Pre-NaNo Jitters, Quebec City Photos, and Some Updates
hat's that? Do I hear the sound of scurrying writers? Is everyone hiding?
I thought we were all doing NaNo!I'm all set.
I've read the blog posts about preparing for NaNo (Joshua's Five Lessons from NaNo, the ROW80 Round-up of NaNo Advice, and Jordan McCollum's advice on reaching NaNo goals on autopilot and getting your family on board for NaNo), made sure to sign up for miniNaNo on the Compuserve Books and Writers Community, joined Twitter (I must be crazy! but I figured, on days when I have no chance to check emails, I could at least keep up with fellow NaNoers this way - find me @DenizBevan), and am trying to keep my inboxes under control (see you next month FB, Pinterest and tumblr!).
And, oh yea, the writing. I have a vague idea for this story - Santiago and Mawdlen meet and fall in love - but very little in the way of advance plotting, beyond a few hastily scribbled scenes. For the first time, I'll be free to explore, in each scene, "what's the worst that could happen?"
I've got to get as deep into my characters as I can because, from the bits and pieces of feedback I've gotten over the last little while, one of my deeper faults is not emotionally connecting the reader with the characters.
If anyone has tips for getting past this, I'll be very grateful.
I'm doing chapter summaries next week on the Diana Gabaldon Yahoo mailing list, and while preparing them in advance, realised that I've never shared my Quebec City photos on the blog! Just a reminder that winter is around the corner:
We'd gone to see Blue Rodeo
Churchill
Quebec poet Emile Nelligan
Chapel
Horse and carriage, also called a caleche
Ice palace
Icicles
Plains of Abraham
The fort on the Plains of Abraham
St Lawrence river
St Lawrence again
Another shot; all these were taken facing south
St Lawrence from round the side of a Martello Tower
St Lawrence ice
Trees!
I've revised my ROW80 goals, since I've finished typing up Druid's Moon! A completed 32,000 word novella. Just needs editing.
My NaNo project is Santiago and Mawdlen's story, Captive of the Sea: Back when he was a young sailor, Santiago travelled to England and fell in love with a Welsh girl called Mawdlen (Magdelana). Mawdlen's involved in some shady activities, however, that soon get him into trouble.
How can Santiago win her heart? Will she be willing to give up her life of intrigue as a spy to return with him to Spain?
Finally, Happy Hallowe'en! Here's Neil Gaiman on Edgar Allan Poe.
What are you dressing up as?
Oh! Late addition - did you know about this Harry Potter prequel? I just discovered it!
Comments
Beautiful pictures!!
Thanks for the Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allan Poe link.
Oh no, it's NaNo! It will be quiet 'round the blogosphere. Good luck!
I didn't know about the HP prequel. Must check it out. I started The Casual Vacancy the other day. Such a different feel.
No jitters. Let's write!!!
Ooh, can't wait to hear what you think of The Casual Vacancy, Theresa!
Happy Hallowe'en, Zan Marie!
Aww, I forgot my scarf, Joshua. I knit one of those ages ago. I'm wearing cobweb tights today!
Thanks, Jeff!
Enjoy November .. cheers Hilary
Thanks, Talli, Happy Hallowe'en to you too!
You must feel so free, Hilary, since you're not doing NaNo :-)
Good luck with your NaNo project. One year I'm going to time it right so I can participate.
Emotional connection is part subjective and part headache. :)
Good luck with NaNo. I participated and won in 2010 and that story became my second book.
Thanks, Alex, wow that's inspiring!
All the best with NaNo!
Thanks, Nas!
Good luck on NaNo.
I loved your pictures.
I tend to have no trouble emotionally connecting reader and characters, but that may be because I am an intuitive and empathetic type by nature.
What tricks me is getting settings into scenes. My first drafts generally seem to take place in a lightly sketched limbo, because I am so busy watching and listening to the stories my characters give me.
I tend to add it in in later drafts, and to seek advice from others who are better at that aspect than I am.
I look at NaNo (and all my writing, really), as a playground. I come to write and to delight myself. I come for joy.
SO, for me, no stress, even though Hurricane Sandy delayed a trip with my children to visit out-of-state friends, which was meant to end on Nov. 3, so that, instead, we will be leaving on the 5th,, meaning more of Nano's beginning is in a bit of a state of upheaval for me....but it's all good.
Your story sounds intriguing, and I want to know more! =D
You're right, Neurotic - I always draft better knowing I can leave lots of gaps and square brackets, anyway :-)
Thanks Shan - that's a great line about coming to NaNo for joy.