I have to admit that when I talked about my manuscript for The Eye of the Beholder, I was kind of embarrassed to tell people what it was about. Lately, I've been a lot more open about my writing and have asked friends and family to read manuscripts and give feedback, but in the past my writing was kind of my secret. When people did find out I'd written something, their first question would always be, "What's it about?" This question never failed to fill me with dread.
This is partially because I was anxious about how people would react. I understand that not everyone is going to be in love with the genre I've chosen, and that's fine. But it's always awkward to be put into a situation where I'm talking about something that has so much of my heart and soul in it because I'm afraid the other person might not be interested but will be forced, for the sake of being politely social, to pretend like they are interested. Sometimes I think people are more interested in the idea of someone writing a book than they are in the actual reality of the book, and that's fine. As with anything in life, though, it's hard when something that's meaningful to you doesn't seem like such a big deal to other people, particularly when those people are important to you.
The other reason why this question fills me with dread is because it's very hard to boil down the essence of your novel into just a few words. My fellow writers know what I'm talking about. The thing that stressed me out the most about ABNA was writing my pitch. When I published The Eye, I was more wigged out by trying to write the novel's description than I was by writing the actual novel. It's very difficult to make things sound snappy and interesting without giving too much away and in only a few hundred words. Anyone who's ever picked up a book and not made it all the way through the flap description will understand what a skill it is to write copy that's attention-grabbing.
Now, take all of this and imagine that the book you just wrote is about a fairytale. I will temporarily go all geeky on you and say that fairytales weren't originally for children, they were for adults. They were often used as a way to talk of forbidden or subversive things (like how much the king sucked) while still being able to claim innocence. Don't believe me? Pick up a copy of Grimm and/or Andersen and read just one of the tales there. I guarantee they're nothing like the Disney versions--not that I'm knocking Disney because I very much dig their fairytale movies. My point here is that using a fairytale to tell a story offers a means to tell a tale through a familiar lens while trying to put your own unique spin on it.
Of all the fairytales, the Beauty and the Beast tale has always been my favorite. There are two reasons for this: I love its theme of redemption and I love the message that love goes far beyond the merely physical. Beauty learns to look past Beast's appearance and love him for who he is while Beast has to become a better version of himself in order to be worthy of her love. This is meaningful to me because I think the best kind of love is the love that inspires you to be more than you are. I am definitely not talking about a relationship where you have to lose weight because your boyfriend tells you to lose weight. That's not love at all. What I'm talking about is the relationship where you feel like your partner loves you warts and all and also helps highlight your best traits. Real love should bring out the best in you.
This is why I chose to do a retelling of the tale. I'm the kind of writer who thinks a lot about my characters and what motivates them. This is partially a reflection of my personality. Not only do I tend to think about why people do the things they do, I think a lot about what motivates me to do what I do. I think self awareness is a very good thing, as long as you don't take it too far, which I sometimes tend to do. I can be my own worst critic, and I think that's reflected in the character of Lysander, who has a tendency to be his own worst enemy.
Writing the novel was very challenging at times because it is difficult to take a character like Lysander, who is initially so unrepentant, but who ends up genuinely wanting to change. Mira wasn't without her challenges either, as I wanted her to be very strong-willed but, yet, she had to somehow fall in love with someone who, let's face it, isn't very nice in the beginning. This often made me feel like I was walking a tightrope, but hopefully I pulled it off.
The Eye of the Beholder is available in the Kindle store and can also be borrowed from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library for those of you who are Prime members. Happy reading and stay tuned--for my next trick I will try tackling women's lit!
Showing posts with label ABNA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABNA. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Thoughts...tricky, tricky thoughts...
Obviously, I've taken a rather lengthy hiatus from blogging. This is for a multitude of reasons, the primary one being that, as much as I love how plugged in the Internet and all its wonderful tools (Twitter, Facebook, etc) allow me to be, I reach a point where maintaining a presence with all of them starts to really feel like a chore. I'll sit down with the intent to spend half an hour catching up on Twitter only to find myself emerging over an hour later, blinking in bewilderment like someone who's just walked out of a cave.
