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Hey you! I haven't heard from you in a while, and this is old, so I was wondering how you...Jenn on #WriteMotivation Continues!
haha thanks!K.T. Hanna on #WriteMotivation Continues!
Oh I definitely agree. I think something writing related is still writing. Outlinging, Writing, Revising, Editing, Drafting out ways to improve...Jenn on #WriteMotivation Continues!
Thanks, you too! Oh...realized maybe I should have used my recommendation link for How To Revise...Ceridwen on #WriteMotivation Continues!
Good luck with your revision! And thanks for sharing the link. The site seems really interesting! :)
Mini Update 10
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In between work and homework, I’ve been frantically writing to finish up Narrator. I’ve finally made it to the last chapter! So close!
When I don’t have access to my notebook, I’m busy planning for NaNoWriMo. Get ready for a NaNo-filled November, starting Monday!
The Power of Sacrifice
Filed Under Characters | Leave a Comment
A great way to raise the stakes of your story is to make your main character sacrifice something. The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel is a memorable example, where she gives up her voice for the chance to be with the human she loves.
You want your story to offer obstacles to your main character, to make him or her struggle. Sacrifice isn’t the only way to do this, but it is very compelling.
There are two types of conflict, external and internal. External conflict is Harry Potter figuring out the Chamber of Secrets and fighting the basilisk; internal conflict is him unsure if he is the heir of Slytherin. When the internal conflict is on the same wavelength of the external, the stakes are raised considerably. If your main character fails to beat the external conflict, it makes all of their struggles and successes against the internal conflict for naught. And they fall twice as hard.
Sacrifice is also a good tool for character development. Take Syaoran in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. In order to save the amnesic girl he loves, he sacrifices his relationship with her: no matter how many memories she recovers, she will never remember him. As the story continues, you see the contrast between how they used to be as childhood friends and how they are now as seeming strangers. It’s sad, and offers many internal difficulties for Syaoran to overcome.
Sacrifice can also help keep your readers glued to the page. Readers can’t help rooting for characters who sacrifice so much for the ones they love.
No Rest for the Fairy Tales
Filed Under Webcomic Reviews | 2 Comments
A Review of “No Rest for the Wicked,” by Andrea Peterson
“Aha, I can see where this is going. Mysterious old beggar women need to be handled very, very carefully.”
- Perrault
No Rest for the Wicked is a fun yet grimm webcomic set in the land of fairy tales. (Terrible but necessary pun.)
Princess November, of Pea fame, can’t sleep. But a mysterious old beggar woman tells her that she will be able to if she can find the Moon. Naturally, she sets off on her quest, gaining companions in Perrault (Puss in Boots) and Red (Riding Hood).
So far they’ve encountered several other fairy tale characters, with interesting twists and dangers. I’d go more in-depth, but I wouldn’t want to spoil. It’s definitely a “page-turner.”
The art is decent, with a good use of manga style. I like how Peterson’s only use of real color is in Red’s cloak. It really stands out.
The real complaint is its tendency to go on hiatus. It’s been several months since the last update, but you’re in luck! Three more pages went up this weekend, and Peterson promises to get back to her semi-schedule. The fear that this webcomic had been abandoned is gone!
Warning: Updates very irregularly. My advice would be to sign up to receive updates by email.
My Rating (out of five stars)
★★★★
Plot vs. Character
Filed Under Age-Old Debates | Leave a Comment
I was asked recently whether it was better to start a novel with plot or characters? Obviously, it depends on the kind of story you’re writing, but I think it also depends on what sparked your creativity in the first place. After all, not all of us can ride a train and scribble the basis for a seven-book series on the back of a napkin, can we?
I find it’s easiest to start with your original thought, whether it be plot or characters, and grow from there. Flesh out the world as you think of obstacles. Add character arcs as you learn more about where you want to take the story.
Think of it as starting at the center of a web, and creating until you see the whole picture. It doesn’t matter where you start; it’s just a good focus point.
For last year’s NaNoWriMo, my novel The Narrator was sparked by plot: narrator hijacks a cliche story. It took years to develop the concept and come up with characters who could successfully fight him. As I developed the plot, I learned what kinds of characters I could use.
This year’s NaNoWriMo is on the entirely opposite side of the spectrum. I had four or five characters, complete with quirks and backstories, but no sensible plot. It took a recycling of three different story ideas, and an infusion of new energy, to come up with a winning combination. (Or at least, I hope it’s a winning combination.)
What about you? Do you tend to start with plot, characters, or something else entirely? Any preference to how your creative energy flows?
Edit: Here’s my friend Will, to tell you why you should do NaNoWriMo this year.
Sure, Jenn’s talked about the what before on her blog, but here’s the why.
10. I said so. What, the word of some random guest blogger isn’t good enough for you? How about-
9. You learn to write quickly. Word counts and things like Write or Die help pressure you into getting past writer’s block and your inner editor. Let those words flow!
