your MC 99 percent of the time, and the people she meets all play a role in her story. This is the time to grind out those roles. 

Everyone is different when it comes to outlining scenes. I've tried story maps, bubble maps, Excel charts, and nothing works better for me than this simple list. All scenes orbit around the conflict for this particular story, and so I broke down my outline into pre-conflict scenes and post-conflict scenes. Why? Pre-conflict scenes lead us up to the conflict, whereas post-conflict scenes derive from the effects that the conflict had on the characters. I also list the most significant scenes and, below them, the mini scenes that correspond. 

And here are almost all the events in timeline form! The conflict and climax are starred because they're super important (duh), and in between major scenes of the story I add a couple of the mini (but still significant!) scenes. Add time points if desired. 

This was just a rough sketch of what these templates would look like filled using a basic story plot. What do you think? What sort of outline tools do you use when planning out your story?

Wendy Lu

*You may use these templates for your own story planning, but please provide credit if you are going to share on your blogs! 

Templates for Story Outlining

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"You're doing NaNo? Sounds like a dirty iPod joke if you ask me."

QOTD: Tell us a funny Thanksgiving dinner story! (C'mon, we've all got those memories of Grandpa cracking funny--but not really funny--jokes and Baby Cousin Jack spitting peas at your brother.)

Okay, I know the title is super lame--but it was either that or "You know you're crazy for doing NaNo when you told your Mom and she said, laughing, 'A book? Hun, you wouldn't even write those This I Believe essays in grade school, what makes you think you can write a novel...?'." Yeah, I'm glad I went with this blog title instead. ^^

Speaking of NaNoWriMo, there are eight days left! How are we feeling about this? Excited? Frantic? Indifferent? (*points to self*) It's time to share with you all my word count. I am not really ready to expose myself to shame, but here: 

9,152

Yep, my word count has stayed the same for weeks. Not days, weeks. And when has that ever been okay? (Answer: Never.)

Yet, here I am feeling indifferent. What is this? I should be feeling terrible about myself. I mean, this was supposed to be year that I would make myself a winner. What happened to that? 

In my defense, I have been writing. Just not my novel. I have five papers due this month and I just turned in one of them (five pages on the representation of Congress!) yesterday morning. I do think that's a forgivable reason for not noveling, but still....the real winners of NaNo are the writers who get their 1,666 words in every single day no matter what priorities they have in real life. They make time. They choke out words, as many as possible;  spit them into their word processor until that 1,666th word is down. 

Me? I'm listing excuses about why my word count is still four digits long. I mean, I spend half my time cheering on others who are nearing the finish line themselves; why can't I do the same for myself?

Which brings me to today's main focus. At the start of November, did you tell any of your family or friends or the whole wide world you were going to do NaNo (the novel challenge, silly, not the iPod)? What did you say? "Hi Mummy and Daddy, if I don't respond to your calls this month it's because I'm in my closet writing a novel, okay? Thanks, love you, bye!"?

More importantly, what was their reaction? 

Reactions often play a huge role in our perception of what we believe we are doing with NaNoWriMo. If most of the reactions you receive were generally positive statements like "Oh wow, you GO girlfriend!!!" and "This is perfect for you! You LOVE to write! This is going to be so much fun...you're going to love it," then chances are you were compelled to feel the same way about your literary journey. 


But if most people you tell say things like, "50k in a month? Give it up before it's too late to save yourself," "What a waste of time," and "You're doing NaNo? What's that mean? Sounds like a dirty iPod joke if you ask me," then diving headfirst into the challenge may not have started out so great for you. 

I didn't exactly tell the world I'm doing NaNo this year, but I did tell a lot friends (okay, basically my entire friends list on Facebook once I'd updated my status). The collective response I got was: "Oh God, my fingers hurt just at the thought of writing that much..." and "Wow, um, okay! Good luck with that!" Don't get me wrong - they're all pretty supportive of me, but I can tell that behind those good lucks were skepticism and doubt--which is a totally natural reaction coming from people who have not heard of NaNoWriMo before. 

The problem, though, is that the reactions of people who matter a lot to you tend to rub off on you. Seeing as I am easily influenced by others, this is probably what's happened to me as well. I really need to fix this. I need to be my own cheerleader, my own source for inspiration and motivation no matter what other people are thinking. 

