The tipping point

Sometime within the next few hours, you'll reach two important milestones.

First, you'll find you're suddenly in Week Three. The nightmare of Week Two is over. You (probably) survived, and if you're readng this you are (probably) thinking about continuing. Week Three is when people realise that Nano is Hell.

In Week One, enthusiasm and the giddy excitement of madcap excitement carries most nano-ers along. Before they know it, it is over. Yup, a few run into difficulties straight away, but Week One is a time of wild optimism. "So what, I've only got 500 words, and I've just had both hands amputated. I can so do this!"

Week Two is usually pretty tough. Dismal reality sets in. What had seemed like a flurry of plot ideas turns out to have been a plot unravelling. Characters that seemed 'mysterious' in Week One are now just stubborn. Those foolish enough to credit muses for their inspiration, generally discover that muses are fickle, work-shy slackers who bolt at the first sign of trouble.

Week Three is different and yet the same. Some are horrified to find that the problems of Week Two don't magically disappear in Week Three. Others realise just how bloody big a task they've set themselves. Others start to feel the effects of nano's pressure cooker environment - they get stressed, they get sick, they give up.

Some people hang on, bitterly punching out words, because somewhere in Week Three, they will reach 25K - the half way stage. And when they do, they think, they'll feel better. Half way! Wheeee!

That's the other milestone you'll reach today. Halfway. That didn't take very long, did it? Like childhood, the first two weeks take forever, but suddenly hey are all over and you're left blinking and thinking, "Where did all that time go? How come I didn't manage to do anything more with it?"

Still, if you're on target, you should be halfway to 50K by now. So it's all downhill (in a good way) form here, isn't it? Wrong. Halfway is just that. When you hit 25K, you'll feel like a train wreck. You'll be tired, sick, depressed, confused, saddled with a plot that you have no faith in and characters you hate. And you'll be acutely aware that once you reach 25K, you have another 25K to go. And you won't be sure that you want to do it. And you won't know if you can to do it. Because doing it once hurt like Hell. So doing it twice will hurt like two Hells. And that can't be good.

That's when you need to keep on going. 25K isn't anything special. Everytime I've reached it, I've found it to be an anti-climax. But somewhere between 25K and 35K (usually 28K to 32K), I reach what I call the tipping point. Suddenly I realise - really properly realise - that I've written a whole lot more than I still have to write. If all the words I'd written were piled up, and another pile of the words I still have to write was put beside it, the first pile would be much bigger than the second pile.

And suddenly, you realise that you're going to damn well do this thing, no matter what. Up until now, you might have said you're going to do it, but it's always been with a little sliver of doubt. But now you know you can, and you will. And this time you really mean it. And that's the tipping point. From there on, it isn't easy. But it is easier. The last 20K or so can still be painful, but somehow you know you're going to get there.

So ... um ... yeah. Just keep going. No matter how much it hurts. There isn't much more to say. If you're behind, you need to catch up, this weekend, otherwise you won't make it - simple as that. If you're on target, you need to keep plugging away, because falling behind now can be fatal. So blink helplessly at the computer screen, contemplate the impossibility of writing another 25K in two weeks, and start doing it, anyway.

The importance of found objects

Belopw is ann email I sent out to m 2007 newbies, descrining the miserable situation I was in at ... gosh ... just about this time last year!

I've included it because, first of all, I want to emphasise how typical it is to feel anguished at this stage. The email that I sent out in 07 was simply titled 'Ugh' because that was how I felt. You'll notice that I complain about endless recapping and rehashing stuff I already know, in the hope of finding something new in it. I am in exactly the same situation this year - Jack is trailing about, talking to people, waiting for someone to say something remarkable that opens up the nxt avenue.

Second, note the comment about the drunk in the field and the mysteriously absent wife. That was thrown in as a bit of filler to help me reach my word count one night. I didn't plan on it being important in any way, shape or form. It was just something I found and decided to chuck in for the Hell of it. But it did, in fact, turn out to be absolutely essential. The killing of Effie Burden cracked the case. So don't be afraid to explore random little avenues that you notice - you never know where they will lead, but it will PROBABLY (I promise nothing) be somewhere good.

