Lacey Louwagie's Blog, page 30

NaNoWriMo: Week Four

This is it! The final week has arrived, and by Friday, I’ll hopefully have another novel first draft under my belt (my eighth!). I’m close to the end of the story now — the prince has been found out, Rapunzel’s hair is cut, and the witch’s backstory has been revealed. All that’s left is some wandering in the wilderness, some babies, and a reunion. I hope that I’ll actually be able to type “the end” and not just hit 50,000 words, because I agree with Chris Baty that there’s something magic about November — and if you don’t finish in the frenzy, you may not ever finish. I never looked at my incomplete novel from last year after putting in the 50,000 words, and that seems like a shame (especially since, being away from it for so long, I’m actually sort of scared to look at it now. I don’t even remember where I left off).

Because with a completed draft, the prospect of revising is so much more enticing. This novel may take almost as much revising as Ever This Day did, although I didn’t know what a beast ETD would be to revise when I was writing it. (It took one month to write and almost two years to revise). I forge ahead trying to be comfortable with the fact that I might be getting it all wrong. I’ve learned more through trial and error in this novel than usual, since there’s no time to carefully consider the best way to tell the story when you need to get out nearly 2,000 words a day. Between the weekend and today, I changed a setting mid-scene. I haven’t resorted to switching character perspectives yet, and I’m glad about that. I’m starting to think a unified story with only Rapunzel’s point of view might be best after all.

The witch is what most intrigues me about this piece, and I need more than a month to untangle the subtleties of her psyche and her relationship with Rapunzel. Actions that seem quite straightforward in the fairy tale — she is so filled with rage that she cuts Rapunzel’s hair — are not so straightforward once you’ve given both characters more depth. It’s a challenge to remain true to the cornerstones of the fairy tale without reducing those scenes to melodrama. Fairy tale characters are archetypes foremost, and attempting to flesh them out into full human beings is tricky. Knowing I can do away with certain aspects of the traditional tale for my retelling is tempting, too, sometimes too tempting. What if two princes visit Rapunzel instead of just one? What if she falls in love with the wrong one? What if she falls in love with a commoner instead after he expulsion? What if she and the prince never do reunite?

Some of the more outlandish ideas I have alarm me with the sheer amount of overhaul they’d require of the original tale and what I’ve written so far. But I look forward to wrestling with these questions in the months ahead. (First, however, I have to return to my dear Rumplestiltskin for a more worthy ending to his story.)

Life does not stop for novel-writing! The second half of the month has been particularly busy, as I finally finished cleaning out all the remnants of my presence in my old house — a large part of which was packing up massive boxes of drafts and old writing. Looking at all those pages, I felt a little in awe that I still haven’t hit the 10,000 hours Malcolm Gladwell claims are necessary for true mastery. We’re still finishing the basement in my house, and then it will be time for, The Move In, Part II. I was hoping I might finish the Rapunzel novel from my new office, but that might be pushing it. This last week has been so full of family and moving and work and even a migraine that, were it not November, I would have given myself a break on writing several days in a row. It’s probably good that NaNoWriMo reminds me that I don’t have to bend to that temptation — I got some good writing in, despite feeling too tired some nights to even open my computer. Still, that doesn’t mean I won’t be relieved when it’s all done!

NaNoWriMo: Week Three

So, supposedly Week Three is where things are supposed to start coming together. This is where the NaNo journey gets better. Although I’m not quite seeing it yet … I’m still struggling through mid-novel insecurity, and the negligence of many other areas of my life for the sake of this novel is beginning to have an effect. My dear husband finally cleaned the bathroom tonight. I finally walked my dog and got new tires. The dishes remain undone, and this blog post is being written at the last possible moment so I can still cross it off my list for Monday.

More than with my other NaNo novels, this one has me already thinking about what I’ll do in revisions before the first draft is done. I’m finally starting to get a handle on the prince’s character after writing him for a week, thanks to a conversation over pizza with my husband. Now I’ll need to go back to make his behavior so far consistent with what I’ve discovered.

