Book in a Month Pt 20: BIAM Recap

Thanks to all of my new blogging friends, this has been an amazing journey. I never cease to feel so much awe at how encouraging everyone has been. I have really enjoyed getting to know other writers, it is so awesome considering 6 months ago I only showed my writing to a couple of people. Thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without you.

I want to thank all of those who have been with me through the whole Book in a Month challenge. There are too many people to list. Special thanks to the peeps who have personally reached out to cheer me on. Triple rainbows to you, my friends!

I made a page for the BIAM Recap here.

The Book in a Month Dare:
Now it's your turn. I propose a dare, for anyone out there who is brave and willing. Would you try writing a Book in a Month? If you have done this, in the process of it, or are thinking about it, let me know!

Book in a Month Pt 19: Finishing a Book in a Month

"Celebrate every writing success and never lose your sense of wonder about each opportunity."

Wishing on Daisies is finished!! (the rough draft anyways)

Yeah! Woo Hoo! Alright. 20,000 words in 30 days.

My hope for writing a book in a month was to see if I could actually do it, and yayzers I did!

The weirdest thing about writing the ending is that I realized the story doesn't need a mermaid in it at all. It has plenty of emotional impact without it. I even found a few ways to include some daisies at the beginning and the end to tie-in with the title. Ahh, what stories can put you through!

Even though this month was the busiest for me in a long time I was able to write as much as I have ever written before. I wrote on my lunch breaks at work, on weeknights (the hardest), and on weekends. I think making it happen, making it a priority helps. Accountability is key. Saying I was going to do this on my blog put the fire under my butt, and having friends who were supportive really helped too. Special thanks to Laura from Stranger than Writing for always checking in on me.

So, there you have it. A book in a month. I hope that this project has been inspirational, if you are thinking of trying to write a Book in a Month I'd say go for it. Try it!

Where do I go from here? I made a few notes, and got my manuscript in good enough shape for the next stage. The Rewrite.. dun dun dun...for now, though I'm shelving it.

Thanks to everyone for your support! Stay Tuned for the Recap.

Book in a Month Pt 18: Writing Dialogue

"Hey, there is one subject you haven't talked about yet."
"Which one is th-"
"The one you've been avoiding!"
 "You're right," I whisper, unable to meet the piercing gaze of my accuser.

As you can see from my attempt at dialogue, why I have been avoiding the subject. Nevertheless, dialogue is vitally important to creating a story. I've done a little research, and here is what I've found. 

Dialogue should be used for two things:
1. Revealing more about a character.
2. Moving the plot forward.
Ideally it will do both of these things!

Great dialogue mimics real life conversation but with all of the boring parts taken out. 

Include descriptions:

• The character's voice.
• Mannerisms.
• Nonverbal communication.
• What the character is doing while they are talking.
• What is going on in the setting around them.

 Reveal character through dialogue:

• What does the character's voice sound like, what is their vocabulary?
• Do they speak in short sentences, are they normally quiet or talkative?
• Do they use slang? 
• Are they a stickler for correct grammar?
• How do they show their emotions?
• What is their posture?
• What is their facial expression?
• How are they responding physically?
• Do they use their hands to gesture when they talk?

Does each character sound different? Could you tell who spoke the words even if you didn't see the name?

A few more tips:
Include conflict/tension in dialogue as much as possible, or something that will lead up to conflict.
Read books with great dialogue and study them.
Avoid, the "floating heads in space." 

"Recite your dialogue out loud. It sounds different than in your head." - Michael Pierce

Links:

Holly Lisle: Dialogue Workshop

Writing World: Punctuating Dialogue

Creative Writing Now: How to Write Dialogue that Works

The Write Blog: The Secrets of Writing Great Dialogue

Wishing on Daisies Progress: Rough Draft is Finished!
Finished Status: 20,139 words
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Complete. 
More posts on this to follow! I have been slow to get back with everyone and post awards, but this should start to get better in about a week.

Do you have any tips for dialogue? Your thoughts are most appreciated.

  If you have a post about dialogue I would love to read and share it.

