National Novel Writing Month - Daily Q&A

Today's Guest: Marrije Schaake, user number 5

Lindsey Grant — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:07:08 +0000

Q:Marrije, you have the highest user number of any participant or staff
member at NaNoWriMo. How has this high-profile position affected your noveling? Does the status go to your head? Does it make you nervous?
A:Wow, I knew I had the highest user number of any Mere Mortal, but mine is even higher than those of Staff Members? That is a bit intimidating, yes.

So far, my beautiful and much-loved number hasn't given me too many airs or diva-esque demands. However, it does make me feel a grave responsibility to turn up each year and to finish in time with enough words, particularly so Chris Baty will not note my absence and be sad. So far, I haven't let him down: I'm seven-for-seven, and well on track for my eighth win.

I think my user number actually means the most to my dad, who is so happy to see me as the very first result whenever he visits the NaNoWriMo website.

Marrije is a business person by day and a writer by night. She is currently testing whether her true writerly calling is to be a horror novelist, not the Literature person she used to think she was.

Today's Guest: Anna Scott Graham

Lindsey Grant — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:25:02 +0000

Q: Anna, last year you wrote three novels simultaneously during NaNoWriMo! Were you successful? Did the ambition of yesteryear change your approach to NaNo '08 at all?
A: I was triumphant, reaching over 50 K on each, and realizing what’s possible during those thirty days. For my first NaNo in 2006, I hit over 100K, and the next year had a feeling another strong November could be on the horizon. No ideas for 2007 hit until August, then they came fast and furious. By the end of October, I had a trio of stories, and couldn’t say "No" to any of them. Completing the hat trick was really satisfying, but a lot of work. I wrote in blocks; morning, after lunch, then in the evening, each tale getting its own time slot. Not much else was accomplished during that time, but I actually finished two of the three novels in November, for a total word count of just over 183,000. (The last wrapped up in early December 2007, when I became reacquainted with my stove, dishwasher, and mounds of laundry.)

For 2008, I had been planning on again writing multiple stories, but am only working on one. Moving house, renovations, and proofreading my 2006 NaNo manuscript for publication have usurped some of my time. Knowing it’s possible makes me wistful that perhaps in 2009, I might again go for more than one story. (I did ponder it for about half a minute, but wrapping teapots and hauling furniture quickly snapped me back into reality.)

Some of the benefits of writing more than one NaNoNovel? When writer’s block hit, it was great to consider another project. I didn’t have to cook much last November, with Thanksgiving taking place at my sister’s house. Having just moved back to California, I went to write-ins and met some lovely folks (the South Bay NaNo community was a great support, as they are once again this year).

Even though 2008 has been full of other projects, I’ve been able to spread the NaNo-word to the chaps sorting our electrical and kitchen repair. (Not to mention gathering future novel fodder about the home remodeling business!)
NaNoWriMo has been such fun. Maybe three in one month sounds crazy, but with a patient spouse and kids, fantastic MLs, and more than a few cups of Yorkshire Tea, the words do emerge! If you’re feeling like 50 K needs an extra kick, let your imagination take over. You never know what’s in the back of your brain, waiting to escape.

Anna Scott Graham is a California native and NaNo enthusiast, having participated since 2006. With two of her three children off to college, writing has kept her somewhat busy and fairly sane. She loves a strong cup of English tea and her first novel, NaNo 2006’s Drop the Gauntlet, will be published by FEP International around Christmas.

Today's Guest: Charlotte Ripken, collaborative novelist

Lindsey Grant — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:17:34 +0000

Q: Charlotte, last year you created a write-in game that turned into a 25,000-word story! What exactly was this writing exercise, and what ever became of the story?
A: I can’t really remember how it started, but some of us decided to write something collectively, each one in turn adding a thousand words or so. We called it an “exquisite cadaver” after the surrealist game where each player in turn draws a part of the human anatomy, not really knowing what part of the body he is transplanting it to because the paper is folded.

In reality we cheated a little on the original exquisite corpse premise because we were allowed to read what had been written before. Otherwise our story would just have turned out an even sadder pile of mush than it actually is!