I also tend to suffer greatly from a particular form of writers' guilt in which I feel just plain terrible and wasteful if I engage in any sort of leisure activity when I think I should be writing. Seriously, I am an unforgiving taskmaster, as if I expect myself to spend my every waking moment chained to my computer writing, writing, writing. This is sort of unjust as I've actually done a LOT more writing in the past year than I had done for probably the three years preceding. I have finally managed to get myself to a point where I no longer accept excuses like "I'm just not inspired today" to hold me back. I sit and put words on the paper. Sometimes it's easy and I write a thousand or more words before I even know it. Other times, it involves a lot of backspacing, undoing, retyping, etc. If there's one thing I've learned from NaNoWriMo, it's that getting the words down is the important part. I can--and do!--go back later and write and rewrite obsessively, striving for perfection.
After I did not make the second round of cuts for ABNA, I had a lot of thinking to do. Did I want to polish up the ol' manuscript and try to shop for an agent, with the hopes that one might pick it up and sell it to a publisher with the end result of my seeing it in print within the next few years? Or did I want to go the self-publishing route? I agonized over this for weeks. I feel sorry for my poor husband because he had to listen to me go on and on about it. My dream has long been to have my book published, to go to a bookstore and see it sitting on the shelves. However, I know how long a process this can be, and that's if you're lucky enough to find someone willing to publish your manuscript. While I think my manuscript has an audience, I am not exactly overflowing with the conviction that some publisher is dying to take a gamble on me. Plus, you know, the whole thing is scary.
However, self-publishing is also scary because, let's face it, there's still a bias out there about it. In all honesty, I don't really get this. Sure, maybe not everything written is a work of sheer genius, but what difference does that make if it finds an audience? Even if two people enjoy it, there are two people who found something in the marketplace they wouldn't otherwise have found. They are being provided with a good that they value and, really, isn't that what writers strive for? I mean, we all want to write works of timeless wonder but the bottom line is that what we really, fundamentally want is for people to read our words. Otherwise, why bother writing them? Why in a culture that so values indie films and indie bands, so we sneer at indie authors? I think the popularity of e-readers is changing this dynamic, and I think that's a good thing for both authors and readers. Readers will be provided with even more choices than ever and the barriers to entry that once held deserving writers back will no longer exist, offering them the possibility of making a living doing what they love--writing. Remember, J.K. Rowling received numerous rejections before someone decided to take a chance on her. What if they hadn't? What if Harry Potter had never been published? Isn't that mind-boggling to think of?
Which leads me to my own personal decision: I have decided to indie pub one and possibly multiple novels. I want to start small, get a feel for how things work, and see how well I do. Because I find the ABNA rules a bit unclear, I have decided to refrain from publishing Contributor until after ABNA has ended. This will give me time to do another round of edits and work on getting a good cover ready.
In the meantime, I have decided to publish another of my manuscripts, The Eye of the Beholder. This is a novel that I spent seven years writing--and over the past few days I've rewritten a couple of the chapters with the intent of writing more. See what I mean about writing and rewriting? At any rate, this is a manuscript that is near and dear to my heart. It's a retelling of the beauty and the beast story, which has always been a particular favorite of mine.
However, because it's so different from Contributor, I have decided to publish it using a pen name, whereas I intend to use my real name when I publish Contributor. I'm doing this purely for the sake of clarity, so my readers will know what sort of work they're getting if they decide to purchase one of my books. Because I like to dabble in various genres, I'm planning on using multiple pen names, one for each genre in which I write. Hopefully I'll do at least one of those genres justice.
Things are going well with the edits, and I anticipate having the book available for Kindle devices by early May. Because I am starting small and because I am frankly very attracted to the opportunities offered by the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, my book will be exclusive to Kindle for at least the few months. Depending on how well it does, I may then look to using something like Smashwords to make it available on multiple platforms.
Right now, I'm feeling very lucky. I have an extremely supportive husband who is 100% behind me, as well as a great writing group and some supportive friends and family members who have given their time in order to read and critique my manuscripts. I am excited about the possibilities for the future. I can hardly wait to share my work with a broader audience.
