lesson 4 homework

Getting Excited About NaNoWriMo



WOW! It's Almost Time!

Only a few more days and 2011 National Novel Writing Month will begin! Are you excited? I am!



Last week we talked a lot about preparing for the month and for writing our novels. Let’s talk about that a little bit more, before we dive into some of the fun things you can expect in the coming month.



What are you writing about?

Have you decided what you will be writing about yet? You do want to have some idea before November first arrives. Don’t feel horrid or panicked if you haven’t decided for sure. The first year I did NaNo I didn’t even know I was going to do it until October 26th. It was a challenge thrown out to an online writing group I was in.  I took it up on a whim. That whim resulted in my first ever completed novel.



I will say I had a sketchy idea of what I would do before November first rolled around. For that first NaNo, I had a 500 word story I’d written for a writing group challenge. A few years after that, it wasn’t until mid-October that I knew what I’d be writing about. In that instance I developed a strong character and an idea for magic that I wanted to build a story around.



Week Four – Reading

Did you read Chapter Four of our text for this course, No Plot? No Problem!, yet this week? If not, please do so before you go on with this lesson. As you read, make notes of anything you think will be helpful to you as you prepare for National Novel Writing Month and begin planning your novel.  You'll be adding these notes to your novel binder or computer files for future reference.



In this week’s chapter Chris Baty talks more about basic novel planning.  He focuses primarily on having your characters developed enough, before you start writing, that you can send them out to play and let them do their own thing as you start writing.  This may be uncomfortable for many of you, but in this wild adventure and journey I urge you to give it a try.  Before you do that though, here are a few thoughts on creating strong characters and revealing them in and through your story.



A Few Thoughts on Character . . .

Your characters are the number one factor that will make your story great or cause it to fall flat on its proverbial face.  Complex characters are crucial to the success of any story. The truth is, without a character you have no story.



Our characters are the people populating our stories – all of the people populating our stories – from our main characters, who appear on every page, to the almost invisible “extras,” who inhabit the worlds, countries, cities and towns where our stories are set, as well as the entire supporting cast between those two extremes.



Before we ever try to commit our characters to the page, they must live in our imagination and our minds. If we, as writers, don’t believe in, identify with, and feel for our characters our readers won’t either.  The more you put into creating your characters the better the characters will be who spring to life on your pages.



The greatest inspiration for creating your characters surrounds you pretty much everywhere and every day. What is it?  Other people, of course!  So watch them!  Watch them a lot! 



Plan regular “People-Watching Sessions” into your everyday schedule.  Carry your noveling notebook with you everywhere you go and Use It!  You never know when that quirky man dancing on the corner will tickle your imagination and become the springboard for a full-blown, main character for a brand new subplot in your story.  But, that won’t happen if you don’t, first, look around and really see him, and second, give yourself a strong reminder of the things that made him catch your eye in the first place.



Once you have a wealth of ideas and details you next must get to know your character, and get to know him intimately.  There is no corner of your character’s life that is secret.  You must know it all!  The good stuff and the bad stuff.  Remember:  No person is all bad or all good.  Your characters should never be all good or all bad either.  No one will believe in them or be interested in them if they are.



Below is a list of a few tools that will help you become acquainted with your budding, new characters.  As you look at this list and think about further developing your characters, remember not to get so involved in creating them that you over plan, and stifle your enthusiasm and spontaneity for next month’s novel writing.

♥  Make a detailed list of your characters’ physical appearance and attributes  done

♥  Keep a selection of photos and/or illustrations that look like your characters

♥  Create and complete a Life History and Personality Profiles for each of your characters  done

♥  Fill out Character Questionnaires for each character.  You can find lots to choose from online. done

♥  Do Character Interviews.  Picture your character sitting across from you and interview him.



Using any one or, even better, several of the methods above will help you create realistic and well-rounded characters.  But, what do you do once you have all this information compiled?



What you do is . . . save it all until November first and then write like crazy!



The characters we write must be convincing and life-like, whether they are human, animal, alien or whatever. They also need to be multi-dimensional. Flat, two-dimensional characters will not hold the interest of your readers more than a few fleeting minutes. It is the diversities and contradictions, within each character, that will give them strength and make them memorable. Those are the characters that will niggle and tease at your reader’s mind, long after they finish your story and set the book or magazine aside.



Here are the three of the most popular ways of revealing your characters to your readers.



