Behind the Walls

Question & Answers with Adrienne.

What is your Nanowrimo name?   AllTheColors

 Title & Genre of 2016 Nano Project?      Paid in Heaven and Other Stories (fantasy and science fiction short stories)

 How many years have you participated?   I did a bit of NaNo in 2014 as a rebel, but my first real run was in 2015. I've done Camp three times (with mixed success).

 How did you get involved with Nanowrimo?        I've known about it on the internet for years, but got dragged in because I'm married to a full-time writer.

 What is your favorite thing about Nano?     Two parter here. First, trying to do my first 50K in NaNo, promising myself I would quit if it became more stressful than fun. As the days went by and I stayed on track for word count, it started to seem more possible... then, by the end of the month, I had 54,000 words of short stories that hadn't existed before, and a big sense of accomplishment. It was a new challenge for me, and it was a success, that's really exciting.

The second part came months later when I opened up the first of those stories to start a revision pass, a little bit dreading what I would find. And realized "hey, a lot of this isn't bad at all--it's actually pretty good." That was a pretty neat feeling.

Can you offer any strategies or tips for reaching daily 1,667 word count? Maybe kind of obvious, but word wars are a big help for me. Especially on the Facebook group where I have some sense of community with the other people, it's a friendly kind of accountability. Not only do I want to have a non-zero number to report to them, I also know that participation gives a boost for everyone. It was also a great motivator when I'd had a long day and was thinking of slacking off for the night. Someone would say "word war?" and I would tell myself "I should be able to handle at least ONE of these." And then often by the time it was over, I had enough momentum to keep going and get my word count for the day. 

 Tricking myself to get started generally works well for me. Through word wars, or saying "well, I could at least finish this scene..." Eventually, I got in the habit of stopping at a point where I knew what was going to happen next, because then I could pick up quickly the next time. Short version: People's lizard brains are lazy, but also easily tricked by bite-sized tasks. Outsmart the lizard.

 Blog: https://ashlanswain.wordpress.com/blog/ 


Comments

  1. Rochelle BradleyNovember 6, 2016 at 8:41 AM

    Thank you guest blogging today. Great insight. I'm curious, how may short stories have you written so far?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rochelle BradleyNovember 6, 2016 at 8:43 AM

    Thank you guest blogging today. Great insight. I'm curious, how may short stories have you written so far?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Darla M SandsNovember 6, 2016 at 8:52 AM

      I agree about the insight and also curious at how many short stories you've written. That's my preferred prose to write but I somehow end up trying to write a novel every November. ~shakes head~ Happy writing!

      Delete
  3. Three Wishes CollectiveNovember 6, 2016 at 7:23 PM

    I love this: "People's lizard brains are lazy, but also easily tricked by bite-sized tasks. Outsmart the lizard." !!!
    Great interview. I look forward to reading all of these throughout the month.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Urban Fantasy Writer: Leslie the Inkweaver

Image
• Official Nano name : Leslie the Inkweaver • Title of 2016 nano project & genre : The Amazon Triangle (Urban Fantasy) • How many years have you participated? This will be my 6th year! • How did you find out about writing for Nano? When I was doing college online, a few other students were participating, and at the time I don't think I was writing 50K in a single story, much less a month. I started tracking my word count and just experimenting with writing every day, and I had so much fun that the next opportunity (two years later... Because my second attempt "accidentally" happened in October...) I actually registered, and I've been doing it officially ever since! • What is your favorite part of Nano? My favorite part is the camaraderie and community that it brings out over writing. I am meeting people in my area and making connections all over the world (via the Facebook group) by being a part of NaNoWriMo. • Strategy or tip for maki...
Read more

Don't Be Lonely

Image
Writing can be lonely. Let's face it, it's a solitary activity. If you feel isolated, here are some suggestions. This time last year I was truly TheNoviceWriter  but over the course of twelve months I've had many other novice writers ask me questions about writing. I found I could not only answer but offer advice based on my experiences in 2014. #1: Join a writing group. Once a week, once a month or even once a year meet with others who share your passion. You can find these groups on Meetup or other social media sites like Facebook. Enter your location and your interest and voila! You'll have a list to choose from. Your local library might offer writing clinics or clubs. National Novel Writing Month  is a event that happens every November. You have a chance to connect to other writers in your area on the forums but they also host "write-ins" at local coffee shops like Panera. It's a great time to meet other writers, experienced, published or novic...
Read more

Sci-Fi + Hot Air Balloons = Steampunk

Image
I’m a Municipal Liaison for the Dayton, Ohio region for NaNoWriMo.  I have been participating in since 2012, and while I do try to participate in Camp NanoWriMo I am far more successful in November. The pressure and the rigorous pace suit me.  Many people hear “50,000 words in 30 days” and get nervous or scared. But if it wasn’t a challenge it wouldn’t be worth doing, in my opinion. Writing buddy Oberon... a cute distraction. Normally for NaNoWriMo , I write an urban fantasy series starring the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Their story has never come together in a way that’s satisfactory for me, though I love the characters.  This year I’ll be venturing into a different genre: Steampunk. How I came to my story was a little different than in past years. Usually, I get my ideas from things I see in real life, and then giving them a supernatural twist. But this time, I was inspired by a flash fiction prompt I received for a contest by NYC Midnight ....
Read more