I also tend to suffer greatly from a particular form of writers' guilt in which I feel just plain terrible and wasteful if I engage in any sort of leisure activity when I think I should be writing. Seriously, I am an unforgiving taskmaster, as if I expect myself to spend my every waking moment chained to my computer writing, writing, writing. This is sort of unjust as I've actually done a LOT more writing in the past year than I had done for probably the three years preceding. I have finally managed to get myself to a point where I no longer accept excuses like "I'm just not inspired today" to hold me back. I sit and put words on the paper. Sometimes it's easy and I write a thousand or more words before I even know it. Other times, it involves a lot of backspacing, undoing, retyping, etc. If there's one thing I've learned from NaNoWriMo, it's that getting the words down is the important part. I can--and do!--go back later and write and rewrite obsessively, striving for perfection.
After I did not make the second round of cuts for ABNA, I had a lot of thinking to do. Did I want to polish up the ol' manuscript and try to shop for an agent, with the hopes that one might pick it up and sell it to a publisher with the end result of my seeing it in print within the next few years? Or did I want to go the self-publishing route? I agonized over this for weeks. I feel sorry for my poor husband because he had to listen to me go on and on about it. My dream has long been to have my book published, to go to a bookstore and see it sitting on the shelves. However, I know how long a process this can be, and that's if you're lucky enough to find someone willing to publish your manuscript. While I think my manuscript has an audience, I am not exactly overflowing with the conviction that some publisher is dying to take a gamble on me. Plus, you know, the whole thing is scary.
However, self-publishing is also scary because, let's face it, there's still a bias out there about it. In all honesty, I don't really get this. Sure, maybe not everything written is a work of sheer genius, but what difference does that make if it finds an audience? Even if two people enjoy it, there are two people who found something in the marketplace they wouldn't otherwise have found. They are being provided with a good that they value and, really, isn't that what writers strive for? I mean, we all want to write works of timeless wonder but the bottom line is that what we really, fundamentally want is for people to read our words. Otherwise, why bother writing them? Why in a culture that so values indie films and indie bands, so we sneer at indie authors? I think the popularity of e-readers is changing this dynamic, and I think that's a good thing for both authors and readers. Readers will be provided with even more choices than ever and the barriers to entry that once held deserving writers back will no longer exist, offering them the possibility of making a living doing what they love--writing. Remember, J.K. Rowling received numerous rejections before someone decided to take a chance on her. What if they hadn't? What if Harry Potter had never been published? Isn't that mind-boggling to think of?
Which leads me to my own personal decision: I have decided to indie pub one and possibly multiple novels. I want to start small, get a feel for how things work, and see how well I do. Because I find the ABNA rules a bit unclear, I have decided to refrain from publishing Contributor until after ABNA has ended. This will give me time to do another round of edits and work on getting a good cover ready.
In the meantime, I have decided to publish another of my manuscripts, The Eye of the Beholder. This is a novel that I spent seven years writing--and over the past few days I've rewritten a couple of the chapters with the intent of writing more. See what I mean about writing and rewriting? At any rate, this is a manuscript that is near and dear to my heart. It's a retelling of the beauty and the beast story, which has always been a particular favorite of mine.
However, because it's so different from Contributor, I have decided to publish it using a pen name, whereas I intend to use my real name when I publish Contributor. I'm doing this purely for the sake of clarity, so my readers will know what sort of work they're getting if they decide to purchase one of my books. Because I like to dabble in various genres, I'm planning on using multiple pen names, one for each genre in which I write. Hopefully I'll do at least one of those genres justice.
Things are going well with the edits, and I anticipate having the book available for Kindle devices by early May. Because I am starting small and because I am frankly very attracted to the opportunities offered by the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, my book will be exclusive to Kindle for at least the few months. Depending on how well it does, I may then look to using something like Smashwords to make it available on multiple platforms.
Right now, I'm feeling very lucky. I have an extremely supportive husband who is 100% behind me, as well as a great writing group and some supportive friends and family members who have given their time in order to read and critique my manuscripts. I am excited about the possibilities for the future. I can hardly wait to share my work with a broader audience.
