Chris Baty's Blog, page 153

A NaNoWriMo Hack: Making Up for Lost Writing Time

A bit behind? A lot behind? It’s never too late! 

A couple years ago, I was living in China but needed to travel to Ohio for a wedding in which I was the best man. It was a good time getting to visit friends and family. The downside… I lost a lot of writing time. From my time back home, travel time, and doubling up my teaching load to make up for missed classes, I was sure to fall short of the 50K mark for the first time. 

Luckily, I had a three day weekend, and I decided to just write as much as I could. I wrote just over 10K on day 22, just before the last weekend of November. I had written 11K the weekend before, but there was no way I could do that in a day, right? 

Wrong. I put my kitchen timer next to me and wrote for 20 minutes, stopped for 20, and then got right back to it. I was impressed with my day, but even more that I ended up having three 10K days to put myself back on track. I now use a timer to focus myself when I write every November.

Justin is originally from a small town in Ohio. After getting degrees in English and Education, he has taught English as a Second Language in 3 different countries. He currently resides in South Korea and is the ML for the new S. Korea :: Elsewhere region.

Top photo by Flickr user barbourians.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day FifteenEvery November, during...

UPGRADE || A sci-fi novel being written by Leighton Jae Williams || Cover design by Gyula Gefin


HELL & BACK || A satire/humor novel being written by YWP participant Claire Schultz || Cover design by Joan Raspo


Gyula Gefin is principal of Gefin Design, a Montreal-based studio that offers creative services in all aspects of graphic design.


Joan Raspo is an artist and filmmaker living in Santa Cruz, California.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day Fifteen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.

Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2015 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

Upgrade

A sci-fi novel being written this November by Leighton Jae Williams.

“Upgrade” follows the story of Jared Brown, a 57-year-old man who is a born leader with a gruff attitude, and Azel, a 12-year-old girl who was essentially created to be a soldier. Azel is sent to Level 0 to spy on the revolution that is being led by Jared. She ends up joining his cause, and together with Jared’s team of revolutionaries, they rise up against the oppressive government known as the Divine.

The story is set in a futuristic Chicago, where the city has been built up higher than ever before and encased in a glass dome. The city is split into “levels,” meaning that every ten stories is a new section that people live on, with glass walkways posing as sidewalks for those above ground level. Level 0 is home to the dark, dirty streets of Chicago that have been reserved for the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes, while Level 10 is the highest point of the city meant for those of the highest stature in society.

Cover Designed by Gyula Gefin

Gyula Gefin is principal of Gefin Design, a Montreal-based studio that offers creative services in all aspects of graphic design. With over 30 years of experience (15 in Italy), he also teaches several graphic design courses at Dawson College.

 Hell & Back

A satire/humor novel being written this November by YWP participant Claire Schultz.

Teenage criminal Sebastian Kane is sent to Hell after he’s killed by a car wreck. He’s assigned an attractive guide, and surrounded by like-minded people, but the parodic, prison-like netherworld leaves Seb underwhelmed.

He makes it his task to find his way to Heaven, and when he discovers a passage his guide is accidentally taken with him. Once in Heaven, Seb realizes that it’s terribly boring, and isn’t inclusionary to lawbreakers like him. Even worse, he’s stuck there. With the help of his guide, he decides that he’ll get back to Hell, doing what he does best: wreaking havoc.

Cover Designed by Joan Raspo

Joan Raspo is an artist and filmmaker living in Santa Cruz, California. An award winning Creative Director, Joan had a storied career in New York City working as a commercial director and creative executive at MTV Networks. Her credits include: The Sundance Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and The 2015 Contemporary Performance Almanac.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day FourteenEvery November, during...

IT'S PRONOUNCED 'SATAN' || A young adult novel being written by Katie Chanez || Cover design by Randy Gregory II


FACING THE SUN || A personal work being written by YWP participant Aaron Shaver || Cover design by Darcy Hinrichs


Randy Gregory II is a creative tinkerer currently leading UX teams at IBM Design in Austin, Texas.


Darcy Hinrichs has over 10 years of experience as a designer and works currently as an in-house digital-designer for Cabela’s.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day Fourteen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.

Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2015 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

It’s Pronounced “Satan”

A young adult novel being written this November by Katie Chanez.

Navigating high school can be tough. Homecoming, cliques, ACTs, boys, they’re all hard enough for normal teenagers, let alone the daughter of Lucifer. 

