Debbie Brown and Nicholas Klacsanzky, UWB Writing Center Writing Consultants, have each committed to writing an entire novel in the month of November! Debbie and Nicholas will be blogging about their novel-writing experiences beginning November first. Watch this page for regular updates!
Debbie and Nicholas are teaming up with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a non-profit organization that sponsors a Young Writers Program in over 600 public schools, as well as library programs all over the world. NaNoWriMo began in 1999 with 21 entrants and this year over 110,000 people will attempt the improbable: to write at least 50,000 words from November 1st to midnight on November 30th. Check out NaNoWriMo, create an account, and do a search for author debbiebrown (all one word) to see Debbie's author profile and bhalachandrasahaj (all one word) to see Nicholas' profile.
Debbie: Monday, November 30, 2009 [FINAL WORD COUNT: 52,790]
"Scuse me while I kiss the sky."
--Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze
I DID IT!!! I WON!!! I wrote 50,000 words of a novel in one glorious month! Here’s my official “Acceptance Speech:”
Thank you so much for this prestigious award! I couldn’t have done it without the help of many people around me. Thanks to my fellow NaNoWriMo novelists: Nicholas, Mandy and Caitlin, who are also 2009 winners! Your strength helped me be strong when I was lagging behind. Thanks to my Writing Center manager, Kim Sharp, and the Director of the Writing Center, Dr. Karen Rosenberg. Even though you thought I was crazy, you stood behind me 100% of the way and cheered me on. And thanks to Kelsey and Cate, my compadres in the OLMC, for keeping me motivated.
Will I do it again? You bet! I think there will be at least 5 of us from the Writing Center who will participate next year, and we look forward to making it a much “bigger deal” around campus.
What did I learn? I learned how to get something down on the page without having to think about every single word. There is some value in that. I learned to be persistent, and to keep going, even when I wanted to quit. I learned how to organize and prioritize my time. I learned that novel-writing can be fun.
So, look for us again next year on the Writing Center NaNoWriMo blog, and until then, happy noveling!
Nicholas: November 30, 2009
Due to a surgery last Friday, I couldn't sit up or even have the energy to tell my roommates what I wanted to write. Though it is very unfortunate that I couldn't finish the novel as I could have without having had surgery, I have accepted my conditions. On the day of my surgery, I could not write because of nausea, but the day after I wrote as much as my body allowed. In my mind I have completed the book, knowing that I have three chapters left, and I have planned out (with the help of lot of time resting) details to the end.
This experience, I realized, has been more about starting and having the motivation to finish a novel—the act of finishing was a desired feat for me—but knowing that I have nearly ended my novel, and that I need only seven days time (according to my health) to complete it, is enough for me.
Without NaNoWriMo, it may have been until my fiftieth year that I would decide to start a novel. I may have not written one at all—before this experience I thought novels were fantasy—something that only amazing, brilliant people could organize and finish—that it would take years, maybe a lifetime, to feel good about it. Poetry has always been easier—short so that if I make a mistake that it won’t be so much of problem. I thought if one spent years on a novel that wasn't goo, it would be a waste of time. NaNoWriMo opened up an opportunity—one month thrown away wouldn't be too bad. Now that I have basically finished my novel, I know now that writing a novel is just like a surgery, the anticipation is much more troublesome than the actual act.
Novel writing is not only for writers, but for people interested in humanity, in introspection into their own lives. A novel takes you into your own life and helps you examine it. If you are looking to simply know more about yourself, writing a novel is great exercise.
I'll see you next year (hopefully with better health) and I look forward to seeing your novel in the NaNoWriMo realm.
Debbie: Sunday, November 29, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 45,267]
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
--President Calvin Coolidge
Persistence. Perseverance. It used to be taught as a virtue, as a character-building exercise. Sticking with something until it is finished, even if you really really really want to quit half-way through. Quitting used to be seen as a character flaw. I’m not sure we teach these kind of values to our kids anymore. My sister was recently honored for 16 years of service at the same company. That is almost unheard of these days. And my parents celebrated 51 years of marriage in March.