Monday, December 5, 2011
I Want My NaNoWriMo Back!
Yes, folks, I do actually want it back, and I'll tell you why very succinctly: when I'm doing NaNoWriMo, there is no time for crippling self-doubt, there is only time for word count. Once NaNoWriMo ends, however, and the fever wears off, it's once again possible to become neurotic about all manner of things.
I can't stop thinking about that The Economist article that sneered at NaNoWriMo, implying that all NaNo novels are trash that "true" writing demands that the author "bleed". Well, folks at The Economist, let me tell you: I could use a transfusion right about now because there's a heady mix of blood, sweat, and tears dripping all over my manuscript.
Still, I guess I could look at this as a good thing, right? After all, if I were entirely convinced of my own brilliance, I would think my novel was perfect as is. The truth is, though, that I can always find something to change, no matter how "finished" my manuscript may be. While there are those magical moments during which I am very happy with what I've typed, they are far outnumbered by those moments where I agonize over every word, where I keep returning to the same sentence over and over because It's. Just. Not. Right.
Now, I'll come right out and admit that I am a perfectionist, which means I hold myself to a ridiculously high standard. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. While I'm glad that I always want to do my best, and that I strive to improve myself, I'm also terrible at cutting myself any sort of slack.
Tonight, my temptation was to just keep on going, even though I began to feel like I was beating my head against a brick wall repeatedly. Instead, I made myself put it down and step away. If I had nothing but time to write, maybe I would be easier on myself (that's a big, fat maybe, folks) but since I have to try to cram my writing in whenever I can, I get a bit stressed. I'm sure many other would-be writers can relate. You sit down, ready to put words on the screen or on paper, and then real life interrupts and you're forced to walk away. Then, when you can finally return, you rack your brain, searching for that brilliant sentence you had composed in your head or that great plot twist you were about to use and...nothing. Big, fat nothing. Your carefully planned out, exquisite words are gone and lost forever. It's maddening.
At any rate, the revisions are coming along rather well. I've had to totally scrap some chapters and rework them and, tonight, I wrote an entirely new chapter 18. Since I ended NaNoWriMo at the beginning of chapter 25, I'd say I'm making pretty good progress. I've also beefed up my word count by several thousand. I'm at a pivotal point now. I still have quite a bit of story to tell, but I'll soon need to think about wrapping it up. ABNA approaches, my friends, and I still want to allow myself at least a couple of weeks to go over the "finished" product, so I'm aiming to write my ending by the end of December.
I also just want to take a moment to recognize the friends and family members who are reading the manuscript and helping make it better. I am more grateful for your contributions than I can say.
And now, a bit of an excerpt!
***
I’m not sure anyone deserves to be treated that way.
I can't stop thinking about that The Economist article that sneered at NaNoWriMo, implying that all NaNo novels are trash that "true" writing demands that the author "bleed". Well, folks at The Economist, let me tell you: I could use a transfusion right about now because there's a heady mix of blood, sweat, and tears dripping all over my manuscript.
Still, I guess I could look at this as a good thing, right? After all, if I were entirely convinced of my own brilliance, I would think my novel was perfect as is. The truth is, though, that I can always find something to change, no matter how "finished" my manuscript may be. While there are those magical moments during which I am very happy with what I've typed, they are far outnumbered by those moments where I agonize over every word, where I keep returning to the same sentence over and over because It's. Just. Not. Right.
Now, I'll come right out and admit that I am a perfectionist, which means I hold myself to a ridiculously high standard. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. While I'm glad that I always want to do my best, and that I strive to improve myself, I'm also terrible at cutting myself any sort of slack.
Tonight, my temptation was to just keep on going, even though I began to feel like I was beating my head against a brick wall repeatedly. Instead, I made myself put it down and step away. If I had nothing but time to write, maybe I would be easier on myself (that's a big, fat maybe, folks) but since I have to try to cram my writing in whenever I can, I get a bit stressed. I'm sure many other would-be writers can relate. You sit down, ready to put words on the screen or on paper, and then real life interrupts and you're forced to walk away. Then, when you can finally return, you rack your brain, searching for that brilliant sentence you had composed in your head or that great plot twist you were about to use and...nothing. Big, fat nothing. Your carefully planned out, exquisite words are gone and lost forever. It's maddening.
