You Baby ( #IWSG & #BOTB )

       So NANO is here and that means it's November which means it's almost Thanksgiving which precedes Christmas and New Year--seems like it was just April a minute ago...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 
     The co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight.

November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

        Soon after I first began to blog and had gotten caught up in the fever of it all, I ran across National Novel Writing Month and quickly jumped on board.  At the time I was trying to build up an online following so I'd join along with anything that might expand my community relations. That was 2009.

        I had a great experience that first year as I was attempting to post daily on my blog and visit other blogs while working on my first real attempt at writing a novel.  It was a crazy time for a number of reasons as you might well imagine, but I'm glad I did it.

   

         When 2010 came I delved into NANO like an old hand.  This time I felt more organized and had cut back on daily blogging (although I was now posting on three different blogs).  This next novel project went much better than the first and I think I had more fun with it.

         In 2011 I started to write, but dropped out after the first week.  My heart wasn't in it like in the beginning.  Since then I've thought about doing the write a novel in a month thing, but it's not a thought I dwell on for long.

        Do I recommend doing NANO?  If writing a novel or some other book appeals to you and you can dedicate the time then, sure, I'd say do it.  If you stick to the commitment then you'll produce something that you might be able to do something else with later, or at least prove that you can do it.

       But like anything, it's about you, baby!  And that reminds me of a couple of songs...

Battle of the Bands

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

You Baby

      I have an album in my collection that has the title Battle of the Bands.  It's a double package with greatest hits by two popular bands from the late sixties and on--The Turtles and The Lovin Spoonful. Seems like a natural for this blog feature that I do here.  And it just so happens that each group has a song in their set called "You Baby"--different songs, same title.  Take a listen and tell us which you like best...

The Lovin' Spoonful  "You Baby"   (1965)   

        This song was written by the well-known songwriters Barry Mann, Phil Spector,  and Cynthia Weill. It was originally recorded by The Ronnettes.  

The Turtles   "You Baby" (1966)  

        Written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, this song was first recorded by the Vogues, but was released first by The Turtles. 

      

Time to Vote!

           And now it's up to you to help decide the winner here.  Which do you like best?.  Just listen and have fun.  Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Stine Writing

Results coming on Wednesday November 8

A Stickler for Detail ( #IWSG )

Have you ever read a story where the author has made some glaring errors that made you lose all credibility in the story being told?  I don't want to be that author...




The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 

The co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!

November 6 question - What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

 It's All in the Details

        

         As I had mentioned in my previous post (which is a Battle of the Bands post if you'd be so kind to visit and vote), my last successful attempt at doing NaNoWriMo was in 2010 when I wrote a science fiction novel called Time Light.  Even though the story is science fiction, it takes place in 1965 Chicago.  Written in diary entry form, I was dealing with actual dates and places in history so it was important (to me at least) to be as accurate as I could in every way.

         In order to achieve accuracy, I spent hours on Google looking up places, police procedures and equipment, the daily weather conditions, transportation routes (bus and rail, etc), and even what was playing on television on certain specific days.  Anything that begged for a detail in the story that could potentially (though probably not likely) be questioned by a reader in the know was meticulously researched so that any reader could accept what I was saying as possibly real.  

         A reader like I often tend to be needs to be convinced that the story one is investing in has a reasonable degree of credibility.   A single glaring error or inconsistency might put into question other elements of the written work which can detract from reading pleasure.

          Though it would be unlikely that many (if any at all) would question the daily weather in a story that has real dates and times, my researching of the weather conditions was one my stranger Google searches.  Fortunately, I found numerous resources available on line with weather records dating back to further than my interests necessitated in this case.  The weather for the  year 1965 is well documented in numerous sites.

          I realize that this sort of detail might seem rather trivial and nonessential to many, but for me it was important.  As I was conceiving the story I was also living it in my mind so that every detail had to make me feel like I was there.  If it worked for me then hopefully it would work even for the most discerning reader.

           Frequently I've heard writers mention that researching can be fun and I would agree with that.  I love the researching part more than the writing part.  To me, the researching is an essential part of any writing especially when the writer doesn't actually know all the real details or facts.

           What is the strangest thing you've ever googled for a story or some other written work?  Do you strive for the greatest amount of accuracy when you start delving into details?    Why should anyone care about what the weather was in the time period where a story takes place?

Don't forget to vote on my Battle of the Bands!   (click the link to get there)

Road to Cairo ( #Battle of the Bands )

     A fella told me this here road leads to Cairo.  I got to get me a ride.  I got to go back, go back to my children.  I got to see my little bride...

