So, there’s a dumpster fire happening, and as a very long-time participant in Nanowrimo and someone who has promoted the forums in past years, I don’t feel right not speaking up about this. I’m about to talk about some heavy topics – namely child abuse, grooming, and the safety of minors online – so if… Continue reading My take on the Nanowrimo situation
It’s July, which means it’s time for Camp Nanowrimo! This month I’m attempting to add at least 30,000 words to the second draft of Nothing Is Here, which started its life as my 2022 Nanowrimo novel. The poor thing has been limping through the sad space in between drafts for many months now, and it’s… Continue reading How to prepare for revising a novel
If you’re struggling with Nanowrimo right now, you’re not alone. This phenomenon goes by many names – the 30k blues, the saggy middle – and is one of the most common challenges writers face during Nanowrimo. It’s characterized by a profound loss of momentum during the third week of the month. It’s often accompanied by… Continue reading Story Structure Sunday: What to do about the 30k blues
Ah, the first draft. The first step on the long staircase to publication, held together with the writing equivalent of duct tape and prayers. If you squint, it looks like a novel, but it’s never quite what you thought it would be, is it? It’s almost Nanowrimo time, meaning that millions of people about to… Continue reading Everything you need to know about first drafts
Happy April, everyone! The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, allergy season is beginning to reassert its dominance over us all, and the first sesssion of Camp Nanowrimo 2022 is here. As a devoted participant in any Nanowrimo event I’ve been able to get my hands on since the year 2011, I’m proud to… Continue reading How to survive Camp Nanowrimo and have fun doing it
In honor of the April session of Camp Nanowrimo kicking off tomorrow, today we’re going to talk about a topic very near and dear to my heart: the debate over plotting vs. pantsing. If you’ve participated in Nanowrimo or any of its associated events before, you have almost definitely run across this, and probably gotten… Continue reading Plotting vs. pantsing, and why you should do neither
