How I NaNoWriMo (plus me introducing myself)

Hi everyone! Considering this is my first post, I wanted to quickly introduce myself. My name is Kirsi (pronounced KEER-see), I'm 15, I'm a middle child, and I have the best brothers ever. Don't even try to fight me on that, you will not win.

Anyway, NaNoWriMo is coming up, as Angie mentioned in her most recent post, and I wanted to share how I am preparing for this upcoming challenge.

I. LOVE. POST-IT NOTES. So I use them. A lot. I have all sorts of colors and sizes and shapes, some of which aren't even pictured here. I'm gonna kinda walk you through each of my different post it notes really fast, then talk more about some NaNoWriMo tips.

Okay so the closeup picture of Laurence's sheet of paper down below is the one for my main character. I used the pink post-it for words describing him (I chose six words), yellow is physical description (based on the actor I picture him as), green is the role he plays (it says main character/protagonist on it), blue is the challenges he has faced, and purple is his greatest accomplishment (I like to color code, lol).Those five things seem so simple but they're so much harder than I expected! I learned way more about my characters than i thought i would. It helped me just dig a bit deeper, though I won't stop digging there.

One last thing about the picture above. The picture of Laurence (partially hidden under the pink post-it) is a picture of the actor I imagine him looking like printed on a white post-it note. I found out how to print on post-its from this website: http://tatertotsandjello.com/2013/07/diy-secret-how-to-use-post-it-notes-in-your-printer-free-printable.html (Also don't judge my messy, "in-the-zone" handwriting.)

Alright. Now to the other helpful, handy dandy, super duper tips.

1 - Tidy up your workspace! Even if your workspace is your bed, or the kitchen table, the clutter and mess just gives you more things to get distracted by. If you work in your bedroom, whether at a desk or on a bed or on the floor, tidy up your area. Make your bed (a little at least), organize your desk, tidy up the floor a bit. It makes your environment less stressful (because you don't need to add stress to NaNoWriMo), and makes you less irritable. I recently was able to get my own office, and it's clutter free, my own space, and MADE FOR ME AND ME ONLY. It's so much easier. Before, i had to write on my bed, and it did a number on my back. Which leads to my next tip:

2 - If possible, have your own workspace. I understand this is not an easy task for some people. Some of you share a room with someone else, or there's never a moment where someone isn't by the dining room table, or whatever the reason - it isn't easy. I get that. If you are able to have your own workspace, though, DO IT. I love having my own workspace now. Writing is just so much easier. No distractions. Nothin'.

3 - Have a chart. If you look at the picture way up at the top, you'll see a random, blue post-it. That's my chart. It has every thousand from 1,000 to 50,000 on it, each one having a check box next to it. I don't want a schedule, because I know if I get off schedule it'll freak me out and I'll quit. I know approximately how much I need to write each day, but if I do more or less, it's no biggie. 

4 - CANDY!!! Candy. Have some candy, or nuts, or crackers, or anything to munch on while you write. With Halloween coming up, that isn't a terribly difficult thing. I have some candy on my desk that takes a really long time to chew so I don't eat too much and get fat... But in the past I've had blueberries just sitting in a bowl on my desk, and, well... I ate the whole bowl in one sitting. Healthy, right?? It was great though. Snacks just make things more enjoyable. Right? Right.

5 - Don't strain yourself. If you've been sitting there, staring at a screen for awhile, you're starting to get sore, (you know the feeling. Your butt starts to get numb and your eyes are burning every time you blink.) you need a break. Even if you've only written 10 of your 1,670 words for the day, take a break. It doesn't have to be long, just get up, grab a drink, take a shower, something. Don't strain yourself too much. Also, if it's 12 am, or later, and you can't even keep your eyes open as you write, GO TO BED. Everything you write when you get to that point isn't gonna make sense and you know it's gonna suck to you the next day. So why waste the time and sleep?! Go to bed. 

6 - Start catching up on sleep now, before NaNoWriMo. You know you're behind. Everyone is. Try to get as much sleep as you can before NaNoWriMo, so your mind can work properly and you won't have to dread December as much, when you start editing.

