The End Is Near

Hello fellow NaNo-ers. The month is winding down, as well as our word count. I am still a little bit behind (about 2 thousand words or so) but I've been pushing myself these last couple days and I have managed to plow through and write a ton. I know it's not a masterpiece, and I know I will have to write more after NaNo to finish the story I want to tell, but I will successfully complete NaNo.

It's weird to think about what I will do after November. I mean, I've been writing every single day trying to achieve this and once it's achieved... well it's done. I have plans of editing it and what not but I won't have the same community that I had during NaNo. If anyone out there reading this knows of any communities or writers, or things like NaNo that go on all year, please let me know so I can join in on the fun!

On a bright note, I ran across a fellow NaNo writer on the Artisans board and found someone to make me a cover.

Cover!!! By This amazing person =]

Sorry if I credited you wrong and you want it a different way, let me know!

Anyway, now that I have a cover to my work, it makes it all feel so much more real. When writing a story I have this idea of what I want it to look like and this cover capture it perfectly. It made me all giddy to see it and I sent it to all of my friends. I just like to think that maybe one day my book will actually be on a shelf out there.

Also, I realized I haven't once talked about what my story is actually about so I'm thinking maybe tomorrow or the next day I will create a post that will basically just talk about my story, the characters, ideas, an excerpt maybe, things like that.

I wanted to give some advice to those out there that think they can't finish, or are having a hard time finishing, but I'm afraid I'm giving advice when I have no room to. I guess all I can say is, don't give up. You can finish, no matter what you think. If you are determined to finish your story, and you want to get it out, then get it out.

Just remember this, don't let any number tell you you've won. All of you out there that have written anything at all have won. You have taken that step that many writers out there can't. You put pen to paper. (Or fingers to keyboard, typewriter if you're really old school.) You're getting your idea out. Also remember, don't be afraid to let your idea be heard. Let your story out.

Rough Waters

Photo by Clearly Ambiguous

I've run into a problem. A problem pertaining to NaNo. A problem that could comprise everything!

But let me back track a little. As far as my NaNo is going, I'm doing quite well. I'm on page 40 and I'm about 250 words away from hitting 15,000. When I tried NaNo the first time, when I was in high school, the daunting task of 50,000 words made me crash and burn.

And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that what I'm writing is the next great American novel or anything, but after the month is over I'll have a nice skeleton to put some meat of a story on. I hope to one day be able to edit this story and have it out there for people to read and enjoy, but for the time being, I'll push out what I can.

Anyway, my dilemma. Oh man, it's a doozy. (Is that even a real word?) Whilst sitting in class yesterday the idea for a story popped into my head. This story I believe could be really awesome if I put some time into it and gave it the tender love and care it needed. But then it hit me. I don't have time to write another story. 

I mean, I guess I technically have time for another story. But, I'm already working on this novel and I'm busy editing my short story for my Creative Writing class.

So the question is. What to do. Do I put the story on the back burners and hope to have the same enthusiasm to write it I have now in a month? I know I'll need some time away from this novel come December, and maybe then will be the time to write this story. I think it'll do quite well as a short story.

Either way, comment if you'd like. Tell me what you think. Tell me what you do when faced with a similar dilemma.

Revisions According to Skaggs

I have a professor who is my all time favorite professor of all time. Her name is Alberta Skaggs and she's an amazing mentor when it comes to my writing. She knows when to help me and when to let me fly freely. So today my post is going to be about revisions and just random thoughts on them.

So I sit here listening to Joe Tex and Sufjan Stevens, drinking peppermint tea staring at my short story that she has marked up and down with her quick scrawl of writing. When I first saw it I wasn't sure what to think. I mean there's a ton of writing on it! But we got to talking and she told me what is wrong, surprise surprise, it's not a short list of things. (It's actually one thing I tend to do over and over again.)

In the past I used to think the best part of writing was getting it out, and when I was really young, I assumed everything that came out of me was good enough to end up next to Hemingway and Steinbeck. I have since realized that, hell no I'm not as good as they are!

Now, I absolutely love revising my stories. (I would highly recommend, if you do not, to let someone read them and tell you what's wrong with them, it helps to have a second pair of eyes.) I sit down and I stare at my story, hoping it'll magically get better. Spoiler alert: it never does. I feel like a lot of writers are either in my mind set of when I was younger, everything's perfect I am awesome, or they get done writing and don't want to edit.

Here's my advice to you, from one unpublished writer to another, to be an author, you need revision.

But if you really work on that story, and you give it the time it deserves, it will get better.

Sorry I'm all over the place again today! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, feel free to blow up this page with your thoughts.

I Put One Foot in Front of the Other One

I know it's two feet, but one has to go before the other! Also, sorry I couldn't think of a better picture!

I'm currently sitting in the conference room of the building that I am a Resident Assistant in trying to get some writing done but I've decided to go ahead and take a break so that I can finally get up my first post on here. Most blogs start out with an opening post about why they are blogging and what not but if you read my header or my about me it's already there.

I love writing. I have for years now and can't remember a time when I wasn't coming up with little stories in my head about what was going on around me, or what I wished was going on around me. Sometimes I've written those stories down, but most of the time they've slipped away from me. I know I'm already a Junior in college (I'm getting old!) but I'm glad that I can finally start to get these words down on paper and out there for people to see.

I'm sorry if this first post doesn't make much sense. I'm feeling kind of all over tonight! But don't worry, my future posts will make more sense.

So let's talk about writing. I'm currently taking place in NaNoWriMo. And for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a challenge for writers to write 50,000 words in November. Guess what, those of you who didn't know what it was, it's only November 6th! That means you can still take place! Click on THIS and you will be taken to their official website where you can meet tons of awesome people. If you want to add me my username is KSavoie. 

Anyway, many writers scoff at NaNo saying it is stupid or it belittles writing but just like Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series, in her blog (HERE) it's a good tool to get the bare bones of your story out. She even states that on December 1st when your novel is done, you shouldn't send it out. You mull over it, yell at it, cry if need be. NaNo is a tool to outline your story. It's a tool to push writers who normally can't into the world of having a novel. I won't call you an author, because I'm not even an author, authors are published, but you are a writer, we're all writers. If your pencil has hit that paper or your fingers that keyboard, you are a writer. The months after NaNo use to your advantage to polish your work and then you can proudly state I am an author. So if you're like I am, and you need that extra push to get going, join NaNo and get going.

At this point in your writing career, no one it stopping you but yourself.

Anyway, feel free to comment on anything I've discussed. Or comment and let me know what I can improve on in my blog. Share me with your friends. I can be a hoot and a holler sometimes. If you have a blog and would like to guest write on here, or you would like me to guest write on yours, just get in touch and we'll do this. One writer patting another writer's back.

As my character Abigail in my NaNo would say, "We're all humans, we're just trying to help each other out. If we start fighting each other, none of us will survive."