Camp Nano: End of Week Two Update

6:00 AM

Hello everyone! *tired waving* I'm going to keep this short, since I already posted today over at A Writer's Faith (and you should totally check it out).


Just wanted to bop in here so good ole' Stan doesn't get offended. He's getting bigger by the day, isn't he? *pats keyboard fondly*

Anyway. Nano. Right.





So far, I have ...


1) Ranted to a writer friend about me being afraid to write and learned ... It's okay if people read bad stuff from you. It is okay if your betas do not read perfection. That's not what they're for, anyway. They are there to read what you have and help you make it better.


2) Made a new writer friend (Hi, Petra!) and become aware of our very small world. She is awesome and is an epic word warrior and her blog is beautiful so you should go read it now. Yeah. Read all of it. Right now. (Stan will forgive you for leaving. Just make sure you come back at some point to apologize. Gifts of coffee beans are welcome also.)


3) Lowered my word goal for camp nano to 50k. And I'll probably end up lowering it another 10k, at least, because I am so stuck right now. It's not even funny. *sighs heavily and goes to drink all the coffee in the house*


4) Been a lazy turd muffin.

Yup. You heard me. I'm lazy and I'll admit it. I have spent more than one word war this week curled up in the chair with my WIP's music booming and playing Sudoku and I am not ashamed know it was not the best way to get stuff done like I told myself it was and have accepted that Sudoku is the best thing ever and really good for brainstorming I will only get stuff done if I get my butt to work and ... get stuff done. Because that just makes so much sense.

I am learning so much more and growing lots as a writer through this book I'm writing. Because I've also learned ...

5) Editing is hard, guys. So is rewriting. Rewriting is the Worst Thing Ever. (okay, there might be a few worse things, like coffee deprivation and no air conditioning, BUT IT'S STILL HORRENDOUS.)

But seriously. When you finish the first draft, this new pressure falls on your shoulders. Suddenly, you can't just look at a plot hole and say, "Oh, I'll fix it later." You can't just change POVs in the middle of the chapter and say, "Oh, I'll fix it later." Because suddenly now is the later. And you've got a whole lot of issues and things that need to be seen to in your story that you simply can't put off any more.

Which leads to my little bit of advice for today (aside from what I think about book blurbs).

It's okay if your first draft is terrible. We all know that (well, we should. If you didn't, now you do).

But you know what?

It's also okay if your second draft is terrible.

Yeah, I said it. We all want the next draft we write to be better, of course. But, just like we can't make a perfect book our first try, we can't do it on our second try either (well, most people can't. And if you can, you need to keep your mouth shut and just ... leave. Right now. Before I slap you or do something else I am supposed to will regret). It could take you eight times to produce a good book, and that is O K A Y. Okay? Take a deep breath and just ... chill. I am talking to myself us much as I am to you. Editing is hard. And it's going to take a lot of time and work to make your book as good as I know it has the potential to be.

Editing is a real test of perseverance for a writer. Editing is when the fun stops and you have to take a hard look at your manuscript ... and yourself. Is this really what you want to do? Do you really want to tell this story?

I hope you'll say yes to these questions, and that you'll keep saying yes. Because, though writing is hard, it is beautiful. And, as I like to say, the things in life that bring the most satisfaction, that are the most magnificent and beautiful and amazing, are the things that are hard to do.

How's Camp Nano going for you guys? Is anyone still alive? *pokes the readers with pencil* Comment your state of awareness and I'll send you appropriate survival necessities like chocolate and coffee. *showers you all in coffee beans*

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21 comments

  1. Heyyyy! I'm Anna, I found you through your guest post on Katie's blog this morning. I'm so glad I found your blog it looks really good. I'm pretty new to the blogosphere too (Since last December) and I love finding other new bloggers. I'm also a Saturday poster over at theeverstormcomes.blogspot.com

    I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHOUT AT YOU THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE STUCK YOU ARE DOING AMAZING OKAY? Okay xD I need this shouted at me too sometimes so I like to shout it at other people to pass that along. Rewriting is absolutely the most evilest thing ever, probably. Next to, like, plot holes. Which rewriting is supposed to fix. Ahem. But anywaaayyy you've totally got this and I don't know you really at all but I believe in you. YOU WILL CONQUER THIS.

    That being said, if you need to shriek about rewriting problems to someone, or if you need a word-warring partner, you can contact me. I'm always open for writerly shriekings or warring!