7 - HAVE FUN! What is the point of wasting countless hours over the course of November if you aren't going to enjoy yourself??! That seems so ridiculous. So have fun with it! Try to find friends that are doing it too! You can help each other stay caught up, and encourage each other to keep going! If you and/or the other person/people you do it with are competitive, maybe you can see who writes the most by the end of November (if you finish your book early by doing this, just write other stories or start editing:), or see who gets to 50,000 first. Just do what you have to do to make it fun.

I really hope these tips helped. I'm so excited to be a part of this blog! 

~Kirsi <3

NaNoWriMo 2015 (Yay!)

It's October, and we all know what that means.  No, not Halloween, not fall weather (though that is a wonderful relief to this summer heat), not cinnamon brooms and fall decorations, but NaNoWriMo!  (Shall I insert my favorite gif...?  Yes... yes I shall.)




For those of you doing the painful challenge of NaNoWriMo this year, I applaud and bow down to your dedication.  Some of you may be scratching your head and going... "NaNoWhatO?"  If that's you, let me explain.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  It's always in November of each year, and, as it implies, your goal is to complete a full novel in a month.  It's not a competition, but if it helps you to think that, it's a competition against yourself.  For youths (those of us who are 18 and under), it's easier because we get to set our word goal count manually.  It can be as low as 100 words to as high 100,000 words!  Not so easy for those of us who are "adults" (yeah, being an adult doesn't have as many benefits when it comes to that area).

For some (maybe most, maybe even all), NaNoWriMo can be quite... overwhelming, daunting, even scary.  But if you're equipped with the right knowledge and preparation, I promise that it will be less stressful and maybe even really fun. :)  Here are some things that I do before NaNoWriMo and during to prepare and meet my word goal.  Hopefully, it will be helpful to some of you.


#1.  Actually have an idea.  Yeah, it's hard, I know, even if you're planning to start NaNoWriMo the day before, it's a really good idea (obviously... duh.) to have an idea of what you're going to write.  Even if you don't have an idea at all, you can start by asking yourself some questions.  What genre am I writing about (or want to write about)?  The protagonist's personality vs. antagonist's?  Those kind of questions.  What I might do sometimes (ssshhhhh) is look at a few of my favorite movies or tv shows and take my favorite aspects from each and try to come up with an idea from that.  But that's only if I'm desperate and on the brink of brain deadness.  Pinterest always helps, too.  Looking at story inspiration boards really helps... more than I could ever fathom, really.

#2.  When you have an idea, outline it, plot it.  Yes, yes, I know, I know, you've heard this a million and a half times, and it can get... redundant.  I hate plotting.  I absolutely HATE it!  It makes me feel like I have to stick to this one thing, I have to get organized, and I have to stay in a box.  But it's really not like that.  I have found (for the unorganized and list haters out there like me *cough*) that if you plot the beginning, middle, end - along with critical turning points in the storyline (which I usually write in different sentences at the end of the document) - then it's not so bad and lets you be more flexible with your storyline.  But for those of us who are strict plotters, I applaud you and encourage you to do just that.

#3.  Character personalities.  This is an area that I feel I'm stronger in (unlike plotting *hides face in shame because I'm not one of those people who can plot extremely well*), and is actually one of my favorite aspects of "planning".  In order to have a good novel, you MUST have characters with strong personalities.  Not strong as in overbearing, but strong as in sound and dissectable (yes, I made that word up), not shallow and boring.  The key to this is really getting to know your character, feeling your character, putting yourself in their shoes.  I know with some characters it's a bit hard to "be" them, but that's where imagination comes in handy.  Character questionnaires are also a great way to better know and develop your characters.  You may have an awesome storyline, but if your characters are shallow and stink, then it's not worth the read.  The other way around, however, might be forgivable.  Stinky plotline maybe possibly be saved by amazing characters.  Trust me, it's worked for me in the past.

#4.  Set a schedule.  On the NaNoWriMo website, once you type in your set goal wordcount (for YWP, where you can set your word goal), it automatically tells you how many words you must write a day for you to finish on time with your set word goal.


