down the writer's path

NaNoWriMo 2007 Writers: Sharpen your pencils and plug-in your keyboards!

Once again summer ends, leaves fall, and slumbering writers stir. Across the nation they are responding to the call of the annual National Novel Writing Month challenge commonly called NaNoWriMo. Participants are fondly called Wrimos. My name is Vikk Simmons and I am a Wrimo.

Tens of thousands of Wrimos are making novel choices, charging batteries, signing up as 2007 particpants, posting their 2007 Participant icons, selecting forums, making connections, scoping out writer-friendly cafes, sharing the NaNoWriMo news, and encouraging other writer friends to join them in this annual exuberant experience of writing white-hot. Writers cursed with strong internal editors are dragging out their Alphsmarts. Shed your fears, become a Wrimo. You have nothing to lose and wordcount to gain.

Already have a novel in progress? Pledge to write another 50K words. If you look to the top righthand sidebar, you'll find my NaNoWriMo Countdown. On November 1st the clock will track the countdown for November. Every year I keep a separate blog on my Wrimo experience. VISIT NaNoWriMo and JOIN. You'll find other links below.

ARE YOU READY TO WRITE THAT NOVEL?
Read my NaNoWriMo blog WHIRLPOOL.
VISIT NaNoWriMo and JOIN.
More NaNoWriMo posts:
No Excuses
Check out my NaNoWriMo blog
Still on the NaNoWriMo Train
NaNoWriMo strikes again
No Plot? No Problem
NaNoWriMo ends but the writing continues
Hours away from NaNoWriMo. Are you ready?

No Excuses: First NaNoWriMo, then, NaNoFiMo, Now JaNoWriMo

So, you've heard of NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month). We discussed the December NaNoFiMo (National Novel Finishing Month) yesterday. Today we continue with--what else?--JaNoWriMo. The "Ja" is for January. This one is for those folks who have too much to do during the holiday season to successfully challenge themselves to a 50,000 word marathon but still want the "WriMo" experience. However, this challenge has two major differences that make it more doable for just about any novel-writing fool who wants to start the new year off right. First, you can use this challenge to begin a new project; but you can also use it to continue working on a novel that you began in the NaNoWriMo challenge or a any other novel that is still in progess. Second, while the contest expresses a desired 50K wordcount for the monthly total it's not an absolute requirement as it is in the NaNoWriMo challenge. JaNoWriMo makes room for those writers who want to establish their own goals for the month and the wordcount can be more or less than the stated 50K wordcount. Here are a few Q&As from JaNoWriMo's FAQ page:

Q. How does this work?

If you're going for 50k, all you have to is join the forums. For personal goals, either PM tiakall on the forums or send an email to notawebmaster AT gmail DOT com with your forum name and personal goal. This needs to be done by January 5 or within 24 hours of joining the forums, whichever is later, so we can hold you to it. ;) After that, boot up your favorite word processing program and start writing! Once you've hit your personal goal, just email it to notawebmaster AT gmail DOT com for validation!

Q. Okay, so what are the rules?

Writing begins January 1 at midnight, your local time and end on January 31 at midnight.
-The goal is 50,000 words.
-Personal goals lower than (or higher than!) 50k must be submitted by email or PM to tiakall in order to be eligible for validation.
-Yes, you may continue a previous novel, including your NaNo novel.
-No, you may not write one word 50,000 times. No, you may not write 10 words 5,000 times. Stop asking.

Q. Why January?

Chris Baty gives his reasoning for picking November because it's a dark, dismal month. Well, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, January is even more dark and dismal, but without the added stress of a major American holiday and the end of a semester for the schoolkids. This is also for all the crazy nonstop novelists who just can't wait for November to roll around again.

For more information check their FAQs.

Now there are no excuses for not working on that novel--any novel. In fact, you could use the January challenge to work on a short story if you wanted. Make plans now to start 2007 off in a white heat rush of words that will create momentum to carry you into the new year.

NaNoWriMo ends but the writing continues

Well, folks, the National Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is at an end and the website reports a total collective word count of 982,564,701 words written during the month. 18,478 words are my 2006 contribution. I'll be pulling down my daily graph later today. My Whirlpool blog will be up for a few more days, then it's back into the cyber-closet until next year.