In the end, we've all got to believe in ourselves. We can't rely on other people to galvanize our creative juices and keep us going, because when it all comes down to it, this is our fight.  The truth is, we don't need to win NaNoWriMo to feel good about ourselves, anyway. Every word we put down is a winner. This is our journey, and we are the only ones who can reach the goal we set out to attain, whether that be 50,000 words or 5,000. Let's all keep this in mind as we're gearing up for this last week of writing. 

I can't promise that I'll reach 50,000 words in the next seven days, but I can promise that at the end of NaNo I will be able to say I pushed aside my papers, skipped post-turkey/stuffing/macaroni exercise and worked my butt off to reach my final word count. 

What reactions did you receive when you told others you were doing NaNo? How did it affect your own attitude? After 22 days of literary frenzy, how has your attitude and the attitudes of said others changed?

"You're doing NaNo? Sounds like a dirty iPod joke if you ask me."

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Reveal of the Red Angel + NaNoWriMo 2011 Begins!

QOTD: Tell us about your Halloween. Did you dress up? Did you go trick-or-treating (you're never too old for this, I promise!) or hand out candy to the kids? Did you stay at home and watch scary movies? Let us know! 

When I was a little girl, I used to get really paranoid about being in the dark and having bad guys snatch me away from the safety of my home. Both figuratively and literally. These bad guys include dangerous creepers, but also verbal attackers and anyone who is wrongly judgmental of who I am. Honestly, I think I worry too much about what other people think of me.

Which is totally understandable, right? I mean, I know I'm not the only one who cares about how my opinions and lifestyles will shape what people see the parts of me that I share with them. But to an extent this sensitivity is a setback, seeing as I'm a writer and journalist/psychologist-in-training. How can I give other people solid advice on how to improve their lives for the better and write articles on topics I feel strongly about when I'm nervous about what nice or mean things Jack and Mary are saying behind my back? 

A major lesson I have learned in college so far is that it really, truly does not matter what other people think of you. There are just way too many individuals in this world, and focusing on one's rank in popularity and likability is just a waste of time. Of course, that isn't to say reputation and presentation of one's self doesn't matter, because they do--especially in the corporate world and in the job market. But it's important to balance reputation and individuality. 

Be who you want to be, and don't let the fear of what others may think of you prevent you from trying out new things, expressing yourself and saying what you believe in. 

This sensitivity is also what has kept me from becoming too public on the Internet. I can say anything I want to online...but doesn't that mean other people--strangers, friends and colleagues alike--can say anything they want about me too? My answer to my own question is...yes, but so what? I have nothing to hide except myself, and why do I want to hide myself when there is so much to share and so much to do in a single lifetime? 

I don't. 

So after much thinking, I have decided that I'm going to share with you all who I am--not just as "the red angel," but as me. I feel like by doing so, all of you readers and fellow bloggers will be able to identify with me better now that you can put a name to a face and have a better picture (no pun intended) of who I am. 

Yup, that's me! My name is Wendy Lu 

(Sometimes I get called Cindy Who/Wendy Wu/other forms of Wendy Lu, so whichever you prefer ;) Red Angel works too haha)

So I made this costume for a "Super Rave" that took place in one of the dorms last year. What do you guys think? And hey, Supergirl could be Asian...you never know! Haha. I am always really curious as to how Halloweeners (LOL) put their costumes together, so I'll break down my Supergirl facade for you: 

• The Superman shirt was a gift from a wonderful friend of mine. He knows how much I love Superman! You can find different versions at Hot Topic. 
• I bought the blue/violet stockings from the mall, though I forgot which department. $3.00 on sale. Check out various styles at ModCloth! 
• The red skirt is from a local thrift store. It was originally a long skirt, but another friend of mine who is excellent with the sewing machine was able to hem it for me. Only $3.00! 
• The red cape is a really long piece of fabric that I got from Hancock's Fabrics. About $6.00 or so. 
• My red headband was part of a set of headbands that my sister gave me for Christmas a few years ago.
• You can't see my shoes, but I'm also wearing black Converse All-Star high-tops. They weren't originally going to be a part of the costume but they actually fit really well with the Superman look, so I figured it worked! 

