NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program - Home

Pep Talk From Cherith Baldry

Tavia Stewart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:03:45 +0000

"Inside your book, you’re the monarch of your own kingdom, and what you say goes."

Hello Fellow Writers,

I started writing when I was very young. And lots of people gave me advice about what I should put into my stories. Some of it was good advice. So it took me a long time to realise that the only person who could decide what I would write about was me.

It’s true for you, too. You get to choose what your book will be. When you’re writing, you’re free. You don’t have to discuss your book with anyone else, unless you want to. You don’t have to show it to anyone else, unless you want to. Inside your book, you’re the monarch of your own kingdom, and what you say goes.

That’s not to say you should ignore helpful advice about how to write. Far from it. Good use of language, plot and structure, characterisation and scene-setting are all important. But the subject matter, and the view you take of it, are all yours.

This is even more true if you’re hoping your book will be published. Editors aren’t looking for imitations of other books, movies, or TV shows. They want your original ideas. Your unique vision.

This is one of the greatest things about being a writer. You can create wonderful new worlds, full of awesome characters: weird-looking aliens, magicians with special powers, or monsters that will scare your socks off. Or you can write about an ordinary town, with ordinary people living there–but make your readers look at them in a new way, as if they’d never seen them before. The only limit is your own imagination.

So go for it!

Cherith Baldry (Erin Hunter)

Week Three NaNoVideo!

Tavia Stewart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:41:18 +0000

Is Your Novel Off-track? Good!
Week Three tips from Chris on NaNoVideo.

Pep Talk From Avi

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:49:42 +0000

"Remember, writers invent real worlds, then populate those worlds with real readers."

Hello Writers,

Why is writing, well, so hard to do? After all, these days, most everybody who goes to school is taught to write. In fact, when I checked online I found the claim that something like one hundred and ninety thousand books are published in the USA each year! Astonishing! Yet, look at the number of best-sellers, prize-winning books, or just the books that last—the fine books—and there are just a few. What makes these few so much better than others? Is there a secret? A formula? A method known by only some?

It all comes from the individual writer. First, you have to be a good reader. Because writers do not write writing, they write reading. In other words, you want to write so that people feel compelled to read your words. By reading the good stuff, you will learn what good writing is, and can apply those standards to your own work.

Learn to see the world with your own eyes. No matter how wise your parents, friends, teachers, and idols are, observe the world with your own being, your own soul. See details, relationships, events, the whole complexity of the world as only you can see it—and then find words to describe it in ways that lets your reader see this world with your vision.

Write with compassion, not judgment—a compassion enriched by love for your fellow beings.
Finally, know that writing is hard. Nobody, nobody, nobody, writes anything fine without having to rewrite it. I rewrite my books sixty or so times before they are done.

Remember, writers invent real worlds, then populate those worlds with real readers.

Avi
www.avi-writer.com

Battle Week Three Boredom!

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:42:34 +0000

Battle Week-Three Boredom!
Pick-me-ups for the roughest week of NaNoWriMo.

It's Week Three, and I've been getting a ton of NaNoMails from Wrimos telling me all about how bored they are with their novels. This is totally normal. Week Three is notorious for causing even the most dedicated novelist to put down their pen and run.

You, dear writer, will not run. You will write!

Here are five fast-and-easy tips to get you through Week Three.

1. Write "Week Four is next week" on a Post-it and put in on your mirror, computer, notebook, or wherever you'll see it the most. This might seem silly, but it totally works. Week Three might be tough, but Week Four is awesome and right around the corner. Trust me, you don't want to miss the final week of NaNoWriMo. It's the week when you win!
2. Bored with your cast of characters? Add new ones! Seriously. You can get rid of characters that aren't working and add new and improved (and really quirky) characters whenever you want.
3. Bored with your plot? Add a twist! Plot twists will certainly spark your interest enough to get you through this week. Does your main character discover that they're adopted? Does the villain turn out to be a good guy after all? Is it all a dream? Throw in an unexpected event and see where it takes you.
4. Change your routine. Sometimes a little change of scenery goes a long way. Write in a new place, perhaps outside or in a different room. Try writing in the morning if you've been writing at night. Try writing by hand if you've been typing this whole time. Basically, mix it up a little.
5. Eat more candy. Okay, don't tell your teachers or parents I said this. We just received a couple care packages here in the office filled with sweet treats. One from Scotland and the other from Australia. I'd have to say after we busted out the Kinder Eggs and TimTams, productivity soared...until we all crashed.