Book in a Month Pt 17: Getting Through The Muddy Middle

For those of you who are working away on a novel and hit a big wall (like me), I just want to say that it is normal and you can get through it. Just keep writing, you can always go back and fix things later. Keep going. You can do it!

Muddy Middles
Even though novels have a beginning, middle and end, most of the novel is going to be the middle. I wonder why it is always the most difficult? The place where I get stuck?  Jim Butcher calls it The Big Swampy Middle, but I like to call it The Blubbery Fat Roll between the beginning and the ending.

If the appetizer gets our mouths watering, and the dessert is the sweet and satisfying finish to look forward to, how can I turn the main course into something special?

Let's take a look at the 3 Act structure of stories.

Book in a Month Pt 16: Breaking Through Writer's Block

For the last 3 days I haven't written. But that is about to change.

I'm calling this block, The Great Wall. Not the one in China, the one in my brain. This tends to happen when things pile up and I feel overwhelmed. All of the little writing blocks build up in my mind and create a giant flaming wall of doom.

Building Bricks of The Great Wall:

• I'm too tired.
• I've gotten pretty far already, I can take a break.
• I'm not sure about some major aspects of my story.
• I'm not sure if I even like my story, do I?
• My story has changed a lot from the plot line, I don't know what to do.
• Finishing a book in a month is crazy.
• My writing is really awful, I should stop.

So, here is the thing. I've got to find a way to climb over this wall and make it to the finish line. The only sure way to get over a writing block is to bust through it by writing (even if you don't feel like it). Here is what I am going to do:

Write. Now.

I'm not going to go back and look at anything, I am going to look forward and keep writing. I am going to write today and tomorrow Laura from Stranger than Writing is going to do word wars with me.

Have Fun with Word Wars
When 2 or more people write at the same time for a certain amount of time (like 20 minutes) and at the end they see who has written the most. I will be doing this tomorrow, yeah!

Book in a Month Pt 15: Creating a Setting

When choosing a setting for my novel I usually pick a place I have lived before (So I won't have to do as much research) hehe. But I have always been fond of places that I would love to write about someday, like New Orleans. There is so much to think about when writing fiction, plot, characters, etc. that setting seems to take a back seat for me. But I am beginning to realize just how important it is.

The setting makes the story world feel real to a reader, it engages their imagination and enhances the mood of the story.

Location, Location, Location
Here are the basics for creating a setting:

• Where is the setting?
• What year is it?
• What time of year is it? 
• What time of day is it?
• What is the weather like?
• What is the architecture and/or the geography?

Book in a Month Pt 14: Choosing a POV

Choosing POV or "Point of View"

POV Struggles

Wishing on Daisies is written in 1st person, but now I am wondering if it should be 3rd person limited. At some point during the writing process I always seem to have a struggle with POV. Did I choose the correct one? Should I change it? I have heard other writers struggle with the same issues. Dealing with this uncertainty can create frustration that sucks up valuable writing time. Here is the information I have gathered on the most popular POVs to help you decide which one would be best for your story.

Why so Tense?

• Present tense has more immediacy but can be prone to drawing the reader out of the story if something doesn't sound right. 
• Past tense is more common but lacks the sense of immediate "in the moment" feeling of action.

Book in a Month Pt 12: Inspiration to Write!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh was created to encourage one another and share things that we're dealing with in our writing ventures. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! To join, click on the IWSG pic on the right side of my blog and post the first Wednesday of every month.

Stop by Beautiful Chaos  TODAY to get a free (hard copy or ebook copy) of Eldala. There are 19 books available, so don't miss out!

It's 9:30 at night, I'm exhausted. I just spent a half hour browsing the internet.. but golly freakin' gee wilikers Batman. I'm gonna write!!

So, get yer inspiration here, get pumped up, and write something! Let's do it!

Book in a Month Pt 11: Tired? Keep Going

 

I just came home from working late and having to run errands. I'm grumpy. I'm tired, and now I have to write. Well, I don't have to write. But, I want to.. especially with this whole book in a month thing and all.

So, here we go..

Book in a Month Pt 10: Creating a Theme

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. 

