R.Y.S. Perez's Blog, page 2

The First Batch is in!

They are currently being prepped to be sent out.

How I Use NaNoWriMo To Cure Plot Bunnies

First, let's clarify a few terms here. If you've traveled the internet for any kind of writer scene for any amount of time, you have most likely come across the term NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) is a month in where a writer dedicates an entire 30 days to writing [usually] 50 thousand words of the first draft of a novel. This month is around the world annually in November, however April and July are also dedicated to "Camp" NaNoWriMo as well. "Camp" NaNoWriMo is where you choose your own word count and/or goal for whatever project you dedicate your month to. The purpose in essence is to dedicate a month to writing the first draft, therefore you are not only encouraged but practically enforced (because of the time constraint) to not do any editing whatsoever in this time. There is no "prize" for winning the challenge, except your own work, so it's really all based on honor code. NaNo does tend to be a polarizing topic, but we'll get into the specifics of that later.On the other hand, "Plot Bunnies" are story ideas that refuse to go away, and gnaw at your brain until you write them down. The problem with these cutesy sounding ideas are they tend to multiply and come in dozens. So, no, they aren't really about bunnies (though I guess that's up to your story), but there probably is a little adult humor involved in the explanation. Some believe the phrase originated from John Steinbeck's quote- "Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen" - though I think we might be giving ourselves too much credit, but I digress.Then why would I subject myself to a month-long of wracking my brain to get down one of the many plot bunnies in my head? Why would I put myself through the stress of trying to punch out as much of a first draft as I possibly can in one month? Would that even be sufficient time? Well, those are honestly all good questions, and as much as I love NaNo personally, here's the truth: It is not meant for everyone. NaNoWriMo is intense. It is not meant for those who take too much shame in losing, who like to take their time, or are incapable of setting enough time throughout an entire month to accomplish an almost unfeasible feat.So, then, why?Well, I'm a very busy person, and while I make sure to sit down at least twice a week to write for an ideal minimum amount of time, the material will write throughout the week will vary greatly. For instance, if it wasn't Camp NaNoWriMo now, this post would count as part of my writing time for the week. So, while in one week I would have gotten in eight hours of writing in, I maybe got one page in of ten different projects, feeling as though I've made no real dent in my work. Way back when, for my first NaNoWriMo in 2012, I started my novel project as a last-ditch effort. At that time, overwhelmed with poetry drafts, short story ideas, and novel plots, I was nearly swimming up to my ears in my incomplete writing documents. I wanted to finish something, I wanted to focus on one thing. I went to write-ins around the city, met other writers and we bounced ideas off each other while we challenged each other in writing sprints. And you want to know what happened? I lost.In fact, my losing streak for NaNoWriMo extended from 2012 to 2014. That's right, for something I cheer for - and cried for - I lost three years in a row. That never bothered me though. I was ecstatic to find a community that encouraged me to keep writing on one project for 30 days, to create a dent no matter how small in the next big project in my head. In lieu of Camp NaNoWriMo, and my first book finally completed, I decided it was time to move on to the next project. With that said, I'm going to do some word sprints.

Why I Use NaNoWriMo To Cure Plot Bunnies

First, let's clarify a few terms here.If you've traveled the internet for any kind of writer scene for any amount of time, you have most likely come across the term NaNoWriMo.NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) is a month in where a writer dedicates an entire 30 days to writing [usually] 50 thousand words of the first draft of a novel. This month is around the world annually in November, however April and July are also dedicated to "Camp" NaNoWriMo as well. "Camp" NaNoWriMo is where you choose your own word count and/or goal for whatever project you dedicate your month to. The purpose in essence is to dedicate a month to writing the first draft, therefore you are not only encouraged but practically enforced (because of the time constraint) to not do any editing whatsoever in this time. There is no "prize" for winning the challenge, except your own work, so it's really all based on honor code. NaNo does tend to be a polarizing topic, but we'll get into the specifics of that later.On the other hand, "Plot Bunnies" are story ideas that refuse to go away, and gnaw at your brain until you write them down. The problem with these cutesy sounding ideas are they tend to multiply and come in dozens. So, no, they aren't really about bunnies (though I guess that's up to your story), but there probably is a little adult humor involved in the explanation. Some believe the phrase originated from John Steinbeck's quote- "Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen" - though I think we might be giving ourselves too much credit, but I digress.Then why would I subject myself to a month-long of wracking my brain to get down one of the many plot bunnies in my head? Why would I put myself through the stress of trying to punch out as much of a first draft as I possibly can in one month? Would that even be sufficient time? Well, those are honestly all good questions, and as much as I love NaNo personally, here's the truth: It is not meant for everyone. NaNoWriMo isintense. It is not meant for those who take too much shame in losing, who like to take their time, or are incapable of setting enough time throughout an entire month to accomplish an almost unfeasible feat.So, then, why?Well, I'm a very busy person, and while I make sure to sit down at least twice a week to write for an ideal minimum amount of time, the material will write throughout the week will vary greatly. For instance, if it wasn't Camp NaNoWriMo now, this post would count as part of my writing time for the week. So, while in one week I would have gotten in eight hours of writing in, I maybe got one page in of ten different projects, feeling as though I've made no real dent in my work.Way back when, for my first NaNoWriMo in 2012, I started my novel project as a last-ditch effort. At that time, overwhelmed with poetry drafts, short story ideas, and novel plots, I was nearly swimming up to my ears in my incomplete writing documents. I wanted to finish something, I wanted to focus on one thing. I went to write-ins around the city, met other writers and we bounced ideas off each other while we challenged each other in writing sprints. And you want to know what happened? I lost.In fact, my losing streak for NaNoWriMo extended from 2012 to 2014. That's right, for something I cheer for - and cried for - I lost three years in a row. That never bothered me though. I was ecstatic to find a community that encouraged me to keep writing on one project for 30 days, to create a dent no matter how small in the next big project in my head. In lieu of Camp NaNoWriMo, and my first book finally completed, I decided it was time to move on to the next project.With that said, I'm going to do some word sprints.