How are you preparing?

I don't like outlining either, but I always end up losing notes. Having everything in one place seemed like a good idea.

I've never heard of the author, but I'm finding this helpful:

http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=17;t=21578

I'm a big one for practicalities. I am:

-stocking up on coffee, tea and other hot beverages
-putting pictures and other inspiration up in my study and living room
-cleaning my study out so I can sit at my desk instead of slouching on my bed in front of the computer
-clearing my schedule as much as I can

I would love to say I followed Chris Baty's piece of advice last week but I have not yet quit my job. Note the 'yet' in that sentence.

I am also plotting, which I don't usually do, as this year I have a plottable story! Slowly putting together each 'stage' of the story and some basic character dossiers.

Hi guys,

My preparation is as follows. I am not a planner, so these are the only things I *can* do!

1. Sleep in - I've been having very weird, vivid dreams recently, and I'm going to be stealing a lot of details for my novel.
2. Try and prep as many classes as possible (I imagine most people here are TEFLers, so get that photocopying done!)
3. Try and recruit as many friends as possible.
4. As some of you know I have real difficulty actually describing things, so if I see something impressive (like rainclouds over the tops of mountains) I'm making a mental note in an attempt to improve.

That's it so far...

K

I work out profiles for most of my characters. I already have the plot.

How's this for preparation: I have, in fact, already started writing. I want to submit for the ABNA, now that I'm aware of it. I want the first draft to be done by the end of November, so I can have two months to edit before submitting. I'm about 25,000 words in so far, and it's just starting to get good. The first chapter is easily the strongest thing I've written in two years. So assuming my pace stays constant through November, I'm hoping to have about 90,000 words heading into editing in December. My stuff tends to get longer in editing, so I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the limit into December and January.

So yeah, the best kind of preparation is the word "Go!"

Cheers,
B.

____
Sasquatch hunting should never be undertaken professionally.

I'm trying to work out the end of my novel. For me, I can write without a proper outline as long as I know where I want to get in the end.

I'm also pretending to do preliminary background research, and making more serious efforts at fleshing out my characters. Yay character profile worksheets!

Unrelated to writing directly, I'm trying to burn myself out on social activities this month so that all of November I'll be okay with being a hermit. =P

I have a wiki. That's how organized I am. It's got a time line and profiles all ready to go.

I didn't plan to make a wiki. It just sort of developed. http://conworld.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Eternity_Valley There's the link to the wiki if anyone would like to look at it or blow holes in it.

I have the plot up to the first dead body reveal... I tend to work in plot ideas rather than chapters. It's easier on my brain that way.

Doing a wiki is a brilliant idea, especially since I'll be doing most of the writing on the computer (I usually use yellow pads).

For me, I just finished reading a Syd Field's book on screenplay writing. I'm not outlining but I am figuring out the beginning, end, plot points. I'll probably write the scenes and sequences out on 3x5s this week.

2008 (won): The Kimchi Conspiracy
http://www.happenchance.net --> Useful stuff for creative people

I've actually started writing too, but it's a different story. I'm attempting to completely finish my Nano from 2003, which was the first year I did it. I realized that I had started 4 novels in 8 years and stopped smack dab in the middle, with 4 unfinished plotlines. The characters are haunting me, you know... so my job is to finish this thing.

Anyway, I've been preparing by reading, fixing up the first 50k, and plotting about how I'm going to make everything super interesting...

OH, and I prepare by getting new music and letting it sink in. That is probably easily the most inspiring thing I have.

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I usually don't outline an wrtie the first draft in a flurry of high emotion, then try to wrestle into a sensible shape afterward so this will be new for me. I think I will prepare by stocking up on caffiene, as someone else suggested and simplifying my schedule--no TV, etc. As for organizing the actual book, since its mostly a second draft, I will try to outline it from the existing story, so that I can clean it up, disgard the unusable parts and highlight what is important. 6 pages a day should be enough to write the 5000 words, so here it goes!

I've decided to write the second half of my fantasy novel from Nano08, so I'm going to re-read what I did last year and figure out where the characters are going. I thought they were going one way, but instead they have to go 50,000 words in another direction!

Luckily I'm living in an incredibly atmospheric city, and sometimes teaching in the weirdest building ever (a seminary) which is begging for my characters to be running about it.

Cross your fingers for me... I might actually reach the end of a project!