At any rate, the revisions are coming along rather well. I've had to totally scrap some chapters and rework them and, tonight, I wrote an entirely new chapter 18. Since I ended NaNoWriMo at the beginning of chapter 25, I'd say I'm making pretty good progress. I've also beefed up my word count by several thousand. I'm at a pivotal point now. I still have quite a bit of story to tell, but I'll soon need to think about wrapping it up. ABNA approaches, my friends, and I still want to allow myself at least a couple of weeks to go over the "finished" product, so I'm aiming to write my ending by the end of December.
I also just want to take a moment to recognize the friends and family members who are reading the manuscript and helping make it better. I am more grateful for your contributions than I can say.
And now, a bit of an excerpt!
***
“After
a great deal of discussion, the Senior Engineers and I have come to a decision
as to who is to accompany us to our meeting with Agricorp,” Andersen
announced. His hands behind his back in
a rather military posture, he began to stroll slowly around the room.
“Mr. LeTour,” he said, coming to a stop
right next to Ryan. He was so close that
Dara was certain his posture was deliberate, calculated to intimidate. It appeared to be working. Though Ryan kept
his face straight, he blanched. “I will
state up front that I found your performance extremely disappointing. Your ideas were mediocre, your research
unsatisfactory. I don’t know how to
account for your lapse in performance but, let me assure you, this will be your
last. Any further misstep will result in
your immediate termination from the program.
Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Ryan said, his voice
strained. Andersen smiled a slow, tight
smile, and Dara felt her stomach turn.
He’s
actually enjoying this! she realized.
He’s enjoying humiliating Ryan in
front of the rest of us.
As Andersen turned his back and moved away
from Ryan, Chen shot a look of such vile disgust at his apprentice that Dara
had to look away. Though Ryan was
without redeeming qualities, as far as she could see, she still found it
difficult to see him the subject of so public a flogging.
I’m not sure anyone deserves to be treated that way.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
NaNoWriMo 2011: It's official, I've won!
Even though I hit 50,000 words several days ago, "winning" for NaNoWriMo didn't start until the 25th and, what with the holidays and all, I frankly forgot to verify until today. However, I've amended that and it is now official: I have completed NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row, which means I'm 2-0.
As I said in an earlier post, this doesn't mean that my novel is finished, though. I had intended to keep writing throughout the month, but I've been taking a much needed break. Now that Thanksgiving is over and I'll be back to my normal routine, I'm going to start working on my novel again. I'll also continue to blog and post excerpts.
While I am relieved and excited that NaNoWriMo is over and that I managed it, I'm now turning my thoughts to ABNA, which will happen in a matter of months. From now until then, I'm going to be editing and finishing my manuscript so that I can submit it in the Young Adult category of ABNA. I'm very hopeful that this manuscript will garner some attention, and I'm going to continue to keep my eye on the prize: my dream of seeing something I've written in print.
I'd be remiss if I didn't thank my husband here. He's been so great about taking care of some of the parenting duties so that I could have some extra time to write. As always, he's been a constant source of support and encouragement, reading the manuscript and offering me his thoughts on it. When I get worried and self-critical, he's good at bringing me back down to Earth. Thank you so much, honey!
And thanks to those of you who've been keeping up with my blog and following me on Twitter. It's exciting for me to see unfamiliar names in my followers, and it's gratifying to know there are people out there who are interested in my work. Knowing you're reading inspires me to push myself harder, so that I can continue to draw you in as, for me, that's the greatest reward of all.
As I said in an earlier post, this doesn't mean that my novel is finished, though. I had intended to keep writing throughout the month, but I've been taking a much needed break. Now that Thanksgiving is over and I'll be back to my normal routine, I'm going to start working on my novel again. I'll also continue to blog and post excerpts.
