Edit From The End?

Maybe this is more of NaNoEdMo-relevant blog, but it's on my mind tonight...

I'm in the process of revamping the Receptionist Manual at work. Today, I was in the middle of retyping a list of suggestions to help a receptionist in training (or receptionist brushing up on things) better perform their job. One of them was proofreading, and in that tip was something I'd never thought about before.

Edit from the end.

I've only read through these tips about fifty thousand times - whenever I'm looking something up, or just wanting to refresh my memory. I want to ask myself why I missed it before, but I don't know that it's all that important to ask that particular question. The bigger question is - what do I do with this revolutionary thought, now that it has entered my brain?

I have to admit - this guy gets along great with all my other ideas. It's a beautiful idea. But how do I put it into practice... especially in a month where suppressing my inner editor is a requirement for getting through NaNoWriMo?

The simple answer, I guess, is to hack away at whatever stories I have ready to see the axe... to look at the short stories languishing on my memory stick, start at the end, and start editing. But how much time will that take away from writing once November 1st strikes and I barely have enough time to work, write, and get all my have-tos done for The World Race?

I guess I'll just have to dive in and see. Anyone else who can try this? Let me know how it works out!

Detailed Outlines Are For The Birds

When it comes to writing, I'm much more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of girl than an "every detail needs to be set to paper before I start writing" girl... which sounds incredibly funny, because I love details in real life. I'm getting better, but there was a time when I had to known when everything was happening, who was involved, how long it was going to take, where everyone would be, the color of the trim of the building, the shape the bushes are going to be trimmed to...

Okay, so maybe I wasn't ever that horrible... but there were definitely moments when I felt close to it. I don't know why, but the knowing gives me comfort. It tells me exactly how much of a breather I can take, so I know whether to plan on relaxing or preparing for the next giant hurdle.

Writing is the opposite for me. Once that document is open in front of me (or blog form, or sheet of paper), I forget all about the little things. It's like putting a giant piece of blank canvas in front of a painter. My fingers hit the keyboard (or pick up the pen) and words appear out of nowhere. I don't even realize what is being spit out half the time until I'm nearly to the end of a page and see it full of things I didn't think were possible fifteen or thirty or forty-five minutes ago. It's the bigger picture breathed to life by all of the words swirling around inside my head just waiting to get out and be heard by someone.

That's why I don't like to sit down and write out an outline. Outlines are rigid. A canvas leaves room for my imagination to wander wild and free. For once, the details aren't so important.

If outlines are rigid, then I guess detailed outlines are just stifling. Suffocating, even. Where does imagination fit in? Is there any room for it at all? Maybe detailed outlines should be for the birds.

Even with all of that swirling around in my head, I find myself staring at the word processing document currently open on my computer... a detailed outline of the prologue and half of the first chapter of the novel I will be attempting to write next month. Ten minutes ago, it was beautiful and inspiring, but right now I just want to delete it and start all over again from scratch on November 1st - completely plotless, just aimlessly writing words because I can.

The thing is... I can't work like that this time around. There has to be an agenda. There has to be an outline. I don't have the time or energy to play around trying to figure out what I want to write about November 1st. Playing around will be suicide.

In that case, detailed outlines may be for the birds, but if they are... well, don't call me Cat for the next couple of months. Just call me a birdie.

Target This Year: 60,000

60,000 words.

That's right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. 60,000 words is my goal this year. Even with a full time job and The World Race looming on the horizon, I aspire for greater heights than a 50,000 word manuscript I probably won't touch again until December of next year. I am determined to pound "60,000 words for the win" into my head, instead of 50,000. It will still be sitting and waiting for me when I get back in December 2010, but it will be longer... and there might be a little bit more to salvage at the end.

Why 60,000?

So I can stretch myself. It's like physical training, really. The more and further I stretch myself, the more and further I can go. I want to work myself up to 100,000 words.

It doesn't seem that unrealistic, if you think about it. When others crank 100,000 and 200,000 word manuscripts in the month of November, it seems like a drop in the bucket, 60,000... and not quite so crazy. 60,000 - here I come!

5 Reasons I Love NaNoWriMo

5 Reasons I Love National Novel Writing Month (in no particular order) and why:

1. NaNoWriMo CD Swap.
I've already written a blog about it, which you can read here.

2. The Writing Dares
Where else are you going to see people dare you to add killer penguins or pantless characters to that novel brewing in your head? View the bulletin board topic here and wade through it. For those with no ambitions to write a novel, do so for the hilarity and absurdity you will encounter. Well worth your time, I promise.

