There is one thing that's kinda driven me nuts about talking about writing online. We tend to reduce it to word count. I wrote a thousand words! I wrote a thousand words!
Usually, it grates on my nerves. Because word count doesn't mean much if none of the words written don't have any substance.
I've always been a quality over quantity kind of girl. It's why I've focused so hard and so long on the Janie story. I have other ideas. I could have pounded them out, maybe even gotten them published by now by some small press.
I just have to give the old girl her due. It's a story close to my heart. I had to take the time to make her reflect what I feel about her. Maybe she'll never be on the New York Times Bestseller list. But anybody who gets to read her someday will know how much I love that crazy cast of characters.
But, I digress. Word counts. You can imagine that taking part in NaNo kinda goes against my ire for the word counting. I kind of shudder every time I find myself announcing my word count.
And that person who tweeted that they're already at 60,000 words? I SO don't believe you.
Sorry. :)
The difference though, is with NaNo, it's about pushing your creative limits. I'm learning that there are times when it's okay to stop worrying about 'the rules' and just let it flow.
I can instantly see sections that will probably be sacrificed to the gods of fluid storytelling at a later date. But even though I know it will go, it helps right now. It helps build the world in my head. It sets up more useful storyline. I even think that some overwriting will ultimately help the editing process.
I mean, I have five paragraphs of stuff that doesn't really move the story forward. But in there, I can probably whittle it down to a few sentences that work. And when I get to that editing point, I won't have to sit around and mull about how to replace things.
I have a lot of dialogue happening. More so than I normally do. Mostly because I find that these new characters, Nathan and Rebecca, are such good friends. I enjoy seeing how they interact.
And sometime in December, I get to pick out what suits them best. I think the experimentation is really going to help the characterization, in the long run.
One thing that seems odd to me, is that everyone speaks of the second week slump. I'm experiencing an upward surge, actually. More story is flowing. More ideas are cropping up. I'm rather enthused about week two.
Now, I wonder what week three will be like....
Anywho, that's my little random train of thought as week two winds down. Feel free to share your NaNo triumphs, defeats, edumacational moments, and oh yeah, word count.
By the way, I'm at 17,558 words. :)
I've always been a quality over quantity kind of girl. It's why I've focused so hard and so long on the Janie story. I have other ideas. I could have pounded them out, maybe even gotten them published by now by some small press.
I just have to give the old girl her due. It's a story close to my heart. I had to take the time to make her reflect what I feel about her. Maybe she'll never be on the New York Times Bestseller list. But anybody who gets to read her someday will know how much I love that crazy cast of characters.
But, I digress. Word counts. You can imagine that taking part in NaNo kinda goes against my ire for the word counting. I kind of shudder every time I find myself announcing my word count.
And that person who tweeted that they're already at 60,000 words? I SO don't believe you.
Sorry. :)
The difference though, is with NaNo, it's about pushing your creative limits. I'm learning that there are times when it's okay to stop worrying about 'the rules' and just let it flow.
I can instantly see sections that will probably be sacrificed to the gods of fluid storytelling at a later date. But even though I know it will go, it helps right now. It helps build the world in my head. It sets up more useful storyline. I even think that some overwriting will ultimately help the editing process.
I mean, I have five paragraphs of stuff that doesn't really move the story forward. But in there, I can probably whittle it down to a few sentences that work. And when I get to that editing point, I won't have to sit around and mull about how to replace things.
I have a lot of dialogue happening. More so than I normally do. Mostly because I find that these new characters, Nathan and Rebecca, are such good friends. I enjoy seeing how they interact.
And sometime in December, I get to pick out what suits them best. I think the experimentation is really going to help the characterization, in the long run.
One thing that seems odd to me, is that everyone speaks of the second week slump. I'm experiencing an upward surge, actually. More story is flowing. More ideas are cropping up. I'm rather enthused about week two.
Now, I wonder what week three will be like....
Anywho, that's my little random train of thought as week two winds down. Feel free to share your NaNo triumphs, defeats, edumacational moments, and oh yeah, word count.
By the way, I'm at 17,558 words. :)