I’ve never held the same job for anywhere close to 16 years. And neither of my two marriages lasted either. But… tomorrow I am going to be able to say that I WROTE AN ENTIRE NOVEL IN ONE MONTH! Perhaps that is not quite as amazing as keeping a job or a marriage, but it’s something. Many people have said they’re going to write a novel “someday;” many have started these novels. But few ever finish. So, yes, I am proud that I have written a (very awful) novel, and that I did it in one month, while going to grad school and working!
NaNoWriMo 2009 Winner’s Circle, Here I Come!
Debbie: Tuesday, November 2, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 42,141]
“Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.”
–Flannery O’Connor
It’s a good thing Flannery O’Connor will never see this post! My novel really is quite dreadful. And that’s just on first reading! I usually like my writing much less after I’ve let it sit for a while and then re-read it. So if I think it’s a stinker now…
And yet… I wonder. Could I actually make this into something? Granted, almost every word would have to be rewritten, but I wonder. Typing this at 1:30 AM, listening to Michael Jackson sing “Man in the Mirror,” I’m thinking to myself that just perhaps…
Nah.
(insert sounds of soft humming as the author moonwalks off into the night…)
Debbie: Monday, November 23, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 39,342]
"An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?"
-
-Rene Descartes
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."
--Mark Twain
Last week Nicholas and I both faced health challenges as we tried to keep up with our noveling and “real” lives. Nick was laid out by a nasty cold, and I strained my back toward the beginning of the week and thus, both of us were pretty much out of commission for the duration.
But life goes on. And so does NaNoWriMo. While my professors were very generous in giving me an extension on my paper, NaNoWriMo ends at midnight on November 30, no ifs, ands, or buts. There are no excuses, no extensions. Either you turn in at least 50,000 words, or you don’t.
Nick said in his blog that he would write a hundred words, then fall to the floor, reeling from pain and exhaustion. I, too, would write for a bit, and then the back pain would become so excruciating that I would get up, do some stretches, and then either lay down for half an hour or soak in a very hot tub for the same length of time. Then back to the keyboard!
So what does all that have to do with the quotes printed above? Well, it has to do with my family. As usual. Although I live alone, I’m in constant touch with my brothers and my dad. They think I’m crazy. (Not just about NaNoWriMo either.) Last week, they strongly encouraged me to give up on the novel. Focus on school. Don’t try to do too much. You’ll never be able to do this. Admit you can’t.
Of course, this served only to spur me on. Nothing will make me accomplish something more than my family telling me I can’t do it. Like graduate from Cascadia Community College. And then from the UW Bothell. Or get into grad school. Or…write an entire novel in one month.
And thus, inspired by my family, I, like Nick, in my pain-induced delirium, changed perspective. I reframed the entire novel from taking place in modern-day Woodinville to taking place in British colonial Africa. I lost some valuable time doing that, but I now feel invigorated and I am confident I can cross the finish line!
Nicholas, Friday, November 20, 2009
Keeping my word count steady with the marks, especially during the half-way point, was extremely challenging. I faced a cold that nearly knocked me out of my senses. Typing a hundred words and being overcome by exhaustion, I would fall on the floor reeling in aches and lack of energy. Getting through 1600+ words that day was actually enlightening. If I could meet my word count then, I could definitely meet it other days.
I found a cool tactic to make a story exciting to yourself and the readers again. Change perspective. The whole story I have been basically going on about my main character, but then, when I thought my story was turning bland, I wrote a whole chapter from the perspective of my main character's best friend, and found relevant links with the main character. It turned about to be a worthy venture and two chapters from now I am going to do the same.
Changing perspective is a real art in novel writing. But take risks--especially if you are writing a novel with a fast-paced deadline.
Nicholas: Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Yesterday, I found a great method for working in NaNoWriMo conditions. I set a clock or timer for one hour, and didn't get up, unless I absolutely had to. I wrote as much as I could in one hour. Then, I took a 20 minute break, then get on the clock again. I found that I could write 1600+ words in two hours this way. It seems that I make a lot of inner excuses as a writer, and that setting a time eliminates some of those excuses.