3. It's a world-wide community of support.
From word sprints to n00b adoption to sharing what songs could make a goth MC want to come out and play next month on the boards... everyone who participates is in this to win this, and to help other participants to do so along the way. Much thanks to The Office of Letters and Light, who work their tails off every year to not only put on NaNoWriMo, but ScriptFrenzy in April as well. They do an incredible job during NaNo with weekly pep talks, constant website updates, and in general encouraging over-caffeinated, slightly crazy novelist-wannabes to crank out 50,000+ words in 30 days. And script-writing wannabes to finish a 100-page script in 30 days - depending whether you're talking about November or April.

4. It's an excuse to write that novel brewing in my head this past year.
Yes, there has been a novel idea brewing in my head for the past year. Several have been, as a matter of fact. If not for NaNoWriMo, I would probably never make myself find the time to flesh them out and see if I can, in fact, turn them into a novel. Thank you for giving me a reason to write.

5. Procrastination... go far, far away.
What better way to fend off procrastination than by emphasizing A) the overwhelming nature of cranking out a 50,000+ word manuscript, and B) the enormously important and quickly looming deadline of 30 days? As much as I love to put a lot of things off as much as I can get away with, with NaNoWriMo, I have no valid excuse. It's do or die, baby.

I realize that almost half these reasons aren't related so much to NaNo as they are to a specific character trait of mine... All I'm trying to say is these are some of my reasons. Agree or disagree, you can't deny that the power of a collective agenda cannot be denied. In this case, the agenda happens to be writing novels.

To all my fellow NaNoWriMoers, this collective jump off a bridge is well worth it. I look forward to seeing what comes out of this year's attempts.

NaNoWriMo CD Share

I have a borderline addiction to music. It’s pretty sickening how much music I have on my computer, really. But it’s also the reason why I love one of the things I do about NaNoWriMo… the CD swap each year (I really should make a list of all the things I love about NaNoWriMo, but I’ll save that for another blog). Where else can you get music from a fellow writer who wants to help and encourage you to get through your 50,000+ word goal with some great tunes you might never have taken the time or gotten the courage to listen to otherwise?

Last year I came out on the other side with not only 50,183 words, but some great music to boot -- amongst other things. What I received from fellow NaNoers varied from classical to soundtracks to musicals… Not only was I able to do something I dearly love (explore music genres completely new to me), but the music brought new life and inspiration to my novel. I almost think I would dropped out otherwise.

Needless to say, I am definitely on board again. Fellow NaNoers, if you can afford to mail a few CDs, you should definitely get involved in this.

NaNoPrepMo

It's the month before the biggest month of the year for us aspiring novelists. October, the month where everyone who is going to plot and plan their NaNoWriMo novels to death either starts to or is in over their heads with their scheming. It is also the month where people switch ideas, ditch ideas, and possibly decide by the end of the month to just wing it through November. I call it NaNoPrepMo.

Prep is going well for this year's novel. Instead of creating character bios, I've divided the novel into "themed" chunks, and am outlining each as inspiration strikes. A plot line is emerging, and I am really getting excited for this. Never mind the full time job and preparations for The World Race (if you want to read about what's up with all that, click here), I'm doing it again! I'll be much better about updating my word counts this go round on this blog, and you'll see why in just a matter of days if we're buddies on facebook or otherwise know me.

While we wait for NaNoWriMo to officially kick off, here are a few songs off the 2009 NaNoWriMo playlist that is in progress along with outlines and such! I feel like these songs really have a lot to do with each theme they represent, and I leave it to you to guess what the theme might be for each.


NaNoWriMo 2009
1. "Beautiful" - Bethany Dillon
2. "Be Strong" - Matthew West
3. "Misery Business (Acoustic Version)" - Paramore
4. "Clear The Stage" - Ross King
5. "You Are" - Tenth Avenue North
6. "The Heart of Worship" - Sonicflood
7. "Dead Man (Carry Me)" - Jars of Clay
8. "Faith, Love, and Happiness" - Thousand Foot Krutch
9. "Blood on My Hands" - The Used
10. "Roots Rock Riot" - Skindred