   
       Once again another Halloween is passed as we now approach Christmas with a stopover in Thanksgiving season.  Time is flying, but I'll dispense with that cliche.  Besides I've said it before in blog posts of past years--and you may very well have too.

         However, I will acknowledge this November season when so many of you may be participating (or, like me, in the past have participated) in National Novel Writing Month.  Good luck to all of you who will be making this attempt at writing yet another--or a first--novel.

          I'll be sitting this one out as I have in the past few years.  Writing a novel is currently not at the forefront of my agendas. It's not so much that I've lost interest in writing a novel, but there are other things that I want to focus on for now.

        I finished two NANO novels in the past, one being in 2010 a science fiction story called Time Light.  Most of that story takes place in 1965 Chicago.  At one point the action diverts to a road trip down to Cairo, Illinois.  So, in honor of NANO and one of my own attempts, comes another Battle of the Bands...

       

Battle of the Bands

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.


David Ackles   "Road to Cairo"  (1968)

         Typically I wouldn't use an original version by an artist, but since David Ackles is probably unknown to many of you, I don't mind starting this Battle off with his original version of "Road to Cairo".  I first discovered Ackles when I picked up his self-titled debut album in the cut-out bins.  What a find!  Great performances of some fantastic songs.  Ackles should have been more acclaimed than he was.  See what you think of his version of this song...






Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity  "Road to Cairo"  (1968)

         Who could top the David Ackles version?   Maybe this version.  This was released a few months after David Ackles came out with his version.  I've been a big fan of Brian Auger since 1969 when I saw his group with Julie Driscoll on the Tom Jones television show.  This is a great version of the Ackles song, but is it as good as Ackles himself?   You decide...





Time to Vote!

        Are you as torn between these two versions as I am?  Do you have a preference between these two choices?   Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. Which version do you like the best?   You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.

Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 

A I Love Music


Winner of this Battle Announced on Friday November 8th

         I'll be here, will you?  And I'll also be here on Wednesday the 6th for the Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Now you novelists--get to writing.  And the rest of you do what you need to do.


Are you writing a novel this November?   Are you writing anything this November?   What are you going to do in November if not writing? 

      

Best Writing Advice Ever!: Lani Diane Rich Guest Post

         We're at the halfway point of National Novel Writing Month.  And while some of you are pecking away at your keyboards with aplomb cranking out your latest masterpiece, others may have thrown their hands up in frustration on the verge of ditching the whole process and walking away without winning.  To the latter I say don't give up yet--there is still hope.


          In this post I offer a big dose of inspiration to encourage NaNoers everywhere and any other would be book author that your work is not in vain.  You can do it.  Others have, so why not you?

          The evidence I offer you comes in the persona of one Lani Diane Rich, bestselling author of nine novels, three of those having been the fruit of her labors during NaNoWriMo.   Lani holds the distinction of being the first unpublished author to have a Nano novel become published.  Her romantic comedy novel Time Off for Good Behavior written as her 2003 NaNo entry landed her an agent and a two book contract with Warner Books.   Not too shoddy of an effort I'd say.


        In her guest spot in this edition of Tossing It Out Lani offers some advice that might help you proceed in your writing with a bit less trepidation.

 Sunflower Seeds

        There's a scene in a fifth season episode of The X-Files called "Bad Blood." It's about Mulder and Scully tracking down a vampire, and my all-time favorite X-Files for many reasons, but there's one thing that I've taken from this particular story that has helped me through the years while writing Nano.

        Sunflower seeds.

        During one scene, Mulder gets drugged by the vampire, who can't physically overpower people, so he drugs them and drinks their blood while they're out cold. As Mulder is fighting the effects of the drug, he uses his knowledge of vampires—that they're horribly OCD and can't leave a mess behind—to distract the vampire and buy time. So he throws a package of sunflower seeds, spreading them all over the floor, and the vampire stops hissing, gives Mulder an annoyed look with his green glowy eyes, and says, "Aw. What'd you do that for?"

        And then, the vampire proceeds to pick up the seeds. It's this delay that saves Mulder's life, giving Scully enough time to crash through the door and chase the vampire off.

        What does this have to do with Nano? Everything. See, you've got an internal editor inside you who nitpicks at everything. Adverb! Lazy writing! Bad dialogue! Every thirty seconds, she's bugging you about one thing or another, and making it impossible for you to connect with your story, because you have to stop and make everything perfect first. In so doing, she drains you of your energy, focus, and enthusiasm. And for what? Nothing. She wants perfection from you, right out of the gate, and the problem with that is, there's no way to make it perfect. You must draft a load of crap, and then go back and fix it. As Nora Roberts has famously stated, you can fix crap, but a blank page is never anything other than a blank page.