#5.  (Optional, depending on what kind of a writer you are, if you can stand this sort of thing) Have inspirational music going on in the background as you write.  I know - for me, at least - that when there is righteous music going while I'm writing, it inspires me, makes me feel the emotions of what I'm writing, and also makes me feel that I can do (write) anything!  Also gets your brain juices flowing.  ;)  If you don't already do this, then I encourage you to at least try it.  If you're looking for good writing music, I have a list made out especially for writers, some of my music. :)

#6.  Write.  "Well, duh, Angie."  Yes, this one is a bit obvious (a bit?), but it can also be the most challenging.  Actually find time to write in the day.  If you're super busy, find time at night, or early in the mornings.  This is critical to meeting that word count goal.  (Well duh again)

#7.  Push through.  Sometimes when writing, we can get bored with out plot or characters or whatever aspect on the book (as a huge procrastinator, I find this very true for me).  We can even get discouraged at our daunting word count goal, or even the way the story is turning out.  But no matter what, PUSH THROUGH!  It will be totally worth it in the long run, trust me.  Here's a little tip I have for this "sickness": write another scene, switch POV, change your text color to something bright and different every time a new speaker or paragraph or scene comes on.  Believe me, these little things can actually help.  What I DON'T suggest doing: going on pinterest for inspiration.  If you do that, then you'll be stuck there for eternity.  Take it from the Queen of Procrastination, you don't want to do that.


As I said in the beginning of this post, NaNoWriMo can be really scary, but if you just tackle it head on with a clobbering stick, then you'll be just fine this November.  I applaud you, writers for NaNoWriMo 2015.  You are brave souls.


~Angie

Dear writer's block,

Please leave me alone.

Love,

Angie

Inspirational Prompt of the Week

When I should be doing schoolwork (heh... *hides face ashamedly*), I was on pinterest this morning checking my notifications, and I saw this writing prompt in my feed.  It struck my interest.




When I say "struck my interest", what I really mean is "I WANT TO WRITE A WHOLE BOOK BASED OFF THIS INSPIRATIONAL PROMPT".  Who knows... NaNoWriMo is coming up and I still don't have any idea of what I'm going to write.

So, imagine, away!



~Angie

WRITING PLAYLIST

I don't know about you, but when I write I HAVE to have music on in the background... It just gets my inspirational juices flowing.  I can't seem to write anything that's even decent without my groove tunes, not even school papers.  I know, I know, it seems like a problem, but it's not... to me, at least.  What I've done is made a bunch of playlists; one for school, and one for writing.  The playlist for writing has a bunch of subcategories intertwined...  For example, under writing music I have subcategories for genres in writing, such as action, emotional, ect.  It really does help, I've found, and I want to share some of my music with you. :)  And one big note, I do not always watch the movie from where some of these soundtrack songs are from... I usually find them by searching instrumental stuff... Some of the movies I listen to soundtracks from I do not agree with, watch, or even know.  Please keep that in mind as you go along with this list.  :)

So, without further ado...






(NOTE: Anything to do with the artist Audiomachine is background writing music worthy.  When you listen to them, you can just feel yourself soaring through different emotions. And Hans Zimmer, too. 'Nuff said right there.)



Music for ACTION scenes


1. Hero - Kung Fu Panda OST  // This song is more fun than action-y, really. But it's inspiring, all the same.

2. Discombobulate - Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes OST) // Anything from the Sherlock Holmes (the one from the movie with RDJ) soundtrack is AMAZING and totally worth listening to.

3. Wolf Suite pt. 1 - Danny Elfman // This is a sort of ominous and fast paced one.

4. King Arthur - Hans Zimmer // If you're looking for regal and righteousness with all the trumpets and horns, this is the song for you.

5. Septimus - Ilan Eshkeri (Stardust OST) // Reminds me of a horse riding scene for some reason...

6. This is Berk - John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon OST) // Not as fast paced in the beginning, but it gets more exciting after the first part.

7. Heart of Courage - TSFH // This song... no words... okay, maybe one: INSPIRING!!!

8. The Dream Is Collapsing - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST) // Embrace the dark side... the rush of a million heart beats crying for WAR! *battle cry* Ahem, great movie, btw...

