Learning From NaNoWriMo

It's been a while.  I've neglected you for a couple weeks now.  I promise it was not intentional.  I just decided to take the craziest ride of my life, and bit off more than I can properly chew.  I reached a critical point, not long ago, where my synapses went into overdrive.  I realized that if I kept working full time, catering to family, and attending school, I would have no time to actually write.  For an aspiring author, this is obviously distressing news.

Not distressing, that term is not strong enough.  I'd probably say it was catastrophic news.  This came after many other issues had decided to make their way to me and plop themselves onto my already full plate.  The only available answer was to quit my job and NOT get another one.  Crazy?  Yes, very.  Necessary in my case?  I think so.  The true question is what happens from here?

As things stand, I'm not finished with my B.A. in Creative Writing.  I wanted to have my degree before I was in this position.  We all know how plans are though; they never go where they are supposed to.  I'm still taking my classes (I actually only have a few semesters left, which will no doubt fly by) and trying to make my way through the possibilities of earning income, which is in some way related to my field of study, rather than throwing away my time at a job which will not build a portfolio.  Somehow, "I can help fix your internet", does not seem to garner points on a writing resume.  Weird.  It has been a long couple of weeks crammed with various duties.  Things are beginning to settle down, so the real struggle begins.  Oxymoron, I know.

I've been doing NaNoWriMo this month, a very valuable exercise in writing insanity, which will hopefully produce something of quality.  In addition to this, I need to edit another manuscript (my first edit!).  It is probably time to drag out all those nifty writing links I've been saving up for the future.  As they say, it is "go time".  I've already learned that this journey is not for the scared, or the faint of heart. It is not for those who dream of a "someday".  NaNoWriMo is teaching me that every moment is THAT moment, every day can be a step towards "someday".  I've always been able to write without worrying about writer's block (this may be due to my ADD-esque writing style), but NaNoWriMo challenges this.  To meet my goal, I need to write a certain amount of words per day.  If I fall behind, I have to write more during the following days to catch up.  The writing lags and it can be depressing watching the spillage of word junk accumulate on the screen.  I can understand the desire to stop at that moment.  To go hide from the manuscript you are writing and which seems to mock you and your dreams.  Don't hide though!  Keep going, press onward! Truly, it is a pain in the butt, yet it works.

Writing is a sport. You heard me...(figuratively speaking).   A sport requires intense training, dedication, perseverance and practice.  Sound familiar?  I thought so.  Writing takes skill, but if you have the determination, you can learn to acquire the skill.  If you want the "trophy", you have to do the work.  No one ever expects to have a perfect sprint, or three-point shot, without first working towards the completion of those goals.  As writers, we cannot expect to write the perfect book, or even the perfect scene at the first draft.  NaNoWriMo is teaching me the value of pressing on, though the work might be substandard, to reach the end goal of completing the first draft.  Once the first draft is done, I'm able to go back and edit.  More practice.  You can always rewrite once you finish, but if you get distracted or depressed about the work, you may never finish.  Remember to allow your writing to suck.  Don't look back, keep going.  Whether you're doing NaNoWriMo or other writing, keep going.  There's obviously times to take a small break, but if you find yourself avoiding your story, you'll probably just have to plunk yourself down and continue to write.  Then make sure to give yourself proper credit, no matter how crappy you feel your writing is, for the dedication and perseverance you exhibited in finishing a manuscript.  That is a HUGE accomplishment, whether you were able to do it in a month or ten years.

It starts with just the dedication to write something each day.  Perhaps writing thoughts in a journal, or creating a poem would be a good start.  If you dream of writing, it is NEVER too late to begin.  Minutes a day.  I wish you all the best luck and will continue to share as much as possible of this crazy journey.  If you've never done NaNoWriMo, or are not sure what it is, check it out!

I want to know about NaNoWriMo!

Writers And Other Sedentariness

This year I decided to do NaNoWriMo.  The decision happened rather unexpectedly. It is something I have known about for a while now, but this is the first year I really wanted to look into it.  I view NaNoWriMo as a valid writing excercise, but beyond that as a way to force myself to really plan out a novel and complete it.  

Strangely enough, things have coordinated in my life to require me to quit my job with nothing but faith in the hope that I'll be successful (with God's blessings).  It's very scary and I may end up working at a retail place, which as long as I can make enough to live is fine.  I'm rather tired of being literally tethered to a cubicle.  There is something so disheartening and inhumane about that.  What's even more odd is that humans do it willingly.  If we chained animals to a post for eight to ten hours a day, animal rights activists would be working hard to get special breaks and longer tethers and any number of things.  Humans?  Eh, whatever.  So what if the risk of heart attack increases for men by 64% with a sedentary job?  No one gets fired up about that. 

You can check about the article about the potential health effects of sedentary jobs here: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think

The article by Patti Neighmond at NPR.org interprets the effects of stress, solely on men.  While men and women are different, women also may have increased risks as well.  Percentages may be different, but it is obvious that our current mode of office-related work is a health hazard.  You sometime used to hear people saying, "a little work won't kill you".  With these numbers we have to consider that unless there is a drastic change in how the workplace is managed, there could be significant health issues and a general decline in overall health.  Work takes up increasing amounts of daily life which does not leave much time and/or energy for trying to exercise.  

Why does this matter?

Well, as I mentioned above I recently quit my job.  I'll be pursuing writing in addition to some other sedentary work.  Writers, who sometimes sit for hours furiously typing or scrawling, also need to be mindful of these statistics.  This is a timely reminder for me to take breaks from writing and other work to get a bit of exercise.  I know that I feel more alert and tend to get more ideas when I'm walking around, so I'm happy to try this out.  I can definitely see how it would be so easy to just sit for hours, especially when I get engrossed in the material I'm writing.  Last night I wrote until around 4am before I realized I should go to bed.  I'm probably going to have to set an alarm and force myself to jog in place or do jumping jacks or squats or something.  If I can squeeze in ten minutes every hour or something like that I'll be getting more exercise than normal.  I'll have to see how that works.  

Happy days everyone!  More crazy ruminations later!

Too Tired To Ponder Much

Today, my "What If" ponderings were absolutely simplistic.  There was no grandiose scheme or plot in my mind.  I simply wondered "What If" I didn't have to go to work today?  "What If" I actually had the right number to contact my work and call out?  I'd be able to stay at home getting some much needed sleep but mostly likely nothing else of consequence.  I'd probably barely get my homework done, but honestly the sleep factor is looking pretty good right now.  Since I have neglected the relevant work information though, I have essentially forced myself to come in to work.  It's just as well I suppose.  I'll probably get a lot more done anyway.

I've got a new post up at my other blog http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/autumn-enticements-why-i-love-autumn/.

The title is self explanatory...it's why I love Autumn.  It's a somewhat indescribable feeling for me, an excitement that steals into my bones and seems to move me like a marionette towards an unseen goal.  It's a feeling that tickles down to my soul and reminds me to be alert, to watch the wonder of the world around me and to see the magic in every day.  That's an amazing thing when you think about it.  Not often do we have the opportunity to escape the dreary realities of this world, mostly hearing about everything that is unworthy. Attention which should be heaped upon the good and noble rarely holds the spotlight as it should leaving us with a lopsided view of the world.  Autumn reminds me that there is good, there is new, there are choices I am free to make. Today I am grateful for mint chocolate cookies.  So simple, but they evoke great memories and make my taste buds dance.  Now, I think I want to go play outside. I guess I'll have to do that later.  After I have some more caffeine.

Showing Your Story or Boring Your Readers

Happy Tuesday! The other day, I have to tell you that I was really excited to find a better grasp of "show don't tell" than I have had.

Hope And Humanity

Hope!  Hope is such an integral part of humanity that it resonates within each of us.  Either there is the tingle of hope which entices us to believe things that our minds tell us we should not ("he/she really cares for me"), or we feel there is no hope in some cases.  As readers, we cling to the hope that our hero or heroine will save the day.  We hope that they won't die in the process. We hope sometimes, that our characters find the love which has been sitting right under their noses.

Hope is what keeps us going both in reality as well as in our reading.  Perhaps, in an arduous reading assignment our only hope is to get to the end unscathed.  Still, it's hope or a distinct lack thereof (which basically just preps us for the introduction of hope).  If the reader isn't hoping, what is to bring them into the story as if they were old acquaintances?  Hope is recognizable on many different levels and creates common ground for the reader regardless of the exact circumstances.  I may have never hoped to pass a board exam in my quest to become a lawyer, but I have hoped to pass a driving test, or even other college or high school tests which hold the keys to my future. This translates into something understandable and garners sympathy for our characters.  Without hope, a character falls flat and fails to engage the reader (assuming they never find hope throughout the book).  A character without hope for an entire book, is not a book which will most  entice a reader to pick it up repeatedly and will not earn it a coveted spot on the bookshelf.  It may even cause deletion from the reader's digital library ~gasp~!

There is a time for rosy hopes, but because hopes can be small and are often found in the character's goals themselves, don't need to be boring or trite.  A character can hope that a sick friend or family member overcomes a debilitating sickness, or it could be that the character hopes a friend lands the job their dream job.  A character may hope for just a normal day.  The hope does not necessarily mean the outcome will be favorable, but a character without any form of hope (even deeply repressed hope) is not realistic.

Hope is what inspires us to take risks, to finally try and accomplish our dreams, to change our situation for the better, to reconnect us with our own humanity, to stir emotions.  Hope motivates us (and should inspire our characters as well) to achieve beyond our dreams and gives us a reason to persevere.  Hope can seem to break us at times, but it is also the very thing which heals us and gives us strength.

What If I....

Today I'm feeling the need for insipid posts about "What If I...".

What if I had a superpower?  What would that be like?  I could put away my random thought (generated by a dream, just so you know. I'm really not THAT weird.  Well..I probably AM that weird. ), or I could pursue this.  I'm convinced that every dream has an element in it that could make a great story or scene.

So at first I think of all the awesome things I could do if I had a super power.  Then I realize that if I truly did have a super power, things would not be all "Superman".  In fact, I would probably be pursued by numerous governments who might send officials to "diplomatically" sway me to work on their behalf.  If I refused, I imagine that some countries would pursue a less legitimate way of acquiring my services.  This could be a story of avoiding said governments and what might happen in the end.  Realistically I would die, or the governments might find a way to control my mind, overriding my own will (through scientific means, or harming those I care about).

Another way the story could go, is that I find others like me and we band together and try to fight the entities, going public with the situation to generate awareness and prevent ourselves from falling quiet victims to the governments.  This could fail or succeed depending on how the story goes.  Then there could be a story where someone turns me over to the government and they run tests and begin trying to make replicas of my super power in other people.

Well, I think you get the point.  Just by asking one seemingly ridiculous question, I have multiple story possibilities.  All it took was a few people to ask that very question and we have a world of superheros and comics that span years and still win the hearts of many.  It only takes one person to ask that "what if" question.  Don't be afraid to be that person.

Random Thoughts from The Ninjawriter

There has been a lot going on lately so I apologize for the lack of posts.  I recently purchased a new camera and will be testing it out and looking for good shots to post on my blog.  It is so interesting what can end up being inspirational.  Hopefully, I will get some great shots. At the very least I'm hoping to update my profile a little bit.

No sage advice today, I am just keeping my eyes open for bits of inspiration that fire up my brain cells. It is one of those quiet, reflective days or maybe I just need to drink more of my cherry Amp. That is probably more the case.  Sorry that this is so unexciting.  I am really excited about my camera.  It will be the first really nice camera I have had.  Last night when I was trying it out, I discovered that it automatically takes pictures when it "sees" that the subject is smiling.  That is pretty much full of awesome in my book! Okay, I'm going to go and read the camera manual.

Happy Ninjawriting Everyone!

Back to Writing, Randomness and The Chronicles of Jane Windall

~GASP~

Oh no! I have left you poor souls in the lurch for a number of days without random writing or ranting craziness! I apologize and sincerely hope no one has been ill-effected by this turn of events. I had my computer in for repair. Nothing serious, no need to panic. The protective plastic coating on the bottom was coming off. and I must say that there is a certain feeling of incompleteness when one’s laptop is missing. I found it more difficult to write on my desktop. Terrible excuse, I know.

My laptop is back though, and in the meantime I was working on an additional installment of a free online story which I have decided to call The Chronicles of Jane Windall. I posted a little bit about what I want to do in a previous blog post: http://camikahayes.blogspot.com/2012/07/writing-decisions.html

The idea is to use our wonderful internet as a means to help improve my writing on a consistent basis, while also offering anyone who has a few moments to waste, the opportunity to read free content.  This stems from a time when periodicals included short stories, or a long story broken into intervals.  Readers were able to follow a story a little at a time until its conclusion and I thought it sad that this trend fell by the wayside.  I know there are fanfiction sites, and other writing sites but I don’t feel that it is quite the same. The first section of The Chronicles of Jane Windall is not great, was just a writing exercise for like 15 mins and unedited.  Bad idea.  Second section is hopefully better.  If you want you can check it out here:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/storystuff/

Also, I had a slight epiphany yesterday having to do with writer’s grief. I figured out I was grieving for a manuscript which turned out quite different from what I originally had envisioned.  I literally could not jump into the editing process and finally realized I had needed time to grieve for what I knew would never be.  The story still has potential, but my characters sent it in a completely different (albeit, better) direction. Aside from my epiphany though, I will list my other accomplishments of the week:

1)    Sliced the tip of my finger on an aluminum foil cutting edge (that serrated thingy)

2)    Wore my coffee to work

3)    Barely made it home when my car died in the middle of a turn

4)    Finished my 2^nd installment in The Chronicles of Jane Windall (sorry, redundant but I’m proud of finishing another section)

5)    Hit myself in the eye with a clothes hanger (don’t ask)

6)    Had an epiphany about writer’s grief (also redundant but I have to put a couple good things on here)

7)    Got my laptop repaired

8)    Got an unexpected day off, and not in a “don’t come back again” way either, which was very cool

9)    Wrecked my challenge by forgetting to freewrite yesterday (The Chronicles of Jane Windall could count for that though, right?)

As you can see, it has been an absolutely riveting week! Still not done with the books I am reading, so I guess it will be a while before I’ll be able to do a review.  In the meantime if you want to read about my epiphany regarding my writer’s grief you can read my post:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/grief-chronicles-of-jane-windall-and-other-such-coolness/

< pic of my manuscript in its box 

Happy Ninjawriting!

Reading: Alison Goodman and W.E.B. Du Bois

So, more randomness.  I love randomness, in case you could not tell. I am currently reading multiple books, do you do that? People always look at me funny when I carry around a stack of two or three books but I like the variety.  Here is what I am currently reading:

Eon by Alison Goodman

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

I have always had a terrible memory where history is concerned, we’re talking absolutely abysmal.  However, even though there was only about a one-paragraph inconsequential blurb in my history book many years ago, I have always remembered the name W.E.B. Du Bois.  Probably because it is a cool name (and yes I am aware that I just wrote an incomplete sentence. I call it artistic expression).  Imagine my delight when I was walking through Barnes and Noble on a quest for the next awesome book, when I ran into this book on display. I have not even technically started the book, because truthfully, the book includes a timeline of sorts which has me astounded.  If I can accomplish a tenth of what W.E.B. Du Bois did in his lifetime, I will be doing great. Obviously I would not try to accomplish the same things, but I am talking about quantity.  What an amazing individual! This promises to be an interesting read.

I hope to be able to review both books over the next few weeks in addition to my typical, random, sporadic posts. And on a final side-note, I’m pretty sure the horrible coffee creamer at work has hijacked my taste buds because my orange tasted like soap. Ew.  With that last thought I wish you happy reading, writing and pwning!

Mundane Aspects of Being a Writer

I finally procured a couple of journals (yay!).  My goal is to freewrite in them every day.  Not sure if I will be able to do it, but I'm not enforcing a time requirement or word requirement.  I'm just writing to see where it takes me.  I feel that it is necessary for me to keep focused on tasks and avoid life distractions.  It is so convenient to find other things which seem more important.  I spent a good deal of today peeling, chopping and cooking carrots.  I'm sure you can see that this of course had to be done today, on my only day off. Very important.

The other important things on my list involve creating myself a "writing corner" which strangely enough has not been done yet today.  I am sure I am not procrastinating, I just thought I might write a bit of my new story.  I have added a whopping 22 words to it.   At this rate, I may just get it published before I die.  The ideas are all there, bouncing around inside my brain, I just keep getting distracted by other things going on in my house.  I suppose I really should go and organize my writer's corner. ~sigh~

Back to the Writing Board

So last night after working on one of my stories, I was using my Mom as a sounding board for the idea.  Imagine my disappointment when she says that my story is very similar to a Hallmark movie that she had just watched.  Granted, I have never seen the movie but now I feel the need to toss the idea in the trash.  Forty pages right down the drain. I suppose it is bound to happen at times.

Thankfully, another idea hit me while I was writing said "ditched" story and so now I am free to focus fully on this new idea. Perhaps it is a bit of a blessing in disguise.