Sadly, I was not able to go out for Halloween this year due to my American History (1865-present) exam, which took place yesterday (hence, the late blog post!). Halloween wasn't all just textbooks and studying, though. I live in a really quiet apartment complex and there aren't that many families or children living near me. But to my surprise, starting at 6:30pm on Monday night, three adorable little kids dressed up as princesses came knocking on my door. I quickly tossed some Kit-Kats into a bowl, threw on my Superman shirt and showered them with candy! :) How was your Halloween? 

NaNoWriMo Word Count: 582 (I blame History. But...major write-in tonight! If you are a participant, how is NaNo going?)

Reveal of the Red Angel + NaNoWriMo 2011 Begins!

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Be a Bold Writer

QOTD: Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month?

Before I get on with today's topic, I'd just like to point out that NaNoWriMo will be here ONE WEEK! For those of you who have no clue what this amazing event is, it's a month-long challenge to write 50,000 words' worth of a novel in the course of November. It's fun, it's crazy, it's illuminating, it's life-changing. And that's not an exaggeration either. 

I've been tweeting like mad and following accounts like FigmentFiction and WriMos FTW! just to get myself hyped up about NaNo. (Seriously guys, unless you've been keeping up with my blog since last November, you have no idea how intense I get around this time of the year!) I've become obsessed with looking up literary blogs, and I have an entire folder in my Bookmarks dedicated to online NaNoWriMo articles that I've collected from the Internet. 

