writing advice for newcomers to nano

pxcampbell posted this as advice for newcomers on

2007nanowrimo

and I thought it was perfect.

"Well, I am a newcomer, but not a new writer. So, I'll give advice to those of you who are newly tackling writing -- just write. Don't worry about you write; just extrude words. If the eloquent words don't come to you as quickly as you'd like for a section -- then mark it with something that will pop out. I use markers like "ADD MORE CRAP HERE." But keep going. You can, and will, come back to it on the next draft. On the next draft you're more likely to be sure what you *need* to say at that point, which makes it easier to write.

The most important place you need to get to when you write a novel is the point at which the characters take over. It's The Outer Limits Moment -- you are no longer in control of the set. It's the point at which you know enough about your players that there are only a few different ways they can react to any situation -- so they begin to write the story for you. Once you reach this point, writing the remainder of the wordage is relatively easy -- a downhill coast.

Keep in mind, though, that once you reach this place -- where your characters are talking to you -- you might have to go back and redo a lot of the story you've written. Just live with the fact and get over it! Don't go back and tear it out yet. Leave it there -- and write new the stuff. Just keep going. You have the second draft for figuring out what scenes to ax. November is not the time."

That point when the characters start taking over and writing the novel themselves is one of the coolest things to ever happen to me.

Comments
ang: "The Outer Limits Moment": One of my characters was strangely attracted to a maid in the hotel... they crossed paths more than once. He started to wonder exactly which shift she worked since he saw her at random times of the day. She noticed him too, and he didn't think he was dreaming that their attraction was mutual. They finally talked, and...

It turned out that she was an actress, currently filming in a Las Vegas hotel. And they hooked up. I totally did not see that coming! :)

Originally posted in writing_is_fun on LJ