NaNoWriMo success

Yes, I finished my NaNo novel in 28 days, clocking in at 50,800 and some odd words. Not bad! Now, to get to the revision process. Revision can either be very "Yay!" or very "Ugh" for me, depending on how much work there is involved. I hate it when I get to revising and discover a massive, and I mean MASSIVE plot hole. You feel like you can hear your inner editor snickering, "Bu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-m-m-m-m-mer!"

This book that I did for NaNo (which, by the way, is the sequel to the book I wrote for Camp NaNoWriMo in July) will need a massive rewrite, because it actually turned out to be a book with two separate stories, told from the viewpoint of two MC's. What I actually wrote turned out to be a very well-thought-out rough draft, with a lot-a-lot of side notes, diagrams, and maps. (I LOVE drawing maps!) So, what I'm doing from here on out is the second draft of the book, smoothing out the rough edges. I'll need to stitch the two parts together so that there's continuity and motion in the tale, and no weird disjointed fragments. I'll probably end up printing out the entire thing so that I can have a physical copy in my hands to muck about with. I love scratching bold pen lines through sentences that I really don't like.

I like to do my revision on paper, with pens. There's something much more tangible about doing editing with a hard copy. I feel like I can actually see how the story is supposed to go if I have a printed copy to work with. How about you? Do you do better with computer or paper?

So, my list of "What to do" this week:

1.) Rewrite at least seven chapters of NaNo novel (I've already completed two)
2.) Do some research for an article I'm thinking about.
3.) Finish the short story I've written up and submit.
4.) FINALLY get to that critique I promised my sister I'd do.
5.) Drink some more tea and get better. I caught the world's nastiest cold from the rest of my sisters, who insist that the best way to get rid of a cold is to give it to someone else. Come on down, my friends, and I'll share with you!

What's on your agenda for the rest of the week?

Amazing Outlining

The coolest thing happened to me yesterday.

First of all, I apologize to the brilliant mind that recommended trying this particular method of outlining. I'm pretty sure it was on a blog somewhere that another writer friend shared, but it could have been in one of the multitudinous writing books that I own. Wherever, and whoever, it was, Mind, I salute you!

Okay, so this is what happened.

First off, I put a list of numbers down on paper, one through twenty. Next, by number one, I wrote the opening sentence, or "thought" for the story. Then, by number twenty, I wrote the ending "thought" for the story. Then I went up to number two and wrote what came after number one. Then I went down to number nineteen and wrote what happened before number twenty. I went back up to the top, and wrote down in number three what happened after number two. Then I ran back to the bottom of the page, and discovered in number eighteen what occurred before number nineteen.

In this way, I flip-flopped between writing down what happens next and what came first until I reached the middle of the story. Once I got that done, I went to a fresh piece of paper and briefly drafted out chapter synopses of each number's sentence.

The example is kind of like this.

Start with a row of numbers. For this example, we'll work small. How about a Picture Book? Sounds good.

Here's a row of ten numbers.
1. 
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Next, insert the first thought.
1. Dora is a tall giraffe.

Now, go down to the last thought.
10. Now all the animals love Dora!

Now go back up and write what comes after one.
2. All the other animals are small.

Now, what happens before 10?
9. But, Dora is tall! She can reach the kite.

(Before all of you go "huh?" just keep reading. Believe me, the kite ties in. :-)

Okay, so what happens after two?
3. Dora's lonely, because all the small animals go off to play without her.

Now, what happens before nine?
8. The tree is so tall, none of the animals can reach the kite.

Now, go up to four.
4. Dora watches the animals having a picnic beneath a tall tree, and cries.

Now, find out what happens before eight.
7. The kite gets stuck in the tree!

Okay, what happens after five?
5. The littlest mouse has brought a kite, and since there's a lovely breeze they send the kite into the sky.

This is where it gets cool. Fill in six, and look at this!!
6. The breeze is so strong, it pulls the kite out of little mouse's paw.

Now, check it out! Here is the whole outline rearranged in order.

1. Dora is a tall giraffe.
2. All the other animals are small.
3. Dora's lonely, because all the small animals go off to play without her.
4. Dora watches the animals having a picnic beneath a tall tree, and cries.
5. The littlest mouse has brought a kite, and since there's a lovely breeze they send the kite into the sky.
6. The breeze is so strong, it pulls the kite out of little mouse's paw.
7. The kite gets stuck in the tree!
8. The tree is so tall, none of the animals can reach the kite.

9. But, Dora is tall! She can reach the kite.

10. Now all the animals love Dora!

Ta Da! Now, before you tell me it's too confusing, try it. THEN tell me how brilliant it is.

And if one of you knows who the original creator of this brilliant form of outlining is, please share. If I myself find out who it is, I shall share.

Until later, then, God bless!