Things are moving along nicely this end, I think! I am still quite new to plotting and outlining so I am doing what I can before Tuesday and the start of NaNo but whether I am doing enough and everything I will need, that remains to be seen!
As I am off work this week I have definately done a couple of hours preparation a day for the last few days and will do that after posting this check-in. Today is all about writing my scenes on post-its and identifying what needs to happen in each scene e.g. making some people look suspicious, information that needs to be revealed, character traits that need to be shown. At times I think I have bitten off more than I can chew writing a murder mystery but then I think, why not? Might as well give it a go!
I have been checking out my regional NaNo forums and hope to meet up with some people during November for local write ins. I have been reading lots of blog posts about NaNo, some of which will appear on mine and Lena's NaNo support group Fun not fear! link mash up on Friday. There are some tips I really like such as writing throughout the day in small chunks, not necessarily sitting down to write 1,667 words in one chunk. For me, on a work day this will look like some writing in the morning before work (shudder!), some when I get home from work and some after dinner. For some reason thinking that I don't have to write my daily amount in one lot makes me feel better. I also like the idea of stopping mid sentence or paragraph so I know where to start the next time I sit down to write. Time will be of the essence so I won't want to sit staring at the screen for 20 minutes before writing a word. I know this might happen but I want to do what I can to try and prevent it!!!
I hope everyone is having great weeks and for those of you taking part in NaNo, hope your preparations are going well!!! Less than a week to go!!!
Any prep is better then no prep and I'd say you are doing great, Em. You're actually slightly ahead of me (which inspires me to move faster, so thank you!).
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of breaking the writing down into smaller chunks throughout the day and the mid-sentence stop. It is going to be a fun ride to begin with so anything we do that keeps things moving along is a good thing.
Enjoy the NaNo Fever prep work. All the best :)
Oh, oh, just joined the Fun not Fear blog! Nice ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, you're way ahead with your NaNo plotting ... *scurries off to caught up*
Keep up the good work!
You are very brave in taking on a murder mystery, Em. But isn't that the point of these challenges...to stretch ourselves and try new things?
ReplyDeleteYou've got the bones for a fantastic story, so run with it! You can polish and sharpen after you write like a mad woman during November!
I'm signing up today...so I'll be joining the support group as well. I'm excited.
Oh a murder mystery sounds neat! Not my genre but I found that working flash fiction I'm actually not terrible at other genres that I don't feel as comfortable in plus it is a great exercise.
ReplyDeleteI'm prepping too, we shall see what happens next week!
Thank you for all your comments....have stopped by all of yoru check-ins :)
ReplyDeleteExcept CrystalCip when I click on your name couldn't get through to a blog, do you have one?
You're doing so well considering this is your first NaNo - I certainly didn't put as much effort into it the 1st year (& definitely not the second) so I have no doubt you'll 'win.'
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're going to get involved in some write-ins - they're so much fun!
I'm not a fan of finishing mid sentence (I get back and can't rememeber what I was going to say!) but BIG fan of writing in chunks - I think it's the only way through NaNo.
Good luck with your final week of prep - this time next week we'll be on day 2!!! EEKK!!
Good luck with NaNo!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ryan!
ReplyDeleteNewtowritinggirl - I am worried I will peak too early, do lots of prep and then fail at the writing hurdle! But I will try my best!
Good luck to everyone preparign!
I really like the idea of Post-It notes; I know I've got a gazillion of them around the apartment. I should really put them to use with plotting!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to hear how NaNo goes for you; you seem to really be prepared for a good show! I've found, too, that breaking up my writing goals into chunks (a little in the morning, a little in the evening) helps it go better for me, too, though I'm worried about consistency. That's what editing is for, though, right?
Great job, Em, and good luck with the rest of the week. It's almost November!
Great job, I sometimes use index cards and good you on for trying something new. best of luck for the week.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNoWriMo! I'm sure you'll do great. I've started to wake up early to get writing done before work and it's a nice way to break up the work.
ReplyDeleteWell done and good luck for Nano. :) xx
ReplyDeleteGene is right that any prep is good prep. You may reach a point where you need to spend a day reworking some of your plans so you can be really productive writing -- for me it is still a back and forth process. I am a plotter, but things still develop as I spill words on to the page. Good luck, Em! I'm excited for you -- you're going to learn a lot about your writer self pushing this pace!!
ReplyDeleteHey ROWsis. Sorry for the last arrival of my comment. I got all my plotting sorted out. Looks like your almost ready to start writing furiously for the NaNoWriMo. I keep thinking I should join the challenge because I do have my plot mapped out generally speaking now. Maybe I need to embrace your Fun Not Fear blog....?
ReplyDeleteOh I so need to buckle down this weekend with my NaNo prep. I'm not ready to panic yet, but I am getting close! Congrats on your goals and by the way, I love love love the Fun Not Fear site. I am loving the links and information you and Lena posted. (mentioned it, with the link, in my blog too!) Good luck the rest of the week and see you at the next check in!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about writing in small chunks as well! After not writing anything for weeks and weeks, looking at that 1667 number is feeling a little daunting, but if I could maybe take a few breaks throughout the day and add a few hundred words during each break... not so bad, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to see what you're going to do with this murder mystery! In retrospect, I probably should've outlined my steampunk tale before I jumped into it, as now I have to go back and impose some sort of structure onto it - all those details and clues and whatnot. But c'est la vie. :D
I'll be at NaNo. I'm WJSmith. It's coming up so quickly. I'm not ready, but still excited about it. You sound like you are nice and organized for it. I'm a total pantser, but I would like to draw up a plot line just to see if I can stick to it.
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