♥  Descriptions and Describing



♥  Depiction through Action



♥  Dialogue between Characters



Mixing, matching, and blending these methods and sprinkling the results throughout your story will reveal your characters to your readers gradually and help move your plot forward.  Master these techniques and you will be well-on your way to a cast of strong, interesting, multi-dimensional characters, who will be realistic, believable, and memorable.  And ready to romp through your novel with you as you write your way to victory next month.









Don’t Try To Do NaNo all Alone

While writing is essentially a solitary occupation, you still need the experience, support, and understanding of other writers who are traveling the same road you are.  They know what you are feeling.  They know what you are struggling with.  They know the problems and distractions that are waiting to trap you and bring your writing to a screeching halt.  Having a group of supporting writers taking the journey with you is one of the reasons this course was created.  Take advantage of all the support you can get from us and from the writers in your local region who are also making this journey.



By now you should be familiar with several different members of our group.  Make a point to exchange NaNo usernames with two or three – if not more – of your fellow travelers, so you can easily contact them if you hit a writing snag or just become overly discouraged.  And you will at some point in the month become discouraged.  (We’ll take more about writing discouragement in a couple of weeks in Lesson Six.)



Don’t let that discouragement deter you from our road.  Reach out to another writer and let him or her help you get things back in perspective.  This is also one of the reasons the NaNoWriMo regions and Municipal Liaisons were set up: to give writers a way to make contact with others in their area to support and encourage each other.  Don’t forego that contact.  You may think you don’t have the time to go out to a NaNo event, but make the time.  You will be amazed at how energized you’ll be after spending a few hours laughing, playing, and just talking about your NaNo experience with other writers.



In my region, one of our most anticipated NaNo events every year is our Build-A-Muse Write-In at our local Build-A-Bear Workshop.  (And we do a whole lot more playing than writing at that event.)  If you aren’t familiar with Build-A-Bear Workshop take a few minutes and go visit their website.  It will give you an idea of the goofy fun we all indulge in the first or second Sunday in November.

 

http://www.buildabear.com/





Normally anywhere from ten to thirty writers, from two neighboring regions, show up for this event.  It’s quite a sight and experience to see writers of all ages running around our local two-storey Build-A-Bear Workshop, creating their muses and dressing them like a character from their novels.  It’s so much fun to see which animal each writer picks and how they dress them.  Afterward we all join for dinner and a short Write In.



Our muses often become our writing talismans for the year.  We’re never surprised when we see a muse, or two, show up at different Write-Ins.





Attending Write-Ins





It may seem counterproductive to write in a group, but it is surprisingly effective.  Some Write-Ins will be quiet, with the tapping of keys and sipping of hot beverages the only sounds you hear.  Others will have a mix of rapidly typing writes and writers discussing plots, characters, and problems.  Sometimes a Write-In will feature a guest speaker to give a pep talk and answer specific writing questions.  Whichever happens at a Write-In you may attend you’ll find you go away energized and ready to plunge back in, even if you didn’t significantly increase your word count during the evening.



Meeting together and being accountable to other writers in your region help keep you seated at your keyboard and pounding those words out. Besides, it’s a nice treat to go out to write and indulge in a decadent, frothy, cream-filled coffee drink and some gooey, yummy sweets. Double your word count and you can have two!









So here we are at the end of our first four lessons.  Can you believe October is almost over and in just a few days the First will dawn?  Are you excited?  A little nervous maybe?



Don’t worry!  You’ll do great!  While we all want to meet our goal of 50,000 words and win NaNo, keep in mind that the real prize here is the experience.  Doing NaNo, even if you are in a remote area is like no other experience in life.  Make sure you savor each moment and have fun with it.  Remember, even if you don’t make your 50,000 word goal, whatever you do get written is more than what you started with.  That is a good achievement.  Don’t belittle it!



You can always keep working on it after the thirtieth.  The second year I did NaNo was beyond crazy for me.  When all was said and done, I actually ended up with less than eight days available to me to write that year.  Needless to say I did not make my 50,000 word goal.  Even so, in the following months I kept at it and finished that novel.  I would never have done that if I hadn’t started it in NaNo.  The same goes for the novel I started last year for NaNo. (My second experience of not making it to 50,000 words – health issues that time)  I haven’t gone back and finished that story as yet.  The start is there and one of these days the muse will strike again.  I will dive back in and finish what looks to be my most unusual and challenging story to date.



So, on this eve of NaNo . . . Relax.  Do your best.  And have a grand time doing it.  I know I will!



See you at a Write-In!