Trying not to eat more candy,
Tavia

Three Reasons For Writer's Block

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:53:06 +0000

"No author on the planet gets a first draft published.'"

Writer's block is caused by one of three things.

1. You are trying to be perfect.
2. You are under pressure to produce the finished product too fast.
3. You have been sitting down too much.

Let's examine these closely, shall we?

1. You are trying to be perfect.

Allow me to share one of the dirty secrets of writing: no author on the planet gets a first draft published. This is great news! It means that what ever you are working on for NaNoWriMo does not have to be perfect!

WOO-HOOOO!!!!!!

(Take a moment here to skip around your room throwing confetti and celebrating, please.)

I would like to point out for the record that if you become a brain surgeon, you will be expected to be perfect every single time you show up to work. This is one of the many reasons I am not a brain surgeon.

Whenever I feel my ideas slow down, I listen carefully. I can usually hear that nasty whisper in my brain that is criticizing my work and telling me I'm dumb and I'm a bad writer and I should quit.

I ignore this voice. You must ignore this voice, too. Repeat to yourself: "This is a draft. It is only a draft. I will fix it in the next revision."

It takes me at least seven revisions to make my books well-written enough to be published. So cut yourself some slack and give yourself permission to be less than perfect.

2. You are under pressure to produce the finished product too fast.

The point of NaNoWriMo is to finish a DRAFT. A draft is not a finished book. It is the foundation of a finished book. So re-read all the stuff I wrote for Point #1 about it being OK to be less-than-perfect in your draft.

NOTE: the pressure to write fast and good usually causes kids to choke when they are writing things for homework. I have a solution for this, too. Always do your writing homework assignments first. Procrastinate about the other subjects. It is much easier to do your math on the bus than to write well.

3. You have been sitting down too much.

Our bodies were not designed to sit in desks or on busses or in front of computer screens. Our bodies were designed to move. A lot. Every day.

People don't normally think of writers as being athletes, but many of us are. Sherman Alexie loves basketball. Chris Crutcher is always working out. I run three or four times a week and cross train on other days. Charles Dickens used to walk up to twenty miles a day when he was thinking about his books.

If you are stuck, get up out of your chair and get some exercise. You will be shocked at the results.

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. You can follow her adventures on Twitter, and on her blog.

Pep Talk From Kate Cary

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:42:38 +0000

"You’re the writer! Make the words do what you want; don’t be frightened of them."

Dearest Writers,

There are times when a blank page can be the most frightening thing in the world. You stare at the empty screen or gaze at the bright, white page and wonder how on earth you can ever fill it.

When I feel like this my editor tells me, “Don’t get it right, get it written!”

The scene is in your head. You know what’s supposed to happen but for some reason putting it down in words seems like the hardest thing in the world.

But it’s not. It’s really easy, so long as you don’t get scared. Just write! Start and don’t stop until you’ve described every bit in your head. And don’t worry whether it’s any good. You can worry about that later.

Simply start writing. Start in the middle if it helps, or start at the end and work your way backwards. Try making a list of everything you want to include in the scene. I bet you’ll find yourself filling in the gaps in your list with more and more detail simply because it’ll be impossible to resist describing the wonderful scene that’s crowding your imagination. And don’t worry if the words tumble out messily or clumsily.

Once it’s written, you can change it, improve it, make it sound better. You’re the writer! Make the words do what you want; don’t be frightened of them.

Kate Cary (Erin Hunter)

Kate was born in the Black Country, somewhere outside Birmingham and wrote her first book when she was four. It wasn’t very good, or long, or well spelt, but she was proud of it.

School started out easy but grew harder as her teachers became less interested in what Kate could imagine and more interested in what she could remember. But she was a good girl and learned everything they asked her to until she found herself at London University. There Kate studied History. One tutor commented that, to be any good at the subject, she would have to try very hard and for a very long time. She proved him wrong by not trying at all and getting a good BA and then a better MA. Though she lingered at the university as long as she could, when the grants ran out she still had not figured out what she should do for a living. Kate's love of writing had never left her. Studying History had just been an excuse to write stories (History provides great plots and characters), so she decided to try becoming a Proper Writer and wrote and wrote and eventually an editor noticed her and decided she was publishable.

Meanwhile, Kate settled down and had a son, Joshua. And all the time she kept writing, and she will carry on doing so as long as there are other worlds to describe.

We Dare You!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:32:05 +0000

We Dare You To...
Check out the most recent NaNoVideo!

Surviving Week Two

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:21:42 +0000

Keep the Week-Two Blues at Bay!
Five word-count boosting tips from NaNo HQ.

