To Plot or Not To Plot...PLOT!!

It has become clear recently that I like revising my already written work WAY more than writing it in the first place. I've been thinking a lot about this the past few days and I have narrowed it down to the fact that I am a hard-core plotter. Like “Stop the presses until I figure this shiz out!” kind of plotter. Everything has to fit nice and neat into a little package before I flesh it out into a full story.

I have tried every which way to plot out this novel and then write the damn thing but as I'm writing I want to change something, and instead of writing notes on what has to be changed to already written material, I have the NEED to go back to the beginning and revise all the way down and then start writing again.

My current battle has been putting a big axe to the love tangle sub plot. I have decided after reading several peoples opinion on the triangle that I didn't want it in my story. The love triangle has been done in every form and I don’t want to feel the need to add a “Team this guy” or “Team that guy” to give readers something to fight about. If I do my job right they will find something to root for as well as a character to gush over. I was focusing way to much on the sub plot that it became the main plot. The romance was a front runner and I don’t want this story to be a romance. So I am attempting to plot yet again. It has taken 3 days so far and I've not gotten far. Because while I have to plot to write, plotting frustrates me to no end. The first quarter of this book has been written three times and now I have the urge to go back and nix the triangle.

I am refraining from going back over already written material at least until the plot is set. Good ole’ fashioned pen and paper is my method of this plotting spree. It was going great at first, I had written 10 pages before I knew it, but then I had a life to live and when I eventually got back to plotting the spark was gone and the tension builds in my chest with frustration at my lack of wanting to plot this story yet again. I know part of it stems from the fact that I still don’t have a clear vision on how I want this baby to end and without an ending in mind the plot is just craziness.

Overall, I think maybe I have been working on this project for too long, (almost 2 years) and that I need to sit it down for a bit and forget about it for a while. Maybe, I’ll come back refreshed and ready to tackle it with full force. But there isn't a day that goes by where I don’t think about my characters or the situations I want to put them in. So, I think I’ll just research aliens for a few days and get some inspiration.

Are you a plotter? What kind of method do you use to plot? I'm willing to try anything!

A Nerdfighter is Born

Some of you are no doubt thinking that I must have been living under a rock to have never heard of the Vlogbrothers. I wish I could tell you I was. I wish I could tell you that it was by force that I have not found this striking piece of nerd gold until recently. Sad thing is, I have even been following John Green on twitter for some time now with his books coming close to the top of my TBR pile (needless to say he has jumped all other books and TFIOS is on my radar the next time I can make it to a bookstore). I am determined to chalk this up to fate that I have not discovered the videos until now.

I call it fate because I have a problem. My problem is restraint (or lack thereof) when it comes to something I like. And let me tell you, boy do I like the Vlogbrothers. I am more than capable of watching every video back to back, in sequential order, every second of my free time and never get sick of their beautiful faces. That is a problem not only because I have a job as well as a Husband, Child, and house to take care of. But because I have only written 1,023 words in my WIP this week!

I have an extremely addictive personality. It is only by the good morals my mother beat instilled in my head, that I have never smoked cigarettes or done hard core drugs, nor am I a raging alcoholic, because believe me the addiction would be imminent. Instead of being addicted to meth, I am addicted/obsessed to other things, like rice, and books, movies, TV shows, Pens, Notebook/journals, Harry Potter, Twitter/Facebook/Reddit and now YouTube. More specifically Author vlogs. Even more specifically the Vlogbrothers!

I like to start from the very first video posted and work my way to the most recent. The thing with the Vlogbrothers is that they have nearly 950 videos uploaded to YouTube! That's a lot of frakin videos!!

So I have decided that for the sake of my sanity and my writing - and my husbands sanity- , I will be using the Vlogbrothers videos as a reward for meeting my daily word count.

Guidelines:
If you follow my blog you will remember my 2012 deadline to have my current manuscript's first draft completed by is May 31st. My word count ranges between 500-1000 depending on the day of the week. IF I meet my daily word goal I am awarded with the viewing of 3 Vlogbrothers videos for that day. In addition, for every 100 words over my daily word goal, I will be awarded 1 Vlogbrothers video. There will be no rolling over of videos, the reward must be watched on the day it is earned.

