Coincidence or Confirmation?

  

Last November, as part of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNo), I wrote the first draft of the latest novel in my Regency-era ‘Legacy of Grace’ series. A few weeks ago I completed the edits on this story, which concerns a young artist from 1819, and the exhibition of a painting at the Royal Academy of Art at Somerset House in London.

Are these the 16th C windows?

Three days later I was celebrating Australia Day at nearby Berrima, a town considered by some to be Australia’s ‘Georgian’ town, due to the high numbers of remaining early colonial buildings. I was attending for a number of reasons, one of which involved taking my children to hear my mother play the pipe organ at Holy Trinity Anglican church, a beautiful Edmund Blackett designed church built in 1849, which is reputed to have stained glass windows dating from the 16^th century. (Reputed, because it’s mentioned on a handout, but nobody present could confirm or deny. I’m happy to go with it.) After listening to Nanna play, we wandered down to the church hall, where the local residents group was holding a jumble sale (gotta love a ‘jumble’ sale – how Agatha Christie!).

For me, any excuse to check out secondhand books is a good excuse, so I perused the tables of books whilst my family checked out the cakes and biscuits on sale. Imagine my astonishment when ‘jumbled’ among contemporary paperbacks and decade-old mags I discovered several fairly non-prepossessing old volumes – pictorial catalogues from London’s Royal Academy of Art from the late 1800s.

Coincidence? I think not.

Confirmation? Quite possibly.

I love how God, the “author and perfecter of our lives” is continually orchestrating moments so we can recognize just how all-powerful and omniscient He is. It may seem such a little thing, but seeing that book, filled with illustrations of paintings exhibited in 1891, really boosted my confidence in the things I’d previously researched and imagined. Because seriously, how many copies of such a book would exist in Australia, let alone be in a place where I (possibly the only person in Australia who might be interested!) could find it, let alone afford it. (Thank you to the very nice man who sold it to me for a LOT less than I expect it might sell on e-bay – don’t worry, I’m not selling!) 

Newby Hall's Robert Adams-designed
entrance hall

The cream atop this wonderful piece of metaphorical pie was another find perfect for research purposes: a pictorial guide to Newby Hall, a house in North Yorkshire with Robert Adams-designed rooms—just like I’d written about in my novel. 

Coincidence? Confirmation?

Through this experience, God again showed how He can make the invisible visible, how He is always doing more behind the scenes than we ever give him credit for. One of my pastors once said: ‘God has a plan, He is is faithful, and we can trust Him.’ To these truths I like to add that God loves us, and He has a good plan, He is faithful, and we can trust Him.

I don’t always see it, but deep down I know He is orchestrating that which is invisible to one day perhaps be visible. That the story on my heart might be shared beyond my faithful beta-readers. That the frustrating, tangled relationship might be resolved. That the pain might have purpose.

The Author is doing way more than we realize – or give Him credit for - as a thousand times each day He proves His love, His good plans for his children, His faithfulness. 

So I trust Him.

How about you? Do you have instances where God has worked a seeming ‘coincidence’ into confirmation? Did you notice God's at the time or was it something you realized later?

                                   Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of the Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her novels have won or finaled in over a dozen contests, including the 2014 RWA ‘Touched by Love’ and 2014 ACFW Genesis contests. Carolyn is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Connect with her: www.carolynmiller.org    

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13 #badwritingadvice Tips to Winning NaNoWriMo

By Iola Goulton

We are now most of the way through National Novel Writing Month, which means many of our members are in the middle of their last-ditch attempt to win Nanowrimo 2015: by writing an original manuscript of 50,000 words or longer in the calendar month of November.

I've collated thirteen foolproof tips to help those who don’t think they’re going to win:

1. Always use adverbs with dialogue tags. 

Ignore the writing instructors who say it’s a bad idea because adverbs are telling when you should be showing. In fact, if using one adverb is a bad idea, do better: use two.

2. In fact, use adverbs liberally.

Use them generously, magnanimously throughout your manuscript. This simple tip can easily and effortlessly add a thousand words or more to your Nano winner. Don’t worry about whether they fit the context literally or figuratively. You can effortlessly make them fit beautifully.

3. Use lots of meaningless filler words. 

Use words like really, quite, just, and very. They really don’t add anything very useful to the plot, but are quite handy for just making a sentence longer.

4. Repeat yourself. 

A lot. Readers are often trying to read your book while they watch TV and try and cook dinner, so it’s easier for them to keep up with the plot and characters if you say the same thing in two different ways. It helps them keep up with the plot. Sometimes they’re distracted or not paying attention so it’s important to repeat yourself. A lot.