If you’re behind on your word count, know that you’re in good company. Just about every one of us here at NaNo-HQ is thousands of words behind. Thousands! But we’re not going to let this stop us from writing like a bunch of crazed monkeys this week to catch up.

Here are some of the things we’re planning on doing to get our word counts up to snuff in Week Two:

1. Writing lists. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the “Lists, Lists, and Lists of Lists” worksheet in our Novelist Workbooks, click here. As you will find, adding lists to your novel is a great way to pad that word count. Imagine how many more words you’ll have after you list every item in your protagonist’s kitchen cupboard.

2. Writing letters. Write letters to your characters. Have them write letters back. Have your characters write letters to each other. These letters can be hand-written, emailed, or sent via text message. Whatever the letter, just make sure you include it in your novel. Every word counts!

3. Writing flashbacks. Or flash-forwards! Explore your characters' childhoods and/or their futures.

4. Treating ourselves to a night off. In all seriousness, taking a night off to space out in front of the TV or curl up with a good book is essential to making it through this month. Take some time to recharge your energy!

5. Writing more lists. And then, after you’ve done items 2 through 4, return to item 1. Writing that list of all the items under your antagonist’s bed might spark that plot breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

Taking the night off to go to yoga,
Tavia Stewart-Streit

Pep Talk From Rafe Martin

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:41 +0000

"Every book begins as a dream in the mind of someone just like you or me."

Hi Writers,

If you could just press a button and have your mind start creating a story, wouldn’t your life as a writer be . . . simple and easy? No. It would be Boring. So the good news is that there is no such button, that writing remains–as always–mysterious, a real adventure into the unknown, and that no one–NO ONE–really knows how it works. Not even the most famous or richest writer in the world can tell you where ideas come from, or how pictures flow from our brains, out through our fingers, into squiggles on paper (we call them words), that make scenes, people, animals, adventures, sorrow and joy come alive in a reader’s mind. Though any writer, even I, can tell you how to prepare yourself to have ideas for writing.

The first thing is simple: Read! The more you read, the more your mind learns to picture things in your own way. Television makes us all see the same things. Reading allows each of us to find our own ways of seeing.

And to write a story you have to see it for yourself. Only then can you choose words that have the power to bring pictures alive in the minds of your readers.

Second, pay attention to your own wishes and dreams. That will give you things to write about that are your own, and that will also interest you enough to keep you going when the road gets rough. By “rough” I mean when you feel stuck, when you’re not sure how the story should proceed, what your hero (or heroine!) should do, which road to take when they stand at a crossroads in the dark forest and night is falling and the road ahead is unclear. Then it’s time to turn to your wishes. Even when you begin to write a story, what you wish for will underlie all your choices. Place, character, dilemma, themes and action will all express your wishes. Now you have a chance to make your wishes come true. So what do you wish would happen? What do you want to have happen? Do you wish you could travel back in time? Or forward? Fly into space, or travel under the sea? Live with dinosaurs, or ride a wooly mammoth? Have superpowers?
Create peace and justice on earth, extend good will to your fellow creatures, save the environment, or put an end to hunger and war? Or might you wish to be able to fly? Or travel in a UFO? Or talk with animals? Or get . . . Well, you fill in the blanks. Having something that’s your own helps you have the strength to start and the determination and courage to continue. No one else can write your story, the one you wish to one day read, no one else in the world. So, it’s up to you.

So we could say that writing is a way to make wishes come true. Not in real life, but in our imaginations.

The good news is that if it happens there, it feels like it really happened. What we imagine is as real as what we remember. And like our memories, it can change us for real. Athletes know this. They learn to improve their real-time skills on the court, in the pool, or on the field by visualizing–which means imagining. Stories are tools for the imagination and while they may not make us better athletes, they can make us smarter, kinder, braver, and wiser.

Third, pay attention to the world around you. When you’re in the supermarket, watch the people you see. Are they sad, angry, or happy? When you’re outside watch how birds fly and cats prowl. Watch how trees bend in the wind. This kind of attention will give you the details you need to make your story feel real, like it’s actually happening in a physical, not a made-up mental world.

Fourth, find what helps put you in touch with your own ability to see things with your own mind. Is it riding your bike, hiking, canoeing, watching movies, ice-skating, playing ball, listening to music, dancing, drawing, painting, walking the dog, talking to a friend? Whatever it is, do it. You also might want to carry a little notebook along to write down any good ideas that come to you, or any pictures you see in your mind.