Seriously! Come. Join. I guarantee that if you stick with it, in the end you won't regret having done it. Well-l-l maybe you might, but it'll definitely be an experience you'll never forget. :) 

~~~

I'll be focusing a lot on writing this month and the next (not surprisingly), and today I've thought a lot about why it's important to be a bold writer. What do I mean by being a bold writer? 

Bold writers...

• aren't afraid to take chances
• create characters, make them come alive and then put them in situations that take them out of their comfort zone

Bold writers...

• take those characters to places that they normally wouldn't think of going in their worlds, and then take a step back to see what happens
• don't use cliches--they make their own. 

Bold writers are able to make their stories become so alive and full of truth that it's impossible for a reader to forget. 

As writers, we have all the tools we need to do what we do. We use a collection of our thoughts and feelings, our experiences and our imagination. We use our mind. This is both luxuriating and terrifying, because if we are the controllers of our own minds, surely we can create anything we want?

Bold writers aren't afraid to take advantage of all the tools they need to create something. They scoop all of these tools up and chisel away until they're raw and dull and in need of a good sharpening again--use them with full force and maybe shoot them out one after another like bullets emitting out of a gun or all at once like a great big cannonball. They don't know what they might end up with when it's all said and done and, quite frankly, they don't give a damsel-in-distress about staying sophisticated or rational. They dive into their work. 

This coming November, let's all be bold writers. Let's step out of our normal boundaries and create characters that in the real world would have never crossed each other's pathways--and let's make them cross those paths. Let's see what happens when we toss all cares aside and do whatever the heck we want with the tools we have. Let's find out what we can create when rationality is crumpled up, stomped on and tossed over our shoulders. 

Be a Bold Writer

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Design a Book Cover Contest: "Breathless"

Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far! Today marks the Design a Book Cover Contest, hosted by Teralyn Rose Pilgram over at A Writer's Journey. Check out the other entries below, and vote on your favorites! 

Below, you can see my entry: 

What do you guys think? :) The background of the book cover is part of a photo that I took of a stained glass window in one of the chapels back home. I think there are many different ways you can interpret what you see on cover...whether it's a certain shape created by the different pieces of glass or a deeper, more subtle and emotional abstraction embedded within the image itself. 

Breathless is a writing project that I may be working on during National Novel Writing Month, which is honestly the most awesome and craziest writing event you could EVER have the insanity to participate in (if you didn't already dive in last year and figure that out yourself). 

I really, really loved working on my entry for the contest solely because it gave me even more inspiration to continue the project (I will stay very ambiguous about "the project" because no writer is supposed to actually talk about what they are working on, right? Therefore, I am going to keep this in "hush-hush mode") and sparked that kind of initial fiery interest and passion I had felt when I first started it. 

Creating the book cover also made me realize that I REALLY enjoy the art of making book covers....thinking about what colors and images to use, how to arrange the text, and--most importantly--pondering over what a book cover should (and shouldn't) reveal and depict about the story inside. 

I think I found my new procrastination hobby. ;)

Design a Book Cover Contest: "Breathless"

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Compromising With Your Main Character

Question of the Day: What is one quirky habit, hobby, or hidden talent you have that not many people know about you?

As you all know, I am doing National Novel Writing Month. Earlier, I was having a mild argument with my Main Character, but we just made up. :) Basically, she thinks the last few chapters have been pretty passive and need a little oomph, while I've been trying to tell her to be quiet because editing and "going back" will ONLY slow me down! So far the past day or two, she's just been yacketing yacketing in my head. In the end, though, we compromised...

MC: Gosh Wendy, I don't really know what to think about that last chapter...

Me (narrows eyes): What's that supposed to mean?

MC: Well, I feel like ever since Chapter 9, the action has just really been dwindling down...

Me: Um, HELLO, I'm trying not to go too fast or feed too much information to my readers!

They need time to rest, just enough time for them to get inside your head and for me to build

some suspense...

MC: But Chapter 9 and 10 just seem so...so passive. They need a little oomph.

Me: Oomph??

MC: You know, to spice them up a little. Hmm, maybe you should have me take a random

plane flight to Las Vegas and I can party all night...

Me: I'LL decide on how to write MY novel, little missy.

MC: Well it's MY story!