Anyway, it was all organic growth, since we had absolutely no outline to start with. We just had a bible we tried to update as we were going, adding in new characters so that we could keep track of the story's progress. We also used it to set stupid challenges to each other. It was huge fun and in the end, we even saw a real story developing there. The characters really did spring to life.

We had a main character we called Michou, because we didn’t know what else to call him. Michou is a rather weak guy, he isn’t exactly your typical action hero, but boy do things happen to him. He is a writer of fiction in a parallel universe where writers get enrolled into big teams churning out debilitating TV scripts by the kilometer, under the surveillance of big bad thugs and vicious fiction-cops. In this cruel world, Michou is desperately looking for Mary-Sue, the woman of his dreams, while trying to escape a whole selection of bad guys that includes his own hell-raising, bike-riding, bounty-hunting grandmother. He is crushed (but also aroused) when he suddenly discovers that beautiful Mary-Sue has been cloned. There are thousands and thousands of her, but which one is his real true love?

Also, I should add that Chris Baty stars in Michou’s adventures...

Sadly, Michou did not win the ’07 NaNoWriMo edition. We only got about 25, 000 words out of him, and after a while, we all had to switch back to our original NaNo stories, which probably was the sane thing to do. But we still think fondly about Michou and we talk about him sometimes. We really do miss him.

Cadavre Exquis, the NaNoWriMo user we created to register our word count, scared a couple of people on the forums. He is not playing this year, but some day (maybe next year?) he’ll wake up and start haunting the Wrimos again. And when he does, don’t look at Anaël, Jo Ann, Maikie, Denis, Sarra or Eva for help. We’re innocent. None of us can remember the account password.

Today's Guest: Jenn Christianson, teacher

Lindsey Grant — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:56:55 +0000

Q: Jenn, you are a middle school writing teacher at the Washington School for the Deaf, where NaNoWriMo is a school-wide event. How does this work? What is the best part about doing NaNoWriMo as a school, as opposed to just classroom by classroom?
A: At the end of October the teachers plan a kick-off event for the entire school. This year we performed a skit, pretending to be at a pajama party on October 31st, trying to stay awake until November 1st so we could begin writing our novels! The kick-off promotes enthusiasm for NaNoWriMo and it gets the kids thinking about the book they will write in November. Plus it's just plain fun for us as a staff! Teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels facilitate NaNoWriMo in their classrooms, designating at least 30 minutes of class time everyday for this project, which doesn't seem to be enough time for the kids. They protest all month, begging to have the full class period to write! Students decide on a word count goal, sign contracts and make commitments. What's nice about doing this school-wide is that it gets kids talking about writing. They ask each other, "What's your word count so far?" or "What's your book about?" and "Will you read mine and tell me what you think?"

It gives us all the same project to talk about, common goals to strive for, and a shared celebration to look forward to when we finish! The school is absolutely buzzing with excitement. December 1st we begin the process of editing, revising, and publishing. Teachers read over students' finished work and prepare for the big celebration
in our school library. All students who wrote a book and achieved their word count goal receive a certificate of participation. We also give out awards for best fiction, highest word count, and most creative story. NaNoWriMo continues to be the most successful writing project at our school. It's a time for all of our students to shine!

Jenn teach writing to middle schoolers at the Washingto School for the Deaf in Vancouver, Washington.

Today's Guest: Skyla, word warrior

Lindsey Grant — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:38:46 +0000

Q: Skyla, you are the Municipal Liaison for Greeley, Colorado and your current word count is 62, 779. How did you do it? Do have mixed feelings about already reaching the 50,000-word mark?
A:At this year's kickoff party, NAVillareal from Fort Collins challenged me to a month-long word war. Some days he'll write as few as 600 words, and some days he'll write 10,000. My daily goal is 5,000 words a day, though, and I try to keep a steady pace. That has helped me reach my current word count, but I am going for over 100,000. At this rate, I may even hit 150,000 words!

I am not at all conflicted over already reaching 50,000 words; my novel is far from done! Greeley and Fort Collins have an epic word count battle every year, but it is based on averages. Greeley only has 12 word war participants to Fort Collins' 30 or so, so I am keeping my word count high to help the region defeat them this year. We will write our way to victory!