While I am relieved and excited that NaNoWriMo is over and that I managed it, I'm now turning my thoughts to ABNA, which will happen in a matter of months. From now until then, I'm going to be editing and finishing my manuscript so that I can submit it in the Young Adult category of ABNA. I'm very hopeful that this manuscript will garner some attention, and I'm going to continue to keep my eye on the prize: my dream of seeing something I've written in print.
I'd be remiss if I didn't thank my husband here. He's been so great about taking care of some of the parenting duties so that I could have some extra time to write. As always, he's been a constant source of support and encouragement, reading the manuscript and offering me his thoughts on it. When I get worried and self-critical, he's good at bringing me back down to Earth. Thank you so much, honey!
And thanks to those of you who've been keeping up with my blog and following me on Twitter. It's exciting for me to see unfamiliar names in my followers, and it's gratifying to know there are people out there who are interested in my work. Knowing you're reading inspires me to push myself harder, so that I can continue to draw you in as, for me, that's the greatest reward of all.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
NaNoWriMo Day 17: The final stretch--or not
As of today, I have 46,001 words of my novel written. This means that I only have 4,000 words to go to complete NaNoWriMo and I will have a novel! Or not.
In fact, I find that I am only now really getting into the story and I have quite a bit of rewriting to do, so hitting the 50,000th word just means that the real work will begin.
Still, this isn't a complaint. I was so worried about making it through NaNoWriMo this year, what with all the chaos that's been going on with the renovations and with the normal, everyday challenges of my husband's job and life with two young kids. I thought I was crazy for even contemplating participating this year and, in fact, I've had several days where I wondered why I've been inflicting this stress on myself. There are two reasons for this:
1. I really like the concept for my novel, and I want to submit it for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest (ABNA for short, if you've never heard of it). I've entered the last two years, but both times in the adult category and, since I'm still unpublished, it probably goes without saying that I didn't win. But, while I'd certainly love to win or attract the interest of an agent or publisher, I'm still really proud of myself for entering as it means I'm taking those first tentative steps toward actually trying to get myself published. To be honest, as much as I love my other manuscript, I feel like the one I'm currently writing will be much more competitive, and I think the young adult category may be a better fit for me.
2. This is the real reason: because NaNoWriMo proves to me that I can do this. I can write a novel, no matter what kind of craziness is happening in my life. I've always been a writer, ever since I was a child, but I've somehow always had this thought in the back of my head that I can't do it. I have a bazillion reasons why: conditions aren't right, I don't feel inspired, etc., etc., etc. But I've come to realize that these aren't reasons, they're excuses. NaNoWriMo does not allow for excuses. NaNoWriMo provides me with that extra nudge I need to make me feel I simply have to finish my project. For me, NaNoWriMo is about chances, about proving to all those little voices of doubt inside that they are, in fact, wrong.
I recently read this really offensive article on The Economist. It more or less states that NaNoWriMo is a waste of time and that the world doesn't need more bad novels--as if every novel that's published is good or, conversely, as if every novel that isn't published is bad. Well, The Economist, I will take a Shakespearean tack: I bite my thumb at you!
I'm not suggesting that everyone is capable of writing a masterpiece--I'm nowhere near being convinced that I'm capable of this. Nor am I suggesting that everyone quit their day jobs so they can sit home and write a novel. We do need to be practical. What I am saying, though, is this: we always encourage our children to follow their dreams. Why, then, are we so willing to give up on our own? Maybe I'll never get published, but at least I'll know I tried. I don't want to be one of those people who lives a life full of "what ifs".
And further, to suggest that participants in NaNoWriMo are just fooling around is offensive. I bleed for my novel, just like every other author I've ever known or read about. I care passionately about what I write. I agonized over this manuscript long before NaNoWriMo began, and I will agonize over it long after NaNoWriMo is finished.
So to my fellow WriMos: I salute you! Maybe you're surrounded by people who are supportive and helpful and believe in you. Maybe you're surrounded by doubters who think you're crazy for even trying. Either way, I am with you. I may not know you and you may not know me, but we understand one another's passion. Go right ahead and reach for the stars--I'll be doing the same alongside you. Let's shine on together, fellow crazy NaNoWriMo diamonds! May we all someday look back and laugh at that article, as we enjoy the phenomenal success of our books that were originally NaNoWriMo novels.