"WriMo" generates a lot of discussion and a lot of questions about the process and why I participate. I've found that I respond well to external carrots and self-generated goals. The annual November event pretty much assures that I begin something, and that I make some gains even when I don't make it across the finish line. I don't always have the goal of 50,000 words in mind. NaNoWriMo is an annual bootcamp for my writing muscles. It's good to push your creativity now and then and stretch the imagination's tendons. Besides, working on a new project and racking up a wordcount is also a nice way to end the year. (Yes, I do continue working on the project so I also end up with another finished manuscript down the road.)

Earlier this year I had made a commitment to an agent to have 100 pages for him by March 2007. Not perfect pages but pages that would show that the crime novel I've had in story development the last two years has moved to the next stage: the actual writing of a rough or first draft. NaNoWriMo coincided with the need to begin this work, so I signed up again with a personal goal of getting the rough draft down of a minimum of 50 pages by the end of the month. Right now I have 71 pages so I'm pretty happy. That's 71 more pages than I had on November 1st. The creative pressure also squeezed out a few other major character and plot decisions that are pretty exciting, too. I more than accomplished my personal goal even though the larger NaNoWriMo goal evaded me. No complaints. I now have 71 pages to push, pull, massage, stretch and contract during December--still in rough draft but definitely getting reshaped.

Many people find NaNoWriMo or an exercise like it helpful, particularly when they're beginning a new project. The rules for the contest state that the work must be new, so you're essentially writing a white hot draft from beginning to end. But, as we all know, writing a novel can take a long time. It's also true that many, many entrants in the annual NaNoWriMo challenge do not finish their novel in one month. So along comes NaNoFiMo.org. While this one is not affiliated with the original NaNoWriMo, "FiMo" is for those who want to continue the experience. FiMo also adds another twist. Writers who didn't qualify for "WriMo" because they already were in the throes of writing a novel can particpate in FiMo. The founder of "FiMo" has built on the WrMo concept because she wanted to continue the NaNoWriMo experience while working on her novel. Like WriMo, you can open up an account and be part of a group with the same intention. There are banners, plot point helpers, wordcount calculators and all sorts of things to help you continue. If you want to give yourself an extra nudge to write during this busy season, you might want to consider NaNoFiMo.

If NaNoFiMo doesn't lure you in, never fear. There are several other writing opportunities and over the next few days I'll post about them.

Playing catch-up and riding the Donald Maass Breakout Novel Intensive

Have you noticed? We are moving out of summer and approaching fall. Another year is nearly at end. I don't know about you but it's been a busy year for me, and it certainly didn't help when I ripped my right knee in three places on the way to San Jose back in June. Yes, the injury required surgery and I'm in the midst of recuperating now. The Vicodan fog has lifted but the knee is still swollen and walking and moving about can be a problem. One of the tears may or may not still require surgery depending on how stablized my knee becomes so I'm hoping for the best and planning on being like new soon. Not in rehab yet 'cause the doc wants my "angry knee" to calm down a bit more.

That said, he did okay me for a trip to the Writing the Breakout Novel Intensive workshop with Donald Maass that is put on by Free Expressions. I confess I'm a big fan of these workshops. Donald Maass offers terrific insights into the writing process and the construction of a novel that has "breakout" bestseller potential. These are workshops were you can't help but write. The mornings are full of a unique blend of lecture and exercises where breakthroughs become a daily ritual. The afternoons and evenings are left open so the writers can spend the time immediately applying their new insights to the their work. Evenings offer brainstorm and critique groups that are available but not mandatory. Critiques are offered; new friendships are forged.

As a veteran of the Maass weekend and intensive workshops, I guarantee you will work and you will produce. The morning exercises produce rich fodder each and every day. Characters bloom, plots thicken, tension tightens. I'm not sure whether the weekend workshops will continue after 2006 but Maass does plan to continue the intensives. So if you're looking for a new writing experience or if you think you're stuck on a plateau and can't get off, consider plunging into one of the intensives and seeing the new vigor that not only permeates your writing but your soul.