Corey finds herself torn between two worlds, that of the regular humans where she knows a little too much about the inner workings of the universe, and that of her father, where there is too much going on for a half-human to fully comprehend. And then of course there are the questions about her unnatural existence that not even the Devil himself can answer. Dad, I’m not the anti-Christ am I?

Cover Designed by Randy Gregory II

Randy Gregory II is a creative tinkerer currently leading UX teams at IBM Design in Austin, Texas. He enjoys Brand Strategy, his corgi Penny, tacos, experimental art/design, psychedelic music, Dungeons and Dragons, along with constantly moving onward and upward.

 Facing the Sun

A personal project being written this November by YWP participant Aaron Shaver.

Aaron Shaver was an average young adult up until he found a new life: a life that would set him apart from others and help him find himself. He would discover who he is by the mountains and fields of West Virginia. Natural beauty and wonders would begin to define him. Excursions and individuality would bring his eyes to light. 

His life is not only enriched by nature but by people as well, through both new and old relationships. With willful stride and an open mind he would put himself in a place of happiness through all aspects. The days spent would help him see, learn, and most importantly, live.

Cover Designed by Darcy Hinrichs

Darcy Hinrichs hails from the windy, western plains of Nebraska. She has over 10 years of experience as a designer and works currently as an in-house digital-designer for Cabela’s. Darcy loves mentoring and sharing her passion for design with others.

How I Achieved My Dream of Being a Published Author

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Pronoun, a NaNoWriMo 2015 sponsor, is offering all participants free, early access to their publishing platform, and today, author Jeremy W. Kerr shares his experience with Pronoun:

In 2011, I attempted NaNoWriMo for the first time and won. I was as surprised as anyone because up until then, my longest story had been only 8,000 words. Over the next few months, I went on to finish my YA science fiction novel. That was followed by editing and more editing. After three years, multiple drafts, and some financial investment for a professional cover, I was finally ready to self-publish! So I did what many in my place might have done:

I waited another year and did nothing.

The questions I had about self-publishing overwhelmed me. I needed to convert my document to .mobi for Amazon KDP and .epub for everything else, a process I had yet to do correctly. Then there was the matter of front matter. And ISBNs. Did I need them? Well, I certainly couldn’t afford them. Once I published, how would I know if I was pricing my book competitively? A thousand questions built a wall between me and a published novel because I am a perfectionist. I would rather not even try to publish than risk screwing it up. Call me crazy. Or scared.

Earlier this year, though, I met  Christina, a NaNoWriMo author who works at Pronoun. When she explained what the company did, I was floored. She said, “We convert your Word document to both ebook file types, and we upload them to ebook sellers for you.” She also told me Pronoun provides authors with ISBNs. And they offer feedback on competitive pricing, based on a book’s genre. 

I remember thinking to myself, “This is everything I’ve been waiting for. I hope I can afford it.”

Then she said the most beautiful words I’d ever heard. “Pronoun provides all of this for free.”

After finding out more information,  I finally uploaded my novel to Pronoun, downloaded the .mobi file, and put it on my Kindle. I hadn’t actually published the book yet, but there it was: my name alongside my favorite authors. My eyes teared up. For the first time, I realized that my dream of being a published author—a dream I’d had since second grade—was achievable. I didn’t have to be crazy or scared anymore.

In September of this year, I published my first novel. If I hadn’t found Pronoun as an option, I seriously doubt I would have done so. Now, instead of still telling people I have a book that is “almost ready to publish,” I can tell them I’m using NaNoWriMo to work on the sequel to my published novel.

Jeremy W. Kerr is a marionette puppeteer in Brooklyn, NY. He lives with his wife, Julie, and their dog, Takouhi (“queen” in Armenian). His YA science fiction novel, Runaways , is now available for sale.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day ThirteenEvery November, during...

THE OUTLIERS || A fantasy novel being written by Mia Mishek || Cover design by Pavithra Dikshit


SWORD OF MIDNIGHT || A fantasy novel being written by YWP participant Rowan Hadley || Cover design by Susan Newman


Pavithra Dikshit is a typographer and designer.


Susan Newman is a brand visibility designer, web specialist and environmentalist.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day Thirteen

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.  Wrimos: submit your synopses for 30C30D 2015 here.

Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2015 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

The Outliers

A fantasy novel being written this November by Mia Mishek.