9. Revenge of the Fallen - Transformers //

10. Road To Glory - Audiomachine // The name speaks for itself, peeps.

11. Catatonic - Hans Zimmer

12. Smooth Criminal - Dallas String Quartet // The instrumental for this song is great.



Uplifting mood music:

1. Carl Goes Up - Michael Giacchino (Up OST) // It's just a given, you can never not be happy when you're listening to anything from that blessed movie. Unless you re-imagine the scene... in that case, better grab a box of tissues, preferably the ones with the lotion infused into them.

2. Where's Hiccup - John Powell (HTTYD OST) // Beautiful soundtrack... beautiful music.

3. Another Dance - Dario Marianelli (Pride and Prejudice OST) //

4. Secrets - Dallas String Quartet

5. Hey Soul Sister - Dallas String Quartet

6. Peponi - Piano Guys

7. Baba Yetu - Peter Hollens // His version is the best.  I like to use this and Peponi when I'm writing scenes that are set in like African plains and stuff like that.



RIGHTEOUS music:

1. Time - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST) // This whole soundtrack is amazing and inspirational for just... anything. Seriously, check it out.  (P.S. 2Cellos do an amazing cover of this one)

2. I AM (Creation Overture) // From the album Music From the Story: Old Testament, this song just surges with RIGHTEOUSNESS... and INSPIRATION.

3. Honor - Hans Zimmer // This, just this, it's beautiful! *sobs* It makes me cry from explicit emotion.

4. A Special Bus - Murray Gold // Yes, this is a song from Doctor Who, but it's powerful, nonetheless

5. Redemption - Audiomachine // RIGHTEOUS

6. Winterspell - Thomas Bergersen

7. I Am the Doctor - Murray Gold // Another DW song... I know, I bet you're thinking "ANGIE, ENOUGH!"  I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...

8. My Strength - District 78



Melancholy/deeply moving music:

1. Chairman's Waltz - John Williams (The Memoirs of a Geisha OST)// A lot of strings in this one.  Need I go on?

2. Illumination - Jennifer Thomas // This one is half melancholy half righteous.

3. Fall From Grace - Kerry Muzzey // I would describe this first as happyish, but then it gets darker and a bit more ominous.

4. It's Hard to Say Goodbye - Michael Ortega

5. Red Warrior - Audiomachine

6. Letting Go - Patrick Doyle (Thor OST)

7. Rain - Brian Crain



HEART WRENCHING SONGS:


1. Save a Place For Me - Matthew West

2. Last Night - Skillet

3. Without You - For King and Country

4. Saturn - Sleeping at Last

5. All of Me - Matt Hamitt

6. Fall Alseep - Jars of Clay




That's just a small notch in the compilation of songs from my "writing music library", just a few out of many.  You should seriously check some of the songs out, though, if you haven't heard them.  They are amazing.  Most of them.  :P  As always, thanks for taking time to read!


~Angie

Ask the Writer

So I thought this would be fun to do, asking the writer different questions.



1. Q: The name of my current work in progress. // A: I am working on a bunch of stuff right now, so it would be hard for me to pinpoint just one. Uhh... Let's say my fantasy novel called Alone in the Dark.

2. Q: Who is my protagonist?  //  A: A young elf, Zashta Xreeon.

3. Who is my antagonist? // A: The Dark Lord of the Mernics, Errad.

4.Q: The name of one of my secondary characters?  // A: Daraq Darkweaver, a human in a world of elves with an unusual... talent, let's say.

5. Q: My favorite author. // A: That's easy.  Wayne Thomas Batson.

6. Q: How long I have been writing. // A: Ever since I was six, but before that I was drawing stories through pictures.

7. Q: My favorite book. // A: Oh gosh, this is hard.  The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare.  AMAZING BOOK!!!  Or anything Wayne Thomas Batson, come to think of it...

8. Q: Description of current work in progress in one sentence. // A: Um... *brain fart*  A young girl who journeys with her father to find her destiny, her true calling, which has been hidden from her until a threatening of war once again with the rising Mernics forces her into action.  (I'm sorry, that was the best I could do under circumstances. :P)


Have any specific questions for me?  I'd love to answer them!