Here's the original email from 07:

It had to happen. After three or four nights (why does it feel like November has already been going on for weeks?) where ideas had been bouncing out onto the page, I found myslef stuggling tonight.

The problem is that up until now I've been setting up - introducing the setting, characters and backstory. This can be done in a pretty random manner, which is what I thrive on. But now - after 16K - my detective has to start detecting stuff, making connections and uncovering clues, motives and DARK SECRETS. And winging that can be dicey.

So tonight I sent him to talk to the journalist who puts out the local paper. I figured that the journalist would be a good source of information. Perhaps some inspiration
would strike and I'd be able to run with it. Didn't happen tonight. So I spent 2,000 words recapping and recounting as the journalist and the 'tec discussed one of the murders (there have been three so far, all taking place before the narrative started). It didn't take long to write, but it was infuriating to find myself baffled. Tommorrow, they'll carry on talking. If they don't find something else out, I'll have to try something else.

If all else fails, I've got an ace up my sleeve - the other night I improvised a scene where the detective stumbles upon a drunk in the fields. They swapped some dialogue, and the drunk quoted ominous verses from the books of Job and Revelation. All pretty cliched. But when the tec helped the drunk back to his shack, I didn't get the sense that his woman - importantly, not his wife - was there. So I didn't write her in. I implied she was next door, ignoring her drunken lover. But it struck me after writing that there might be a much more sinister reason why she didn't come out.

So if the current killings don't inspire, maybe I'll introduce another one. Sounds silly? Yes, it is. But since thisI'm using nano to explore ideas, rather than flesh out a pre-plkanned plot, I can always cut out the other killings. Heck, I'm even thinking about cutting out my main character and replacing him with a local. But not until December.

Incidentally, the whole novel turned out to hinge on that one random encounter, and a second diversion I employed, where I sent Jack to a Wild Party at a backwoods speakeasy. There he met lots of people, alll of whom would try to do terrible things to him later on. It is a GOOD SIGN, I thin, that I'm sending Jack to another party now, in 2008.

Feeling the burn

Week Two is definately upon me. I can tell because I'm exhausted, dispirited, lost in a plot I don't understand and which doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I'm aware that nano is having a knock on to my 'real' life, because tiredness and confusion don't go away just because you click 'Save' and update your word count. I'm aware of IMPORTANT STUFF not getting done at work, chronic exhaustion affecting my alertness and decision-making, and a creeping depression tainting my life. This is what Week two does to you.

Little voices are starting to whisper in my head, "It's not worth it." More serious voices are question if I shouldn't re-prioritise, take some of the strain off myself. And Nano is the only thing that can go. I tell you this so you know, if you are feeling the same, that it is normal. Every year, round about this stage, thousands of people just give up and walk away, because they decide it is too tough. In all probability, you've got at least 30K to go, and it is natural to wonder if it is possible. Fir 15-20K has taken this much out of you, how will you feel after another 30?

It is natural, but false. 10K to 30K is the worst part, in my experience. Every year, between these two points, I feel like giving up, because it just seems too hard. But if I can carry on slogging to 30K, suddenly it gets a lot more 'do-able,' as the amount written suddenly seems a lot bigger than the amount left to write. So just hang in there, if you are stuggling. Keep on posting the 1667, if that is all you can manage. This is what I am doing at the moment - the bare minimum. If you are behind, stop the rot, try to write a bit extra and catch up. But don't not write up. Keep going. Fail better.

Week Two Cometh

I reached my first Nano 08 milestone, reaching 15,000 words (15,021 to be exactm, thank you very much) by the end of Week One.

Right now, I'm on the up-swing. SO far, I've managed to keep myself focused on my mainplot line (albeit, I don't know what it is yet) and some ideas are starting to emerge. ALso, I'm taking my time and not lunging wildly at ideas. It actually feels, kinda like the opening sequence of a novel should do. Though really badly written.

Week Two is traditionally Hell Week for nanoer. A lot of writers burn out in Week Two. Reality kicks in as the giddy thrill of Week One wears off. "Woo-Hoo! I'm writing!" is replaced by "I've got to keep on writing for how much longer?" The build-up of fustrations, mistakes and general disgust at your owen immense uselessness reaches a critical point. Suddenly every little chore that you've been avoiding for months becomes much more interesting.

So eek Two is often where you will win or lose. If you can stay on target through out Week Two, you will probably win - by the end, you'll be on almost halfway. From there on, you can stagger to the winning line. But if you do fall behind, you might find there just isn't time left to catch up.

So it's important to keep focused, turn up, write, hit your targets. Keep on top of things. Continue to be selfish. Slog on.

Diversion #6 - recapping

This is a useful tool when you need a few hundred words somewhere, which can also help you untangle sticky plot problems and develop character. I've only realised how I've been using it this year. It is a new thing for 2008.

A recap is very simple and exactly what the name suggests. Someone says, "What the Hell is going on here?" and another character fills him/her in on the action to date. A summary of some key plot points of the novel. Depending ont he characters, this could be a coupel of sentences, or it could be a couple of pages. If the latter, you'll probably need to trim it down in editing, but don't worry about that now - let the characters talk.

This doesn't just eat up some words, but it can also help you work things out for yourself. THis is especially good if you are winging it. It is also useful if you have noticed an inconsistency in your plot that is bugging you - you have a quick recap, writing it the way you now want it to be, and the nagging feeling of writing incoherent mince should vanish. I've already done this a couple of times this year, as I'm winging it and my plot is veering around all over the place. Having Jack recap what he knows with other characters allows me to keep what is gonig on, and what Jack knows, straight in my head.

Of course, you have to be careful how you stage the recap - characters aren't just going to spill everything they know to everyone. Logical points will suggest themselves to you - when they meet someone they can trust, or someone on whom they will have to rely, or someone who can give them useful information or resources.

The last category is important, particularly in the genre I'm writing in, detective fiction. When Jack does a recap, it is a chance for another character to add a bit of information to the puzzle. I've developed a couple of useful leads this way, which are helping me build some sort of semblance of a plot. r if you are writing traditional fantasy, with a Band of Heros, when they recruit a new member, it is a fine time for a quick recap - "So, why are we seeking the amulet of Thurg?"

Another cool thing about recapping is it can help you develop character. Think about it. How would different characters describe their experiences? Honestly, or with exaggeration? Eloquently, or mumbling almost incoherently? Would they speak, or write?

(Joseph Conrad, the Greatest Novelist Who Ever Lived, used recapping extensively in The Greatest Novel He Ever Wrote, Nostromo - the story was such a mess of shifting time frames it was essential to help the reader keep track of what was going on! Sometimes it took the form of people talking, another occasion saw a character writing a letter effectively summarizing the first part of the book)

Some recapping may turn out to be redundant and vanish in the editing process - having the daughters recap how they went to a Wild Party, which occurred only a few pages before, might no tbe necessary, but writing it in just now might help you keep going. ALso, of course, you could have fun with that idea - why not have the girls recap what happened to their father, first of all, and then to their friends? Think of the divergent versions you'd get to write. ANd because it is giving useful information to you and the reader about characters, it isn't simply word-vomit.

Remember rewards (& backing up)

Two important points.

Remember to reward yourself. If you've hit a milestones, go out and buy yourself the reward you promised yourself. If you didn't set any rewards, or you're one of the newbies that joined at the last minute (or after the last minute), then set youself some now. It might be hitting 11669 by the end of Day 7 (that's where you should be if you've been writing 1667 per day), or whatever target you think is both reasonable and challenging.

For the record, if I can hit 15K by Friday night, I'll be buying my first reward on Saturday. I'm thinking of taking a hour to myself to browse a second hand bookshop and find something bizarre and delightful - the sort of thing you can't get in a mainstream bookshop. That means I need to keep slogging away. If it seems I'm going wild wioth the word count just now, remember I am front loading like a fiend - Junior Exams are coming up at the end of this week and that may knock me out for a night or two, and then in Week Two I'll have a night off when I have to attend Honours Awards for the seniors. So I'm trying to insulate myself against those imminent calamities.