Skyla is a five-time NaNoWriMo champion; this will be her sixth win. She is an avid documenter of things and a self-professed word-padder.

Today's Guest: Sam Gawthrop, high-tech operative and OLL web programmer

Lindsey Grant — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:47:00 +0000

Q: Sam, NaNoWriMo's website has seen more traffic for more days than any November so far! What has been most challenging about keeping the site up and running?
A: From October 31 through November 3, Russ and I worked frantically to get the site to run faster. Any time we'd make an improvement, though, 500 more people would come on to the site and it would run just as slow as it had before. It was kind of like shoveling sand in the ocean.

As many Wrimos may recall, on November 3, we lost power. Because that was completely out of our hands, you might think that made it less frustrating. It actually made it more so! That power outage undid a lot of the improvements we'd made that day. Two steps forward, three steps back, right?

Sam is manically working on his NaNoNovel, but every time he goes to upload his word count, he gets sucked into the Bug Reports forum for hours. So if you want Sam to reach 50,000, stop reporting those bugs!

(Ahem... kidding. Please don't stop reporting those bugs. It is incredibly helpful when you let us know what isn't working!)

Today's Guests: Toronto Wrimos CD Team

Lindsey Grant — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:47:38 +0000

Q: Errol, Ryan and Debs, rumor has it that you put together a CD-length compilation of songs about NaNoWriMo. Is this true? Can you tell us a bit more about it?
A: Errol: The CD called is NaNoWriMusic 2008, and it's a compilation of original songs by Toronto-area Wrimos about the novel writing experience. The music stems from and represents the range of emotions that many of us feel during November - from the frustration of Writer's Block to fear of the inner critic, and of course, the sheer elation of being able to brush those things aside. It's very inspirational and encouraging, and is also great to write to!

Ryan: One of the things that's always amazed us about doing NaNoWriMo is that a lot of the people that do it seem to be so multi-talented. Over the years we've met a lot of people who have all these other creative outlets in addition to their novel-writing. It seemed like a good idea to create something to celebrate both that general commitment to creativity, as well as the sense of community that exists amongst a lot of the Toronto Wrimos.

Debs: The most amazing part of putting the CD together was learning that it had encouraged some of our Wrimos to write their very first songs! It embodies the true spirit of NaNoWriMo: that with a deadline and some moral support, anything is possible. We are incredibly proud of the final product and we are glad to be able to give something back to the community that means so much to us.

For more information about the CD, or to purchase a copy, visit Toronto's regional website. Proceeds from the sale go to National Novel Writing Month.

Debs Isaac is one of three Toronto Municipal Liasons, and stays sane by awarding herself little gold stars when she hits her word targets. She intends to write her entire novel this year with a pair of pink and yellow antennae perched upon her head. In addition to her noveling adventures, Debs channels her creative energy into February Album Writing Month (NaNoWriMo's sister challenge for musicians), and her ongoing weekly songwriting project Monday's Music.

Errol Elumir is the webmaster of the Toronto Nano Site. He eats three apples a day and loves to embarass his children in public. When not causing his wife to roll her eyes, he can be found writing geek love notes to her, animating LEGO, or playing German boardgames. He can consume a copious amount of rice. During the day, he creates curriculum to teach kids how to be creative with technology, on the weekends, he's the music director of his church, and at night, he is a graphic designer and basically does Debs' bidding.

When not writing, Ryan Harron's secret identity is that of an adult educator working in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, where he also lives with his wife and guitar. Since 2002, Ryan has credited NaNoWriMo with teaching him how to finish a story. In 2008 he's attempting a writing trifecta, having already completed both February Album Writing Month and Script Frenzy in 2008 before taking part in the tenth anniversary of NaNoWriMo.

Today's Guest: Clara, reading and writing advocate

Lindsey Grant — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:09:42 +0000

Q: Clara, you teach 5th and 6th graders in Mexico to read and write for
fun. What are some of the challenges you face? What has been most
rewarding about this work?
A: I guess the greatest challenge I face is the sad fact that your ordinary elementary school kid in Mexico just doesn’t read. According to the U.N., Mexico has a literacy rate of approximate 90%. Not bad for a third world country, but when you ask how many of those that can read, actually do read, the answer is a very skimpy 1%. Ouch!