This week has also brought me the most explicit “love” scene I’ve ever written (yes, “love” is being used as a stand-in for a more explicit word ). In the traditional fairy tale, Rapunzel becomes pregnant with twins while she’s still locked in the tower, so we can figure it out. And although I’m usually a “pan-away” sort of author with such scenes, that wasn’t going to get me a whole lot of words. So I spelled it out. And I’ll probably go back and “unspell” most of it later.

I’m still struggling with whether a single-person point of view is best for telling this story. Initially, I thought about doing it from both Rapunzel’s and the witch’s perspectives, and now I’m thinking that I’d like to give the prince a chance to say his piece, too. There are certain things that just will never be revealed through Rapunzel, since her experience of the story is rather limited (the whole locked-in-a-tower thing.) On the other hand, I think there’s a lot to be gained in such a limited perspective, both for the way it challenges the writer and the way that it keeps the tension higher for the reader (what ARE those other characters doing?). So, if I get desperate for words, I may play around with some scenes from other PoV’s, but I’m hoping to try all 50,000 words from Rapunzel first and then take it from there.

Now that NaNo is over halfway finished, my momentum has slowed and I’m usually writing the bare minimum most days rather than the more ideal 2,000 words-per-day I started out with (so glad I built that cushion.) But I’m still on-target as far as word-count goes for this part of the journey, even though my progress has slowed.

And now that the end is in sight, I’m looking forward to doing the following things when November is over …

Writing in my journal
Writing book reviews
Sleeping
Earning more money (because my finances is one of the areas that’s taken a hit this month)
Using my “get out of fiction writing free” card again (which I usually invoke on days that I do other projects to further my writing goals, like blogging)

Oh, I can still invoke that card, but it comes at a high word-count price, so I use it sparingly.

A few things I hope to take with me when NaNoWriMo is over:

A life that continues to prioritize my writing (currently, “word count” is in my top three goals for the day every day)
The delicious feeling of being immersed and inspired in a world of your own creation
A shiny new novel!

Beware the Dangerous Catholics

My newest post is up on Young Adult Catholics, about which Catholics pose the “real” danger to the Church. Take a look and decide for yourself.

NaNoWriMo: Week Two

I’m finally crawling out from beneath a pile of laundry and trying not to be too dismayed by the fact that only half my to-do list is accomplished and that I haven’t earned a single penny today (except for some residual income from Demand Studios — thanks, Demand!). I’m trying to go easy on myself and remember that it’s always like this when I take a trip and am out of contact with my “real life” for a few days. The good news is, airplanes are a great place for finishing books, and airports with three-hour layovers are a great place for writing them!

I got back last night from the Call To Action conference in Louisville, Kentucky, where I helped organize a panel about Young Adult Catholics and social justice based around Hungering and Thirsting for Justice. The panel went very well, the room was full, and the hour flew by. A few of my “Church Justice Heroes” attended. We sold some books and even signed some autographs. And I took home six more copies of the book for gifts and promotional purposes. I sense a Goodreads giveaway coming on …

Of course, it’s still November, so my primary writing commitment remains to NaNoWriMo. I missed two days for the conference, but three-hour layovers on both my travel days helped my word count stay healthy. The experience is not as ecstatic as it was during the first week, however. Rather than making long lists of scene ideas the way I was last week (which I’ve burned through already), I end each writing session hoping I can come up with one more scene to start the next day off with. I told myself that November 15th was the Prince’s deadline for coming on the scene, but I had to bring him on the scene while in an airport on November 8 because plot development ideas were becoming scarce. Hopefully he’ll breathe a bit of new life into that lonely ol’ tower!

Still, there are a few things that have contributed to this year going more smoothly, so far, than my last few years.