This will leave me with many videos still to be watched after May is long gone but I will revise my guidelines for editing when the time comes. Now if only I can muster the restraint needed to keep to this. I think I will try to comment on every video I watch so feel free to subscribe to my Channel CalynBoBalyn, however be warned. It is loaded with videos of my child being cute. Also feel free to like me on Facebook and the Twitter. I will update my progress as I go. I have already watch a bit of videos so my comments will start on the 6th page, when you sort by oldest-newest.

Blog word count counts too right? *Runs off to YouTube*

The Best and Worst Thing You Can Do While Writing a Novel

I bet you stumbled your way here thinking you'll find a snazzy list of things you should and shouldn't do while writing your novel. Funny enough, in my experience I have found that the best AND worst thing you can do is in fact the same thing...

...telling people about it. More specifically, family.

At the beginning of my writing adventure it was just a hobby. It was something I did on my free time, mostly writing about characters that were not mine (fanfiction). I didn't write everyday but it was something that I enjoyed doing. There was no need to tell anyone unless they asked if I had any hobbies. Now that I am getting more and more serious about writing, the excitement has led me to burst off at the mouth to anyone who will listen that I am aspiring published author currently writing my first work.

This always goes over the same way you think it's going to, depending on who you're telling. Some people are happy for you and wish you the best of luck and move on, some people think you are aiming too high and move on, and some people just don't care all together...but then there are the people who actually do care, for either sinister or sincerer reasoning. Whether they want you fail or succeed, they are the people that make this a great and not-so-great choice.

Telling people that you are writing a book is the best because it gives you motivation to write and talking to people about your writing gives you motivation to write too. Especially if you know the person secretly wants you to fail, then updating your word count on Facebook or Twitter is like a more mature satisfying rub in the face, tongue sticking out, na-na-na-na-bo-bo I'm doing it!, Winning!

It's also the worst because now you have someone to hold you accountable, which makes writers block and the ever present self-doubt that much worse. No matter how many words a day you are able to write, there always that voice that says you're not good enough. When those words start to flow less frequently the self-doubt sets in greater intensity and on top of that you have people asking how it is going and the people who doubted you are secretly laughing in there menacing ways. Writers block is hard enough without the idea of letting the people you told (that actually care) down.

Not only that, but most people who don't know about writing or publishing thinks it takes a New York minute to write and publish a book. So you have to constantly answer the dwelling questions of: Is it done yet? When can I read it?

You'll have the occasional person who understands that it is no easy feat to write a book, but the majority will expect you to have a written and polished manuscript in there hands a mere week after telling them of your dream. Oh how I wish it was that easy.

So my advice is don't go telling people about your writting endeavours lightly. It is by far the best and worst thing I have done.

Dear 2012,

Before I begin, I would like to apologize for not properly celebrating your introduction. Instead of the usual alcohol infused night, followed by an aspirin infused first of the year, you will be welcomed by my husband and I as we snuggle on our couch with a baby in bed, a glass of wine and a kiss at midnight.

Onward, I have steep goals for you my friend. Believe it or not, none of them involve losing weight, as was a resolution to most of your predecessors. I have several goals and resolutions I would like to discuss. I understand that some of them are not very likely to happen with you, but being a published author is a life goal of mine and not just designated to the confines of your 12 months.

My goals and resolutions are as follows:

Resolutions:

1) To attend as many family 'child' birthday parties as I am able

2) To take my dog for more walks

3) To Make lunches for work at least 3 days a work week for both me and the husband

4) Start saving money for emergencies

5) Read at least one book to my daughter every day

Goals:

1) Finish my YA SciFi manuscript by May. (It is currently 1/3rd of the way finished.)

2) Have aforementioned manuscript submission-ready by July.

3) Write a Query

4) Write a Synopses

5) Start submitting to agents by August.