Week Four Discussion – Discussion Topic: No Plot? No Problem! Chapter Four    Take a few minutes and review the highlight section of this week’s chapter titled Research Made Painless The Five Click Google.  For your initial discussion observation (250 – 300 words), tell us how you think this method of quick research will help you keep moving forward on your novel next month and while giving you information you’ll need to flesh out your story when you do your rewrites after NaNo is over.



Post your initial observation as a Reply to the Week Four – Discussion message thread on our "Time to Talk About It!"   Forum. 



Be sure you go back throughout the week and respond to your fellow students’ observations and comments as well. 



Remember: Don’t start a new message thread.  Keep all of your responses within the Week Four Discussion thread.





Week Four – NaNo Exercise: Writing Away From Home    NaNo is only days away.  Take some time this week to go out and find some interesting places to write that are away from your home, and to plan out when you will be participating in some of the Write-Ins and activities available in your home region.



I am planning to go to our pool to write.

Landing above my appartment

Local bus stop

park

friend's housemates

I am unable to attend these write ins or the kick off parties. However, I have contacted these people from the Nanowrimo.com



grouchmuffin Re: mentor

AmberSky Re: getting to know you

tiakall Your post in Shoutouts

soniclaugh Re: cover

spotpc Re: out line



My regions

Map

USA :: Florida :: Tampa





♥  Go to the NaNoWriMo website and log into your personal pages.  Go to your home regional forum.  At the top of the page there should be a calendar for your region’s activities and Write-Ins.  Pick at least two Write-Ins that you think you can attend and plan to do so.



Listed later below on this lesson



♥  Find about your region’s Kick-Off party/gathering, and plan to attend. 



Listed below



♥  If you live in a remote area or an area where your region is too wide spread for you to reasonably plan to attend an in-person activity, make contact with other writers in your region through the internet and plan to meet up online in a chat room or through Twitter.  One of the Co-ML’s in my region set up a Twitter account just for NaNo.  Check your region for something similar or set one up yourself.  (Sorry!  Don’t ask me anything else about Twitter,  ’cause I never do it, and I don’t know a thing about it.  ) 



I sent this email



I am unable to attend any function in person, but is there a way that we can support each other over the phone?



Ida

941-539-3854

Grouchmuffin my mentor



Author bio:

Muse whisperer. Writer. Data geek. Hat wearer. Hippie. Dancer with two left feet. Perpetual student. Peace-maker. #NaNoWriMo fangirl. Language geek: English (native speaker), Spanish (fluent), French & German (beginner/intermediate), Japanese (just beginning to learn).

Writing my first dark fairy tale in November 2011. Happy endings are over-rated.

Synopsis

The world is filled with mirrors, myth, murder, mayhem, mean men, munchkins and mal-intent. Neve and her band of friends are about to unravel the world's biggest mystery, and in doing so, work to set themselves and the world free.





AmberSky

Author bio:

I am a 6th generation Florida girl. I've been writing since before I could write...my first story being one I dictated to my mother.

Synopsis

After a disease wipes out most people, those that remain try to rebuild.

Age:

44

Location:

Tampa, Fl

Hobbies:

Camping, gardening, Liturature, anthropology, archaeology, history

Favorite noveling music:

Depends on the novel

Occupation:

English Tutor

Favorite books or authors:

Marquez, Card, Heinlein, Zelazny, Shirley Jackson, Christopher Moore, Irvine Welsh, China Mieville, Faulkner

tiakall

Author bio:

Is not a ninja, but may be evil.

The important things people actually want to know:

Yes, full-time employed. No children or SO. Do not bring prewritten stuff in to my wordcount. Don't write crap (well, no less crap than anything I write). Don't pad. Have a horrid writing speed (average 50wpm.) Frequently polynanorous. Has a ginormous gasoline bill during Nano. Not a professional writer, but has a lot of Nano practice.

I'm going to try a 50k day in 2011. Watch me.



Synopsis

Nine-Pointed Star (Day O' Insanity project): A girl discovers she is the reincarnation of a superhero - several of them, actually. And they'd be happy to show her the ropes....

Song of Four Seasons: An amnesiac man finds refuge in a snow storm among four women with supernatural powers, and isn't allowed to leave until he can find out the truth about them and their refuge...and himself.

Princess Midas (#50k weekend project): A young woman cursed to have everything she touches turn to gold gets help from an immortal man, who tries to get her back to normal before it's too late....