I’m doing a retelling of Rapunzel, which means the basic story arc is already there. So that takes the pressure off plot a bit, and makes even a first draft feel a little bit like revision.
Rapunzel seems particularly suited to telling her own story, considering that she probably had a lot of time on her hands being locked in a tower and all. So the story is structured a bit like a journal, and being a veteran journal-keeper myself, I know how messy and tangential they can be. This format works perfectly for NaNoWriMo, since creating a linear story can be eschewed for a more “stream-of-consciousness” one.
I held off on writing anything for a month beforehand, and I’ve had this book percolating for over three years. When November 1 hit, it was ready to start spilling out.

I’ve also found this handy online timer which I’ve been using for my writing sessions (I set it for 45 minutes first, and if I don’t meet my word count by then, for another 15). I have an egg timer, but I can save maybe a whole minute (and bust out about 50 words!) by not walking to the kitchen to get it.

Also, I learned that Chris Baty has these awesome writing posters that my new office will surely want on its walls. Christmas list, anyone?

NaNoWriMo: Week One!

In the past week, I’ve received a couple pieces of good news on my writing projects. My middle grade/young adult novel, Ever This Day, is currently under consideration with a new press. And the Conscious Monologues, a play including a piece I wrote about Women’s Ordination, has it’s debut performance next month. I would love to go to the opening, but I think my travels to Illinois last month for my cousin’s wedding and my trip to Kentucky this week for the Call to Action conference will have to be the extent of my travelling for this autumn.

But the most exciting thing that happened last week was the launch of NaNoWriMo, and my fifth year participating in the frenzied challenge to write a novel in 30 days.

I tend to approach NaNoWriMo with a combination of anticipation and dread. On the one hand, it gives me an opportunity to move my writing to the top of my priorities list in a way I don’t during the rest of the year, when I’m trying to develop myself as a writer while still leading a somewhat “balanced” life. It gives me the excuse to bow out of social engagements so I can get my word count, as well as to put off housework until the word count has been attained. And, on the other hand, it allows me to move my writing to the top of my priorities list in a way I don’t during the rest of the year. Which is also the downside, because putting writing first every day doesn’t necessarily facilitate the most balanced life. (But wow, I had forgotten how lovely it is to wander around in a fictional world-building haze.)

And ultimately, this is what both thrills and terrifies me about NaNoWriMo: because of my “finisher,” achievement-oriented personality, I become a bit of a slave to my word count during November, even when I claim I’m going to treat it “lightly” (something I told myself last year — I have no such delusions this year). This means that for one month of the year, I can’t hide from the moments when writing is most intense. I can’t hide from or put off that emotional climax at the end of the book, or the dreaded final line. If I don’t know what it will be now, I will by the time the month is over. I can’t procrastinate guilt-free by focusing on “other” writing projects, like blogging or promotion or research, until I feel “good and ready” to tackle the particularly meaty parts of the novel.

But that’s what’s so exhilarating, too. The breakneck speed at which your plot tumbles forward, dragging you with it. Because no matter how much time I try to buy with tangential word-count padding, it’s actually much easier to write 2,000 words per day when something substantial is happening than when it’s not. And when you write that much every day, you really can’t help the fact that the plot is unfolding.

The first several days of NaNo this year have been a blast for me, which has come as a pleasant surprise. My first year doing NaNo was deceptively easy, and set me up for disappointment the following three times I tried it, when the process of squeezing those 2,000 words out every day was fairly excruciating. (Last year, for the first time, I totally abandoned my unfinished novel when I hit 50,006 words, thinking something along the lines of, good riddance.) My 2008 novel, which developed into Ever This Day, started out as the worst thing I’d ever written during NaNoWriMo. But it also received the most diligent, dedicated, and loving revision. And I’d rather spend a year on the revision process than the first draft process, because writing the first draft is my least favorite part of writing. Why not get it out of the way in one horrible, wonderful, dreary, intoxicating month?

Already at this morning’s writing session, I could feel my beginner’s momentum slowing down, which is why I’m glad I racked up those words while I was feelin’ it. Now, to find 39,000 more where those came from!

Countdown to NaNoWriMo!

By this time next week, I should have written at least 8,000 words on this year’s NaNoWriMo novel. Like every year that I’ve decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month, I find myself savoring these last few days of freedom from word-count tyranny even as I feel delightful anticipation in getting started.