I’m not talking textbook reading. I’m talking reading for fun-- a concept practically unheard of in Mexican households. It gets worse. The U.N. also states that lack of reading leads to poverty, a shorter life expectancy, and political oppression among other beauties. On the other hand, reading allows for greater growth and stability and for all around happier people.
In a third world country, this could become a vicious circle since books aren’t cheap and people will prefer to spend what little money they have on food rather than books.

Such is the case in many Latin American countries.

So, as a storyteller and reading promoter in Mexico I tread in uncharted waters and unknown territories. (Not to mention lack of funds) everyday. Yeah, a nasty job, but someone has to do it (oh the agony!).

Everyday I visit public schools and try to “teach” (or should I say infect) kids to read and write for fun. A difficult task since the majority of these kids have never been read to and have never picked up a book in their lives. Plus, there’s the whole peer pressure thing, especially among boys who don’t find it “manly” to read. With this in mind, I arrive at the school in my book mobile, roll out the carpet, set out the books and wait for the fish to bite. It doesn’t take long before the kids start swarming.
Surprisingly, every one of them gleefully picks out a book from the bookmobile and actually reads. Even the boys! Just watching their faces light up as they slowly turn the pages totally makes my day!

The second half of the activity has to do with getting them to write. Tricky! First, I read an excerpt on werewolves from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and then ask them to come up with their own version of a werewolf -- a character creation in thirty minutes! Getting them to write is trickier mainly because everyone is worried about making mistakes (huh?) because they’ve never been asked to write something just for the fun of it! ( sounds familiar!!). Some even ask if they are allowed to step out of the boundaries of reality. Wow! Strange question coming from a child!

Then there are those naturally born writers that stand out in the crowd and become frustrated when the 30 minutes are over. Those are the ones I worry about the most because I know that neither the school system nor their struggling parents will find a way to make that child grow as a writer. No doubt, a challenge.

By the end of the exercise, I look around the room and all I see are proud, shining faces of kids who have been infected. With this year almost at an end, I knew that I would now have to find the next big thing to work on. It was then that I stumbled upon the NaNoWriMo Young Writer’s Program and well…I heard heavenly harps. THIS would be the next big thing. So starting January I am planning on taking a step further with these newly discovered whiz kids and prepare them for next year's NaNoWriMo. Maybe they won’t make it to 50,000 words, but I’m sure that they will be better people just for trying! Thanks NaNoWriMo for helping.

Clara studied creative writing and cinema at the same school as Guillermo del Toro. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she is a professional translator and storyteller. She is also a reading promoter and has worked for her local cultural centers for the past twelve years creating project that have to do with film, reading, television and photography. On her spare time (yeah, sure!) she write screenplays and novels (o.k., she tries). Raised in sunny California, she now lives in an even sunnier Mexico with her three children, her dog Sasha and a rabbit with no name. This is her first year at NaNo. Hope she survives.

Today's Guest: Edna Henke, ardent author

Lindsey Grant — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:35:50 +0000

Q: Edna, NaNoWriMo 2007 posed some pretty major challenges for you, yet you emerged a winner! What did it take to win? Are you prepared to do it all over again?
A: My husband was the best support you can imagine. He spent the month bringing me hot chocolates and checking on me as I sat hunched over my keyboard with dazed eyes on my screen. Many a night he slept alone since my characters generally didn't get serious about what we were doing until 10:00 PM.

I had to finish the novel by the 23rd of November because I had to fly to Seattle and help my daughter who was due to have her 4th baby. I knew there would be no time to write it with four grandchildren wanting my undivided attention, so I was practically glued to my chair in one position until the week before it was to be done. I developed some bad tendinitis in my wrists and shoulders and thought I was going to have to stop, but I couldn't. One of my flaws is that I can't give up once I've started, even if it's for my own good. My husband found me some good wrist guards and the doctor filled me up with cortisone when I lied to him and told him I would take it easy. Fortunately there was no testing for cortisone in this marathon and I made it to the finish line with time to spare.

