The Finishing & Editing Process

With the help of NaNoWriMo I have managed to write two novels, one in 2006 and one in 2007. The first was set aside as it really did not represent me as a writer but still I am proud of it in a way. After all, it is what it is, my very first complete novel. My 2007 endeavor started out as an experiment in Magical Realism and developed into a novel that reads something like the narration from Pushing Daisies and involves a few magical themes and fantasy related characters. Now I am in the finishing phase. Unlike The Scrapbook from 2006, Leaving Lucy did not go from start to finish in 50,000 words and thirty days. It remains unfinished having not resolved all the plot twists and a resolution to the main problem of the plot has not yet come to me. I know that it will involve a tornado, a conservatory and death, however the linking chapters still need to be written.

So how do I get there? Well, first I think I need to go back to the book that started all of this, No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty the founder of NaNoWriMo. I can’t tell you how much this book helped me plunge into my first year of NaNoWriMo. For those of you who are intimidated by the endeavor this is a must read. I found out about NaNoWriMo while procrastinating one day on the internet. It was October 27th, 2006. I ran over to Borders and bought the book immediately. I proceeded to read it cover to cover in the few days I had left before November 1st. Trust me, I own many books on writing and have actually read a few of them cover to cover but none provided the necessary motivation like No Plot, No Problem. It is a quick, interesting read that inspires and provides all the tips and tricks to reach 50,000 words in 30 days. So this weekend I am going back to the basics and picking up the book. I also plan to read through I Wrote A Novel, Now What? on the NaNoWriMo site. It provides tips for rewriting and Chris chats about the transition from the frenzy of reaching your daily word count back to the real world. I think that has been a major problem. I am getting bored of the real world and want to get back to writing. I will let you know how it goes.

Speaking of frenzy, when I was coming down from my 2007 NaNoWriMo high, before I crashed and burned, I signed up for Script Frenzy. I know nothing about script writing so I think I wil need a primer on that as well if I am going to follow through. If anyone has any Script Frenzy experiences they would like to share just post a comment or a link to your blog. Thanks!

Have a great day!