***
“Nothing and no one can change that,”
her father said, a ferocious note to his voice.
In fact, I find that I am only now really getting into the story and I have quite a bit of rewriting to do, so hitting the 50,000th word just means that the real work will begin.
Still, this isn't a complaint. I was so worried about making it through NaNoWriMo this year, what with all the chaos that's been going on with the renovations and with the normal, everyday challenges of my husband's job and life with two young kids. I thought I was crazy for even contemplating participating this year and, in fact, I've had several days where I wondered why I've been inflicting this stress on myself. There are two reasons for this:
1. I really like the concept for my novel, and I want to submit it for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest (ABNA for short, if you've never heard of it). I've entered the last two years, but both times in the adult category and, since I'm still unpublished, it probably goes without saying that I didn't win. But, while I'd certainly love to win or attract the interest of an agent or publisher, I'm still really proud of myself for entering as it means I'm taking those first tentative steps toward actually trying to get myself published. To be honest, as much as I love my other manuscript, I feel like the one I'm currently writing will be much more competitive, and I think the young adult category may be a better fit for me.
2. This is the real reason: because NaNoWriMo proves to me that I can do this. I can write a novel, no matter what kind of craziness is happening in my life. I've always been a writer, ever since I was a child, but I've somehow always had this thought in the back of my head that I can't do it. I have a bazillion reasons why: conditions aren't right, I don't feel inspired, etc., etc., etc. But I've come to realize that these aren't reasons, they're excuses. NaNoWriMo does not allow for excuses. NaNoWriMo provides me with that extra nudge I need to make me feel I simply have to finish my project. For me, NaNoWriMo is about chances, about proving to all those little voices of doubt inside that they are, in fact, wrong.
I recently read this really offensive article on The Economist. It more or less states that NaNoWriMo is a waste of time and that the world doesn't need more bad novels--as if every novel that's published is good or, conversely, as if every novel that isn't published is bad. Well, The Economist, I will take a Shakespearean tack: I bite my thumb at you!
I'm not suggesting that everyone is capable of writing a masterpiece--I'm nowhere near being convinced that I'm capable of this. Nor am I suggesting that everyone quit their day jobs so they can sit home and write a novel. We do need to be practical. What I am saying, though, is this: we always encourage our children to follow their dreams. Why, then, are we so willing to give up on our own? Maybe I'll never get published, but at least I'll know I tried. I don't want to be one of those people who lives a life full of "what ifs".
And further, to suggest that participants in NaNoWriMo are just fooling around is offensive. I bleed for my novel, just like every other author I've ever known or read about. I care passionately about what I write. I agonized over this manuscript long before NaNoWriMo began, and I will agonize over it long after NaNoWriMo is finished.
So to my fellow WriMos: I salute you! Maybe you're surrounded by people who are supportive and helpful and believe in you. Maybe you're surrounded by doubters who think you're crazy for even trying. Either way, I am with you. I may not know you and you may not know me, but we understand one another's passion. Go right ahead and reach for the stars--I'll be doing the same alongside you. Let's shine on together, fellow crazy NaNoWriMo diamonds! May we all someday look back and laugh at that article, as we enjoy the phenomenal success of our books that were originally NaNoWriMo novels.
***
“Dara,
the next four weeks are going to be critical,” Joshua said, his voice urgent. “We have to do everything in our power to
help your mother.”
“Oh, I wish we worked opposite
shifts,” Dara moaned.
“I know, but there’s nothing we can
do about that now. We’re just going to
have to make do.”
“We’ll take turns each night. I’ll sleep one night, you sleep the next,”
Dara suggested.
Joshua looked relieved as he
nodded. “Yes, that was my idea as well.”
“Let’s take turns going to the
medical bay too. There’s a lot that
needs to be done around here to get things ready.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without
you,” her father said quietly, taking her right hand and pressing it between
both of his.
“We’re a family,” Dara said, a lump
rising in her throat.
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