In the end there will only be flowers. Iris, a genetic outlier, survived a plague that wiped out 99% of the population. Set in Northern Minnesota, the novel follows the story of how a young girl lives a world she no longer recognizes—full of dangerous, unpredictable people. 

The remaining population of earth is scattered, causing communication and power to fall. They’re special only because they are immune to the deadly plague—but they’ll need more than luck to really survive.

Cover Designed by Pavithra Dikshit

Pavithra Dikshit is a typographer and designer, working independently and in collaboration with artists and studios. Explorations in type, language and social design, within the Indian context, outline a major part of her practice as a designer. She co-founded Postcard People as an avenue to revive the forgotten intimacy of the written word. Apart from this, she pursues design writing, gardening and long distance running to keep herself constantly challenged.

 Sword of Midnight

A fantasy novel being written this November by YWP participant Rowan Hadley.

Maledi can’t remember anything besides her name. The only thing that links her to her mysterious past is a ring. The only thing she knows for certain is that she is a monster. For years, she has lived in an ancient manor, isolated from the world. She tries to learn to wield her powers, sending telepathic messages asking for help to anyone who will listen.

Quirin Argent, a freelance mercenary, has had the same dream for over a week now: a girl’s voice calling out to him, the same words over and over. One day, he is approached by the Captain of the Imperial Army, with a quest from the king to retrieve the rumored she-demon that has been imprisoned for years in a mansion located in the northern mountains.

What Quirin doesn’t know is that the she-demon is the key to finding an ancient sword that could bring on a new age or plunge the world into eternal darkness.

Cover Designed by Susan Newman

Susan Newman is a brand visibility designer, web specialist and environmentalist. She is the founder of Susan Newman Design, Inc and Frogs Are Green, Inc. Susan is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts (communication arts), The New School (web design), and NJ Learns (sustainability). When Susan is not out there spreading awareness about why we should save frogs and amphibians, she’s branding, broadcasting and supporting other creative entrepreneurs and organizations.

Don’t Quit! 5 Ways to Recharge Your Writing

All through National Novel Writing Month, published authors will take the whistle, take over our official Twitter account for a week, and act as your NaNo Coach . This week’s NaNo Coach, Sona Charaipotra, author of Tiny Pretty Things with Dhonielle Clayton , shares five tips to recharge your motivation:

We’re now nearly at the halfway mark for NaNoWriMo, and while some of us are plowing full speed ahead, many of us are struggling.  And I’m here to tell you: if that’s the case, you are not alone.

The sticky middle is always where I get stumped myself; I’ve got some tried and true strategies for getting back on track and moving forward. Maybe these will work for you, too. If you’re good and stuck, they’re certainly worth a shot!

Take a break. 

If you’ve been spending countless hours holed up with your manuscript, maybe it’s time to pause, regroup, reenergize. Self-care is key: you and your health are way more important than word counts and winning. Take a shower, take a walk, read a book, have dinner with a friend. It’s important to remember that the journey here is just as important as the destination, and making a rest stop or two along the way won’t derail you.  

Maybe it’s time to revisit that outline. 

What, you don’t have an outline? Even if you’re a die-hard pantser, maybe it’s time to make one. I’m not talking a forty-page plot manifesto (although I have been known to make those in my time). Start with one line about the story. Then do three lines: beginning, middle, end. Then expand each of those lines into three paragraphs for beginning, middle, end. Then break those paragraphs down into scenes. The scenes tend to naturally form chapters. 

If you already have an outline, take a look at it to see where the story may have gone off-course. Pinpointing the flaws here lets you assess the damage without taking the whole thing apart.

Spend some time with your characters. 

Plot is important, but character is at the heart of any story. You may have done some work on this pre-NaNo, but if you find yourself having trouble figuring out how your protagonist would act in a particular scene, play a little. Interview your character: favorite foods, fondest memories, most embarrassing moments, Harry Potter house—all of it. Then put them in some un-fun scenarios: high school humiliation, a chat with their biggest crush or nightmare boss. These exercises might not build up in your final word count, but they’ll help you add depth and insight as you write.

Explore story in other ways. 

Read a book. Watch a movie. You may think you’re wasting precious time, but story is all around us. Think about how the story is built, and how it functions. Deconstruct it from a writerly point-of-view. Even if what you’re reading or watching is as far removed from your own work as possible, you’ll come away with new ideas and approaches. 