Now that I started writing, I'm on a roll!

I have to fight off frequent attacks from The Banes of Creativity. There are two in particular that have been aggressive:

The You Suck Duck, who quacks, "This Sucks! What are you thinking? This writing is pure gar-bage!"

The Distractinator, who tells me I should drink coffay, wash the dishes, talk to my roomies, read, pet the cat, pretty much anything besides write.

When The Banes come up, I think the best advice is to just, "keep calm and write something." Don't let them win!

Wishing on Daisies 
Current Progress: 3621 words
Chapter 1, 2 - Complete. 
Chapter 3 - In Progress

Creating a Theme: 

Theme is the message of the book, or the moral of the story. It's basically what you want to share with others. The main plot of the story should connect to the theme. I think with Wishing on Daisies the theme is something like "Believe in yourself, because you are more beautiful and powerful than you think."

What do you think about Theme? Do you try to consciously think of the story's theme, or do you let a theme naturally develop?

Book in a Month Pt 9: Week Two, Let the Writing Begin!

Here are the things I did to put off writing today:

• I went on deviantart and found a bunch of mermaid pictures for inspiration
• I made a writing playlist
• I cooked bacon and made BLTs

I was very nervous. But I knew that if I were to get anything done I had to start somewhere.

So, I began typing.

Even though I didn't like what was coming out, at least it is something. It was a start! I am going to just keep typing and see where the story leads me. I can always go back and re-write later.

Time to forge ahead!

Wishing on Daisies 
Current Progress: 1860 words
Chapter 1 - Complete. 
Chapter 2 - In Progress

When I am writing I have one window open on one side with my outline and notes and another window open on the other side with the story. 

How do you write?

Book in a Month Pt 8: Setting Goals for Writing a Book in a Month

My Goal

• My goal is to finish a rough draft of Wishing on Daisies this month. Whether its 15,000 words or 50,000.
• I will keep track of my progress by how many pages/chapters I finish. I currently have 10 chapters total in the rough plot.
• I will try to write 3 chapters a week as my target goal.

So Far..
I created a Rough Plot of my entire story. It is already done. Yay!
Similar to the Snowflake Method, I just need to expand upon each of the ideas in my rough plot and voila I have a rough draft. Unfortunately, it is never that easy. :)

Daily Goal
I do think setting a daily goal is very important because it helps to break down the big project into manageable chunks. Here is my daily goal:

Write Everyday

If I write today I am happy. If I don't write today, then I try harder to write tomorrow. I hope this works! We shall see how things go...

What kind of writing goals do you set for yourself, or have tried?

Book in a Month Pt 7: Creating Character Bios

Characters have always been a little more difficult for me. If anyone had suggestions on developping characters let me know! I always struggle with coming up with answers and backgrounds for them. Some people interview their characters or write a diary entry from the point of view of their character. What great ideas!! I made a short character bio for each of the main characters. Here is what I have come up with so far.

I used 45 Master Characters by Victora Lynn Schmidt to figure out the archetypes for my characters. It is a great resource!

Kora Valdez

Main Character

Personal Inspiration: my teenage self, and a mix of several friends

Archetype: maiden

She goes through a rite of passage, she will be forced to stand on her own two feet

She cares about her relationship with her mother, who is now deceased

She never felt close to her father but now she has to move to Seattle to live with him

She enjoys adventure, fun, freedom, being unique

She’s a good listener, tries to help others

Loves: reading, art, swimming

She needs to find her inner voice, and inner strength

Fears: being in the spotlight, being noticed, people

Making decisions, losing a friend, being controlled

Appearance:

Average build and height, a little on the thin side

Long black hair

Slightly crooked teeth

Aquiline nose

Brown eyes

Style:

She doesn't have much of one , until she meets Michelle

Sebastian Chevalier:

Love Interest

Personal Inspiration: a mix of several friends
Archetype: a woman’s man/ knight

Very down to earth,

Athletic, he plays football at the high school

Outgoing, fun, a charmer

He is close to his mother, and looks up to his father as a role model

He loves animals/pets

A very honorable soul
He feels pressured by parents etc, to conform

Loves: I am not sure yet - but it isn't football, (maybe music, or photography?)

