Category: writing

A few updates

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My birthday was yesterday, so I’m officially 29. It’s weird because it’s not weird. I mean, I thought I’d feel older or wiser or different, knowing that 30 is so close, but really? I don’t feel different at all. I’m okay with 29. I like 29. What I do feel, though, is sick and that’s kind of annoying.

My cold, however, did not stop me from dressing as Katniss for work:

I’m a librarian. OF COURSE i’m going to be a YA character for Halloween. I felt super awesome all day.

I’m pretty sure the best part of the day was when a little girl looked at me, then grabbed her dad’s sleeve and loudly whispered “DAD, THAT’S KATNISS!” I almost cried.

Also, I decided last minute to actually do NaNoWriMo. Last year I was in it on my own – this year a few friends were convinced to try. I’ve had an idea floating around my head for quite some time, so I figured – hey, why not. So, I’m starting. I’m not as psyched as I was last time (and I think that’s mainly because I had never finished a novel before at that point), but I am committed to my story. I like my story. And I know that even if I don’t “win” NaNo, I’ll still complete it. And I feel good about that. (Friend me, won’t you?) Also, I apparently really like short sentences this morning.

So, I’m starting 29 with a new story, and the excitement of that outweighs the annoying cold. Because colds come and go, but stories stick with you forever.

(Please blame my cold for the ridiculously cheesy last line.) 

NaNoWriMo

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November brings lots of things – cooler weather, Thanksgiving, pumpkin everything, my birthday…

It’s also National Novel Writing Month.

The event has a special place in my heart. It’s during NaNoWriMo that I finished the first draft of TNWSY. It’s because I was deliriously committed to finishing those 50,000 words in time that I pushed myself further than I’ve ever gone and completed a book.

And since then I’ve completed two more manuscripts. I go into each story knowing I’ll finish them now, not wondering if the last page will ever be dreamed about. I thank my competitiveness. My intense drive. My need to write. But mostly, I thank NaNo.

So with October 10 days gone, I’m approaching November with wonder and excitement. Will I compete again? I’m not sure. I’m in the middle of editing, and that’s more important to me at the moment.

But should any other writer do it? Absolutely. Because it forces you to write and not look back. It forces you to put your fingers to the keyboard and type without correcting spelling and grammatical errors. It lets you add parts that say “make this scene more interesting,” and continuing on to the next scene. Really, it forces you to write and believe in yourself. Because once you finish that first manuscript, truly, it feels like anything is possible.

And isn’t that the whole point of writing?

Who’s done NaNoWriMo before? Who’s doing it this year? 

Last Lines

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A bit ago I discussed the pain of picking out a first line for a book. The first line is important, it reels the reader in. But you know what’s just as frightening to write? The last line. The last line is how the book will be remembered, it’s the last chance the author has to connect to the reader before the book is closed and the story completed. These moments before the end? It’s those that we live for.

For me, a last line can make or break a book. Sad isn’t it? I feel very strongly about last lines. I’ll adore a book, but if its last line is…meh…it loses some points. That’s not to say I’ve read a lot of books that have mediocre endings, I’m just, well, picky.

But it’s hard because we can’t all have “Isn’t it pretty to think so?” (The Sun Also Rises)

We can’t all have “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (The Great Gastby)

(I won’t reveal other last lines as I don’t want to spoil books for you.)

So, there’s pressure. Lots of pressure to accurately sum up the book into one simple sentence.

The last line for TNWSY came to me in a migraine-induced haze. I don’t recommend this to anyone. I was lying on the couch with my eyes squeezed shut (lights hurt) and the last page, the last paragraph, the last sentence came to me. And I couldn’t not write it. So I let the light in, opened my laptop back up, and typed as fast as I could. And I was so happy with it. And even after edits and revisions, that one last line has never changed.

For TSWB, I hate my last line. Hate it. I’ve only done one round of revisions, so I can’t say much, but it just feels forced. I know something better will come eventually, but I felt the pressure to make it good. So I kept trying different things until I was moderately happy.

With Book 3, I just typed. I didn’t think about it, didn’t even know how the last page would end. I typed and poof it came to me. And it’s so incredibly cheesy, but I like it. I find it sweet and fun and sentimental and kind of like the book itself.

So in three attempts I haven’t found the best way to choose a last line. But i’m working towards it. Because if any of my books are ever published, I want that line to mean something. I don’t want readers to put down the book and go “meh,” I want them to high five it for its attempt at giving them the truths they were looking for.

How do you write your last line? Is it planned, or is it just improvised? What are some of your favorite last lines? 

Lessons

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I’ve learned quite a bit from each of the manuscripts I’ve written.

With TNWSY, I learned that I can do it. With drive and passion and faith I made it through to the end in less than a month. It was crazy and overwhelming, but it was possible.

With TSWB, otherwise known as Book 2, I learned that I can beat roadblocks and keep going. That I can trust myself to make it to the end. That negativity and doubts don’t really get me anywhere.

And now, with the yet untitled Book 3, I learned that the entire process can be ridiculously, unpredictably fun. That while it is a serious business, writing, it’s also unexpected at times.And, yes, while all of my other books were fun to write, sometimes you need to push away the stress of being good enough and just write what you want. Even if it isn’t good. Even if it isn’t much. Just get it out there because you want to, you need to.

That said, as I’m sure you’ve assumed, I’ve finished writing Book 3! It’s crazy to think a year ago I had just random snippets of books I so badly wanted to write. And now, almost a year later, I have three manuscripts. One is with an agent. The other two are sitting on my hard drive, slowly being edited. No, it’s not just a want, it’s a need that pushes me to keep going. Because I have to write. And I love it. 

SO! Book 3 is done. Is it good? Oh boy does it need work. It’s like a half-baked cake. It’s still soggy in the middle and may poison you from the raw eggs if you try it, but there’s a shape and there’s potential. And i’m so incredibly excited to put it back in the oven, frost it and show it off to my friends.

I’ve waxed on about this quite a bit, because I find it to be the best piece of writing advice I’ve ever read, but here goes once more – keep going. When in doubt, keep writing. You never know what you may be able to accomplish. And when you get there? When you type the last words on the page? The feeling is magical.