The other important thing is remember to back up your writing! If you don't you're almost sure to suffer some miserable disaster which results in you losing everything you've writen. And that is the WORST THING in the ENTIRE WORLD. So back up. I simply email my novel to my hotmail acocunt. That way. it is safe in cyberspace if something happens to this computer.

Third thing (Yeah, I know, I only said two things - but I lied) - can you update me on your word count and your morale? Rate morale on the following scale:

1 - I'm taking up residence in the Nanowrimo Ate My Soul Forum
2 - I'm suffering, but I'm ploughing on.
3 - I'm doing okay, I guess. I'm not exactly enjoying this, but I'm still doing it.
4 - I'm doing good.
5 - I post joyous messages in the This is Going Better Than Expected Forum.

For the record, I'm probably a 3 or perhaps even a 4. So far, things are going really well. I'm hurting, physically, with flu and tiredness, and so on, but I'm enjoying the writing. I don't know what I'm writing about - I literally have to cast my mind back and screw up my forehead to remember what is happening in the story - but it is flowing easily enough, and it also makes some sort sense. You can not ask for any more than that during Nano.

Also can you see any major obstacles coming up or things that are worrying you?

DAY THREE

Day Three is a milestone in Nanowrimo, official or otherwise. By the end of Day Three, you should have completed 5,000 words, if you are writing even the bare minimum every night. Any less than 5,000 words by the end of Day Three, and you are in trouble. Nano is short and brutal - you don''t have much time to make up words, most of your time is simply spent getting the nightly quota down. So if you miss a little here, a little there, it is easyto find yourself falling further behind, even though you're showing up every nigh. Think about what you're planning on writing tonight - if it isn't going to get you to 5,000, you need to rethink.

(n.b. If you've previously indicated you're pursuing some idiosyncratic schedule and perhaps won't be writing much in the first week, or whatever, that's fine - as long as you know what is going on and have a realistic plan to complete by the end of the month.)

Whether or not you're on target, you will shortly start to feel the effects of fatigue. If you are on a roll, you might get another couple of days of good writing in before you start to feel weary, but it will almost certainly happen this week. For those of you who have strggled from Day One, you'll already be wracked by physical and spiritual exhaustion. You have to be tough, and keep forcing yourself to plough on. It will get better. Maybe not for another 25 days, but it will.

Usually Day three sees the first signs of freinds and family starting to seriously impinge. Until now, they may have been unhelpful, unsupportive or annoying, but Day Three or Day Four is when they start to really irk. This is because they are starting to feel the effects of your commitment to Nano, and they dislike it. ALso, perhaps unconsciously, you are starting to miss them a bit as well. Be strong. Make sure they know the rules. Be blunt. Relationships can be saved in December. You warned them. They need to listen. This won't be the last time you do this, so they'd better work it out now.

Beware burnout and disillusion

The first days of Nanowrimo are always hectic. Either you whirl away at a mad rate and write a huge number of words, or you plod along at a painfully slow rate and no matter how many words you write, the target for the day just seems impossibly far away ...

On top of that, I got nanoflu on Saturday, which made writing a fairly miserable affair. This is usual - looking abck over my notes from last year, I got the flu at the start of Nano 07 and 08 as well. Mostl likely you'll get it this week, also. It is one of the Nanobeast's ploys. Don't let it work.

Some other things to watch out.

First, burn out. If you make a great start, that's great. But it is early days. Burnout is a killer - people decide they can't be bothered anf give up. They might have great plots and characters and all that, but they get tired of staring at the screen and pounding out words, night after night.

There are more interesting things out there, to be sure. Compared to sex, drugs and rock and roll, or even a good book that someone else has written, Nano is a pretty dull way to spend your free time. Or maybe giving up that free time makes people realise how much they love their partner/child/cat and they'd rather spend their time with them.

Just remember why you're doing this. You want to be a writer, right?