This is not going to be easy. I work every weekend in November and will be at the CTA conference for four days promoting Hungering and Thirsting for Justice and recharging my spiritual batteries. If I don’t write during those four days, I’ll be 8,000 words behind.

Most weeks, I give myself a “pass” on writing on Thursdays because I spend so much time on the road and working those days. But I can’t afford to grant myself such passes in November. I’ve also typically shirked a lot of my other writing responsibilities for the sake of NaNoWriMo in the past — blogging, researching, submitting, etc. This year, I’d really like to keep all of that up. And with our basement renovations almost finished and getting an office in my new house on the horizon, I’ll be spending a lot of time painting, cleaning, moving, and “setting up shop.” But if I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be able to finish my novel from my new office. I should be writing it on a new laptop by this weekend.

At least I’m not planning a wedding.

But despite all of this, despite the stress I will bring upon myself to do NaNoWriMo this year, I’m still excited. While there’s something to be said about not spreading yourself too thin, there’s also no shortage of excuses not to write. And I’ve always prided myself on not depending upon those excuses too much. I’ll do the dishes and make the bed less. I’ll wake up earlier. I’ll hunker down for a few write-ins. I’ll drink coffee. And somehow in the midst of everything November will throw at me this year, I’ll find the time to write. And if I can’t find it, I’ll MAKE it. That’s what November is all about.

Freelance Writer Opportunity

My husband’s company, Wimpy Analytics, LLC., is seeking a part-time freelance writer and PR person for their website Coppergoose.com. Below is a description of the position:

Wimpy Analytics, a software startup, is seeking a writing and marketing intern/part-time staff member to become part of a fun, enthusiastic team. The chosen candidate will be responsible for writing blog posts and press releases, researching and pitching to markets of potential interest, and writing short descriptions of prizes to be given away on the company’s flagship website, Coppergoose.com. Time commitment will be about 5-10 hours a week and all work can be done remotely with a computer that has access to the Internet. The position pays $10/hr with long-term possibility for the right fit. The position is open to anyone with good writing skills willing to work remotely, whether or not you are a formal student. An interest or involvement in “geek” subculture is a plus. If taking the internship for credit, we will work with your department to ensure that internship criteria are met.

To apply for the position, please submit a letter of interest detailing your related work/personal experience and qualifications to jobs@coppergoose.com. Please note that this will also serve as your writing sample, although you may supply additional samples at your discretion.

About Coppergoose.com: Coppergoose is the premiere offering of Wimpy Analytics, LLC., a software startup based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It’s a no-strings-attached giveaway site offering the chance to win free goodies every day and catering to the “geek” market (sci-fi and fantasy, role-playing, video and board games, anime, comics, etc.). To learn more, visit http://www.coppergoose.com/faq/.

A few notes/a bit of insight from the wife:

Although the job is posted as an internship, this is mainly to welcome students and those beginning their freelance careers to apply, and to let applicants know that Wimpy Analytics is willing to work with academic departments if you prefer. Because it’s not a full-time gig, it may be best suited to students or those who have another source of income. If you are interested in the position long-term or are not a formal student, don’t let the word “internship” scare you off.
This is a fun writing gig for someone who’s the right fit, particularly someone who is interested in geek subculture or software startups.
This is an “entry-level” freelance writing gig — clips or extensive publishing credits are not required — just proof that you can write.
It’s a great, flexible way to earn a little extra $$ each week (who doesn’t want that?)
I would not post this on my blog if I couldn’t stand behind it as a legit freelance opportunity. (Nor would I marry a guy who was a jerk to the people he works with.)
Ivan (my husband) and his business partner are enthusiastic, fair, intelligent, and laid back. They’re open to working with and discovering new talent.

Feel free to leave questions in the comments below, or to email using the address provided.

Writing About Catholicism and Marriage

My latest post, a reflection on how much power the Church should have in dictating individual wedding ceremonies, is up on Young Adult Catholics. Also, the issue of DignityUSA’s newsletter featuring my article about being bisexual and Catholic is also now available. So much Catholic and marital subject matter today!