That way you’ll have them on tap when you go back to your writing. For me, reading, watching movies, and riding my motorcycle along winding country roads head my list of things that help me imagine.

If you do these four things: read, pay attention to your wishes and dreams, pay attention to the world around you, and nourish your imagination, and if you like words and stories, you’ll never run out of ideas for stories of your own.

For me, that’s where writing begins—with imagining. Every book begins as a dream in the mind of someone just like you or me. Writers see with their minds before they even begin to write. Then we can choose words that have the power to bring pictures alive in the minds of our readers.

How, then, do you move from your initial idea, your first glimpse, or first imagining of your story, to the actual writing? You have two choices. You can make an outline, a kind of map showing you where you plan to go and what route you plan to take, including notes on what’s likely to happen along the way. Once you figure out what will happen, you start to write, filling in details as you follow your map to your destination. Wonderful surprises will happen along the way, but you'll know your basic route from the start, which can be very helpful, and will help keep you focused, on target, and relatively free of worry. A map can help.

OR you can launch yourself into the mist, right out into the unknown, not knowing what you’ll find or where you’ll end up, but trusting that you’re going to have one heck of an adventure along the way, in which courage, humor, perseverance will win the day–for you, the writer, and for your characters.

Either way you’ll discover that writing is a great adventure, maybe the greatest. For in a story you can make ANY wish come true, make anything happen, see anything with your mind. It’s like you’re in charge of the rules of the world. If you can see it, and find the words to bring it alive in the minds of your readers (writing is like painting directly on your readers minds) it’s really like you can make anything happen.

In fact, this is why I write–to have adventures I will probably never have in real life, to journey into the unknown of my own imagination, and to make wishes come true. I hope you will, too.

Rafe Martin
www.rafemartin.com

Writing Passionately

Tavia Stewart — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:13:47 +0000

As a writer, your primary job is to keep your readers wanting to know what’s on the next page. Your philosophical message, the destiny you have in mind for your characters, your love for the location that you’ve created all play supporting roles. Just because you’re sitting alone at your desk doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be performing for your audience!

My rule of thumb is that if I’m feeling bored as I write, the chances are high that the readers will be bored as well. Keep yourself interested in the action and dialogue. Make yourself feel breathless as exciting things happen; feel the heartache as one of your characters reveals their innermost sorrows. I often speak dialogue out loud before I write it, acting out an entire scene by speaking all the different parts, so that it feels emotionally real to me right from the start. My dog thinks I’m crazy, but that’s another story…

Being a writer means that you get to live in your imagination, which is fabulous, but don’t stray too far from what you know best. You don’t want to be stopping every other line to research a detail of medieval weaponry or weather conditions in a far-flung part of the world.

Above all, write with passion. You might be passionate about unicorns or motorbikes, a particular river or space travel; whatever it is, put it at the center of your story and your readers will feel your passion, too. Don’t write about cats or vampires because they seem popular with publishers at the moment. Write about what matters most to you, because only then will your story have a ring of conviction.

Fans of Warriors will know that I don’t have a particular passion for cats, which might make this piece of advice questionable. I’m more of a dog person. But I do have a passion for animals in their natural habitat–and for issues such as war, religion, bereavement, forbidden love, rivalry, politics, the nature of parenthood…sound familiar? Yup, every theme in Warriors and Seekers springs from something I hold very close to my heart. Cats, bears or people–the shape of my characters makes no difference to me because I’m passionate about the reality of whatever they’re facing.

Share your characters’ adventures alongside them, feel their sorrow and their triumph, champion their cause when the whole world seems to be against them. It’s a wild ride!

Vicky Holmes grew up on a farm and loves all animals, including cats, but most especially dogs and horses. This comes in very handy when she needs to send cats to a sticky end—she’d have a lot more trouble killing off a dog or a horse! After studying English at Oxford University, she rode horses for a living until she decided that she needed a proper job. She tried teaching and realized that she loved books more than all the administration and form-filling that was required, so she became an editor. Which led to coming up with the idea for Warriors, and enlisting the services of Kate, Cherith, and finally Tui to be Team Erin!

Vicky loves being one of the Erins, and frequently dreams of being a cat running through a forest when she is coming up with new storylines. She is currently the very proud owner of a gorgeous Staffordshire bull terrier called Missy who thinks she should write about dogs instead. In the past, she has owned cats ranging from a tiny semi-feral silver tabby who was born on a beam in her father’s barn, to a dignified and handsome lavender point Burmese called Algernon.