As NaNoWriMo Dawns...

Novemvber is National Novel Writing Month. Their website will tell you as much, and I suspect most readers of this blog already know what's in store for them next month. You may already be hip-deep in research, plotting, outlining, or even a holy-crap-what-am-I-going-to-write bender.

This will be my seventh year of doing NaNo. I've "won" the past three years, with word counts around 52k, 68k, and 51k. Winning three years in a row isn't an impressive streak in the grand scheme of things, but it's one I'd like to keep intact. There's just one thing that might keep me from it.

I'm getting married.

And going on a honeymoon.

I guess that was two things.

While I love writing, I love my soon-to-be wife even more. I'm still going to write when I can--which will probably include a lot of lunch breaks at work--but I don't know if 50k is in the cards for me this month. I'm going to try my best, and maybe risk a glare from the wife here and there, but my winning streak may stop at three.

And you know what? I'm OK with that.

We all want to win NaNo. We all want to submit a verified word count over 50k, turn our bars purple, and get a "Winner" label. But the real point of NaNo is to spur creativity, to drive you forward in your quest to complete a serious creative endeavor. It's supposed to teach people that they CAN write a book by just plugging away every day for a month (or more). The spirit of NaNo is in the creativity, the community with your fellow writers who are sparking the creative fires just like you are. I'm still going to be a part of that. I just might not hit 50,000 words by the end of the month.

If you're doing NaNo, good luck. I hope you hit your goals, whatever they may be. And at the end of the writing and editing processes (you ARE going to edit the book you write, aren't you?), I hope you have a novel you're proud of. Regardless of what Charlie Sheen might have said, that is winning.

Happy writing.

Come on, Irene!

No, that's not bad karaoke -- it's the hurricane (or tropical storm) set to batter my region this weekend.

We're ready. We have water, non-perishable food, flashlights, candles, gas in the cars, cash, charged phones, etc. In case the power goes out and stays out, we're covered.

A weekend like this is a good time to catch up on writing or editing projects. Going out is unwise. The TV might not stay on. I have a composition book and a few pens if the power goes out and I have to write by candlelight. If you're on the east cost, be prepared for Irene, and be prepared to do some work on your writing, too. It's not like you'll have much else to do if the roads flood. While the winds are swirling outside, keep your creative winds swirling inside. Sometimes, a story idea can hit you like a 100-mph wind and rock you like a... well, a hurricane. OK, that's the last of my weather (and Scorpions) references.

Stay safe, stay dry, and happy writing!

Crack That WIP

Back in July, I shelved one work in progress to start another. I had a character and idea I really wanted to get out of my head and onto the electronic page. I wrote seven chapters with this new character and discovered more about him than I knew at the beginning.

Then I decided to shelve that WIP, too.

Am I just a WIP gypsy, the literary (and male) equivalent of Stevie Nicks? Despite my writing transience the last couple months, I'm generally not. This time, I'm back to C.T. Ferguson, my detective protagonist, and it's good to be swimming in familiar waters again. All of the characters are as fresh as they were the last time I visited them (even though they're aging a few months between books). While it was a good experience to get someone new onto the page, I have to say I like going back to C.T. It's like taking a walk around the neighborhood where you grew up.

I plan to go back to the other WIP (well, both of them) at some point. Ultimately, we have to enjoy what we write, and I enjoy writing about the adventures and misadventures of C.T. more than the other two characters.

If you have a work in progress that's dragging a little, that isn't as much fun as you thought, or that's hit a serious creative snag, what do you do? Plowing ahead is always an option, and for some writers, it may be the best option. For me, at least, I'd rather put it aside and go back to something (and someone) I know better, and something I know I'll enjoy from beginning to end.

Happy writing.

WIP It Good

Moving is a long and often arduous affair. You never know how much crap you've accumulated over the years until you have to pack it all in boxes, or donate it, or just throw it away. Then there's the unpacking, organizing, and furniture building process at the new place. It's not neverending, but it does suck up an awful lot of time.

Ultimately, it's worth it in the end. It just takes a while to get there.