Me: I'd like to see YOU slaving away day after day, typing until your fingers are sore with the thought "1667, 1667" repeating over and over in your head, and tearing your hair out because you can't find another synonym for "secretive."

MC: Clandestine.

Me: *THWACK* (punches MC in the nose)

-ten minutes later-

Me: MC, are you okay?

MC: You broke my nose.

Me: Oh shut up, your nose didn't break. You're just a figment of my worthless imagination.

Erm...does it still hurt?

MC: Duh. So what do you want now?

Me: Well I'm trying to complete Chapter 10 and am failing horribly. I guess you ARE important to this novel. I am sorry for fake-breaking your nose. So whaddaya say? Help me out here? Chapter 10 could really use your insight...

MC: I want to go to Las Vegas.

Me: Well I can't let you do that.

MC: I WANT TO GO TO LAS VEGAS!

Me: ...........Okay.

MC: !!!!!!!!WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG REALLY?!?!!?!!!!!

Me: You can go to Las Vegas, but ONLY after Chapter 16.

MC: Why Chapter 16?

Me: Because in Chapter 13 something bad happens to somebody you care about, and then in Chapter 15 you get kissed.

MC: COOL!!!!!!!!!!!

-The End-

So what about you? Do you ever have little figments of your imagination spring to life and start arguing with you?

Personally I think my Main Character and I have a bit of a personality clash....

~TRA

Compromising With Your Main Character

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Meet: The "Hope" Bompkin

Question of the Day: What did you do last summer? xD

So my Halloweekend was GREAT! Sort of... Michael and I hung out at my apartment, watching episodes of Smallville (of course), comparing favorite quotes, and eating chocolate upcakes. Yes, CUPCAKES. Mmmmm. The sad part of Halloween was that no kids came to knock on my door. Thus, we had TONS and tons of Candy (yes, Candy with a capital C) left over. We COULD'VE eaten it all...but we didn't. ;) Instead, I passed the Candy around in Chinese class as a sort of post-Halloweeniness treat for everyone.

As for National Novel Writing Month, I am currently about 4,000 words behind. AKA Two Days Behind. This past week has been super hectic, mainly due to the fact that I have a new story assignment (1300 words minimum) to complete as the writer for my college's features magazine. Ohh NaNoWriMo, you just HAD to be in November, didn't you?

Well, it is just the first week. If you're having troubles, such as writer's block, arguments with your main character, or just a complete loss of steam all together, please don't give up. Every word counts. Plus, the more you write down by the end of November, that's one greater step up you'd be than you would've been if you hadn't gone so far.

Just remember that there is still...H-O-P-E!!! =)

I painted this at my college's Paint-A-Pumpkin event. I call it the "Hope" Bompkin. I painted it just for you NaNoers. <3

IT'S THE BOMPKIN'S HEAD!!!!

I added a rose for extra good luck. In a way, a novel is like a rose...as the flower begins to grow, it begins to develop thorns. However, the ending result is magificent. We are currently in those thorns right now, you and I. We are trying to surpass the greatest difficulties of writing a novel. But if we don't give up and keep the will to win, our novel will bloom just like this flower. :D

The shining star of a NaNoer is the one person who always motivates that writer to keep going and never stop...to never look back or edit or second-guess what the writer has already written. The star always provides light where there is dark. My star is my friend Michael. Who is yours?

Meet: The "Hope" Bompkin

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Ha-Ha-Halloweekend!

Question of the Day: What is the most outrageous, silliest, or most unique costume you've ever worn out for Halloween in the past?

HAPPY HALLOWEEKEND!

First of all, I must say that NaNoWriFri (National Novel Writing Friday) went well! It was a very small turn-out, but Michael and I met some really neat folks living in our region and exchanged NaNoWriMo usernames and favorite villains/quotes/titles with each other. It was awesome and I can't wait to participate in our upcoming write-ins!

Ahh....now, on to getting ready for Halloweeny!

I'm not one to dress crazy for Halloween but I sure have seen some people with some amazing costumes that you never would've thought of before! A McDonalds French fries box, an iPod touch, an M&M...just to name a few. I'm a rather conservative Halloween dresser-upper; my past costumes consist of: Gypsy, twin, pirate, Little Red Riding Hood (my favorite), cat, and ancient Chinese royal princess.

This year, Michael is coming over for Halloween and we will be handing out candy to the kids around my neighborhood. Yep, like good little college kids (goodness knows what the ones will do downtown tomorrow!). Aaaand....what will our costumes be?

Well, he and I aren't in any fraternities or sororities...it's not really our thing. So for this one night, on All Hallow's Eve, we will be dressing up as: Frat Boy & Sorority Girl.

Of course, pictures of our outfits (and CCCCAAAANDDDYYYY) shall be up post-Halloween. :)

I'm not a big fan of horror stories, creepy critters, or scary superstitions and conspiracies. So instead of freaking you all out with creepy images and mini tales of woe, I'd like to share with you this neat little song I learned in pre-school (yes, I still remember it).

The Stirring Song

Stirring and stirring my BREW.

WhooOOOooo. WhooOOOooo.