Fears: Letting his parents down, letting his friends down, being himself

Apperance:

Athletic build

Tall heigh

shaggy, dirty blond hair

blue eyes

sturdy jaw

broad hands

Style:

Loose tshirts with jeans

Shorts, athletic shoes

Book in a Month Pt 6: Finalizing the Rough Plot

I just completed my rough plot. Phew! I know that it will probably change a lot once I start writing but I will use this as a guide. Yay!

Here is the first three chapters of the finished rough plot:

Wishing on Daisies 

Prologue - Dreaming

Dreams of being a mermaid as a child

Chapter 1 - Moving In

Kora moving in with Dad because mom died. They lived in Midwest

Kora is now in Seattle– mom wanted ashes cast to the sea.

Cute meet: Sebastian is over to help Dad

Sebastian finds a daisy and gives it to Kora, tells her about football/athleticism.

Conflict: Kora is very shy, nerdy, low self esteem

Sebastian invites her to go swimming at the lake

Mom said to never go near the lake or natural water, “unclean” “unsafe” dangerous? Promise me, she said.. (maybe it starts the change? and/or its age that starts it?)

Kora meets Michelle – neighbor, her age. They become fast friends.

Chapter 2 - Day at Eden Lake

Michelle gets Kora out of her shell, gets her clothes etc, makeup, hair cut

Michelle teases, “don’t let Sebastian see you.”
At the lake with Michelle tries to convince Kora to join the swim team, Michelle wants a friend with her

In the water Kora starts changing, greenish/blue skin (thinks she is just seeing things)
Kora thinks she's just imagining it
Sebastian asks what is going on, Kora tells him Michelle's idea for swim team. He really likes the idea
Kora embarrasses herself around Sebastian

Brittney arrives and takes Sebastian away

Kora decides to join the swim team

Chapter 3 - Swimming

School starts
Sebastian starts hanging out with Kora between practices and waiting for bus, in hall. etc.
Conflict: Kora is worst swimmer on the team

Brittney laughs and tries to get the others against her. Elizabeth the coach gets on Kora's case to work harder. They will be facing their rival team in the next meet
Kora starts getting attention at school from other guys but she’s not interested

Brittney: mocks her, talks about going to creative arts school, swimming scholarship?

Britney tells her to stay away from Sebastian

Kora goes to the lake to unwind, she practices swimming, She sees scales but thinks she must be dreaming

Thanks to everyone for your patience and encouragement during the next month during WriMo!

Book in a Month Pt 5: When Your Story Speaks, Listen

Revelation Station #3

Kora: I want to be a mermaid.
Andrea: no, this is a contemporary story.
Kora: I'm a mermaid, deal with it.
Andrea: thats not fair!
Kora: what can I say, sometimes life's a beach.
Andrea: Ok fine, but I want the story to be sunny, fun loving and witty.
Kora: This is gonna be a dark YA paranormal romance.
Andrea: But-
Kora: talk to the fin!
Andrea: hehe, ok that was funny.
Kora: If you start listening to me, this will go a LOT easier for the both of us!
Andrea: Alright fine. You win, fin-girl.
Kora: Good. Now listen up, here is how the story is going to be..

Damn. It sucks when a main character is so demanding.

*Question for You*

Since its getting all mermaid up in here, do you think Wishing On Daisies still fits as a title? Kora thinks a new title would be better and its hard disagreeing with her. Any suggestions for a different name would be appreciated! Thanks :)

Book in a Month Pt 4: Tips for Succeeding with Writing a Book in a Month

Thanks to Robin from Robin Writes for honoring me with The Versatile Blogger Award. Woots! If you haven't already check out her great blog.

Tips for Succeeding with Writing a Book in a Month

Be prepared, have an outline and character info handy

Set daily goals: divide everything up into bite sized chunks

Share your goal with others

Set your boundaries

Stay focused on what you want to do next 

Think positive, believe in yourself, and stick with it

If you get stuck skip over it and write the next scene

It’s OK to suck. Embrace the suck.