       So, how do you get your internal editor to shut up? You inundate her with crap. She says, "Oooh! Weak sentence structure!" and you keep going while she stares at it, dumbfounded. Sunflower seed. Then, you use an adverb in dialogue attribution, and she gasps in horror... and you leave it behind as you race forward. Sunflower seed. Eventually, she's buried under a pile of sunflower seeds, silent, and you are writing, you are drafting, you are creating.

      You win.

      And yes, sure, some of it will be bad, and some of it you will have to go back and fix or delete entirely later, but the most amazing thing is that some of it—hell, in my experience, most of it—will be good. Really good. Great stuff you never would have written if you hadn't buried that internal editor under a pile of sunflower seeds.

      So that's my advice to you: Write crap. Write it abundantly and with glee in your heart. Then go back and fix it later. And tell that internal editor she has the damn month off.

      Until you get to revision. :)

Lani Diane Rich is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels. She teaches writing classes at Storywonk.com, and hosts the free daily writing podcast, StoryWonk Daily, with her husband, Alastair Stephens. She is currently writing magical romantic comedy for St. Martin's Press as Lucy March, and her first title, A Little Night Magic, is coming out on January 31st, 2012.










        Thank you Lani for your very creative approach to squelching our internal editors.  Now readers give us your thoughts on the topic.   Any comments or questions for Lani?






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A NaNo Update

22,053 Words!

        I'm right about where I need to be on the suggested word count, but not where I'd like to be.  Actually I'd rather be at 50,000 words right now so I could just be ladling on the gravy.  If I keep my pace, or kick it up like I'd like to, I will complete the 30 day goal of 50,000 words fairly easy--well, perhaps not easy, but it should be doable.

        Since I began my novel, Time Light, something has taken place which pleases me.  I really like this story.  At first, it was okay--just so-so for NaNo.  Now it's my baby and I'm starting to fall in love with it.  As I get to know my characters better, I grow fonder of them and am excited to see where they end up.  The story is filling out and I'm excited by it.  I can very easily see this as turning into a series of three or more novels, as I can see many more stories branching off from this one.

        On a previous post I presented a possible blurb for the novel.  Here it is again:

                                         Time Light

John Proffitt is losing it. First he lost his job, then his house, and now his marriage is in jeopardy. Could he be losing his mind too? Increasingly obsessed with the suspicious activities in the abandoned building across the street from his apartment, he tries to unravel the mysteries of the sounds and lights that come from the building and the men he sees leaving each night. Are they visitors from another planet or something else? In his investigations he uncovers not only the identities of the strangers, but also the secrets within himself.

            Here is more of a synopsis of the story:

          

The story starts in April of 1965 in the city of Chicago.  John Proffitt is awakened in the middle of the night by a deep noise accompanied by a steady vibration.  He investigates to find a brilliant beam of light emanating from an abandoned building across the street from the apartment where he and his wife are living.  A short while later he sees people leaving the building he thought to be abandoned.  He grows increasingly troubled as he begins to witness this same event on a nightly basis.  He sets out to figure out what is going on.

           As he starts examining this mystery he comes to the realization that he has no memories of anything in his past.  He has not been working for over a year.  His wife, Della, has been the one bringing home the paychecks and they are barely getting by on the money she makes.  She is becoming fed up with the situation and divorce seems on the horizon

            John discovers that he had been the head of a technological company when his memory loss came about.  After he has to stop working, he and Della lose their house and are forced to move.   Eventually, with the help of Della, his psychiatrist, and an associate from his company John begins piecing together his past.

           However, the peculiar events that he sees happening at night threaten his return to mental health.  He must prove that what he is seeing is real and find out why these events are occurring.  His investigations begin uncovering odd and disparate connections that he must make sense of in order to unravel the mysteries of the street of empty buildings where they live, the management company that owns these buildings, and the questionable operations of the company where he had worked.

           Having come to a realization that the abandoned building is being used as a port of entry for alien invaders he struggles to find people whom he can trust and who will believe his story.  He risks his life to get the evidence he needs to convince the authorities so they can stop the invasion.   But is it all really as it seems?

           In Time Light John Proffitt is confronted by the racial conflict of the mid-sixties river town of Cairo, Illinois; issues of love and trust in marriage; and secrecy and deception in the corporate world.   Seeming to be living on the brink of insanity, he comes to the realization that escape is sometimes the best and only solution.