Stirring and stirring my BREW.

WhooOOOooo. WhooOOOooo.

*tip toe* *tip toe* *tip toe* BOO!

Do you remember any childhood memories of Halloween while growing up at school, while trick or treating, or just in general?

For all you writers and NaNoWriMoers, what do you think your MC (Main Character) would like to dress up as for Halloween?

Hope you all have a great Halloween! Don't get spooked. :o)

~TRA

(graphic belongs to SunnyNeo)

Ha-Ha-Halloweekend!

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YAYYYYY! for NaNoWriFri!!!

Question of the Day: Are you into math and science or are you more of a humanities and literary arts type of person? Or are you a mixture of both? If so, why do you think that is?

EEK! I am SO excited for National Novel Writing Month I can hardly think of words to express my, er... excitement! There are only FOUR more days!! I have heard people use SO many adjectives to express their thoughts about what NaNoWriMo is like. Crazy, impossible, amazing, unthinkable, ridiculous. What do I call it? Exhilarating.


Most of the time, my life nowadays is a routine. Day in, and day out, I go to class, I study in the library, I eat at the university dining hall, I study some more, I eat, and I sleep. Oh, and I blog. ;) I enjoy my days, but quite honestly they can get kind of monotonous after a while. I mean, eating the same shrimp scampi and vegetable soup from the same cafeteria every single day CAN get a little boring. Just a little bit. Sometimes, I feel like I just need to...GARRR!!!! Have some sort of wild frenzy and chaos.


That is exactly what NaNoWriMo offers. No wonder I've been addicted to it since 2006.
Thirty days. 1,667 words a day. One novel. Completely exhilarating. For every NaNoWriMo that I have participated in, it's been just that. Creating plots, characters, settings, and gosh knows what else, and compiling it all together in a would-be coherent book is what NaNo is all about. With the clock ticking and my hands flying all across the keyboard from left to right, I feel extremely pressured...but in a good type of way. I feel like I can let go of some of my extra energy and stress and take a break from the monotony that inevitably dominates over my daily schedule. During the moments that I am writing, there's nothing that is more alive to me than the story that I am creating.


Ahhh. Just thinking about it now and imagining all of this makes me anticipate NaNoWriMo all the more, if that's even possible. And what's even COOLER about this year is that I will be participating in weekly write-ins and meeting up with regional NaNoers for the first time. PLUS, I persuaded one of my best friends, Michael, to do NaNoWriMo with me!


So. Michael and I proposed a NaNoWriFri. Yes, National Novel Writing Friday. This Friday, we
are going to go to our regional Kick-off Party at the local Panera, meet all sorts of cool NaNoers, and then plan our novels together at my apartment. See, I'm not completely done with the planning of my novel, and neither is Michael. (I blame the textbook reading and essays that I've had.) On Friday night, he will be coming over to my apartment and we will be having a sort of "prelude" to the frenzy of NaNo. We will be comparing plots, filling out NaNo charts and completing our novel outlines together.


NaNoWriMo is fun just by itself, but it is definitely 10x better when you do it with a friend! So if you don't know anyone else who's writing for November, let everyone know about this awesome competition you'll be taking part in and try to get some of YOUR friends to do it with you! Especially if you're a newcomer, you will definitely appreciate any inspiration and motivation from other people to keep on writing.


Ultimately, National Novel Writing Month is a competition with yourself. A competition to see how fast you can write your novel, how many words you'll be able to get down on a day by day basis, and in the end if you got past your goal of 50k.


I found this cute comic from Google. It's kind of fuzzy but if you drag it to your URL bar, you'll be able to see it more clearly. I hope you enjoy! :)



~TRA

YAYYYYY! for NaNoWriFri!!!

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National Novel Writing Month 2010: think baby (as in baby steps) #2

In my last post, I talked about how creating baby steps (aka little goals) and incentives for accomplishments will help me and you win National Novel Writing Month. At the end, I said "baby steps, that's all it is," and the moment I published that post I could already hear fellow readers saying EASIER SAID THAN DONE! in my mind. So I just HAD to continue that concept of "baby steps" in this post...

Unfortunately, November happens to be one of the busiest months of the year. Thanksgiving, Election Day, midterms for some schools, homecoming for other schools, et cetera. And writing 1,667 words a day isn't easy with a busy schedule, even one that is only moderately heavy with work and chores and events. But it IS possible and doable.

So I've created a hypothetical schedule that is hypothetically supposed to be planned out as a typical day in November for a hypothetical mother who is doing NaNoWriMo for the first time, even with Thanksgiving looming over her head and three kiddies to tend.

6:30 am -- Go out for morning run with Fluffy (the hypothetical dog), take him out to relieve himself, listen to a soundtrack you created for your novel to get some inspiration

