Here we are, about to head into our first NaNo weekend! Keep the energy up! To help get you through the weekends in November, we'll feature a book every Friday that written during NaNoWriMo. These authors did you -- so can you! This week, we're talking about Losing Faith by Denise Jaden. Losing... Continue Reading →
Happy NaNoWriMo day! Â Have you all gotten to a great start? Â Got that excitement fueling your writing? Â Build on that excitement and write as much as you can this week. Â The more words you can bank now, the bigger cushion you'll have for later in the month if you need it. By the end of... Continue Reading →
On the surface, NaNoWriMo might look deceptively easy: write 1667 words a day? No problem! Or maybe it looks impossible: write 50,000 words in 30 days? No way! Either way, the best chance for winning NaNoWriMo is to make a plan you can stick with. Â Maybe you can whip out 1667 words in an hour.... Continue Reading →
We've talked about character; now let's talk plot and structure. It's hard to talk about outlining without overlapping into structure, so some of the links are a repeat. Â Again, how much planning for plot and structure you do ahead of time will depend on your personal preference. Outliners like me will feel better about having... Continue Reading →
Some people start their stories with a plot ideas. Others start with a character in mind. I'm going to talk about character first, simply because that's the way I write. Next week we'll talk about plot. Even if you don't plan on outlining for NaNoWriMo, you'll need at least a main character to start with.... Continue Reading →
What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  The goal is to write  a novel of at least 50,000 words during the month of November. Yes, 50,000 words in 30 days!  It's a little stressful, a bit crazy, and a whole lot of fun! Check out the official website for more details. So... Continue Reading →
Most writers either love or hate writing the beginning of their stories. Â Some feel intimidated by the blank screen or paper. Â Others are so excited to start their story that the words just start flowing. Three Act Structure All stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Â If you're paying attention, you can tell when a... Continue Reading →
Here are the entries from the That Was Then writing prompt: From our staff member Steph, an excerpt of her work-in-progress novel: http://stephanielawton.com/2011/06/03/novel-novice-writing-prompt-flashbacks/ This excerpt is from an original story written by Regina Brownell: http://reggiesrealramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/vampire-prom-by-r-brownell-novel-novice.html This anonymous entry is also from an original story. An original story by OpenCloseDesu:  http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7182136/1/Waiting_like_Forever How did our authors do?  Were the transitions... Continue Reading →
Our That Was Then writing prompt is still going! Â Nearly every longer story has at least one flashback in order to give the reader insight to the character's past. Â The key to writing flashbacks is in the transitions. Our writing prompts are usually due on the 15th of every other month, however there will be... Continue Reading →
Novel Novice 