5. Mix beats with dialogue tags

“I’m sorry,” Joe said as he staggered into the wall.

instead of

“I’m sorry.” Joe staggered into the wall.

Mixing beats and dialogue tags is another subtle form of repetition through telling, and readers love repetition, especially through telling. And it is ten words instead of seven. Bonus!

6. Load your manuscript up with back story. 

Everyone knows that our characters traits and habits are often a result of their upbringing, so what better way of showing readers how imperfect your characters are than to show their upbringing in painstaking and minute detail (more than once if possible, as readers love repetition).

Even better, show how their parents and grandparents were raised, to show why they are such messed-up characters. And don’t limit yourself to your main characters: of course we want to see how the homeless guy who appears in one scene ended up on the streets because his grandfather kicked his mother out of the house after she got pregnant.

7. Never use contractions. 

“Don’t” counts as one word, while “do not” counts as two. Sure, a contraction-free manuscript is annoying to read, but Nano isn’t about writing a book someone would want to read. It’s about writing 50,000 words as fast as you can and uploading them to Kindle on 3 December.

8. Use spaced scene dividers. 

Just leaving a blank line doesn’t add to your word count, but *** counts as one word and * * * counts as three.

This is an excellent tip to employ if you’re prone to headhopping: simply add a scene break every few paragraphs, you can both increase your word count and be sure you’re not headhopping. If you don’t know what headhopping is, now is not the time to learn. Just add those * * * scene breaks between every second paragraph and no one will ever notice whether you’re headhopping or not.

9. Suspension points

Use lots of suspension points, and make sure you’re using the US variety ( . . . ) because they count as three words while the Alt-0133 version (…) only counts as one. If you’re clever, you should be able to get two sets of suspension points . . . or three . . . in each passage of dialogue . . . more if your characters are upset . . . or rant a lot.

10. Pick your tense. 

Some authors have trouble with tense, and never know when to use past, present, future, subjunctive, conjunctive, just plain junctive . . . the solution is simple. Put them all in, and then no one can possibly complain you’ve got it wrong , you’re getting it wrong . . . or you’re going to get it wrong.

11. Use that.

Remember that the word “that” can be added to so many sentences without that impacting the meaning. If you can add that once or twice in a sentence, do that. So serves a similar purpose also.

It’s so useful, especially at the beginning of sentences. Also, don’t forget to add also to the ends of your sentences, in dialogue also. As well works as well.

12. So don’t refer to your characters by name. 

That name is only one word, and you can easily add that necessary word count by referring to that character as “the blond boy”, “the tall boy”, or (for extra impact!) “the tall blond boy” instead. If you must refer to characters by name, perhaps because you’ve been silly enough to have two tall blond boys as characters, refer to them by their full name. With the number after it: Severus Ignatius Leslie Lloyd Yellowstone III.

13. So don’t use adjectives in the same sentence as the noun. 

Instead, move the adjectives to an entire sentence of their own, like this:

The room had three chairs and a table. The walls were white. The table was brown. The chairs were red.

instead of
The room had three red chairs and a brown table.

That’s sixteen words, where your writing instructor would have used a miserly ten. I’m sure you can do better than that also.


What other #badwritingadvice hints and tips would you like to share that will help your fellow writers win Nanowrimo 2015?

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  or Tsu.

I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog. I'm a Top 25 Reviewer at Christian Book, in the Top 1% of reviewers at Goodreads, and have an Amazon Reviewer Rank that floats around 2500.

NaNoWriMo Part One: What is NaNoWriMo?

by Jeanette O'Hagan

You may have seen badges and banners proclaiming NaNoWriMo Winner — perhaps in the last few days, maybe at the end of last year — and wondered:

 ‘What the fuss is all about? What is NaNo and what, if anything, has it to do with me?’

My first introduction to NaNoWriMo (pronounced Nan-No-Rye-Mo) was over three years ago when someone (maybe Michelle Evans)  invited me to do ‘the challenge.’ At the time, I had no idea what this strange accumulation of syllables stood for. But I soon found out :)

***

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It started as a simple challenge to write a novel (or at least 50,000 words) in the month founded by freelance writer Chris Baty in the San Francisco Bay Area in July 1999 (the shift to November came in 2000.)

NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organisation that ‘believes your story matters.’

National Novel Writing Month organizes events where children and adults find the inspiration, encouragement, and structure they need to achieve their creative potential. Our programs are web-enabled challenges with vibrant real-world components, designed to foster self-expression while building community on local and global levels.

