writing

NaNoWriMo 2023

~ Rose Sparrowking

Yesterday I began work on my prep for my novel for NaNoWriMo 2023. (What’s that? Short answer: join people around the world to write 50,000 words in November.)

I signed up online and started freewriting ideas on my protagonist, the antagonist, the setting and the conflict. Plot points emerged organically as I worked.

I’m planning this work as the background for my protag for the novel I’ve been kicking around for years. I find I write so much background so I can understand my character(s) that I figure why not write a novella of it. This may backfire on me as I’ll be thinking of background for the background story but experimentation is all good. And by background, I want to understand what my character wants, needs and what false belief is keeping them from getting what they need.

Theme is starting to tickle the back of my mind. And names. And setting. This is the fun part!

I’ve got a basic title: Rowan’s Story. It may change.

But if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. The point for me is to write the story and to finish writing the story.

I used an AI generator to create an image (Stable Diffusion) for my cover. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m not talented or experienced enough to create something like the image myself. I don’t want to spend money for someone to create a cover for me because it’s not a book I’m looking to publish. But I do want to support creative people. I’ll have to keep wrestling with this. I will note somewhere that I generated the cover with the help of an AI generator.

Here’s the book cover I made up:

I’m looking forward to more freewriting today. I think I’ll be focusing on the antagonist. A specific person? Society at large? Plus I’ve already run into a conundrum in the plot to puzzle out. Fun times!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Let me know!

Sci Fi Writers’ Week

~ Rose Sparrowking

ProWritingAid is hosting an online summit for Sci Fi Writers, September 11-14. Free!

I’ve attended several of these over the years. Yes, most of the speakers are going to try to sell something to you. Of course, ProWritingAid is going to try to sell you their product. Which I already own, haha. But I usually pick up a few interesting ideas.

Normally I can’t watch live due to life, etc. so I watch the replays. I check out the special offers if it’s for something I’m interested in.

There are several authors speaking and I find their talks to be the most informative.

Jordan Ifueko, Lauren Beukes, Eileen Cook and Julie E. Czerneda

Also Anne Hawley, Rachelle Ramirez and Savannah Gilbo, who often speak at these events, always drop some great info. I know Savannah is speaking on writing engaging scenes because I follow her.

I’m interested in what the archaeologist, Dan Hanks, is going to speak about. His Instagram only says that he’ll be attending.

The website mentions: “Learn strategies for outlining, editing, publishing, marketing and more,” plus networking events.

A great FREE event sci fi writers should check out.

Handwriting and Creativity

~ Rose Sparrowking

I have this belief that writing by hand increases creativity, so I chose that idea for my first blog post. And, what do you know, I can’t find any support for that hypothesis in my admittedly brief internet search.

By first blog, I mean first blog post after a long hiatus and most of my former posts were just lists or me complaining.

Back to the subject.

There is science showing that writing by hand improves comprehension of a subject compared to typing notes.

“We conclude that because of the benefits of sensory-motor integration due to the larger involvement of the senses as well as fine and precisely controlled hand movements when writing by hand and when drawing, it is vital to maintain both activities in a learning environment to facilitate and optimize learning.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01810/full

“We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning”

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614524581

So, more senses, better learning. Also, better processing, better learning. Does this aid in creativity? What is creativity?

The American Psychological Association defines creativity as:

Creativity is the ability to produce or develop original work, theories, techniques, or thoughts. A creative individual typically displays originality, imagination, and expressiveness.

Creative thinking refers to the mental processes leading to a new invention or solution to a problem. Products of creative thinking include new machines, social ideas, scientific theories, artistic works, and more.

https://www.apa.org/topics/creativity

Except there’s truly nothing new under the sun. So, how do you get original ideas?

By making unique connections between ideas, knowledge, thoughts.

“Creativity is just connecting things.” ~ Steve Jobs

No one has the same thoughts, memories, knowledge, experiences. So we can be original by making connections that no one else could.

They say that there are only so many basic plots to a story and yet, the number of stories is infinite.

Every story in the world has one of these six basic plots, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180525-every-story-in-the-world-has-one-of-these-six-basic-plots

The Seven Basic Plots, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots

Nine Basic Plots, https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/basic-plots.html

So, handwriting.

Taking notes by hand will definitely aid you in learning about a subject. And knowing something, and not forgetting it once you close your laptop, will aid in making connections.

Handwriting is slower than typing, which may give your brain the lag time to make connections. I’m only guessing at this, however.