Debbie: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 25,246]
“’There is no use trying,’ said Alice; ‘one can't believe impossible things.’ ‘I dare say you haven't had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’”
--Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
I BELIEVE!! Yes, it’s true--I have passed the halfway mark! 25,246 and counting. They say (“they” being the NaNoWriMo powers that be) that passing the 25,000 mark is a great feeling, but that the best is at the 35,000 mark. So 35,000 here I come. Thanks everyone for cheering me on!
Debbie: WEEKEND EDITION: Sunday, November 08, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 18,478]
"I am not afraid...I was born to do this."
--Joan of Arc
Today I wrote. I wrote and wrote and wrote. Then I wrote some more. I wrote so much that, were I walking on my fingers, I would have run a marathon or two. OK, that’s a really horrible analogy, but what you do you expect? I wrote until there was nothing more to write.
I’ve decided I need rules. Well, not rules. I generally don’t care for rules.Ask anybody. “Handy hints” might be a better term. So, henceforth, until November 30, these shall be my NaNoWriMo “handy hints” for speedy novel writing: (please note: You probably don’t want to use these hints for writing academic/scholarly works for your classes. In fact, I’d say you should pretty much do the opposite of these things if you are doing school work.)
1. Sleep? Not an option! Two short (less than one hour) naps per day are okay, but only if medically prescribed by a doctor, and you do not have time to go to the doctor, you are writing a whole novel in one month!
2. Meals? Not an option! I’m running on that new instant coffee, the zucchini bread my neighbor sent over last week, and leftover Halloween candy.
3. Vitamins! Lots of vitamins. Because they make up for Handy Hint #2—right?
4. Music! Loud music! No Jason Mraz or (if you are my age) James Taylor—that is sleep-inducing music, and you all remember Handy Hint #1, right? I am blasting Cold Play right now, interspersed with Jane’s Addiction. My advice is blast it so loud the bass goes right through your chest cavity, making thinking impossible. Just close your eyes (Yes, I said close your eyes!) and type. Type without looking. Type without thinking.
5. Carpel tunnel, you say? The hell I say! Wrap up your wrists tight and keep typing! Pain is for poets! We’re writing novels here, we have no time for pain! (Note to self: ask for carpel tunnel surgery for Christmas—that way you’ll be ready to go next November.)
6. A social life? Are you joking?? Your social life for the next twenty-two days shall consist of the hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation and bowls of Halloween candy.
7. Write about those hallucinations! Give each of your characters lengthy, word-burning hallucinations. Remember, hallucinations don’t have to make sense and they can go on and on and on... and then later on your characters can repeat them to their therapists! Can you say “cut and paste?”
8. 1998 Newbery Honor winner for the delightful children’s book Ella Enchanted, and fellow NaNoWriMo-er, Gail Carson Levine says “The perfect is the enemy of the fast. The good is the enemy of the fast. The halfway decent is the enemy of the fast.”
9. Let’s bring “stream of consciousness” back! If it worked for Virginia Woolf, it can work for me. And my portfolio advisor, the avant-garde Professor Joe Milutis, tells me I’m completely wrong about James Joyce and Finnegan’s Wake. Hmmm….NaNoWriMo may be the perfect time to type random words in random order…. index speaker Kleenex sticky notes pen iPod calendar elephants totem didgeridoo television Josh Groban autumn leaves wicker pumpkin. Hey, I think I’m onto something here!
10. Do not look back. Do not re-read. Do not consult the thesaurus, the dictionary, Strunk & White, or your eleventh grade English teacher. Never wonder if there’s a better word. There is; you just don’t have time to think of it. NEVER EDIT. Type on, my friend, type on!
Nicholas: Friday, November 6, 2009
Yesterday was the first day I did not complete my word count. I had the time, but I did not get into a groove as I usually do. I sat in front of the computer listening to my standard music, but I wrote slowly and had to take many breaks. Maybe it was my mind telling me I needed to stop pushing it so hard.
This morning, I wrote on the bus on the way to work and it was much easier. One of my friends who is also doing NaNoWriMo told me a few days ago, "Find ways to make your story interesting to write." The more I reflected on that statement, the more I wrote. I found that the quirky, wacky aspects of characters are what drive me--not necessarily the plot. It is of great benefit to laugh and cheer your story along--to useunique-ification, as my short story writing teacher sometimes says. It seems that the more unique a story is, the greater enjoyment you will have in writing it.