~Angie

Character Personalities

Starting school two weeks ago Monday, I found that it's actually not as long and tedious and boring as I thought 12th grade would be.  It's actually been quite enjoyable.  British Literature is my FAVORITE subject as of right now, and I'm sure that won't change.  :)  As a part of my literature, I'm doing a vocabulary study and I'm enjoying it immensely!  While reading it last week, I stumbled upon ten different personality traits and their meanings.  Naturally, being a writer, as I came across the personality types and read through them, I compared them to my characters and placed my characters in the personality types.  It helped  me, in a way, see the actual MIND SET of my characters, but not necessarily their individual PERSONALITY.  Note the difference, my dear readers.  So.  Away we go.

Egoist

(Me first attitude)

This type of personality is basically, what it says in parentheses, me first.  Not necessarily conceited and stuck up, just me centered.  Not over the top selfish, but just thinking about "their" needs first, not others' need.  Self-seeking, but not over the top.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Abigail Blackburn, Nikki Taylor, Colton Flynn, Soleil Corsetti.

Egotist

(Height of conceit)

Don't get EGOTIST confused with EGOIST.  Egotists are more intense than egoists, more self seeking, definitely stuck up, over the top selfish, and - in a way - rude.  This type is all about them, with no room for other people in their thoughts.  This can sometimes even lead to more advanced and a more intense levels of egotistic behaviors, such as egomaniacs who are basically mad.  Literally... mad.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Owen Tracy, Alex Wayne, Alister Reynolds. 

Altruist

(Let me help you)

Altruists are the some of the kindest people, putting other's needs before their own.  They are the type of people who are always there helping, doing whatever they can to make others comfortable.  But sometimes this can lead to self negligence, not on purpose, of course.  They are so concerned with needs of others that they can forget about themselves.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Allison Beauregard, Gareth Corsetti, June Forwen, Theodore Yeshevsky. 

Introvert 

(Leave me alone)

Think of a turtle who hides in its shell and doesn't want to see people.  That's the introvert.  The introverted personality likes to be alone, or with a small selection of close people (and when I say small collection, I mean small collection).  They're timid, shy, and quiet people, and personally one of my favorite personality types.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Jemma Corday, Jagger Bachar, Elsa Altobelli. 

Extrovert

(Let's do it together)

Now think of the opposite of introvert - the exact opposite - and then you have the extrovert.  Extroverts are loud (and when I say loud, I only mean it in the best way - being an extrovert myself :P), exuberant, excitable, and big people lovers.  They like being with others and can't be alone for too long or else they'll go through withdrawals.  Very people oriented, extroverts are need socialization, it being crucial to their survival,

Characters of mine that I would place in this category: Mallory Steele, Riley Blackburn, Aggie Lennox. 

Ambivert

(Neither extreme) 

Neither and introvert or an extrovert, Ambiverts are a happy medium.  They're not extremely outgoing, and they're not extremely closed off people either.  They're a good balance to anyone.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: David Cruse, Edwin Anniger, Jadon Ross Ives, Samantha Reynolds. 

Misanthrope

(People are no darn good)

Misanthropes believe that people are stupid and "no darn good!"  Everything people do is not good enough, complain worthy, and far less better than anything they could do.  Whatever someone else can do, they can do better.

Characters of mine I would place in this group: Alister Reynolds (again)

Misogynist 

(Women are no darn good)

Women haters, women dislikers, women scorners, annoyed by women... Shall I go on?

Characters of mine I would place in this group: Alex Wayne (if I had to place a character here, it would be him.  He doesn't hate women, he just thinks they're quite annoying.  Pft... Shows what he knows.)

Misogamist

("Marriage is an institution--and who wants to live in an institution?)

Free spirit is the word for this personality type.  They don't want to be tied down by obligations or priorities.  They prefer short term things, such as in the the case of relationships.

Characters of mine I would place in this category: Alva Callen 

Ascetic

(Self-denial, lonely contemplation) 

I see this type as either "woe-is-me", or the deep thinker and philosopher who contemplates life very deeply.  Self denial and living alone is the story of their life.  I wouldn't call them hermits... Well, yes I would.  They're a bit like introverts, except lonelier.

Characters of mine I would place in the category: Elsa Altobelli, Kaliana




So that's my list.  What do you think?  Where do your characters fall in these categories?

Thanks for reading!


~Angie <3