        So there you go--here is my current synopsis without giving away too much.   This NaNo novel is truly seat of your pants writing.  I've been starting to formulate future plot details in my head, but I'm not outlining.  I'm just writing as I go.  I did write my closing paragraph and I will probably write the closing scene soon.  The rest of the story is being written just as though I were reading it from the beginning.  We'll see how that goes.   At least I'm having a good time.

         On Monday I will be reviewing Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaStar.   I hope you will check that out to see what I have to say.

          If you're doing NaNo how's it going so far?  Whether or not you are doing Nano, do you have any comments or suggestions about either the blurb or the synopsis?   I'd thought about reworking that blurb, but I'm too busy writing the real stuff.  But I'm still open to suggestions.   Thanks!




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What's It All About, Arlee?

         As promised on my previous post, today I will reveal the synopsis of my NaNo novel as it currently stands.   Things could change since for now I am just writing the story as it comes to me.   I have written the last paragraph to have a sense of where the story is going to end up, but what happens between my opening and that ending could certainly change course as I write.  Already in the initial stage I have shifted my intent from what it was when I started.

        The novel is to be called Time Light.  It is a science fiction that will be more fiction than science.  In other words, the story will be character driven with roots in science fiction premises, but not focused on scientific details or technology.  The setting is Chicago in 1965.  The plot device will relate to time travel, however the reader will probably not see much time travel in this first installment.  

        Yes, I said first installment, as I can already see the potential of a series stemming from this story.  I intend to leave my options open.  When I wrap this up at the end of November I may wish to never speak of it again.  I think some of you know what I'm saying.   For now I feel enthusiastic and I do see potential.   Read the blurb and let me know what you think:

Time Light

John Proffitt is losing it. First he lost his job, then his house, and now his marriage is in jeopardy. Could he be losing his mind too? Increasingly obsessed with the suspicious activities in the abandoned building across the street from his apartment, he tries to unravel the mysteries of the sounds and lights that come from the building and the men he sees leaving each night. Are they visitors from another planet or something else? In his investigations he uncovers not only the identities of the strangers, but also the secrets within himself.

      I will gladly accept any suggestions on this synopsis and would love to hear any other thoughts you might have about my story idea as it stands at this point.

       How about you?  Have you posted your synopsis on your NaNo profile?   I plan to put up a word count widget on my site once I can catch the NaNo site working properly.   Do you have a word count widget?   If so, does it work okay for you?    Have you been having difficulties with the NaNo website?

       And by the way, I don't intend to post about NaNo every post day during November.  Next Tuesday be here when I host Stephen Tremp on his Virtual Tour.    I will also be having some other surprise topics so fret not non NaNo-ers.


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Whoops!

           First day in and NaNo has already started to take it's toll.   Okay I did also get distracted with a few other things as well.  Being the faithful blogger that I am, I realized as I was starting to go to sleep that I had forgotten my Tuesday blog post.   Can't let that happen can I?

            So for the sake of sleep and sanity I will keep today's post very short with an initial NaNo report..

            Name of my intended novel:    Time Light

            Genre:   Science Fiction

             Synopsis:   I'll tell you later

            Number of words on the first day:     1450

            Now I can go to sleep and dream about where this novel is going to go.  At least I have an opening scene.

            For those of you NaNo-ing, how'd your first day go?   And if your not, whatcha been up to?

Beginnings: NaNoWriMo Starts Today

          If you're doing NaNoWriMo I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that it starts today.  For those of you who have no idea what a NaNoWriMo is, it's a personal challenge to complete 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November.

         If you've ever thought about writing a novel this is a great way to start, or at least try.  Setting boundaries gives the impetus and pressure that some people need to get something like writing a novel done.  You may not write a masterpiece--you most likely won't--but if you manage to meet the challenge you've taken a step.  Even if you don't make the 50,000 words you will have something to gauge yourself.  So what if you end up with 50,000 words of crap--it's better than words that were never written and a challenge that was never attempted.

      You can find out more about National Novel Writing Month at their website.