8. It’s stressful stress relief. Sure, some people find it stressful to get down 1,667 words every day, but they also have a blast doing it. Tired from work? Nothing will distract you from your job woes better than your wordcount woes!
7. You receive encouraging emails from famous authors. I was thrilled when Jasper Fforde and other writing greats emailed me every week, pushing me to keep writing and sharing their NaNoWriMo experiences. In 2010, look forward to Mercedes Lackey, Lemony Snicket and Holly Black, among others.
6. You can bond by writing with other NaNoWriMoers in write-ins and other word-count-boosting events. Every year, the Night of Writing Dangerously is one of NaNoWriMo’s most-attended events, and most bookstores and libraries hold write-ins. Or, grab a friend who’s also doing NaNoWriMo and challenge them to Word Wars!
5. You’ll have a first draft when you’ve finished. True, it’ll be rough, but it’s quite possible (and an even more fun challenge!) to finish the revising and editing process on the novel with the other 11 months of the year. Your favorite authors crank out a novel a year, why can’t you?
4. The support community is both helpful and a hoot. NaNoWriMo.org is full of silly videos from the Office of Letters and Light staff, helpful links, and forums where you can toss ideas around. Twitter with hashtag #NaNoWriMo to join a community of tweeters, or look for people’s NaNoWriMo process blogs. Thousands of people do NaNoWriMo every year, take advantage of some of their knowledge and experience!
3. It’s loads of fun. You can write the silliest things you can think of, or the Great American Novel, whatever you want. The universe is the limit!
2. You can publish your novel afterwards. CreateSpace.com has partnered with NaNoWriMo to grant you a professionally-bound copy of your NaNoWriMo novel, absolutely free. But you have to finish the 50,000 words to win this great prize!
1. You’ve always wanted to write a novel! This could be the month you set aside to finally make that happen. Do yourself a favor, and try NaNoWriMo this November.
How to Find Time to Write
Filed Under Tools of the Trade | Leave a Comment
If your days are anything like mine, you can be hard put to find a spare hour to block off for writing. Heck, I can’t even find a spare ten minutes. So what do you do when your creative juices get so backed up you feel ready to explode into a thousand inky pieces?
Find ways to write in smaller chunks throughout your day.
A good rule of thumb: if a task only takes one hand, you can use the other to write.
Perfect examples include: eating meals, when sitting on the train (not your car people! I am not condoning distracted driving!), waiting in line at the supermarket, brushing your teeth…
Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the picture.
Find some “spare” time in your busy day, and you’ll get more writing done than you would have thought possible. Then you can brag to all your writing friends that you managed to crank out a chapter this week, while they’re mired in paragraph one.
Disclaimer: did not happen to me this week.
To the JavaLab!
Filed Under Tools of the Trade | 2 Comments
Introducing Jenn’s JavaLab! I’m teaching myself Javascript for class, and I thought this would be a good way to do it. Now I don’t have to mess up A Single Bell with all my learning.
Follow along if you wish, but if you must pick one blog to follow, I hope it’s this one!
P.S. Happy Birthday Brother!
Mini Update 9
Filed Under Updates | Leave a Comment
As I mentioned earlier this week, an awesome new job plus grad school leaves little time for writing. Planning, however, is full steam ahead, both for how I’m going to end Narrator and where I want to take NaNo.
Now excuse me while I return to studying for my midterm!
Harry Potter and the Printing Press
Filed Under Publishing | 2 Comments
Yesterday my publishing class went to visit R. R. Donnelley, the largest printing company in the world. They took us on a tour of the plant, and we followed the path of the book from receiving the files from the publisher, to printing the pages, to binding them, to wrapping the jacket. It was amazing.
Now being me, I can’t leave out a Harry Potter reference. This plant was under high security when printing Harry Potter, with serious precautions to prevent even so much as a scrap escaping. Reference over.
What I really want to talk about is the digital Print On Demand I saw. That press was amazing. It turned a book around in about two minutes flat. You enter the book in a computer file at one end. The pages are printed, dried, folded, bound, covered, and trimmed. A complete book comes out the other end.
It’s a great way to do re-prints. You order only how many books you need, without all the risk and waste of a larger, regular order. You can print one, or a hundred, or more. It makes no difference.
It’s printing…for the future!
And last but not least:
Buy a book, save a printer.
Up Music
Filed Under Music | Leave a Comment
The first week of my job plus a midterm for class means a music post for you readers!
Even with the depressing beginning, Up is a heart-warming film with lovely music. Here’s a charming version in piano.
Welcome
Official Progress
4/21 segments
A narrator hijacks a cliche fantasy story, much to the chagrin of its characters.Status: Second revision
A young noblewoman with strange powers must choose: her king or her soul.1,639/70,000 wordsStatus: First draft
When a girl's heart is stolen, she's plunged into a world of magic and shadows - but can she get her heart back before she loses it completely?1,087/70,000 wordsStatus: First draft
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