Debbie: Friday, November 06, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 5,445]
"Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
--William Blake
William Blake’s quote really helped me calm down. I doubt very much this novel I am cranking out in 30 days will be a classic piece of literature. And that’s okay. Even if I were writing a novel without the thirty-day time constraint, I can’t think in terms of writing like some of my literary heroes such as Harper Lee, Ernest Hemingway, or John Steinbeck.
All I can do is be me, and all I can write is my very best. I am writing the best I can, given the parameters of having to write 50,000 words in thirty days. I need to stop looking back; I need to stop second-guessing myself and going through angst over every word I write.
I think that applies to my schoolwork as well. I had a reflection paper due yesterday. I completely obsessed about it, and spent almost all night re-writing it, and I still wasn’t happy when I posted it to Catalyst. I need to take a deep breath and realize I did the best I could. Maybe Steinbeck could have written a better reflection on his experiences in BCULST 500, but Steinbeck isn’t the one in the class—I am. So, in the spirit of Blake, I will write the best I can without worrying whether I “sing the best.” Thanks, William Blake!
Debbie: Thursday, November 5, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 4,558]
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."
--Mark Twain
Yesterday was a good writing day in terms of volume—I am now only about 800 words behind, and I can easily make that up by the end of the weekend. I am starting to synthesize several very discrete ideas into one cohesive story woven together with strands and cords of different fabrics.
While I was writing, I was thinking about reading. I love Twain’s quote because, as a first year grad student, my classmates and I do a lot of griping about the volume of reading we are assigned. But Twain was right. Why are we attending this top-tier university if not to open our minds and gain a greater understanding of who we are? Yes, I have a lot to read. But what better thing to occupy my waking moments? I am both a better private person, a better writer, and a better citizen of the world, because I read.
Nicholas: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
After reaching a total of 5022 words, I knew today was one of those get-through-it days. My writing didn't have the usual zeal and flash to it, but I made myself write to the projected limit for day three. I think the thing that kept me going, besides the threat of being behind, was my characters. All my characters are loosely based on real life, mostly my family. To me, writing totally outside of what I know would mean a much larger task in terms of completing a novel in a month.
Though we ultimately write from experience regardless of what we write, to base our writing largely on what we know really well can be an effective way to keep the words rolling.
Nicholas: Monday, November 2, 2009
I finished off at 3740 words total, writing 1706 words today. I completed my second chapter and I have a loose idea where I am going with the story. Despite not planning the story out meticulously like I usually do, I find the style of quick, jump-of-the-gun writing of NaNoWriMo does not hinder my organization. Though I may go on tangents, like only fun novels should, I stay on point. My characters are getting more defined and are becoming more exciting to write about. The first day was eventually a bore--half way through 2017 words, I found my story dull and uninspired. But the second day was like picking up the pieces of the puzzle I had written the day before, and firing my intellectual and imaginative guns. Though exhausting, it was a thrill to see where my story took me.
Debbie: Monday, November 02, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 903]
"Just dash something down if you see a blank canvas staring at you with a certain imbecility. You do not know how paralyzing it is, that staring of a blank canvas which says to the painter: you don't know anything."
--Vincent van Gogh
Okay, so I didn’t make my word count yesterday. As van Gogh said, I sat an stared at a blank computer screen, paralyzed with fear. Oh my God! I’m writing a whole novel in one month in front of the entire UWB! Why, oh why, did I volunteer for this crazy mission!?! I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing! Okay, Vincent. I’m going to throw some paint on the canvas, so to speak. Just write. Don’t think. Here I go!
Debbie: Sunday, November 1, 2009 [WORD COUNT: 0]
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
--Walt Disney
This is it! I’ve been talking about NaNoWriMo for months, and now it’s time for the pencil to hit the paper! I have a topic (sort of) and a plot (kind of) an characters (in a way), and so… here I go! 1,670 words per day… how hard can this be?