      I'm basically jumping into NaNo nearly blind just like I did last year.  I've gotten a few ideas together, but no real story yet.  I got my opening scene decided, but haven't really formulated where it's going from there.  I have, or am getting ready to gather, my sources of inspiration that will guide the story I devise.  Like I did in 2009 my inspirations will mostly come from:

• Bible Verses
• Inspiration from the most recent sermon and Bible study at my church
• Random clippings from the October 31st edition of my local newspaper
• Any ideas from my dreams that might apply to my story
• Whatever else happens to flow from the previous idea generators

       Lest there be any misconception of what kind of novel I'll be writing, it will not be a religious or Christian novel specifically.  It could go in that direction, but my plan is to write a science fiction novel dealing with time travel.   I like to get inspired by Biblical themes because I believe the Bible offers so many themes that can influence other stories.  I am certainly not the first writer to be inspired by the Bible and I'm sure I will not be the last.

       A current newspaper likewise can offer many concepts and story ideas that can be woven into a story.  A current events story shaped by Biblical themes and colored with dream imagery can turn into a very interesting story.   This has frequently been my approach to writing fiction.

         I'm looking forward to this month's challenge.  Who knows--I might even finish up last year's NaNo novel while I'm working on this new one.   Watch for details of my progress in the days and weeks to come.

        If you're doing NaNo, how prepared are you?   What do like to use to help you generate ideas?   Anyone have a brief synopsis yet that they'd like to share?

        For those of you who follow Yvonne at Welcome to My World of Poetry, in case you haven't seen her post of Friday October 29, she's saying that it is her last post.  If this is the case, I'm sure many will miss her faithful comments and her wonderful poetry.  I was pleased to be part of Your World, Yvonne.
         

         


               

Cleaning Up After the Party's Over

          Thanksgiving has always been at our house in the past twelve years.  We've got a reasonable amount of space and I guess I whip up a pretty fair feast.  Everybody keeps coming back at least.  There's always a big build-up as my wife, her sister, and I clean, buy the food, and bring in the extra tables and chairs from the garage.  Then the day comes and my wife and I are busy in the morning peeling, chopping, and cooking until the guests arrive.  With a flurry of platters and casseroles set out, everyone fills their plates and before I know it, everybody's done, sated, and happy.  My sister-in-law, Maria, cleans the kitchen afterwards to my great delight and the next day I put away the extra tables and chairs.  Everything goes smooth as clockwork.

       Not so NaNo.  During the month of November it was like fixing dinner on the fly. This is what would be like if someone had to keep running to the store for ingredients as I cooked and everybody was moving furniture and bustling about the kitchen and house. It was near chaos.  I was improvising as I went along and now I have this 50,000 word plus novel, except it's still not a complete novel.  I forgot to put one of the casseroles in the oven and I still have all of the ingredients for the pie I never fixed.

        What I'm saying is I finished the 50,000 but I have not finished my novel.  There's a lot I need to clean up still and a lot that I left out that still needs to be added.  In the rush to cross the finishline I forgot some important plot points that now I will have to go back and add in.  I haven't looked at my "novel", A DESERT PLACE, since I wrapped things up last Sunday.  I doubt whether I will tackle it again until after the holidays.

        So I am designating my January to be NaNoFixMo--National Novel Fixing Month. I know I'm not alone in this from what I've been reading from others.   I need to go back and read what I did.  I'm sure I've forgotten much of it already, although the gist of the story is firm in my head.  Then I need to diagram and map out some points that are still problematic.  I'd say by the time I am finished I will end up with no less than 80,000 words and whether I finish in January may be wishful thinking.

          Many of you are probably much more experienced than I in this novel game so I am wondering how long do you think it will take you to have a finished product from what you started in NaNo?  Those of you who just started and didn't reach the 50,000 are you still working on your project or do you plan to later?  How many are just going to trash it or shelve it for some future time.

          How about non-NaNo'ers?  Do you have any projects that you were gung ho about then just stopped working on?  I've seen some houses like that around where I live.  I suppose they probably met a financial roadblock that has put their project on hold, but I've known people who undertake a big project and then quit not because of lack of money, but because of something else.  What causes you to stop a project?  Loss of interest?  Realization that it was too much for you?  Frustration?   Anger?

           Often we enter into a project with just a dream and no plan to achieve it.  Entering NaNo I had a vague plan, but that was my intent.  Now I see the importance of plotting out the story, developing the characters, and having a clear sense of time and place.  It was fun jumping into it blindly and I think in the end it will be rewarding for me.  Do I think that's the best way to write a novel?  I don't know yet.  I'll have to keep going and see where I end up.  What about you--what do you think is the best approach?