Age:

28

Location:

Gainesville, Georgia

Hobbies:

internet, roleplay, stuff

Favorite noveling music:

Extraordinary Contraptions, Imogen Heap, Kerli

Website:

http://www.ymakadomain.com

Occupation:

Office slave

Favorite books or authors:

fantasy/sci-fi, random history stuff, twisted fairy tales, superheroes, Patricia Wrede, Harry Harrison, Douglas Adams, Jim Butcher, Gregory Maguire

Soniclaugh

Author bio:

I'm an idiot. This is the second time I've changed my novel



Synopsis

Maelstrom was the very first Superhero; he had it all, fame, fans, money, and the government at his feet, that is until others with super powers started to come forth too. Now when he’s 51, he’s beginning to think that he’s getting too old to be saving the world. His world seems to falling apart. The woman who once worked for him, Tempest, now is leading his league of superheroes, Zephyr has gone and she doesn’t seem to care, his arch nemesis hasn’t been seen in over a year which can only mean that he’s planning to take over the world, the new villains are causing problems and the old ones are just getting plain annoying, and on top of all of that, he has to worry about the progressive heroes down in Austin giving them a bad name. This story though at first glance may seem like a comedy and there are certainly comedic parts to it, is about life. It just had superheroes too.





Age:

18

Location:

Gallifrey

Hobbies:

Music, Art, Comic Books (I'm talking Avengers, Deadpool, The Authority, Alan Moore. Not Manga. Nothing against those who read it, I just don't like it.) , Design, and a little bit of arson on the side. (Kidding! But only about the arson thing)

Favorite noveling music:

Classical Music

Occupation:

Student

Favorite books or authors:

Ender's Game, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter Series, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Westing Game, Alice in Wonderland, East of Eden, Life of Pi, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many more. :)

spotpc

Author bio:

I've been writing stories since I was a little kid. People told me I had a great narrative voice. But that's not why I kept it up. The secret reason why I write is that it makes me feel powerful. Within my stories, I am the one true goddess. It's funny I should say that because I'm agnostic.



Synopsis

Carisa thought she was in love and destined for stardom. Paradise believed a better life waited for her somewhere far away from her mom's new boyfriend. Running away seemed like the answer, but struggling to survive on the street makes following dreams tough. When their own missing fliers on a library bulletin board bring the two teens together, they discover just how much they have in common. Fed up with the meaninglessness of their lives, the girls decide that the best way to beat their blues is to do something noteworthy. A third missing flier proclaiming the disappearance of 2-year-old Tanya catches their attention. This could be just what they're looking for. But finding Tanya won't be easy. With few clues to go on, the girls are forced to rely on help from pessimistic loner EJ, son of the lead detective on Tanya's case. With EJ's info and their own wits, the girls get closer and closer to finding Tanya. But Tanya's predicament is far from ordinary and it's going to take courage and cunning to get all these lost souls found





Age:

30

Location:

Rockville, MD

Hobbies:

TV, anime/manga, YouTubing, and looking for cute animals to pet.

Favorite noveling music:

Country, Disney, showtunes, oldies

Favorite books or authors:

The Stand, Watership Down, Jurassic Park, Maximum Ride, Warriors, Harry Potter, Stephen King (vintage), Anne Rice



♥  Plan at least two personal outings where you write in a location away from your home.



I am planning on writing at:

bus stop

complex pool

friends house

Library

complex stairs

doctors' offices

any where waiting





Post the following items as a Reply to the Week Four – NaNo Exercise: Writing Away From Home message thread on our "Keeping Track"   Forum.  Keep them all in one post.

♥  The time and location for your Region’s Kick Off Party/Gathering



5:30 Kick Off Party

writers at Brickhouse

When Tuesday November 1  5:30-9:00

Unable to attend due to transportation



♥  The dates, times, and locations of the Write-Ins you plan to attend



If I do not have to attend in person, I plan to write in to:



Writers Soup Co.

Wednesday November 2 …. 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where is Stone Soup

1517 7th Ave Ybor



November 3,  6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Where Sacred Grounds 4819  Bush Blvd

phone: [phone]

www.sacredgroundstampa.com



November 4, Kalesisia Tea Room

when 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

1441 Easter Fletcher Ave # 133

Mods: Keating and Mary

www,thetealounge.com



I plan to write into all the things that will actually allow written communications







♥  The two places you will write away from home on your own and when you think you’ll do so



I am planning on writing at:

bus stop

complex pool

friends house

Library

complex stairs

doctors' offices

any where waiting

I am not sure when yet. I plan on practicing this by going out to take notes.



