Hello again!
The leaves are various shades of everything except green, the rain has been relentless and the Chicago Hawk is blowing tonight. I remember sitting with my parents in this very kitchen and one of them would make a comment about the Hawk or the wind in the Chicago area. I was a paranoid kid. I kept thinking that the wind would turn into a tornado. I think I was more afraid of the wind then I was the thunderstorms. I like storms now.
In around 26 hours the month of writing will begin for me and probably about 100k other people. I am going to rewrite the novel that I had written last November. I sent out a partial to an agent in August and I received an encouraging rejection. I have new ideas that could flesh the story and the main characters out a lot more so I want to work with that. I'm not cheating because I haven't even looked at the manuscript for over a month. I have worked on this ms for so long it is burnt into my brain.
I have also been feeling a little down lately and I think a major goal like this will help me get out of my mood. I enjoy writing and my friends and family support me even though they might think I am a little crazy. Well, I guess the people that are closest to me know that I am a little crazy. I will post word counts once the crazy month starts.
Good nite and good writing. Patti
October 30, 2009
October 10, 2009
It's Almost November!!
Hello everyone!
It's October 10th. That means that are 21 one days until November and to me and thousands of other writers that means it will be National Novel Writing Month, also known as NanoWrimo. The goal for NanoWrimo is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. It sounds hard. It's not easy but it can be done. The first time I did it was the year that my mother passed away. I didn't have a job so I had plenty of time and I finished early. The following year I was in school so I didn't finish. The next two years was able to succeed. This year I plan to try again.
As anyone reading this blog knows, I submitted a partial to an agent and didn't hear back from her. I am considering this kind of a blessing because after letting it sit for a while I understood more what this particular agent was talking about at our meeting. She asked questions about the climax and how everything ties in together. I also started a new book but I was having trouble staying on track. I don't do too much plotting ahead of time so even though I made to 7000 words it wasn't going the way I wanted it to. So, what I am going to do is combine the two ideas to try to make one story and NanoWrimo is the perfect place to do it. I had seriously debated on whether I was even going to try it this year until I had this idea.
At the Midwest Writer's Workshop Dennis Hensley gave a speech during lunch about what to do if a manuscript isn't working for you or if have writer's block. He told us about the recreate eight:
1. Reshape
2. Re-energize it.
3. Reverse it: Think about what you want to say and then reverse it.
4. Rearrange it
5. Reduce it
6. Expand it
7. Combine it
8. Replace it: Sometimes you just have to let it go.
Hopefully my ideas will be saved by doing some or all of these. Otherwise I might just have to do number 8. I will keep you posted on how things are going along. I have 21 days of planning to do. After that I am not allowing myself to look at the other two manuscripts until the end of November.
Good Night and good writing!!
Patti
It's October 10th. That means that are 21 one days until November and to me and thousands of other writers that means it will be National Novel Writing Month, also known as NanoWrimo. The goal for NanoWrimo is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. It sounds hard. It's not easy but it can be done. The first time I did it was the year that my mother passed away. I didn't have a job so I had plenty of time and I finished early. The following year I was in school so I didn't finish. The next two years was able to succeed. This year I plan to try again.
As anyone reading this blog knows, I submitted a partial to an agent and didn't hear back from her. I am considering this kind of a blessing because after letting it sit for a while I understood more what this particular agent was talking about at our meeting. She asked questions about the climax and how everything ties in together. I also started a new book but I was having trouble staying on track. I don't do too much plotting ahead of time so even though I made to 7000 words it wasn't going the way I wanted it to. So, what I am going to do is combine the two ideas to try to make one story and NanoWrimo is the perfect place to do it. I had seriously debated on whether I was even going to try it this year until I had this idea.
At the Midwest Writer's Workshop Dennis Hensley gave a speech during lunch about what to do if a manuscript isn't working for you or if have writer's block. He told us about the recreate eight:
1. Reshape
2. Re-energize it.
3. Reverse it: Think about what you want to say and then reverse it.
4. Rearrange it
5. Reduce it
6. Expand it
7. Combine it
8. Replace it: Sometimes you just have to let it go.
Hopefully my ideas will be saved by doing some or all of these. Otherwise I might just have to do number 8. I will keep you posted on how things are going along. I have 21 days of planning to do. After that I am not allowing myself to look at the other two manuscripts until the end of November.
Good Night and good writing!!
Patti
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