And if the guilt is too much, spend some time on instructional inspiration—wise words from Stephen King or Anne Lamott. Better yet, grab a screenwriting book! I’m a big believer in three-act structure. Lay the bones, then bend and break them as you will!

Whatever you do, don’t quit. 

Take breaks, explore story, enjoy the journey. But stick with it. Steadily increasing word counts are exciting, and yes, winning is thrilling. But NaNoWriMo is all about butt-in-chair commitment. And no matter what the number on November 30, the journey will have made you a stronger writer. 

Sona Charaipotra is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist published by the New York Times, People, Cosmopolitan and other major national media. She received her MFA in creative writing from the New School. She is the co-founder of the boutique book development companyCAKE Literary. Her debut novel, Tiny Pretty Things (written with Dhonielle Clayton), was published in May 2015.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day TwelveEvery November, during...

THE BLACK SHUCKS OF FABLEHAM || A children's novel being written by T. L. Whalan || Cover design by Holly Aguilar


UKI || A mystery novel being writen by YWP participant Jaylee Grace || Cover design by Alexander Avila


Holly Aguilar is an award-winning designer and illustrator, so if anyone does judge your book by its cover, she’s got you…covered.


Alexander Avila came to the United States when he was nineteen years old. He has been an artist and a designer for many years now.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day Twelve

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.  Wrimos: submit your synopses for 30C30D 2015 here.

Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2015 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

The Black Shucks of Fableham

A children’s novel being written this November by T L Whalan. 

To see a Black Shuck is terrifying. They appear as huge, black, shaggy dogs in the mist. People tell stories of Black Shucks chasing them, running their cars off the road, or burning them with their fire-like eyes.

But the Black Shucks are just misunderstood. You see, they only chase and burn people who have plans of conducting a far-worse crime. The Black Shucks do many good deeds, like walking children home at night, or taking weapons from criminals. The Black Shucks use their varied supernatural powers (like fire starting and invisibility) to keep the town of Fableham safe.

Skeff, one of the Black Shucks, is assigned the task of watching over Ella. Skeff is used to starting fires and chasing criminals, and watching Ella, he thinks, is the most boring assignment he has ever had. But Skeff soon finds that looking after Ella is not an easy task, especially because it doesn’t require his super-powers at all.

Cover Designed by Holly Aguilar

Holly Aguilar is an award-winning designer and illustrator, so if anyone does judge your book by its cover, she’s got you…covered. By day, Holly is a senior art director at Balcom Agency, the largest marketing firm in Fort Worth, Texas.

 Uki

A mystery novel being written this November by YWP participant Jaylee Grace. 

When Adam Steiner found himself in a remote Alaskan Village to write a book on Native American history, he never imagined he would become involved in a series of random murders. 

As the threat increases, he finds himself in a desperate struggle to unmask the killer and ultimately thwart a power believed to be buried for years. As the danger rises, the word Uki is his only hope.

Cover Designed by Alexander Avila

Alexander Avila came to the United States when he was nineteen years old. He has been an artist and a designer for many years now. He currently works in graphic design and advertising. Artistic expression and creativity are what truly satisfies him. He feels the need to create on a daily basis and is grateful for opportunities like this one.

Check Out Your Imagination... Discover Real-Life Characters

This year, we’ve invited you to tackle NaNoWriMo and check out your imagination at “The NaNoWriMo Library”. We’ve asked some real-life librarians for their best tips on finding inspiration in the stacks. Today, Trena Taylor at the Danville Public Library challenges you to keep asking “What if?”:

Show me a library without colorful patrons and I’ll show you a library that has yet to open its doors.

When I’ve come to a dead end in a scene, or have characters who have absolutely nothing left to say to each other, I’ll wander one of our patrons into the room with them, or sit a character down at the table with one of our more lively regulars and… see what happens.

Give it a go when you hit a rough patch, whether you’re in the library or the grocery store, sitting in a classroom or at a stoplight. Imagine that guy—the one inexplicably wearing a red spandex leotard or talking to a plantain—he just called your main character’s name, saying, “Baby, it’s been years!” What happens next? 

That too-cool Quad Squad you pass by every day? What if one of your characters grabbed a seat with them? You know their moves and grooves; write the scene that follows.

Open the door to the Library of Inspiration that’s right in front of you… and check it out!