As for me you'll find me in a wheelchair at the airport Saturday preparing to board a plane for Asheville where I'll spend the next ten days re-entering the fictive world of my crime novel, experiencing a huge jolt of writing electricity Maass-style, and laying in bed tapping the keyboard and icing my knee every afternoon and evening while my characters grow large and I struggle to keep up with an ever-increasingly layered plot.

But don't worry. I won't forget you. I plan to share some of the daily nuggets mined every morning right here on DWP.

Austin hosts AWP National Conference and Bookfair

Next week Houstonians have an opportunity to easily attend a national writer's conference that is held in various cities around the nation. AWP (Association of Writers and Writers Programs) is an organization that sits in the more literary end of the pond. If you have an interest in lit fic or creative nonfiction, then you might want to spend a day or two or three in Austin next week at their conference among thousands of other folks with similar inclinations. The 2006 AWP Annual Conference and Bookfair is in Austin March 8-11, 2006 at the Hilton Austin and Austin Conference Center.

You'll find panels ranging from Between Heaven and Hell: Writing at a Catholic University to Three Debut Authors on Partnering with their Publishers to Where Genre and Nongenre Meet: Texas Writers on Texas Writing. Walter Mosley will present the Keynote Address. Tim O'Brian, the author of the well-read short story, Things They Carried, and novel of the same name is one of many presenteres. Other presenters include Antonya Nelson, Donald Hall, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jane Hirshfield, Tony Hoagland, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and many more. With more than 300 events making up the conference and 250 publishers and presses at the Bookfair, the AWP conference offers Houstonians a wonderful opportunity to explore the world of literary fiction, mingle with authors and publishers, and catch up on all the recent publications currently being offered.

If you're up for a heavy dose of literary conversation, drive up for a day or more. AWP's 2006 PRE-registration has closed. But you will be able to do so on-site, March 8-11, at the Austin Convention Center, Trinity Street entrance. One-day passes will be available at the on-site registration desk. On-site registration rates for the full conference are as follows:

March 8-11, 2006 Onsite Registration

Member $175
Nonmember $195
Student $45
Spouse $85
Presenter $85

Here's to good converstaion.

Heads up all you genre writers: New Writer's Digest short story contest!

If you've been sitting around taking up space and time while toying with a possible short story idea, or if you've been putting off a story revision, then maybe this will motivate you to take some action. Writer's Digest has announced a new popular short story competition for stories that fit into the following categories: Romance, Mystery/Crime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense and Horror. Have too many stories and don't know which one to submit? Hey, you can enter one story in every category. Rules? Essentially two: Entries should be 4,000 words or less and must be received by November 1, 2005. If you're interested, go to The WD Popular Fiction Awards for more info and the rest of the rules.

Here's the list of prizes:

GRAND PRIZE:$2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member.

FIRST PRIZE: The First-Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member.

HONORABLE MENTION: All Honorable Mentions will receive promotion in Writer's Digest and the 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

While I don't, as a rule, advocate many contests, Writer's Digest is a well-respected entity with contests that have real value. There is a contest fee but it is nominal. For you lazy ones or the postally-challenged, you can submit online--if you use a credit card.

Years ago I entered the Writers Digest short story competition. It was one of the first contests I'd ever entered and, frankly, I did it merely to give myself a goal to write toward. I did send my story off. Later, I realized that the judge was an editor from Omni Magazine. They published a lot of good sci fi but my story was more in the women's fiction vein. I figured the judge wouldn't give it a nod. To my surprise I ended up ranking right around 50 out of more than 3,500 stories. I still have the Honorable Mention certificate and remember what a great motivator it was for me at the time. Even now the memory brings a smile. So, you never know. Go for it.

Now you know what to do this weekend. Have fun.

How a successful promotion turns into a new book project: DIVIDED LOYALTIES leads to TEENS TAKE ACTION

Imagine my surprise when I stopped to pick up of one of the smaller local papers and found the article on my book DIVIDED LOYALTIES and my new website/blog www.TeensTakeAction.com on the front page, below the fold. Now this is good placement for any article but for one that features an author it's great. I wish I could provide an Internet link but so far the article has not been posted online.