♥  For those in remote areas, the times and dates you will meet up with fellow NaNo participants online in a chat or on Twitter.



I have looked up Face book NaNoWriMo



Remember: Don’t start a new message thread.  Keep all of your posts within the Week Four - NaNo Exercise: Writing Away From Home message thread. 





Week Four – Noveling Exercise: Last Minute Preparations   

♥    Review the section in Chapter Four of No Plot? No Problem! that talks about your Writing Magna Cartas.  Make up a good one, MCI, and a Bad one, MCII. Post them near your computer where you will see them every day all month long.



First Magna Cartas



Catch my attention when reading a novel



True love

Different time

Children

conflict

the unusual

vivid description

good dialog

so called “underdog” winning

communication between the story and the reader

readability

being able to be in the story

characters much like people I know

happy endings

strong willed people

morals

overcoming hardships

the easy flow

First Magna Cartas II

dislike when reading a novel



strong cussing

ideas that have the villain winning

the main character giving up with out regaining strength

has harm to children that is vivid

unneeded sexual content

unneeded animals

other religions

incest relationships

unneeded food



♥    Update your novel binder and/or files and make sure you have everything you need to get started right on the dot on November first.



Getting it done



♥    Double check your writing away from home tools and supplies to make sure your Writing Bag is well stocked.  Go visit your local WalMart, or Target, or office supplies store and pick up anything that is missing.



I wear a pink princess cap when I write

got notebooks everywhere

computer file

references

notes



♥    Go to your favorite store and stock up on special treats to reward yourself with each time you meet a daily and/or weekly word count goal.



A lot of dry cereal



I want to use things to do as rewards





♥    NOW RELAX!  No matter how much you want to get started for the next day or so, don’t write a word, don’t think about your novel, don’t stress over our upcoming adventure.  Just Relax!  Let all those novel ideas germinate in the back of your mind so they’ll be all ready to jump onto the page, when the clock strikes midnight on November first.

Hard thing to do



Post the following items, all in one post, as a Reply to the Week Four – Noveling Exercise: Last Minute Preparations message thread on our "Keeping Track"   Forum.  Keep them all in one post.



♥  A brief description of how you will use your novel binder and/or computer files to help you stay on track as you write your novel.



I plan on going over it early in the day, and allowing the ideas to build during the day until I sit to create the sentences that will build my novel.



♥  A brief description of your away from home noveling talisman and why you chose it.



My book bag. I have everything that I need in one place. I am going to take my cell. With it I can record inspirations.

I may even take my camera to take pictures that will spark creativity.



♥  A brief list of your favorite treats and when you will reward yourself with them.



M & m's  each 500 words pick from the bowl

fruit          each 1000 words

cheese and crackers    end of day

salad              end of 1,600 words





Remember: Don’t start a new message thread.  Keep all of your posts within the Week Four - Noveling Exercise: Last Minute Preparations thread. 

Now, set your alarm for 12:01 a.m. November first, and then go back to relaxing!





                                               







If at any time you have questions or concerns about the course material, your assignments, the resource material, or anything that concerns your writing please, let us know. Our contact information is listed below.



Ms. Katz >^. .^<   Journey Mentor and Guide 

Katzendragonz (44)   



Ms. Beckie   Adventurous Journey Co-Mentor and Guide 

Beck ready for NaNo! (86)   



                                               







Lesson Four – Resources Online



♥  Character Building Workshop by Writers’ Village University

         http://www.writersvillage.com/character/index.htm



♥  Character Questionnaires by Gotham Writers Workshop

         http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106



♥  Character Creation Questionnaire by Apryl Duncan, FictionAddiction.Net

         http://www.fictionaddiction.net/Characterization/creating-characters-fiction.htm...



♥  Developing Fictional Character Profiles by Suite101.com

         http://character-development.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing_fictional_chara...



♥  Character Questionnaire based on The Writer's Digest Sourcebook for Building Believable Characters, by Marc McCutcheon, adapted by Kenn Goutal

         http://www.mv.com/users/kgg/cgi-local/._prj17/



♥  Character Development Tips

         http://www.pgtelco.com/~slmiller/characterdevelopment.htm





Lesson Four – Resources In Print



♥  Writer's Digest SourceBook for Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon  Writers Digest Books

         http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=BOOK&WRD=...



New and used copies of the book listed above is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.