Preparation

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

I guess this forum hints at something along those lines :-)

Andrew Chilton - http://kapiti.geek.nz/
SoCNoC 2008 - Unknown and Untitled

I think short stories are harder. Also, if you are going to experiment with something in your writing, experiment with just 1 thing, don't try playing with everything.

The whole present tense and switching from 1st to 3rd person slowed me down a lot. I also found it a little less enjoyable and more stressful than Nano.

With Nano, it felt easy and once you build up a lead, you're sweet. With this one, I was behind from the beginning and playing catch up the whole time (4 days, not a whole lot of time).

I certainly learned a lot though, and that's what this is about I think.

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

Oh... and knowing your ending is probably a plus.

There was an interview on Wrimoradio with a published author who said she just writes herself a crisis, making it worse and worse as the story goes on, and then figures a way out. She hasn't failed yet, and she had a $5M deal for 2 books, one of them Nano.

I would worry that my 'solution' would be crap. I guess I can just try it. :)

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

Also: Write more than 77 words...

Hahaha... Actually, the best translation for that is: Don't get distracted with invitations/desires to go out to bbqs, dinners, Raumati Beach, etc, etc... until AFTER you've got most of it done :-)

Otherwise, you just can't get started or you're nowhere near writing materials...

I think that if you haven't planned your expectations need to be in line with that. I hadn't planned and just began writing. Somehow I got a story out of it that I think is reasonably decent.

No Excuses. Just Write.
SoCNoC - Untitled Chick Lit
Freeing the Flame - 30,065/40,000 words rewritten for May

I think it is completely possible to bang out a story by just going in unprepared and writing what comes to mind. If you are lucky, it's good, but I think preparation can make it even better.

Mine was something that I'd played with a while ago, and even wrote 1000 words or so for. It's been morphed significantly, and Una says it's probably better done as a novel (i.e. a lot of material). Still, I'm not crazy about it yet, but I think I just need a good ending and it will be an interesting story.

I'm still struggling with "show don't tell" and I'm telling a lot. I have to say, Octavia Butler's "Wild Seed" is brilliant at that, and I could learn a lesson. There are so many implications in each of her sentences. With me, I find I feel the need to explain things...

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

I echo Andy -"prepare, prepare, prepare"....

I think I should also go and listen to the Wrimo radios more carefully (I tend to block things I'm supposed to be listening) as I didn't hear about the published Wrimo author writing a hole thing that Travis mentioned.

I did the crisis thing and it worked well. The big downside is hitting a moment of panic as you think the hole is way too big for your character. I think it depends on if you are allowing a bit of 'unreality' to be a part of the story. I had the slightly supernatural, gives me a little advantage but I try to play by the rules...ok first thing when working with the supernatural is to set some rules, you can always change them of course by going back.

And the biggy - if you get stuck, magic, or a dream sequence works. Dreaming worked for a whole season of Dallas, it can work for a short story.

I didnt know the ending of my wwwW story until about 90% from the ending. All I knew was who I wanted to survive and that is not always guaranteed in my writing.

The other thing I do is to open another file and put in details of names, and background that might never go into the story. If I come up with any ideas, they go into this file.

Oh well, I am on slow typing mode due to having two of my fingers taped together.
Nice to do more reading than writing for a change.

---------------------------------
NaNo winner 2006, 2007
SocNoc winner 2007,
WWWwace 2007, 2008!!!
Easter challenge winner 2007
Body count: 1 Institute heads, 4 professors, 2 postdocs, 2 PhD students, 2 sequencing technicians and numerous bad guys...
Oh I wish I could put that on my CV.

------------------------------------

One of the things I do now is I usually have three files. Like madscientist says, have a file with details of names and background.

I end up having:
- story
- characters
- outline
- background (maybe, depending how much I want)

It certainly helps when I want to remember who I left at the bottom of the pit and what traits they have to help them get out again :-)

Andrew Chilton - http://kapiti.geek.nz/
SoCNoC 2008 - Unknown and Untitled

Strangely enough, I keep a notepad next to me for keeping track of characters, their names and positions etc...

This is even if I have a computer in front of me with the ability to open as many screens as I want - I will have to remember next time. :-)

Has anyone out there changed character names mid-story/mid-novel? My notepad has allowed me to keep everything straight! :)

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

I don't change names usually, but I change PERSONALITIES a lot. And physical descriptions. I am usually happy with names, but the actual "character" aspect is another matter. And if I don't have plot notes on hand, all neatly placed, I get incredibly muddled up.

That's one of the reasons I have resolved to be more observant of people, so the character isn't COMPLETELY out of thin air all the time.

Hahaha... I don't know if that's worse or better.

I have solved my problem by having only 1 personality in all the stuff I write. :)

and I repeat, "I don't know if that's worse or better."

I have to say, I'm enjoying the Holly Lisle podcasts that Kerryn put in the resource section and there is quite a lot on character building, how to keep it interesting etc... Worth checking.

I don't know if she'll help you with your schizophrenic characters though - it's probably worth asking her though. :)

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

I had a notepad and still switched character names half way through. I didn't pick it up until I was editing and suddenly thought, who is this guy!

No Excuses. Just Write.
SoCNoC - Untitled Chick Lit
Freeing the Flame - 30,065/40,000 words rewritten for May

I knew someone in the Wellington group had done that! I didn't realize that it was you. Haha... that is funny.

I can just imagine what I'll see when I re-read my novel from Nanowrimo next month. I can just imagine... :)

What were the names? One of them wasn't "Victor" was it? :-)

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

No, no, no, it wasn't the Victor thing. lol.

They weren't even similar names. They were John and Thomas!

No Excuses. Just Write.
SoCNoC - Untitled Chick Lit
Freeing the Flame - 30,065/40,000 words rewritten for May

LOL, Kerryn. That's funny xD

Hey cottreau, that 1-personality is actually a really good idea! For better or worse, I may just try that. I'll also (try to) remember to check out the podcasts too...

angeldreams,

The 1 personality wasn't supposed to be a good idea! hahah... It was supposed to be a bad habit.

I am in good company though, since many, many novelists do exactly that... I'm thinking Robert Heinlein, the famous sci-fi guy. He didn't just have 1 personality, he only had 3 or 4 characters and almost the same formula for every novel - still considered one of the greats through (maybe I just read the wrong novels - I stopped after 3 or 4).

Travis.
--
http://cottreau.blogspot.com
http://cottreaureviews.blogspot.com/

Lol, but I still think it's a good idea! It'll at least be consistent... I swear, I ask them to be shy, and half a chapter later they start throwing tempers and yelling people. Maybe I'll start with 1-personality, practice that, and add more as I go on... or just give them all personality-disorders...

Angeldreams, shy people can and do have tempers. I know I have one! XD It's very good for shocking people who think you wouldn't hurt a flea. ^_~

Hmm.... good point. ^_^;;