Trena Taylor is a reference/adult services librarian at Danville Public Library in Virginia. She is a 14-year NaNoWriMo participant who started her first NaNo in London, meeting up with fellow WriMos who grew to be the writer’s group Zokutou. Trena now hosts Write-Ins in Danville, Virginia, where she continues to make fun writer’s tools such as Murphy’s Law Writer’s Blockbusters. This is her first year as a Municipal Liaison.

Find her #writingprompts on Twitter: @DANoWriMo

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day ElevenEvery November, during...

THE WORLD THE MORTALS DREAMED OF || A fantasy novel being written by C. G. M. Craven || Cover design by Robb Smigielski


FEATHER SILK || A fantasy novel being written by YWP participant Hannah Herndon || Cover design by Stefan Bucher


Robb Smigielski is the Executive Creative Director of VML in London.


Stefan G. Bucher is the man behind 344lovesyou.com and dailymonster.com.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2015: Day Eleven

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.  Wrimos: submit your synopses for 30C30D 2015 here.

Read more about these NaNoWriMo 2015 novels-in-progress, and the cover designers, below.

The World the Mortals Dreamed Of

A fantasy novel being written this November by C. G. M. Craven. 

Two thousand years ago, a man emerged from the oasis. He claimed that he had been to paradise—the world of the Gods—and that he had been offered love, riches and immortality. Ever since, human sacrifices have been thrown off the great rock in Lowen’s village, trying to achieve godhood and glory for their families by making it to the other side. 

Lowen has never been one to care about the Gods. As a hunter, he was never destined for sacrifice. His world is turned on its head, however, when a sequence of events leads to his own fall through the oasis and, against all odds, he is able to visit this mythical place for himself. 

Lush and bright, it is everything the desert is not—but neither are the creatures and people that dwell within it, and he finds himself stranded in a world offering neither love nor riches to the scant few who arrive. Welcome to the world the mortals dreamed of.

Cover Designed by Robb Smigielski

Robb Smigielski is the Executive Creative Director of VML in London. For 15 years, he’s worked at the crossroads of creativity, design, digital technology and advertising. 

Feather Silk

A fantasy novel being written this November by YWP participant Hannah Herndon. 

Copelia Ledasage’s family has a history in the ballet, specifically Swan Lake. For as long as anyone can remember, it has been expected that as a member of the family, you live up to the family tradition, and carry on the legacy. Copelia for her part, is more than happy to. The ballet is one of the few places where she can escape the harsh ridicule of her classmates. When she isn’t being tortured, she is sadly ignored in school, so Copelia spends most of her time at the rocky coastal shores near her home, dreaming of a place she could belong.

Little does she know that she has been watched since the day she was born by someone who is waiting to whisk her away, and ruin her life. The evil, and misguided selkie wizard, Von Rothbart, has waited for this, sulked in the shadows, planned meticulously. And now his moment has come!

Wishing to seek his revenge, he curses Copelia to the same terrible fate as Odette, life in a feathered cage by day, and life as a mourning human by night. But things don’t go quite the way he planned they would…. 

As Copelia explores her new life, she discovers the fantastic world of others the wizard has changed, some of whom have accepted their curse, others who will stop at nothing to be free. The tension between the two factions thickens, as they find out the truth about Copelia’s origin, and urge her to choose which life she wants. But how can she decide when she’s not sure what she truly desires anymore? She misses her family dreadfully, but here she feels accepted, and has found friends like she’s never known before. 

Now the time has come when she will be forced to choose between the life she’s always known, and the life she’s always dreamed of.

Cover Designed by Stefan Bucher

Stefan G. Bucher is the man behind 344lovesyou.com and dailymonster.com. He is the author of six books so far, including the best-selling “344 Questions–The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment.” He  is an ADC Young Gun and has won a D&AD Yellow Pencil for book design. He designed the titles for the films The Fall, Immortals, and Mirror, Mirror by director Tarsem. His time-lapse drawings appear on the Emmy-award winning TV show The Electric Company. He designed the Blue Man Theater in Las Vegas, gave life to the Saks Fifth Avenue Yeti, and turned singer/songwriter Wesley Stace into an animated character.

Need a word-count boost? Follow @NaNoWordSprints for more...

Need a word-count boost? Follow @NaNoWordSprints for more writing prompts from @syaffolee and the rest of the @NaNoWordSprints crew!