Adventures in Book Promotion and Genuine Connection

Last weekend, I went down to Illinois for my cousin’s wedding. My grandfather was with us, and he was very concerned about whether my cousin was marrying another Catholic. After he asked some nosy questions and was assured that the couple were both Catholic, he relaxed — even after I expressed my confusion about the fact that the ceremony would be an outdoor wedding — which the Catholic Church usually won’t officially bless.

At the reception, my parents and I found ourselves assigned to the same table as Rev. Cronan, the priest who had performed the ceremony. My mom, who is one of the most talkative introverts I know, immediately struck up a conversation with him. He explained that, although he was ordained a Catholic priest, he now belongs to a “reform” Church group, where he ministers to people in the Catholic tradition, even though he resigned as a Catholic priest due to disagreements with some official Church teachings.

Seated at the other end of the table, I could only catch this conversation in bits and pieces, but I could hear enough to know that this was a priest after my own heart — one who loved his church too much to stand by when it doesn’t live up to its own teachings.

I leaned over and whispered to my dad, “Mom should be plugging my book!”

He said, “You should be plugging your book.”

But an introvert who is still squeamish about all this promotion stuff is not a good candidate to plug a book from across the long-end of a table, or even to get up and interrupt a fruitful conversation. So instead, my dad offered to switch spots with me, so that I could more organically become part of the conversation (it helped that I had already caught my mom make several references to “my daughter,” who I assumed was me, since her other two daughters are not explicitly involved in Catholic issues).

From my new seat, I was able to enter into a fascinating conversation about Church justice work, and introduce Hungering and Thirsting for Justice quite organically. From that, I learned that Rev. Cronan had also done some work in Catholic publishing, and that he had written a prayer devotional book for a publisher that was run by “official” church leadership. In the midst of that experience, he was told not to use the word “justice” anywhere within the course of the book.

Writing reflections on the Bible, the Gospels, and Jesus’s message to us … but without ever once using the word “justice,” which, apparently, is just too controversial. (A similar thread came up in Kate’s and my interview with Daniel Horan.) It made me realize again how lucky we were to work with ACTA Publications, who not only plastered the word “justice” on the cover, but who let us use words like, “women’s ordination” and “reproductive rights” and “feminist” — without deprecating any of those things. I suggested that, if he ever wanted to try his hand at spiritual writing again, and maybe even use the word justice, he might check out ACTA as well.

In the end, I gave him the copy of the book I’d brought to show some family members. He accepted graciously, and even told me that it will be helpful for him in a project he’s about to undertake working with young adults who are interested in joining the Catholic Church. I was glad I got the opportunity to share about the book, but even more, I was inspired to meet someone else who cares deeply about the same issues that I do. I was reminded again that this is ultimately why I write, and why publication is important. My priority isn’t selling books (which probably means I’ll always have a “day job”), but in forging these connections, in bridging these gaps between one soul and another, and another, and more of whom I may never meet.

When I received my box of five contributor copies at the end of September, I wondered what the best home might be for them. I kept one, gave one to my family, plan to send one to my old parish in Duluth, and gave one to Reverand Cronan. That leaves one more, which I originally meant to give away on Goodreads. Now I’m not so sure. I might wait for the right connection to come up instead.

Two Podcasts about the Book

Last week, the Dating God podcast featured my co-editor Kate Ward and I discussing Hungering and Thirsting for Justice. You can listen to or download the podcast here. Doing the interview was a great experience — I did it holed away in a study room at the Marshall-Lyon County library while Kate did it in person with Daniel Horan in Boston. The wonders of technology! (As an aside, I’m excited to have learned about this blog, so that I can download a bunch of the fantastic podcasts to listen to while I walk my dog.)

Kate Ward also appeared on her husband’s radio talk show last week, which you can listen to here. (Kate’s interview begins about 42 minutes in, and she does a great job of pulling out many of the themes and stories in the book.)