I was so excited to have finally finished a book! The NaNo way turned out to be exactly what I needed to get myself into the characters and let them carry me off like they did. Before that, I was so critical of my work that I would edit as I went and would finally give up without ever feeling the muse. I let about six people read my NaNoNovel; people who I thought would be honest and critical. They actually liked it and encouraged me to send it out (which I haven't done yet because I am still having trouble with the critical me who never thinks something is good enough to call it done).

This year I'm making two of last year's characters into their own story because all six of my readers asked me to. Maybe when I get it finished I will send them both off. No, not maybe; I will send them both off. This year I am going to write from my Lazy-Boy chair and start out with wrist guards.

Edna Henke is 61 and this is her second year at NaNoWriMo. She has always loved writing and when she retired she decided to try her hand at fiction. She has five children and seventeen grandchildren and would love to find some seniors to cheer on and support.

Today's Guest: Bob Gracie, of the Writing Gracies

Lindsey Grant — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:31:26 +0000

Q: Bob, you've done NaNoWriMo for the past two
years—not alone, but with your entire family! What is that like? Are
you the wordiest family in the world?
A: I doubt that we're the wordiest (though we may be the weirdest) but 500,000 words—soon to be 800,000 words—from our family have seen the light of day because of NaNoWriMo.

What's it like?

I've asked everyone in our family to describe what NaNo is to them. Here are
their answers, using their author names...

Artoveli (daughter, 22)- Hummm... NaNo is like a box of chocolates, if the
chocolates are chewy little pieces of plot coated in a layer of
word-padding, with a second level of sub-plots underneath for when you run
out of stuff to write about on the first level, only someone's been dipping
into the box so there are holes all over the place and you've misplaced the
box map so you don't know which one has coconut in it! But, in a good way.
I love NaNoWriMo.

Ridel (daughter, 19)- I hate writing. Have ever since I can remember. So why
on earth would I NaNo not once, not twice, but three times, planning on a
fourth fifth and onward? Because I've discovered there's just too much darn
universe in my head! And if it weren't for NaNo then in my head it would
stay. Murdering my sanity by inches.
Also it's just neat to tell your friends that you've written a couple of
novels. Less so when they ask to read them...

KingJing (son, 18)- Despite the fact that writing a novel in 30 days is
something that could (and should) get you arrested and tortured by the
literary military police, I do it year after year. Partly because I'm full
of story, and partly because the rest of my family would call me a wimp if I
didn't. (Which, in all fairness, I would be.) As for whether or not we're the
weirdest, well... My first novel WAS about a trio of bohemian mad scientists
who rode across the world on a moped, thanks to their ambivalent gravity
machine.

Paintbyletters (wife, ummm...ageless beauty)- In November our house is full of
characters that scratch at every door, hide under every bed, try on all our
clothes and crowd around the supper table, regaling us with their antics and
adventures.
It's bedlam and it's beautiful!

Tagarth (son, 21, who lives in Toronto and got tired of us carping on him all
year, so is joining us in Nano for his second year)- NaNo is about
having your friends and colleagues call you names while you hide in your
room, in coffee shops, and in the far corner by the lunch room window,
spending every second trying to balance creativity, finesse and word count.
Then you call your NaNo family after a grueling day of hair pulling and
derision, seeking loving support and recognition for your hard work, only to
have your family make fun of your pathetic word count... I love/hate every
second of it! It's totally worth it!

Dadoo (me, stuck at immature)- It boils down to one word: creativity. All I
ever wanted was to provide an environment where my children could grow up
creating their own histories, rather than relying on TV to provide it for
them. In Our house, the NaNos of November are funny, exciting, sometimes
astounding, always entertaining. They give us the gift of understanding,
communication, and laughter, things all families need.

I always knew that my kids were fantastically creative, but it's one thing
for Dad to say it, and quite another to discover it for themselves. I love
NaNoWriMo because it helped my children discover for themselves that Dadoo
was right all along...

Bob Gracie was born bald, naked, toothless and with lousy hand-eye co-ordination, but somehow overcame those obstacles and went on to write 50,000 word novels in both '06 and '07.