Through all our programs, we work to empower and encourage writing and vibrant creativity around the world:

http://nanowrimo.org/about

Since 1999 it’s expanded to be so much more:

• It acquired a website and a strong social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram etc).
• It is now global – encompassing just about every country or region, including Australia and New Zealand.
• It’s expanded to include other months and challenges (like the just recently finished Camp NaNoWriMo in July and the Young Writers Program in November).
• In the July Camp, participants can choose their own goal (minimum 10,000 words) and are not restricted to novel writing. Participants are put in 12 person virtual ‘cabins.’ It’s often seen as a good introduction for the big event in November.
• The Young Writers Program is a school based program that allows those 17 and younger to set their own reasonable but challenging writing goals.
• NaNo rebels add some flexibility by allowing inclusion of editing, script writing or poetry to personal goals.
• There has been an increased focus on what to do after NaNoWriMo – including editing and revising those rough draft NaNo manuscripts, seeking publishers or obtaining special discounts on writing programs/packages such as Scrivener.
• NaNo also has some really cool merchandise.
• It now incorporates local events – like write-ins, actual (not just virtual) camps, or social nights including in Australian capital cities.
• It has a growing number of success stories with over 100 published books  including some bestsellers. 
• It’s free to participate (though you are welcome to donate to help with expenses and projects).

***

Back to 2012 — Once I understood the challenge, I thought, ‘There is no way I can write 50,000 words in a month. Besides,’ I thought, ‘my November is packed with study commitments, a real-life camp and the end of the year rush — where would I find the time to write that much?’ 

I even had people warning against the ‘evils’ or futility of doing NaNo. But it seems I can’t resist a challenge. 

‘Why not give it a go,’ I thought, ‘Even if I don’t ‘win’ I can’t really lose.’ 

So I did and surprised myself by writing 50,000 words and totally enjoying the process. Now I’m hooked on NaNo and just last month completed my second July Camp – with over 230,000 words written as a part of NaNo challenges in the last 2 ½ years.

I was so enthusiastic about NaNo last November, I wrote an ACW post about it (see here), which prompted Narelle to request that I write a series of five posts leading up to November this year. 

So over the next few months, I’ll be writing a five-part series:

Part One: What is NaNoWriMo? (That’s this one)  3rd August 2015

Part Two: Why do NaNo (Pros and Cons)  7 September 2015

Part Three: Preparing for NaNo   5 October 2015

Part Four: Ready, Set, Go  2 November 2015

Part Five:  Is there life after NaNo?  30 November 2015

We will also be forming a FaceBook group for ACW NaNo participants leading up to November — for camaraderie, encouragement and a touch of friendly rivalry along the way.

So — watch this space. Maybe this year you too could join the challenge.

CampNaNo Winner 2015 banner awarded for completion of Camp NaNo this July.

***

Jeanette O'Hagan has a short story published in the general market Tied in Pink Romance Anthology  (profits from the anthology go towards Breast Cancer research) in December 2014 and two poems in the Poetica Christi’s Inner Child anthology launched in July 2015. She has practiced medicine, studied communication, history and theology and has taught theology.  She cares for her children, has just finished her Masters of Arts (Writing) at Swinburne University and is writing her Akrad's fantasy fiction series.  You can read some of her short fiction here. 

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on her websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

November Madness

By Jeanette O’Hagan

Eight thousand words. That’s how many I have left to write between now and Sunday if I want to complete NaNoWriMo this year.  

Some of you will know what I’m talking about while others are still scratching your heads. NaNoWriMo (or NaNo for short) stands for NationalNovel Writing Month. It started in the USA in 1999 by a bunch of writers and grew from there. They are a not-for-profit organisation with the following mission statement:

National Novel Writing Month organizes events where children and adults find the inspiration, encouragement, and structure they need to achieve their creative potential. Our programs are web-enabled challenges with vibrant real-world components, designed to foster self-expression while building community on local and global levels.

The goal is to write a novel (or more accurately 50,000 words) in a month. Those that complete this task are ‘winners’ and are awarded logos (see above), a warm glow and 50,000 words on their latest fiction project. And over the years and across the world, hundreds of thousands have done just that.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that NaNo has attracted a host of critics. When I announced I was doing NaNo again last year, one of my FB followers was quick tell me that I was wasting my time and that real authors didn't bother with such gimmicks (or words to that effect). Having completed NaNo the previous year and loved it, I didn't take any notice and ended up completing a good sized chuck of my third manuscript.