         And while I'm on the topic of novels and outstanding novelists, make sure you're with me for the next two days.  Tomorrow (Tuesday 12/8) I will be reviewing LOST MISSION, the recent novel by award-winning novelist Athol Dickson.  This will be followed by an interview with Athol Dickson on Wednesday (12/9).   Mr. Dickson had some very interesting things to say about writing novels and about his book LOST MISSION.  I hope you will come back for both of these.

No Mo Nano Fo Now

                    "Pencils down. Time to hand in your papers."  That's almost what it felt like--one of those college essay tests where you say some pretty good things and bluff your way through the rest.  But I made it to the end--50,314 words.  I met the proposed challenge but I'm not finished by any means.

          From the beginning I was certain that I could do it.  My plan was to write the novel, keep posting my blog everyday, comment on other blogs on a regular basis, and keep living my life as normally as possible and I pulled it off.  Granted I was at the advantage of not having to go to a full-time job every day and I certainly have to admire anyone was going to work and writing every night (or day).

         This was the challenge that I needed and thanks to my newfound enterprise of blogging I might have never heard of NaNoWriMo.  So call it God directing me or happenstance or what have you, this was a blessing and a real kick in the pants. I have often dreamed of writing a novel, have all sorts of book ideas written in notebooks and floating in my head, and I even once started writing a novel many years ago.  Previously I never had anything driving me.  The NaNo deadline did it.

             Here's what I've done and I would like some opinions about where I can go with this, especially from the Christian writers.  My novel, A DESERT PLACE, has some very Christian themes, however the story is gritty and deals with very bad people.

            The story line is concerned with a modern day Jonah figure who continually runs from God's calling. He becomes involved with a crime syndicate, stealing cars and dealing cocaine. Figuratively speaking he is swallowed by the evil beast of underworld crime until he finally breaks free, but only after a chain of catastrophic consequences.  I have avoided all profanity, but there is considerable drug usage, violence, and not overly graphic sex.

           Briefly, the synopsis of the story is this:  Joe (Jonah) Bloom goes to the remote New Mexico ranch of an old friend where he finds him dead from a bullet to the back.  Left there for Joe is a briefcase filled with cash and a satchel full of papers. Joe must unravel the mystery of who murdered his friend, what are the papers that were left for him, and who is the woman named Rosalita who is to be the recipient of part of the money. During the course of the story Joe reflects back over his past twenty years involved in crime, the entertainment industry, and eventually serving God. Did his friend die because of Joe's past ties with crime?  And when he finds Rosalita what light will she shed on the mystery?

           I explained my strategy of how I would approach the novel in my post of November 2 . I stayed with this strategy for the most part. Since the novel covers a period of thirty years I found it easier since I didn't necessarily have to write the story in a linear fashion. The novel starts in 1998 so I could establish the mystery that would lead to the climax. The majority of the novel is backstory of Joe's history of how he got to where he ended up and how his past is connected to what is happening when we meet Joe. His memory sequence begins in his last year of high school in 1979 and goes up to 1988 when he reaches a point in his life when he believes his problems are behind him. Then we move back to 1998 where the past catches up to him and the story comes to its climactic end.

          This approach didn't necessarily require writing in a linear fashion which in some ways made it easier to just write without planning.  There were several different life episodes over the decade that I wrote about so whenever I would get stuck I would just jump to another episode and write until I got stuck on that one. The disadvantage of jumping about without keeping careful notes and character studies is that at times I made certain errors which I hope I caught, but in the editing process I may find more that I didn't catch.  A few days ago I kind of took the advice that Carrie cited from John Irving about writing the last line first, except I wrote the entire last chapter, which I found helpful because it gave me a better sense of where the entire story was going.  After I had done this I started seeing themes in the story that were more apparent than I had previously seen.  I don't know if I would jump around writing something again, but when writing fast I think it works fairly well.     

           So now I have this novel that needs to be finished and since I've already come this far I think there is a greater likelihood that I will finish it.  Then after that I plan to actually start following through with some of my past projects while continuing to blog away.  You can click here to see an excerpt from my novel and I heartily welcome any critiques that you may have to offer.   

          So what about other NaNo particitpants?  Did you end up with something that you feel is marketable? What are you going to do with your project next?  Do you think you still need to add a lot more to what you've done in order to make it work?

          Also, since I am not very familiar with "Christian fiction", can one get away with gritty topics and how far can one go?  Or am I better off subduing my references to religion and shoot for a more mainstream audience?  Does the "Christian" label restrict and hinder your sales potential? 

         I'm tossing these questions out there because I really want to get educated so I hope some of you can toss me back some helpful answers.

over 3750 words on Saturday-- never did reach my 5000 goal for one day on just the novel