Second, disillusion. It is okay to get sick of your plot and characters. I realised I was going to have a very long Novemeber after only a couple of hundred words. My nicely planned out plot seemed silly and it really hurt writing even just 200 words to cover thos plot points ... Again, this is typical. Looking back at what I've said before, I thought that I was writing the worst guff I'd ever written and was hating the whole sorry experience.And now in 2009, I'm pretty sure that this is the weakest nano I've ever written.

Novemeber is not the time to make judgement calls. Just carry on with it. When you revist thiwhat you write this month, you'll be amazed at how not-rubbish it is.

There's a long way to go yet. And though the first 3 weeks of nano can be unmitigated Hell, the last fortnight is a rush like nothing you've ever experienced. So keep going, no matter how much you don't want to.

DAY ONE

You absolutely have to hit your word count for Day One. Even if it means staying up to 3am you have to get that 1667 words (or whatever targetyou set) nailed. Otherwise, you'll go to bed miserable and guilty, instead of warmed by the glow of having faced the Nanobeast and survived the first round.

By now you should have worked out your daily word quota. I'm going for 2000 words a day. I have a vague plan - a lot vaguer than it was, after yesterday's attack of plot munchies - but it doesn't amount to much. How the Hell am I going to write 2000 words?

My first step is "Donna is asked to try to find out what happened to a missing schoolgirl." That's got to be spun out to 2000 words. I'm breaking that down into five chunks, each of about 400 words.

1. PROLOGUE. A spooky opening where Donna experiences the final moments of an unidentified victim.
2. CHAPTER ONE. Donna is contacted by the mother of a missing schoolgirl, Judy, and is asked to help.
3. Donna goes to the mother's house and meets her.
4. The mother specifies she wants Donna to use a Ouija board to communicate with the spirit world.
5. Donna, reluctantly, complies and receives a garbled message suggesting murder.

So, that's 5x400 words, and looking pretty do-able. And each part has a purpose. But I could break it down even further.

1. PROLOGUE. A description of the final moments of an unidentified victim, from their point of view. Purpose - a dramatic opening, setting the appropriate menacing tone.
   
2. We discover this is actually being expereinced by Donna, the MC. Purpose - to establish that Donna believes her psychic powers are genuine. Also, a bit of misdirection, as the reader should assume this is what happened to the missing schoolgirl we are about to meet. Which is not, infact, the case.
3. CHAPTER ONE. Donna receives a phone call from the mother of a missing school girl.
4. The mother explains she wants Donna to try to contact her daughter, who she believes is dead.
5. Donna travels to the mother's house, and meets the mother. She observes the mother is morbidly obese and either too ashamed, or incapable, of coming to vsit Donna's house.
6. Donna observes the living room of the mother's house, noting various items. Purpose is to establish that Donna is observant and intuitive - there is a concurrent rational explanation for her deductions f you don't like the psychic option.
7. The mother drags out a Ouija board and asks Donna to use it.
8. Donna reacts with disgust, though she doesn't show it. Purpose it to show, again, that Donna is genuine in her intentions if not in her gift - she dsislike parlour tricks and showmanship, and regards the Ouija Board as silly.
9. She uses the Ouija board, concentrating on a photograph on the mother's mantelpiece - the missing girl playing soccer with her school team. This will allow Donna to identify the girl when she encounters her, as she'll have a clear idea what she looks like. A lso allows her to unconsciously register her involvement with sports.
10. After completing the seance, the board has spelled out a garbled message that might indicate murder - though crucially the time frame is lacking. The mother takes this as meaning her daughter has been murdered. Donna is surprised by the strange satidsfaction she seems to take in this.

So now I'm looking at 10x200 words to complete this 'step.'

There is a trade off, because you can focus so much on breaking down the action into chunks that you lose more time than you gain, and it may also lead to a feeling of trundling along the steps of a pre-planned route with no scope left for flair or creativity. So you'll have to decide how much preplanning you do, and how far aherad. I'm aiming to 'map out' each night's work, but some of you, I know, already have the whole novel planned out. Some of you have nothing at all. I salute you all!