Here are some of the reasons some writers don’t like NaNo: 

• It encourages the idea that just about anyone can write a novel
• It encourages people with little knowledge of the craft to scribble out rubbish during NaNo, whack the resulting half-baked mess up on CreateSpace and think they are authors.
• Writing fast without editing ends up producing rubbish.
• It didn't work for them (fair enough)
• It was too stressful.
• It’s in the wrong month – in the run up to Christmas, the end of school year (Australia) or Thanksgiving (USA).

Some of these arguments border on the elitist. Some of them are valid. NaNo for instance now encourages its writers to make December the month of the edit, and discusses the next steps budding authors can take, including the need for editorial services etc.

NaNo isn't necessarily for everyone. But that doesn't mean it can’t be of great value to a great many other people – including me J and other writing friends I know.

This is my fourth attempt at NaNo (if you count the NaNo Camp which runs in July and allows authors to set their own word goals). I did actually consider not joining NaNo this year as I knew I had a couple of conferences, study commitments, house renovations, a short story anthology submission and guest posts (including this one), and the need to do re-edits on previous WIPs/manuscripts this particular November. I even considered becoming a NaNo rebel and doing edits instead of staring on the next book in the fantasy series I’m writing. But in the end, I couldn't resist starting on the next manuscript.

I had a very slow start for the above mentioned reasons – a craft camp on the first weekend in November, a 5000 word post-grad assignment due on November 10 and the chaos of no kitchen and laundry (now for over a month). But once I settled in during the second week, I began to hit my stride and I rediscovered the joy of writing a new novel, seeing the scenes and characters unfold. 

Now, with five days to go, the finish line is in sight. All things being equal, I should manage 50,000 words by Sunday – but even if I don’t, I still have 40,000 half decent words that I can whip into shape come December, stimulated a number of plot ideas and have another first draft close to finishing. Other NaNo writer friends have had life happen in a big way this November and have achieved much smaller word counts – but they are still winners - for each word written counts towards our overall goals.

NaNo really gives me a boost. I find that I work well with a deadline. I don’t have time to indulge my excuses for why I’m not writing or fudge around with procrastinating on FaceBook (much). The NaNo website has a handy stats page that keeps track of where I’m up to (see above). I need to keep up the momentum because falling too far behind means it’s hard to catch up and because I’m writing significant chunks most days, I get into a writing rhythm. I find I’m more creative and I find the writing more enjoyable.

So maybe NaNoWriMo would work for you. And maybe it wouldn't. We are all different.

But if you do decide to do NaNo (or something similar eg QWC The Rabbit Hole) here are my tips for survival:

• Unless you are an extreme panster, being prepared helps – either have an outline or some idea of what you want to write before November 1st (or July 1st) clicks around.
• Don’t forget to sign up :)
• Team up with some buddies and encourage each other.
• Read the updates, pep talks or join in on events in your local area (like camps, write-ins) or don’t – depending on what helps you.
• Don’t aim for perfection in your first draft. Stephen King suggests writing the first draft with the ‘door shut’ and subsequent drafts with ‘the door open.’ (On Writing 2000) We can give our creative selves freer rein if we give the inner editor or critic a short holiday. This year, when I've come across a scene or chapter or research point I’m not yet sure about, I've made notes and continued writing. I will come back to these points but in the meantime I’m painting the broad strokes on my canvas, building my characters and getting momentum with my plot.
• Don’t listen to the critics who say it’s a waste of time or that you can’t do it. If you want to do it, give it a go.
• And remember, while getting 50,000 words of your (next) novel written is a wonderful thing – it’s not the most important thing in the world. Be open to what God brings your way as life happens around you – and remember to talk to your family.

And while NaNo is almost over, perhaps some of these tips are still relevant to the ongoing disciplines of the writing journey.

What about you? Are you a NaNo sceptic or are you a convert? Have you any NaNo stories or tips to share?

And now, if you’ll excuse me – I've got some more words on my WIP (work-in-progress) to write….

Jeanette has practiced medicine, studied communication, history and theology and has taught theology.  She is currently caring for her children, enjoying post-graduate studies in writing at Swinburne University and writing her Akrad's fantasy fiction series.  You can read some of her short fiction here. She is about to have a short story published as part of the Tied in Pink anthology next month (profits from the anthology go towards Breast Cancer research) . 

She is actively involved in a caring Christian community. 

You can find her at her Facebook Page or webistes  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .