Did anybody out there take part in NaNoWriMo- National Novel Writing Month? So, now what? After spending the month of November frantically writing a truly bad draft (AKA Zero Draft), you must figure out if it's worth spending/wasting time fiddling with.
If you've been struggling with rewriting, maybe you're focusing too much on line editing and not enough on STRUCTURE, the big picture. At least that's the advice in this great posting by Justine Larbalestier. You may know her from her newest YA novel, Liar, the one with the controversy surrounding the cover. I know her from her funny, helpful, interesting blog. I'm planning to read the book as soon as my reserve comes up at the library (popular book!). But during NaNoWriMo, she and Scott Westerfeld shared writing tips aimed at anybody foolish enough to think they could actually write a novel in a month. So if you've at least made headway and written that truly bad draft, check out her revision techniques on the link above.
Or put it in a drawer for a rainy day.
I sort of did a NaNoWriMo. I did one plus an extra month - and got a 78,000 word new book drafted.
ReplyDeleteBut I *can't* throw it away - it's due to my editor in three months! Big gulp here. On to revisions that MUST work. MUST work. Or I'm in big trouble!
Good for you, Kimberley. I love to hear the potential success stories from this "novel" month!
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