Alice Kanaka's Blog: The Kanaka Files - Posts Tagged "writing"

Have you ever wondered what sparks an idea for a book? I often do, and sometimes the book is so amazing I wish I had thought of it!

Every author is different, of course. I have heard some talk about visualizing a new world in their dreams. That sounds really cool. My dreams are usually ridiculous.

My book ideas sometimes occur during my likewise ridiculous conversations with my brother. 'Bumfuzzle and Cattywampus; Unlikely Detectives' was born as the result of a conversation about unusual words and the distant memory of an eccentric high school teacher.

I almost always have a list of potential story ideas that I never get to. Sometimes I write half a book before I get distracted by another, better idea. What makes it better? I guess it's passion.

Ideas abound, but unless the passion is there, it's hard to sustain the drive to get it all on paper. Writing can be hard work, but if you've chosen the right story, it can also be a labor of love.

Every year, on November 1st, writers everywhere begin the National Novel Writing Month challenge. New and seasoned writers vow to write 50,000 words by the end of the month. If you win you get a certificate. It might not sound like much, but finishing your novel provides such a feeling of accomplishment that you won't even need that prize.

Year before last I wrote my first novel, The Cardinal & The Crow during NaNoWriMo and this year I will be writing my sixth.

This is a special time when writers come together in celebration of the craft. Local groups form to support each other, and participants are provided with lovely statistical graphs to track their progress. (Am I the only one who swoons at the sight of my progress on a graph?)

You can be as social or non-social as you like, participate in groups or don't, make your progress public or private.

Coaches speak live, online, and plenty of prep information is provided on the NaNoWriMo website, everything from character development worksheets to plot generators. And the best part: it's free. They like donations, of course, but you don't have to pay to participate.

If you are a writer, or dream of writing the story in your head, I hope you'll join me in celebrating NaNoWriMo next week.

Time has escaped me! Here it is February and I've hardly given a thought to the new year. I hope you had a wonderful time during the holidays. I actually took a week off from my revisions at Christmas and have been working industriously ever since.

I know that many people make New Year's resolutions, but I stopped doing it at some point because I never follow through. If I were to make a resolution, however, I think it might involve better time management. I have some author friends who are great at juggling their writing, marketing, social life, and chores. I really admire them for that.

My writing consumes me. My head is filled with my characters and their lives; everything else falls by the wayside. When one book is with the editor, I start another, but then a lot of important things get missed. So maybe this year--since I've recognized my shortcoming, perhaps I can make an effort to have better balance in my life. (I'm not calling it a resolution though!)

So how about you? Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you follow through with them? I hope you'll leave a comment and tell me what you're working on this year!