New house, new work in progress. I shelved the one I had been working on. It wasn't boring or anything, but it didn't really hold my interest in writing. The last time I wrote a book with this character, I put it on the shelf for a while, came back to it, and finished it. My hope is that I'll do the same thing again. I just needed to work on something else. There was a character (and his story) in my head, pounding away to get out and onto the page.

So far, I like the new WIP. It's early, and the chapters are short, so I think it'll have a nice, quick pace. Right now, I have a character and a few ideas, and that's enough to get started. I think I know where I want the book to go, but we'll see if the character pulls me in a different direction. That's the thing about characters: they tell their stories, not the ones we want to impose on them.

It's still early in this newest journey, but now that I'm (mostly) unpacked and have more free time, I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

Happy writing.

Dealing with Distractions

Writers write. Everyone else just talks about it.

I first read that maxim years ago, and I think it's true. In fact, I used to have a sign bearing that very saying above my desk several houses and offices ago. Back then, I think I needed the constant reminder. Today, I don't. I know that writers write and that everyone else just talks about it.

What do we do when the dreaded Real Life interferes, though?

I'm moving in a couple weeks. My free time has been mostly consumed with packing, looking at furniture for the new place buying said furniture, packing, trying to find a renter, squeezing in time to write, and packing. Writing hasn't been too high on the priority list. I can't find many spare moments at work to knock out a scene or two; we're just too busy there. Distractions, if you will, now dominate my free time.

When I can, though, I still find time to write.

I make it a point to attend my writing group's regular Tuesday write-in (where I am right now, in fact). Yes, I could probably spend that time packing or doing something productive for the move. Instead, I come to the cafe, grind out a few scenes, then do packing and other "fun" things when I get home. During the week, I'll write a scene or three when I can. Sometimes, it's right before bed. Sometimes, it's waiting for dinner to cook. If I'm lucky, I can do something while eating lunch at work.

We all have distractions. But writers write. If we fancy ourselves writers, we need to deal with the distractions and find as much time to write as we can. Get up 15 minutes earlier and knock out a scene. Work on your current chapter while you're eating lunch, or while you're watching the nightly news. The key is to keep working and make sure the ideas churning around in your head make it into your work in progress.

Everyone else just talks about it. Don't just talk about. To borrow a pretty successful catchphrase, just do it.

If I can find the time and steal the minutes, so can you.

Writing Space

I've seen posts on others' blogs about writing spaces.

Do you have your own writing space set aside? A desk, a table, a chair with a laptop and a cold drink?

I have a desk where I do some of my writing (including this post), but not all of it. The desk has my computer with a nice 23" widescreen monitor, an ergonomic keyboard, mouse, printer, cable modem, router, and an ever-present bottle of water. But I can write pretty much anywhere. My writing group meets every Tuesday in a Barnes and Noble cafe. I write on their tables. I write with my laptop in bed. If a burst of inspiration strikes me at work, I'll write on the PC there, or jot something down longhand.

The good thing about writing is that you don't need a dedicated place to do it. It's nice to have a sanctum sanctorum where you can shut out distractions and get down to business, but it's not necessary. Laptops are cheap, and netbooks are cheaper. It's a wireless world; we can do our research online virtually anywhere. We can write in cafes, on planes, on trains, in bed, etc.

The key is to write. Where you do it is just secondary.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day, and remember to thank a soldier.

April Anthology - The Cruelest Month

My writing group put together a short story anthology. We had a goal of releasing it in April (almost got there!) and chose a theme of "the cruelest month," based on the line from Eliot's "The Waste Land." There are five short stories in all, including my mystery story "Clerical Error." It features the PI protagonist I hope to get published in novel form.

Each of us who decided to self-publish this anthology chose a different charity to receive the proceeds. My charity is the Wounded Warrior Project, which you can read more about on their website.

Here's a link to buy the anthology (from any of us who have it listed, not just me), as well as some more details about it. Pick up a copy (it's only $2.99) for some light reading and benefit a deserving charity at the same time!