Published by Deborah on 25 Oct 2005 at 10:42 am
Prepping for NaNoWri
I just got back from the office supply store, where I bought two packs of paper and a pen with plenty of refills especially for this project. Can any of you believe how fast 2005 is slipping by, that we’re already approaching November?
At any rate, I’m no longer sure which angle I want to approach this story. Already, I’m getting images/thoughts of little Walt searching for his dog and dad after they crashed.
On the way home, I was thinking about what it would be like to be stuck on a plane with a bounty hunter (marshall?) who is salivating over your demise. I’ll have to research where Kate was from.
The ideas are coming, which is a good thing. I plan on writing this entire story out in longhand. The reason doesn’t involve cigarettes or writer’s block, but my tendency to be a perfectionist. When I’m using the computer to write my stories, I tend to backtrack and rewrite a lot. That’s what kept me from making the deadline last year.
I figure that if this story turns out to be any good, I’ll have plenty of time in the coming months to slice and dice it. Now, I’m off to my outlining. 
Lee Pletzers on 25 Oct 2005 at 4:23 pm #
Good luck with that.
The last time I did a full outline, I never worte the book. It’s still sitting in the drawer from early last year.
I might actually write it one of these days.
I follow Richard Laymon’s rules of writing: Never stop at the end of a chapter and always stop in the middle of the action. That way, it is easier to start the next day.
Good luck with Nano, Deb.
Deborah on 25 Oct 2005 at 4:56 pm #
Thanks, Lee.
Layman gave some good advice that I’m pretty good about following. As I finish the current chapter I’m working on, I try to draw a mental picture of what will happen in the next.
Where outlining is concerned, I make them as general as I can because I always think of new ideas that will throw the whole thing off.
Chris Howard on 27 Oct 2005 at 7:01 am #
I’m writing in longhand for NaNoWriMo as well, something I haven’t done in years. My daughter’s in the NaNo young writers program, and since she won’t be typing, I figured I shouldn’t either. We’ve made a few rules: No re-reading once we start writing for the day. We can go back and read what we’ve done before or after the night’s writing session. We’ll both write at the dinner table each evening, and we’ll try to keep the distractions, e.g., snorting and giggling, to a minimum. I give the rules three days before they break down. My hand will hurt from writing with a pen and I’ll be typing, we’ll be reading each other funny dialogue during the writing sessions, there’ll be bursts of laughter, even cackling. It ought to be fun.
Deborah on 27 Oct 2005 at 7:26 am #
Sounds like a blast, Chris! Try using the Dr. Grip pens to alleviate cramps. They work great for me.