Novel Completion! + What I Learned

This post is long overdue since I actually finished my novel early last month, but oh well! For posterity's sake, here's some statistics and trivia about how it went:

• Typed the last words on March 12. Would have been the 11th, but I dithered over the final lines for about two days, wanted to get them just right!
• The final word count came out to 117,903 which makes it the longest piece of fiction I've ever written. 
• It took me roughly five months to complete, which also happens to be the longest I've ever worked continually on a writing project. Previously, I wrote my first completed novel in thirty days -- a considerable disparity! Though, to be fair, that was during NaNoWriMo, and craziness happens during NaNoWriMo.
• That being said, this is also the first novel I've finished on my own, outside of the competitive and supportive atmosphere of NaNo.

Admittedly, I probably could have finished this one in less time but there were several close calls where I almost called it the quits. If you're a writer, you know exactly what it's like when you hit those moments of "why am I even writing this? will anyone ever want to read it? what if this is just a huge waste of time?" But I pushed through, past the doubt, past the uncertainty, and here I am on the other side with a finished novel to show for my efforts! It's a good feeling, to say the least.

Of course, to me, writing is not a destination so much as it is a constant journey toward improvement and understanding. Through writing, I'm able to learn something new about the process, what works and what doesn't, and I also discover more about myself at the same time.

Here are just a few of the things I learned this time around!

• I can write first-person point of view! I've always admired writers who can pull off first-person POV because it's intimate and powerful when done right. Of course this also depends on the kind of story you're trying to tell, too. This was my first time attempting a lengthy narrative from this POV, and I actually enjoyed it a lot and felt it added a nice depth of feeling and personality to the story. So yes, future self reading this, if you're not sure let me remind you that you can write first-person! And to high school me, who would have ever guessed?

• An outline, even a loose one, is beneficial. I like writing high concept stories because it helps me narrow in on the plot, and my high concept ideas have proven very compatible with outlines. This story was actually supposed to be a short story, and as such I made one of my rare outlines in advance (I'm more of a panster usually, making it up as I go along) which proved handy even in its brief, skeletal form in helping direct the story.

• Sci-fi may be my genre. I still like to flirt and batt my eyelashes at other genres, particularly fantasy which is a relationship I've enjoyed for about as long, but I'm finding that sci-fi is my comfort genre, my fallback when coming up with story ideas. Minus the pseudo-science involved in some of them (which I always worry will catch me out as a writer and not a scientist), I love everything about sci-fi. One of these days I'll have to try a little more hard sci-fi, since the two novels I've written thus far are more light sci-fi (i.e. without spaceships and planets and such).

• Inspiration comes and goes, but it has to find you writing, to paraphrase one of my favorite pieces of writing advice. If there's anything I've learned, it's that there will always come a point when you are tired of writing the story. And that's okay. Take a break, a few days off from writing if you need to. Think about something else, make eyes at some other ideas. Go outside. Read a book. But then return to the novel and keep writing anyway. Another trick I've found helpful is brainstorming a scene that you can get excited about. Whether that means introducing some interesting minor characters, or letting hell break loose on the ones you have. If you're bored, find a way to get yourself pumped up about the story again. You loved the idea enough to start it, remember why that was and get back involved!

Hope this self-analysis helps some of my fellow writers out there!

Writers, what are some of the interesting discoveries you've made while writing? What tricks keep you motivated and plugging away at the keyboard?

Multitasking and You

While I'm writing a novel, I tend to become singularly focused on that one task. It's a big, challenging one, after all! Between school and a novel, most of my brain juices are sucked dry and need to be replenished daily. But as I'm writing my current WIP (work in progress, for those not hip to writer lingo), I've found a neat little trick to help keep my brain fresh and actively engaged -- and that would be multitasking.

I don't mean it in the traditional sense of doing all kinds of different things at once, but rather alternating between different types of creative projects. For example, I've come to find that I really enjoy making fanvids for movies and TV shows that I like. Whenever I get stuck with my writing, I stop and work on a fanvid, which lets my brain think it's having a break doing something fun while also keeping the creative portion of it chugging along. Plus, I have something immediately tangible to show for my efforts and since we tend to be reward-based creatures, this helps reinforce my motivation to keep going in all facets of my creative life.

Common writer advice is when you're stuck, to step away from the piece and do something else. I've found this works almost 99.9% of the time. Of course, sometimes you just have to push through the block, but generally it doesn't hurt to work on something else for a little bit to recharge the batteries.

What sort of things do you do outside of writing when you need a break? Do you think it helps to keep in that creative mindset or "zone"?

Starting a New Story

It's pretty much like this.

On that note, I will hopefully be starting a new novel soon! Also, edits for my short story are almost finished and then I'll be sending that off to the Writers of the Future contest. Nervous, but also excited (see also: cautiously optimistic)! I haven't submitted my writing anywhere since the ninth grade so I'm interested to see how things turn out. Fingers crossed!

A Foray into Historical Fiction

So I've finally started a new novel! I'm writing historical fiction set during the 1950s, centered around the studio and star system. And maybe there will be a young!Elvis cameo later on in the decade. Possibly. Probably.