Revelation Station #2

I started out with the idea I would be writing my memories from joining the swim team in high school and falling in love for the first time. It wouldn't be too difficult to turn that into a story right? WRONG.

The more I worked on this story the more I realized that I couldn't make it a memoir, it just want to be that story. Wishing on Daisies took on a life of its own. It wants to be something else! It doesn't even care for the name Wishing on Daisies anymore. hehehe.

So, I am following my gut here and letting the story grow into what it wants. Memories were great for inspiration, but it turns out they were just a springboard for this journey.

"Steadily aim for your goal unswervingly. That is dedication." -DeMille

Book in a Month Pt 3: Tough Questions Every Writer Should Ask

Revelation Station #1

I thought I would be OK with writing Wishing on Daisies as a YA Contemporary Romance but something about it didn't seem quite right, I was excited but not totally excited.

I think I missed the magic. You know, shape shifters, witches, spell-casters, something. I love fantasy and the paranormal so much.

Amandini from Abbso-fraggin-lutely suggested that I think about adding some magic in, even if it was just an element of the imagination in the character's minds.

Then it hit me.

Book in a Month Pt 2, Using A Plot Skeleton

For the last two days I've been working on a basic plot for Wishing on Daisies. At the same time I'm also working on the characters. It seems like plot and characters go hand in hand, doesn't it?

Here is the plot structure I am using, it is a mash of different ones I've found: 

The Three Act Plot Structure for Romance

Act 1

1. Intro/The inciting incident
2. Conflicts introduced
3. Cute meet with the love interest

 Act 2

1. Beginning to fall in love
2. Conflict added/intensified
3. The final confrontation is foreshadowed
4. First love or intimacy scene
5. Stakes are raised for the dark moment

 Act 3

1. Dark moment, they break up or love seems doomed
2. Final confrontation and resolution
3. Happily ever after! Woo Hoo!

What is the overall Mood/Tone?

Is there other sources of inspiration for the story?

• Myths or legends 
• Artwork
• Music

Some Great Books:

The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel

By  Christie Craig and Faye Hughes

Excellent for different plot structures and general advice, this is an all-around great guide for writing romance.

You Can Write A Novel

By James Smith

A simple, quick to read book for turning your dream into a reality. It also has plenty of advice for making your novel more salable.

Do you have any go-to resources or books that you like to use when developing a story?

Book in a Month Pt 1, Developing The Story Concept

Next month is dun dun dun... JuNoWriMo amd CampNaNoWriMo. I have decided to write a Book in a Month and blog about it for those who may be interested in doing the same thing. I have tried to write a book in a month before and failed, but this time I have a good feeling about it. I can do it!

I am going to share my journey here in hopes that it may help others, and provide some new ideas to try. 

Week 1: Story Preparation
Lets start with Story Concept and Inspiration

I originally wanted to write a YA romance, and chose my memories of swim team and my first love as inspiration. The title, Wishing on Daisies was actually inspired by the cover that I purchased pre-made from Jacee DeLorenzo. She does great work.

Title: Wishing on Daisies 
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

POV: First person with lots of humor (hopefully) 

JunoWriMo Anyone?

My friend, Laura at Stranger Than Writing  posted a blog about the upcoming JunoWriMo. For those who are familiar with NanoWriMo it is pretty much the same concept, write a book in a month. But it's a little different.

Rule#1 Write 50,000 words in 30 days, that's an average of 1667 words a day.

Rule#2 It has to be your original work.

You don’t have to write a new novel, it can be a work in progress. What a great way to finish that story you started! Also, you don't have to write fiction, for those who want to work on a memoir etc.

Even though I am currently in the middle of editing, I am thinking of going for it. I am really excited about writing a book in a month and I'm itching to do this. So the plan is to edit as much as I can this month, JunoWriMo next month, die, be miraculously resurrected and then finish my editing.  What do you think? Would you consider doing JunoWriMo?

 For more info on JunoWriMo or to sign up, click here. 

Also, If you are interested in something like this check out Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. It provides a structured plan for writing your book within a month, and includes as useful tips and advice for beating writing blocks.