7:00 am -- Write 300 words while your creative juices are still flowing, then get writer's block (urgh! How to get the inevitable romance between your bachelor of a Main Character and your MC's son's teacher??)

7:30 am -- Wake up the rest of the house, get the kids ready for school, make breakfast for all, pack lunches

8:15 am -- Drop kids off, get dropped off at work, kiss Hubby goodbye

8:30 am -- Work

11:45 am -- Turn down lunch offer from co-workers and explain your NaNoWriMo commitment, get funny looks but have one of your friend-worker (a co-worker who is also a friend) agree to write her novel with you (she happens to be one of the few whom you persuaded to do NaNo!) during lunch

12:00 pm -- Have an intense write-in with your friend-worker while eating lunch, get 500 words in, exchange light conversation about your novel plots

1:00 pm -- Get back to work

3:31 pm -- A light bulb suddenly flicks over your head as you finally realize what to do with your MC (next scene: have him get his arm broken while picking up his son from school, thus initiating the meeting between Ms. Priddy and him...ta-da!); quickly write down a short scene and certain valuable lines ("The twinkle she had in her eyes when she looked at me for the first time was mesmerizing") and then quickly get back to your current work project as your boss walks by; hurray, you got in 200 words at work!

6:45 pm -- Return home, cook dinner with Nanny Dearest and Hubby, change one particularly stinky diaper

7:30 pm -- Dinnertime! A lovely hour of feeding Baby, reminding your other two little'uns to use their napkins and chew with their mouths closed, and fighting with your MC in your mind over what you should do with him in the next couple of chapters (apparently he'd rather meet her in a more romantic setting such as a beach or something else unrealistic)

8:15 pm -- Wash dishes with Hubby while Nanny Dearest bathes the little'uns, discuss your MC with Hubby, who helps you decide to go with your own instincts and set the scene between Ms. Priddy and your MC at school

8:30 pm -- Jot down a quick 300 words after this thoughtful dishwashing-bonding time

8:45 pm -- Begin watching Beauty & the Beast with your family

9:00 pm -- take a movie break and make your award-winning strawberry smoothies for the children (because they begged and made those adorable puppy faces that you can never resist)

9:45 pm -- Put the kids to bed

9:50 pm -- Write a good, solid 400 words; review today's NaNo work...YES YOU ACCOMPLISHED YOUR BABY STEP OF THE DAY!

10:30 pm -- Have some down time with Hubby and talk about Thanksgiving plans over a romantic cheese and wine snack (you eventually decide that he will cook the smaller dishes if you take care of the turkey and stuffing)

Whew! A long but productive day! As you can see, the hypothetical woman above was able to squeeze in even MORE than the absolutely-must-write-1677-words in her day. It's all about having the motivation and staying inspired. As demonstrated above at 11:45am, you may have to turn down some social gatherings/offers/dates during the month of November, depending on how ahead you are in your novel and how much time you're willing to give (okay, BALANCE) into NaNoWriMo.

It's always best to forewarn family and friends that you're committing November to a 50k novel-writing contest, but they still may pressure you into ditching your characters for a girls' (or guys') night out. However, this is the golden time when you ought to keep the bigger goal in mind and *sniff* say no to nights of fun.

You may feel rather depressed at times when you do so, which is pretty normal for the average NaNoer, but it will definitely pay off once you're grinning with your newly self-published book and your friends are screaming for your autograph in the end. ;)

~TRA

National Novel Writing Month 2010: think baby (as in baby steps) #2

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NaNoWriMo 2010: think baby (as in baby steps)

Question of the Day: What is the one tactic you use to prevent yourself from boarding a train at The Procrastination Station?

One thing that gets most people excited about NaNoWriMo is the thought of actually winning it...of writing a book that consists of 50,000 words in a single month. Ah...like Audrey Hepbern says, "wouldn't it be loverly"? It would indeed. I mean, it's only an average of 1,700 words that need to be written per day, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Here's how many people start out with NaNoWriMo:

Day Negative One: Get ecstatic and absolutely PUMPED about the book idea, look over plot/chapter/character outlines one more time, dream about what the first word will be

Day One: Begin writing furiously, come up with about 2,000 words, feel triumphant, re-read twice and take out a couple weird sentences. Off to a good start!

Day Two: The MC is getting a bit boring by himself, so introduce 2nd MC. Write 1,600 words, solid.

Day Three: Get in 1k.

Weekend One: Averaging about 900 words a day. It WOULD be more if it weren't for work, parent duties, oh--and that wedding shower you're hosting for your best friend! D: But hey, every word counts right? That's what they always say!

Day Nine: Writer's Block. Great.

Day Ten: Barely able to get through a paragraph. Why does November have to be so busy?? Oh, and it doesn't help that Writer's Block is still hovering around.