For me, the article had everything I hoped it would. I say that because even though the various components were discussed during the interview process, the final outcome and shaping is left to the reporter and then the editor. What I might want highlighted might be omitted due to the reporter's particular slant or emphasis; or the editor may not have as much space as expected and the piece might be slashed to a mere mention. In this case, the reporter discussed how my young adult novel became the inspiration for the Teens Take Action website and contest. Full information on the website and contest appeared in the article. Finally, even this blog on writing was mentioned which made it well-rounded with all the bases covered.

My only major complaint was that the Fast Fact Box had the ages for the contest incorrect. The contest is for all t'weens and teens ages 9 through 19 (not 9-12).

One of the reasons articles are so important is that they then become part of an author's press kit. I have already made copies and these will be included in all information going out to the media, bookstores, etc. in the near future. The TeensTakeAction promotion is an ongoing one with an annual contest. With the release of my second young adult, VIDEO MAGIC, at the end of summer, I'll be including promotional material about the Teens Take Action 2005 and 2006 contests.

As so often happens with writers, the promotional concept has now led to a new book. I'm collecting stories about teens who have made a difference in their communities either individually or in groups for a new book. So if you know of any stories or hear of some in the future, please drop me a line. The website and contest, and this book, are not limited to my local area. It's open to stories of real teens making a difference anywhere in the real world. The stories can be of small neighborhood efforts or ideas that took hold and turned into something that caught the imagination of the state, the nation, and/or the world.

So, spread the word.

(BTW: I am still having fits with my computer and the mouse and all, so it's a struggle to get online to post. I hope to have this resolved this weekend.)

M.J. Rose's The Blogging Thing and Joseph Finder's new promo twist

If you're wondering why writers, who are already using up their time to write on their novels, stories or projects, even consider creating a blog, stop by M. J. Rose's blog Buzz, Balls and Hype and read the The Blogging Thing series. Granted, I'm featured in Part 5 on April 5th, but that's not the only reason I'm calling attention to the series. Rose also recently commented on the success of Joseph Finder's contest to promote his new book, The Company Man. The full story of how he came to write the book and the genesis for the new twist on an old promotional technique can be found at Rose's other blog, Backstory. Both of Rose's blogs are worthy of bookmarking.

Stay tuned for more information on DWP's April Guest Author Interview scheduled to begin Monday, April 18.

From a short story contest, to a writer's retreat, to a gathering of web writers, there's a great, big world out there

While I try and digest the past week's activities at TLA, I thought I'd provide a few links that might give you some ideas.

WriteCraft Writer's Resource Center has been praised by Writer's Digest and listed in their Top 101 Websites for Writers for the past two years. They run a quarterly contest where writers respond to a visual prompt to write their short stories. The next contest deadline is June 15, 2005. The winner receives $25 or a $25 certificate to Amazon and their story is published on WriteCraft's site. Take a look at the Fall 2004 contest winner "I'm Thinking of a Word" by E.N. Wilson.

Ever wondered what it would be like to go on a writer's retreat? Check out Moorishgirl, to read about the author's recent trip to Hedgebrook. Laila Lalami has been blogging since 2001 and is an accomplished writer. Her blog is consistently numbered among the best of the literary blogs

Looking for a reason to go to San Diego? Why not plan on attending this year's Journalcon 2005 October 21-23. The original Journalcon began in 2000 in Pittsburgh, then Chicago and San Francisco. These were the online writers before the rise of blogging. Texas hosted Journalcon 2004 in Austin. Last year D.C. played host. Anyone who writes online for a personal website or for a public audience, anyone who blogs or journals, any web writers and any other "interesting internet people" will gather, meet, discuss and discuss and, no doubt, disagree. Subjects will range from blogging to publishing software and everything in between. In short, it's a conference for those in the "new media."

Update: TLA and TeensTakeAction.com

Well, I've been at TLA all week and haven't been able to log on and post anything. The conference has been hectic. Actually met up with a couple of editors who were working the exhibit hall and picked up some new books to review. Passed out a lot of material.

If you get a minute, click over to www.TeensTakeAction.com. It's a new blog that is part of the marketing promotion for my young adult books. If you have any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or resources, use the comment feature to let me know . . . or just say hello and let me know you've stopped by. The site and the idea is truly in its infancy but I have high hopes for its future.

Posts will resume when I return.