I mean, come on, look at him! So cute.*

More seriously, though, writing historical fiction has been an interesting challenge. Reading around, there seems to be two camps in terms of how much research you should do before attempting a novel set in a different time period. While I did some cursory investigating to familiarize myself with my era, there was plenty I didn't know going in. I'll be the first to admit that it probably would have behooved me to do a bit more research than I did, but I really don't think there's any way to anticipate everything you'll need to know while writing. Inevitably, you will have to stop and look up what sort of hairstyles were in vogue, what model of telephone was in use, whether or not your lady characters wore underpants beneath those pencil skirts. Those sorts of things that will probably not but wouldn't it be cool if it did? come up in Trivial Pursuit one day.

What year did they remove the 'LAND' from the HOLLYWOOD sign? 1949. Yes, I know that off the top of my head. No, that's not weird.

Ironically, it was this fear of being unprepared that prevented me from writing historical fiction for so long, contrary to my love of reading it. What I've found, though, is that I love learning about all of this stuff as I go along. Yes, it sometimes interrupts my writing when I have to stop and Google the odd historical fact, but it's a thrill to come across some neat piece of information that will lend authenticity to my book. It probably doesn't hurt that I'm a History major and adore learning new things about the past either.

Long story short, I'm having a ball with this novel. Although it's slow going, it's the most fun I've had in a long while, and I think I may have finally found a genre that fits me. Only time will tell!

* Yes, this is pretty much an excuse to put an Elvis picture on my blog. I regret nothing.

They're More Like Guidelines Than Actual Rules

And that's the second Pirates of the Caribbean quote I've used for the title of a blog post. *nerd points*

So since we're in the midst of NaNoWriMo, and writers everywhere are trying to lure their weeping muses out from the bathroom with promises of double fudge rocky road and no more sentences ending in prepositions, I thought I'd share some of the techniques that I've learned over the years.

#1. Start strong. The first sentence, to me, is probably the most important sentence you will write in the whole novel, except for maybe the last one. It's the hook, the thing that draws the reader in and invites them to stay awhile. When you pick up a book at the store, chances are you pop it open and read the first sentence or three just to get a taste. 

For me, I like to think of the opening sentence and paragraph as the foundation for everything else that is to come. Get this right, tweak it as much as you need to until you're happy with it, and then move on. The strongest house will falter on a weak foundation, and the same goes with a novel; so make sure that beginning is tight. Once you're confident and content with it, everything else will come much easier. You'll be safe in the knowledge that you have a solid beginning with which to fall back on if you ever stray too far from the story you're trying to tell.

You may lather, rinse, repeat for the beginning of each chapter afterwards. The same idea applies.*

#2. Set the mood. I've mentioned this in a previous blog post, but music, more than anything else, can be a helpful tool in seducing your muse. If you're writing an action scene, why not pick some heavy rock n' roll? The fast tempo will get your heart racing, matching the hectic rhythm of an action sequence. How about a quiet ballad for a scene between two lovers? Lyrics may inspire dialogue. If nothing else, music will help you envision the scene that you're writing. I like to imagine it like a soundtrack and the movie is your novel.

#3. Eliminate distractions. This could also be called 'disconnecting your internet'. The internet, while extremely useful, is also extremely distracting. If you find yourself on Facebook or Twitter after every other word, then maybe it's time for some drastic measures -- such as unhooking your internet cable or turning off the wifi for a little while. I must confess, I'm as guilty of this as anyone, but discipline comes with practice! 

And, besides, the world won't end if you don't check your email every other minute. Well, unless you work for Skynet or something. In which case, you should stop working on that T-600 prototype altogether and pursue your dreams of becoming an author. It'll be better for the whole human race, trust me.

#4. Take a break. If absolutely nothing is working and you've begun contemplating throwing your PC/Mac/Typerwriter out the window, then maybe it's time to take a break and come back to it in a bit. Many people have suggested exercise as a good way to get the creative juices flowing, and I agree. Plus, it's healthy, always a nice bonus! Your body and mind will thank you.

But seeing as I'm rather lazy, I also have an alternative to provide! Watch a movie or read a book, any form of narrative that relates to the genre that you're writing. Writers are fortunate because we can study at the knee of the master any time we'd like -- we just have to crack open a book, or pay attention to the script of a movie. Sometimes it helps to see how another author has managed to get through a fight scene, or weave together several seemingly unrelated subplots. You don't even have to be consciously thinking about all of this. Your brain is awesome and will work through the writer's block by itself, given the time. So don't give up!

There's also the option of sleep. Dreams can be inspiring. And a rested brain works much better than a frazzled, overworked one.

#5. Just write. It might seem obvious, but the best way to get a novel done is to just write it. One word after the other. Push through the self-doubt and the nagging of your inner editor. One of the best ways to do this is to remind yourself of the good writing that you have done, thus far. There's bound to be a sentence somewhere that you're proud of writing. And there will be more, so long as you keep going!

Hopefully some of these tips help you! In the end, different things work for different writers. The only rule in this game is: whatever works, works. And don't forget to have fun along the way!

That being said, I'm rooting for all of you, dear writers! Feel free to share some of the tips and tricks that you've learned to help you on the bumpy road that is writing a novel. =)

* Disclaimer! Don't get hung up on the beginning, however. If you just can't get it the way you want it, and it's dragging you down, sometimes it's better to move on to the meat of your story and come back later. Writing something is better than giving up and writing nothing! Never surrender!