Day Twelve: FORGET IT!! *Wah* I'll never win NaNoWriMo at this rate, I was crazy to ever even THINK that I could pull this off! *pulls hair off and out instead* ARghh, I QUIT!!!! *throw computer at the goldfish bowl...and miss*

This was me during 2006 and 2007; in fact, several NaNoers give up with a scenario like Day Twelve, give or take a day. They begin to realize that...1,700 words is actually A LOT more than it seems to be at first thought. Sometimes, I still feel like this...last year, I was very close to giving up. As a senior filling out college apps, senior project forms, and whatnot, it was very difficult to keep up with my writing. I barely made it.

This year, I have a specific goal in mind that I hope you NaNoers will share with me. Many people get excited about the MAJOR goal and think, Omggg it'd be SO totally cool if I actually wrote a BOOK (of 50,000 words) in a MONTH and, then, like, publish it! Then, by the second week (or perhaps the second day if you're REALLY having trouble or are very fickle), your excitement plummets to the ground, like a football out-of-bounds, with a dissatisfied bump. And then your dream of being the next J.K. Rowling (or Stephen King, whatever floats your boat) crashes and burns.

Instead of thinking about the overall prize -- OMG OMG I'M GONNA BE A NY TIMES BESTSELLER, Y'ALL! -- ponder over the little goals that will lead you to that reward. Just think of a baby. I mean, in the first few months of its existence, a baby's ultimate mission is to learn how to walk (OMG OMG MOMMY'S GONNA BE PROUD!), and eventually through baby steps he or she will reach that goal.

Examples of NaNo baby steps: 1) Write 1,667 words a day (a standard baby step), 2) take time for 3 breaks per day (2 hours each) to get your words in, 3) reserve one day a week to have a deadly write-in (either by yourself or with other NaNoers in your region if you wish).

I've decided that for every day I don't get 1,667 words written, I will give myself an extra half hour of reading and homework. I have also decided that for every 500 extra words I write, I will allow myself to watch one rerun episode of Glee or Smallville! Yayy for incentives! They almost always work if they're appealing enough, so try them out yourself. For instance, for each baby step you accomplish, depending on how big a step is, treat yourself to a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte or an afternoon cat nap. And once you get into the stride, each day gets a little bit easier!

Looking forward to writing with you all beginning November 1st :) Baby steps, that's all it is!

~TRA

NaNoWriMo 2010: think baby (as in baby steps)

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NaNoWriMo 2010: The Beginning

Question of the Day: Finish the sentence: Roses are red, violets are blue... __________!

I. am. SO. PUMPED. for. NANOWRIMO 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeez, I don't think I could add another exclamation point. Well...maybe one more. !!! (Three more, actually) :) Starting on November 1st, every participant from around the world will be doing this crazy, seemingly impossible, incredible, amazing, wacky thing called National Novel Writing Month.

What: NaNoWriMo
No really...WHAT: Write a 50,000 word novel (or part of a novel) in one month, averaging about 1667 words a day.
Who: YOU! And anyone else who's brave enough
Where: Planet Earth (who knows? Maybe on other planets aliens are doing it too XD)
When: November 1st to November 30th
Why: Because we can
How: Journals, Microsoft Word, napkins, StickyNotes, any other means you can use to document your work

Say whattt? You want me to write a BOOK in a MONTH? Mmhmm, yes, with me please! :D NaNo is so much more exciting when you know other people who are doing it too! That way, you won't feel insane for choosing to participate and you'll have someone to discuss your NaNo adventures....from your daughter's eagerness to participate in "the fun writing excercise that mommy's doing!" to sleepless nights of wrestling with your characters to the EXTRA 500 words you grilled into your laptop in one day.

In fact, having a buddy to write with is so important to me that I will disclose my NaNoWriMo username: Gwendolyn92. Feel free to add me as your buddy on the NaNoWriMo website! :)

You don't have to be an author or even a regular writer to participate. You don't even have to be good at telling stories. For NaNo, write a how-to book, a suspense thriller, a guidebook on blogging, a book filled with your poetry whose word counts all add up to 50,000 words, whatever you want. As long as it's a book, you can write it for NaNoWriMo!

I've participated in NaNoWriMo since 2006...it's become a sort of yearly tradition for me. Instead of a chore-like obligation, I see it as a way for me to take a little bit of each day to really dedicate time for me and my writing. Nothing else. (Except for maybe a cup of hot chocolate to last me until 2am) For this year's contest, I will be working on the last half of my already-published novel, Sophie, which I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2008. I can't guarantee that I will win, but I CAN guarantee that I will have fun with this (crazy) project and complete a big chunk of my novel. And to me, every word counts!!

~TRA

P.S. Expect more posts on NaNoWriMo in the near future and for the next month and a half. ;D Don't worry, I'll still update on other aspects of life, hehe.

NaNoWriMo 2010: The Beginning

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