I wrote this article in December 2004 for Happy Camp News. It is about how I got started writing novels.
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Plotting a Novel Through Character Development
A novel plot must have an intriguing beginning, a complex interior, and a satisfying finale, all this based on the inner development of a main character we can love and care deeply about — otherwise, why would anyone continue to read? [Read more…]
It Is Novel Writing Season Again!
November! Writing season! I write every day, of course, but November is reserved for novel writing. Though I skipped two years of NaNoWriMo novel writing, this year I’m heading straight on in a dead heat to write the novel I’ve been planning since 2004.
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A Daily Mind-Map Journal
Mind-mapping is a brainstorming tool most of us know about. I’m creating a daily mind-map journal to help with my blogging and novel-writing projects.
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Plots, Sketching, and a Query Letter
My writing as of late has been sketchy. I write almost every day in my journal – three pages, thanks to Artist’s Way training. Right now I’m working my way through Cameron’s The Vein of Gold… getting off to a slow start because I find the Narrative Timeline assignment so challenging. The focus is to write everything you can remember about your life. Well, my Narrative Timeline is slowly coming to life. I’m up to about third grade now. I wonder if I’m dragging myself through this at a snail’s pace because I’m afraid to write about my teen years.
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Tearing Down the Illusions
So, did you think it was going to be easy? I expect by now you’ve had time to sit down at your keyboard and type out a few lines. Go-getters are already 10,000 words into this. Many others have made it to 2000 words. Others are self-flagellating and wondering why it is so hard to reach even 200 words!
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The Day Before NaNo . . .
I’m not going to take time to write one of those ‘Night Before Christmas’ parodies — no, I’m way too busy today wondering if I’m really ready to start writing that novel tonight. Do I know my character well enough? Do I have adequate plot points to inspire me throughout the month?
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