Because handwriting involves so much more of your senses and body than handwriting, it may help focus and that may spur creativity.

I will offer that during NaNoWriMo of 2022, I did a lot of word sprints on my laptop in order to generate enough words to meet my goal. I found that this often gave me ideas, like my mind was in overdrive.

Therefore, find what works creatively for you. Mix it up. Take notes by hand. Type your great American novel in sprints. See what gets things connecting and keep creating.

Edit on 2/7/24. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/202402/writing-by-hand-is-good-for-your-brain

Writing progress

~ Rose Sparrowking

I’m writing my story by hand. Which feels very retro in this high-tech world but I’m liking it. True, I’ve only written for two days but that’s two days in a row which I haven’t done since November.

I find it’s easier to avoid editing my writing as I go. I can just let the words come out, scratch out the ones I don’t want, make notes in the margins and keep with the flow.

Even typing up this post, I keep stopping every time I hit a suggestion or a misspelling or a grammar mistake. Yes, I could turn off all of that if I wanted to and took the time to figure out how to do it.

There is science suggesting that writing by hand stimulates different parts of the brain as compared to typing. I feel like this is true, but it’s an experiment of one at the moment.

If it works and it ain’t hurting anyone or breaking any laws, then do it.

Writing Software

~ Rose Sparrowking

I finally gave up on LibreOffice Writer. It just kept crashing on me.

I kept looking for something like Word but without the subscriptions. Isn’t that the way everything is going now, with subscriptions? I really dislike the trend.

I caved and bought the home edition. I don’t think I need more than that. Hopefully. And I can integrate it with my ProWritingAid.

I haven’t been writing since November when I did NaNoWriMo. I tried with Camp NaNo this month again, but I just didn’t give writing the commitment required.

So I’m working on an old project that was unfinished but has never left my mind. There’s a niggling thought that I’ll never write another story until I finish this old one, which is bullshit but I’m going to finish it anyway. More for a sense of accomplishment. And for a way to let it go and move on.

No one will ever see it and know it’s mine since it’s fAnFIcTioN and is terrible. But so much fun. And a way to instill a habit.

Brain Dump for NaNoWriMo 2021

~ Rose Sparrowking ~ 1 Comment

This post is a bit of a brain dump for me, collating all the NaNo prep advice I’ve bookmarked.

  1. Decide how much time daily I will spend on the NaNo forums! Yikes! I’ve already been wasting too much time on the forums and they’re not even really active yet. I’ve put out feelers for buddies–but no one has responded. Is it too early? Or was I too brash? Do I want to start my own group?
  2. PLOT. Pants or plan? Definitely plan. So, a basic outline. Snowflake? Save the cat? Story grid?
  3. Research. What do I need to research for my story? Add visuals to pinterest
  4. CHARACTER Character bible.
  5. Tools. Bluetooth keyboard for my laptop. Keyboard tray for the old desk. Dedicated notebook. Good pen. Soundtrack? Noise cancelling headphones.
  6. The rest of my life: Schedule writing time. Plan menus and use pickup for grocery shopping. Make ahead meals. Clean house in October so that November only needs a touch up.
  7. CALENDAR Schedule writing. Plan word counts. Plan days off. Thanksgiving for sure. Chapter goals or plot point goals? What can I give up to free up writing time?
  8. Don’t edit
  9. SETTING Sketch out setting for novel. Planet. Spaceship. Cave.
  10. THEME What is the theme of the story?
  11. Physical prep. Get signed up on NaNoWriMo.org. Set up a folder on computer. Have pen/notebook on desk. Lamp. Headphones charged. Maybe get out of house and write other places, library? Inspirational quotes? Calendar on wall?
  12. Write what’s exciting to me!
  13. Pick POV and tense.
  14. Word tracking system. I’m using this one from Justin McLachlan
  15. Keep working out! Go for walks. Rest and recharge.
  16. Figure out my why.
  17. Make a commitment to enjoy the journey and to see it through
  18. Create a ritual to signal that writing is now happening.
  19. I will feel I’ve won NaNoWriMo if…

NaNoWriMo 2021

~ Rose Sparrowking ~ 2 Comments

I can even tell you how many years I’ve attempted NaNoWriMo and failed to hit 50,000 words. Well, not this year. 50,000 or bust!

Starting my prep already and I am trying to recruit buddies and be present in the forums. But not too present as forums really eat up writing time.

I recently started working at my local library and my immediate supervisor has attempted NaNo in the past. Hoping we can cheer each other on this year!

Here are some of my prep links:

NaNo Prep 101. Prep help from the NaNoWriMo site.

NY Book Editors nano prep. A guide for first timers, with great info

Abbie Emmons on Youtube. Love Abbie. Such good writing advice!

How to Prep for NaNoWriMo in 7 Days. Medium article. Get ready in a week.

The Ultimate Guide to Planning for NaNoWriMo. Very thorough. Lots of questions to get you thinking.

NaNoWriMo Prep Checklist to Help You Slay That 50k. I really want to slay my 50K this year! She brings up things I haven’t seen everywhere else, like self care and creating a cover for you book.

How I Prepare for NaNoWriMo (including Preptober Checklist)

How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: Your 4-Week Success Plan

Want to Win NaNoWriMo? The Secret Is Preparation. Jane Friedman always has such great writing advice.

I am RoseSparrowking on NaNoWriMo. Let’s be buddies and crush 50K this November!

Camp NaNoWriMo

~ Rose Sparrowking

Although I knew it was happening months ago, I didn’t decide to do Camp NaNoWriMo until yesterday. The format is different from the regular NaNoWriMo. You declare your own goal, words or time, which is great because I haven’t managed to write 50,000 words in a month for more than 10 years. You’re in a “cabin”, making it easier to connect with other writers. (You don’t have to do the cabin.) There are so many people during the regular NaNoWriMo, it felt overwhelming to me. I barely participate in the forums then. I guess choosing a few boards to focus on would be a good strategy in the future.

I chose to write 100 words a day or 3,000 words total for April. I’m trying to take James Clear’s advice to start very small and to link to an existing habit in order to create a new habit. I’m pretty good about walking first thing in the morning, so I want to create the habit of writing when I come back from my walk.

I still need to tweak the routine. After my walk today, I made breakfast, then checked on my Facebook, Instagram, blogs I’m following, took a shower… Yeah, not what I had in mind. Tomorrow I will bring my laptop down to the kitchen table and have it ready to go when I come back in from my walk. I should disable the wifi too. Get my words out then onto the rest of my day.

30 Day Writing Challenge: 1 of 30

Recent Great Writing Links

~ Rose Sparrowking

Struggling with Writing Flashbacks? Try Using the P.A.S.T. Method

“Flashbacks can be tricky to write. On one hand, they can reveal a powerful emotional moment from the protagonist’s past or reveal important information about her, her circumstances, or other characters. But on the other hand, they can lack urgency, become confused with the present-day narrative, or seem more like backstory. So for your readers to believe the flashbacks matter just as much as what’s happening in the protagonist’s life right now, you’ll need to craft those scenes with intention, skill, and care.”

Too Much Information: Exposition and the Reading Brain

“It’s questions, not answers, that create narrative drive. You keep reading until you find answers, and ideally you don’t get the last answer till the very end of the story.”

4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Readers’ Attention

“Perhaps the single greatest pacing trick any writer can master is that of luring readers ever deeper into the story, via a breadcrumb trail of revelations. The careful dance between foreshadowing and revealing a plot turn is the secret power of master writers.”

Six Mistakes That Can Kill a Great Plot

“A story with high stakes, a compelling problem, and good urgency is still missing one thing: character agency. Your characters need at least some idea of what they’re going to do. They’re the protagonists, after all, so it’s their job to keep the plot moving. If they can’t perform that function, the story quickly stalls.”

Recent Great Writing Links

~ Rose Sparrowking

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Dirty Little Secrets, Part Three: Why the Agent Requested—and Then Rejected—the Full Manuscript

“…one thing did not lead to another, with clear consequences for the story moving forward, which meant there was no sense that the story was building up to something important.
“Causality is not a term generally bandied about in creative writing circles, but it really ought to be, because it’s a principle that goes right to the root of storytelling.”
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Three Ways Writers Tell, Not Show (And How You Can Fix Them)

“Show, don’t tell can make a writer want to scream, but once you realize what told prose looks like, it’s easy to rewrite it to show. And after you train yourself to spot it, you start avoid it naturally.”
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Editing for Authors: 7 Ways to Tighten the Story and Cut Costs

“Self-publishing is a whole new level and new devil. If we’re doing our job, the self-published novel should be at least as good as anything legacy published. This means we bear the burden (and cost) of making sure our manuscript is the best it can be.

“Superior editing makes the difference between releasing a novel versus unleashing one. Many emerging writers—once the novel is ‘finished’—make some major errors when it comes to ‘editing.’”