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    1. Awwwww Anna this made me very happy! *hugs* thanks for hopping in from A Writer's Faith. It means a lot! And so do your words. Do you have a blog? I tapped your name but I wasn't sure if i had found it or not. Please drop a link below! I'd love to check it out :D
      Thank you for the scream reminder. I spent last night ranting in a document, but I think I'm going to figure it out. ;) YOU'VE GOT THIS TOO, GIRL

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    2. You're welcome! Also, my blog is right here: http://theeverstormcomes.blogspot.com/

      Ranting in a document is pretty great too xD THANKS. I THINK IVE GOT IT BUT BEING TOLD THAT IS HELPFUL.

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    3. Yessss ranting in a doc was very helpful. And OH MY GOODNESS RE-READING YOUR COMMENT I SEE YOU DROPPED THE LINK TO YOUR BLOG AND I FEEL LIKE SUCH AN IDIOT AAGSDJLGLDSHGJFSHGDHSGHSDHGDSNVDS. Ehemmm. Sorry for missing that! XP

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  2. I keep putting off the rewriting, it's such a monstrous task I'm not sure where to start.

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    1. Ugh. I feel your pain. Just start at the beginning and push through. That's all you can do. And remember, you won't get it right the second time either.

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    2. Or I guess I should say, you won't get it perfect the second time ;) you might get it right but then you have to clean up the writing!

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    3. I definitely have felt this way. If you don't know where to start, check out this book called Rock your Revision. Ebook form it's only 2.99. I'm serious it's a great book :) Definitely helped give me some direction as I was freaking out while trying to edit my 2nd book (I'm writing a 3 book series...)

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  3. Don't fret. My first Manuscript has like...12 drafts. Ok sorry don't mean to freak you out more. It's okay! You should check out this book called Rock your Revision. It's super cheap and it's very useful and effective.
    I'm also doing Camp NaNo and I'm so freakin exhausted (I have a COLD can you believe it...) I am also editing/rewriting. I've gone through about half the book so far, which is good progress I think. I get the whole you have to stop and fix stuff right away feeling...ugggh. yes. I had to rewrite 4 chapters before continuing on to read through.

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    1. I will check out that book! The Go Teen Writers book is amazing too. Like, I cannot recommend it enough. (You should totally enter Katie's giveaway for it)
      Ugh a cold during camp nano? That's the WORST. UGH. *offers allll the chocolate and tissues and tea and coffee* but good job! That's amazing progress!

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  4. YOU ARE CONQUERING. YOU ARE MAKING IT THROUGH. HIGH FIVE.

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    1. THANK YOU EMILY *pumps fist and runs off to edit*

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  5. *points at what Emily said*
    Stole da words from my lips. :P
    And also, Sudoku is totally legitimate brainstorming food. :D
    Camp NaNo's going good, I may or may not be dying and or drowning in word wars. (which I think? is a good thing)

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    1. Ah, yes. Word wars are the best. Especially when bribery snippets are involved ... ;) THANK YOU FOR YOUR AGREEMENT ON SUDOKU. JUST ... THANK YOU XP

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  6. I'M STILL ALIVE!! but i'm not doing nano, so . . . do i count?

    You're so right. Writing is such a process that no draft will be perfect until . . . all the sudden your sweat and tears have produced something more beautiful than not :D

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    1. You're a writer so ... I think you count ;P I'm glad to hear you're still alive! *offers chocolate and coffee just in case*
      YES YES. Sweat + frustration + tears + lots of coffee = Beautiful masterpiece. You're so right XP

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  7. Camp NaNo and motivation have a rocky relationship for me. And I am so with you on the rewriting thing. I just finished my book for Camp NaNo and I have to jumps straight back into editing, and knowing that i can't leave things til later but have to fix them now is so hard. I knew there was a reason I preferred first drafts...Good luck with your book though! You can do it!

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    1. Ugh IKR? It's taking a lot of willpower not to just ditch the mess of a book I made and write something new. *sigh* I am determined to get through this draft and the next before starting a new project, however.
      Thank you! You've got this too! Congrats on finishing your novel! That's such a big accomplishment! *showers you in coffee beans and chocolate*

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  8. YESSS. YOU ARE DOING SO AWESOME. YOU REALLY ARE. BELIEVE ME ON THIS, OKAY?? OKAY. GOOD.

    And thank you SOOO much again for guest posting on my blog! I seriously appreciate so much and it was just an amazinggg post. Everyone needs to read it and I'm TOTALLY going to use your tips to write my own blurb. :D

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    1. Eugsdjghds. Merph. Thankssssss *ugs*

      Thank /you/ for asking me! It means a lot and I'm so glad you liked it! :D

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