6) Have a rejection

7) Have a partial request

8) Have a full request

9) Have an offer of representation

10) Accept an offer of representation

11) Read a minimum of 25 books

12) Go camping (at least once)

I don't usually go into a new year with such high hopes, as the past few years have been agonizing to say the least. 2011 changed my life forever, with the birth of my daughter, and I am determined to make you continue that trend. I will not only celebrate my daughters first birthday with you but also my 10 year 'total anniversary' with my husband.

Needless to say, you will be a big year regardless of my completion of these goals and resolutions, but why not make this year the best it can be?

Here's to me, you, my copy of 2012 Writers Market, and our journey that will start in a few short days.

(total anniversary is the total length of time I have been with my husband, from the very beginning of our relationship.)

In Which All the Things!

After making my rounds on a few of my favorite writers blogs the past few days, I have found that several of them have post titles, within the past month, that start with "In Which". One of my previous post even started with it!

I have always been a sucker for titles that start out with "In Which", but now it seems to be way overused.

Looks like I am going to have to rename all my chapter titles now. Sad face.

In which I Fail NaNoWriMo...or not.

I would like to congratulate all winners of NaNoWriMo 2011! Winning is no easy feat.

If you follow me on the Twitter, it's no secret that I have failed NaNoWriMo, for the second year in a row. Although I believe it is not a complete loss.

Firstly, I finished the month with writing just over 30,000 words and I have to say that I am very proud of every one of them. Crappy or not. This is the most word outage that I have had in my entire writing life. Averaging close to 1,000 words a day is amazing for me.

Writing does not come as easy to me as I wish it would. If When I finish this first draft it will be the single most hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. Just because it doesn't come easy to me doesn't mean that I don't enjoy it on some level. I love editing what I've already written. I can edit like a mad house, it's getting the words on the paper the first time that is a challenge for me.

Second and most importantly, by forcing myself to write almost everyday I have come up with two mind blowing plot twists. I blame this for not reaching 50k. Once I thought of the first twist, I edited my outline to accommodate it. Then as I was editing for that twist, I thought of the second and added that in as well. I broke NaNoWriMo rule number one, DON'T EDIT!

I have never been a force-yourself-to-write advocate but now I see why some writers do it. It really gets the juices flowing and all the thought process to get those proverbial juices flowing can lead you to some great revelations and ideas.

I am so passionate about this story that it drives me crazy. I want to shout the plot from the rooftops but as an aspiring author I'm terrified someone is going to steal my idea and be awesome with my awesomeness. I'm not awesome very often so when I am, I savor it :) I haven't even told my mother the detailed plot yet because I want her to experience the surprise when I let her read the completed first draft.

In conclusion, my NaNoWriMo fail maybe wasn't a fail at all. Yes I failed the ultimate goal of nano which is to write 50K, but the underlying goal is to get people writing and I think I made it out of the nano madness with a few scraps and bruises to show off.

How was your NaNoWriMo expierence?

NaNoing on the Weekends?

Howdy Ho Neighbor!

Last year I attempted my very first NaNo, while preggers, and let me just say a lot of crying was involved. If I didn't make my word count or wasn't able to write that day I was a hot mess. After 10 days of the NaNo Nightmare, I decided it wasn't the right time to have that added stress in my life and I dropped it.


Well it is officially the 9th day into NaNoWriMo and I have no intentions on quiting any time soon. I am however, very disappointed with my word count. As it stands at 11:11am I am only just shy of 10,500. Now I do work full time and have a 5 month old who is not only teething, but also testing the waters to see how much she can get away with with mommy; and of course as a first time mom I beckon to her slightest whim. (maybe not her slightest whim, but my heart breaks when she screams for longer than 5 seconds).


I find that I'm having trouble writing on the weekends. There is so much that needs to be done and so many things to distract you, especially if you are procrastinating, which I am infamous for. However, looking back on this past weekend, there were times when my daughter was sleeping and my husband was playing Xbox that would have been the perfect time to write but for some reason I just couldn't get into my writing groove. My writing mojo was gone.

That's where I call out to anyone willing to give advice on how they manage to write anything on the weekends! How do you find time to muster up your writing mojo on those days surrounded by family?

xoxo,
A(n) [advice seeking] Wannabe Writer