About NanoWriMo (I'm taking part) + Some Writing Tips

Hey

I am taking part in this year's NaNoWriMo. That's National Novel Writing Month for those living under rocks and in caves. That's ok. The idea here is to write a novel of 50k words in the month of November. Today is 4th day of November, too soon to say anything whether I will complete the novel or not. I really really want to. I hope I keep wanting to complete it.

I won't share what I am writing about for the sole reason that I might jinx it, but rest assured it's all manners of kickassry that we indulge in on this blog. There is blood and exploding helicopters and some sex and more blood. I'll throw in few more exploding helicopters and some satellites too at later stages. I'm using some tips tricks and tools to get me through the writing experience. I'll share some of them here, not all, because well, there IS no all, it's just a tentative list. Anyway:

1. Plan - It's a big project, ambitious too. So, divide the novel into chapters, preferably one chapter a day. Each chapter equal to or more than 1667 words. And you're set towards 50k.

2. Setting - Fix a time for writing daily. Either early in morning or late at night. No phone calls, emails or internet in that time. If you write after proper planning you can easily churn out up to 2k words in 1 hour. That's what I did on one day when I had my work planned out. I knew what I had to write.

3. Rewards - Keep some reward for yourself once you've hit your daily word count. I ate three chocolates the first three days and drank a Mountain Dew today. Tomorrow, it will be something else.

4. Music - Music doesn't work for me, so i keep my headphones off. I do listen to some music before writing to get my blood pumping. I prefer rock, if any other genre works for you, so be it. While writing it's better to keep it silent so that you can listen to your inner voice, then again its personal preference.

5. Announce - Tell a friend that you're writing a novel or inform your online pals on twitter/facebook that you're writing. You might make some new friends in the process and you'll have the accountability factor of delivering the novel before 30 November.

Yeah, we've all read these tips now and before too, but it's always good to have a refresher. So anyway, good luck with writing. I have a good story idea bubbling in my head, i will post it in a day or two.

If you're also writing your novel this November, do share in comments what works for you and I will add it to this post. (My NaNoWriMo Page is here you can connect with me through twitter, my handle there is @69fubar)

Cheers!

N

Non Story Post :: The Science Of An Idea

Negative thinking is not good for your health or for the health of those around you, but negative thinking can be a great hub of ideas for writers who are looking for ideas.

Why?

Negative thinking means some kind of conflict, some kind of disturbance in the normal course of things. What is a comet was heading towards Earth right now? What if there is a girl in a white frock standing behind my chair this instant? What if a full convoy of commandos are coming to pick me up and take me to an unspecified location? These are all great what if scenarios. If you put some x,y,z character in a strange fix, a physical dilemma or even a moral one and then find a way out which the reader could not think of, you have a winner on your hands.

This is the way stories are written. When you, a writer, put your characters in hot water, you are putting your readers in hot water too, and then when you take the characters out of hot water because of some Deus-ex-machinia, then the readers also feel relieved. This is the reason why people watch horror/disaster movies. Because they want a positive resolution. They want the fake voice of hope in their hearts to be true. That's fiction, but it's good fiction and it sells. And what sells and puts food on your table and pays the bills, no matter how shitty the product, must be good.

Right? I hope so.

Now let me deal with this girl in white standing behind my chair.

Comments are open for discussion.

How do you come up with ideas?

Are positive resolutions to stories the only way to go?

Anything else you'd like to discuss?

N

When I am not writing stories....

...I am writing poems :)

Updated the Poetry blog today, with three new poems. More might come.

Do check it out.

www.fubarpoems.blogspot.com

Thanks!

N

NON Story Post -- All Is Not Well

International readers, the few of you, recently released Indian movie 3 Idiots was about the education system of the engineering in India. The movie popularized the phrase "All Izz Well"(sic) among the youth who, according to the movie, can stay calm by saying this phrase when all shit is getting shot to hell and back on the back of a rabid T-Rex.

All is well?

Really?

Since when the fuck has all been well? When the fuck will be well?

How long will it take us to realize that we're all in a state of constant degradation and we are slowly spiralling towards the end we are all supposed to meet. This fact scares me and disturbs me to a great degree. To think of a world where none of you will be there to read my stories. It shakes my faith in humanity and you tell me ALL IS WELL? FUCK THAT, i say.

All is NOT well good sir, 'even the Monalisa is falling apart' (Fight Club)

Through all the destruction of the soul and mind, we are hanging on to dirty filthy words like hope, love, kindness and empathy. There is nothing like that in the world. If you don't start cutting people, its only because people are cutting you. Right now. Yes.

Are you the one doing the damage to the universe or getting damaged by the universe?

Do you really, with all your heart and soul, believe in power of Love and Goodness? Don't answer this to me, answer this to yourself.

We're living in interesting times, ladies and gents, this is a WARZONE.

Show no mercy, because you shall receive none.

Non Story Post

I like the fact that i can post whatever the fuck i want to on my blog. That's the whole point of blogging no? I mean, it's not really a popularity competition. Uh...nevermind.

August has been a tough month on me. And it's not over yet. I asked for things again and again and i was told no. Maybe i didn't ask hard enough or maybe I didn't deserve those things, but anyway, August is almost over now. I'm glad for that. I might be quitting the job, i've been doing work for the past three years, and it's certainly not fun. I mean, i didn't even have my exam results when I was on the job and i got my graduation result after my first salary, which was peanuts. The salary was peanuts, not the result.

Anyway, the past 3 odd years have been tough on me, and the blog, and my writing has gone through changes, some good some bad, and i am glad to say, everyday i learn something new. Which isn't very comforting, to say the least. I started novels and left them in middle, some 3-4 of them and then there was lot of writing. Found the mecca of distraction called twitter, got addicted, quit it. Had some other bad habits, left them too. Then, slowly my mind rotted because of staying alone. All fucking alone. I was afraid that i'd get used to staying alone and i did. Now, if someone else is near me, i feel they are invading my personal space. I've diaries full of ideas that are yet to be written, guess their time has not come yet. And still, there are so many things i can't talk about on the blog, because this is, somewhat, a public medium. But yeah, all through these years, i've loved writing every single word here. Through loneliness, being broke, hunger, drunkenness and madness, every single fucking word has been worth it.

Now, onwards, to more stories. Because that's what we do.

N