June novel

June 25, 2021May 4, 2021

Pep Talk Week 4: Writing Magic

Dear Reader,

Recently, I rewatched The Magicians. In one of the episodes, one of my favorite characters, Margo, mentioned something I’ve held with me for a long time. Magic comes from pain.

When I first watched the series years ago, I remembered the line got me through a lot. I think rewatching it was some sort of calling. As someone who was experiencing a rut–not a creative rut, a rut that comes from being buried under deadlines, imposter syndrome, and more–this line spoke to me once again.

Words are magic. In spell books, in tv shows, and in more, words are used as a conduit to cast spells. I think, in some way, that extends to writing. We are magicians because we put our blood, sweat, tears, hopes, fears, and souls into words. Be it ink, or graphite, or zeros and ones on a screen, these mediums are our wands, and the novels, short stories, poems, and essays we write are the byproduct of the magic we cast.

Which brings me back to that expression. If Magicians use magic, and it comes from pain, then the words and stories we write also come from it. This experience has been used and morphed throughout time. How writers have to mine their trauma. Or how your lived experiences make the best stories. The suffering artist trope. I can go on and on.

Pain is a tool in a writer’s arsenal. Just like point-of-view, exposition, and dialogue. Too much dialogue, and your stories lack grounding. Too much exposition, and you’re telling, not showing. Like everything, there needs to be a balance. Going back to The Magicians, to write, just like to cast, the circumstances have to be right.

The world is a mess right now. There’s no other way to say it. The world is pushing down on us in every way imaginable. We cannot control it.

But we can control ourselves. We can control how that pain manifests itself. We are not only magicians, readers, we are alchemists who can turn blood into wine. It doesn’t have to happen instantly. The spell might take one month or one year, but in the end, if you lean into it, if you trust yourself, and if you remember, you are powerful, and not shy away from those feelings, you might just make something great.

And I believe, with my whole heart and being, we will be the best magicians known to man.

Onward,

Kosoko Jackson

Kosoko Jackson is a digital media specialist, focusing on digital storytelling, email, social and SMS marketing, and a freelance political journalist. Occasionally, his personal essays and short stories have been featured on Medium, Thought Catalog, The Advocate, and some literary magazines. When not writing YA novels that champion holistic representation of black queer youth across genres, he can be found obsessing over movies, drinking his (umpteenth) London Fog, or spending far too much time on Twitter. His YA debut, YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, came out in 2021, published by SourceBooks Fire and his adult #OwnVoices queer Romcom, I’M SO (NOT) OVER YOU will come out in 2022, by Berkley Romance.

June 18, 2021May 6, 2021

Pep Talk Week #3: Nudging the Muse

Kudos for taking on this awesome JuNoWriMo challenge. Writing 50,000 in a single month is a huge goal, and while you no doubt started inspired and fired up, at some point, you may find yourself feeling uninspired.

So, if and when you run out of steam with your writing, here are five fun ways to nudge the muse.

Create Some Chaos: Stories are fueled by conflict. Conflict shows what kind of stuff your characters are made of. Try sticking two characters in a room and tossing in some conflict. Did one of them renege on a deal? Maybe they discovered they’re both dating the same person. Maybe it’s as simple as disagreeing on where to set the thermostat. It’s not as much about the specific issue as it is about their behaviors and their reactions to the conflict. It’s fascinating the deeper levels of character you can reach through a little exercise in conflict, and creating chaos is a great way to spice things up and get your writing revved back up.

Face the Fear: Just like each of us, every well-drawn character has something they fear. Peter Pan is afraid to grow old. Indiana Jones hates snakes. Find a fear to saddle your character with and then force them to face that fear. If your character is afraid of the dark, blow out their only candle, or drain the battery on their smart phone. One of the best ways to see what your character is made of is to pit them against their phobias. All sorts of things can come to light, just by exploring your character’s darkest fears.

Road Trip!: Transport your character to another location. Give them, and your brain, a change of scenery.

Set the Mood: Try a little music. Pick a song that matches the tone of the scene you’re writing. Listen, really listen and let yourself take it in. Get up and move to the music. Sway, or hop, or leap, or spin. Soak it up, allow it to shift your emotions and turn them into physical movement. Set it on replay as you resume writing. Let the music move you and your words.

Re-engage Your Senses: When writing, we tend to get focused on the visual. But stories should engage all of our senses. Put yourself inside the story, by waking up your senses. Writing a scene in a coffee shop? Make yourself a fresh cuppa and spend some time savoring the sounds of the coffee maker, the smell of the coffee beans, the taste of the dark roast with a hint of cream. Writing a scene that takes place outdoors? Go outside, close your eyes and inhale. Let yourself really hear, smell, and feel the world. Not only will this exercise give you a short break from the keyboard, it’s also a great way to remind yourself what your character is hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting.

Most of all, take a minute to celebrate your progress to this point and marvel at the awesome power of putting words on the page and bringing your stories and characters to life.

Here’s to finishing strong!

Sharon Skinner holds a BA in English, an MA in Creative Writing, and is a Certified Book Coach. She writes fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and the occasional steampunk, for audiences of all ages. Skinner is an active member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and serves as the Regional Advisor for SCBWI AZ.

June 11, 2021May 22, 2021

Pep Talk Week #2: Don’t Look Back

Dear Writer,

I have long been obsessed with mythology, specifically the Greeks. My favorite among these myths is that of Orpheus and Eurydice. What I find myself returning to again and again within this myth and my current work-in-progress is a lasting reminder. Don’t look back. This, dear writer, is a mantra to recite daily as you endeavor to fill one page after the next.

No matter what stage or scene you find yourself in, you must keep your eyes on the forward motion of your story. Sure, there will be trials and roadblocks and wrong turns along the way. Writing is, after all, a journey with a destination. But the best adventures often arrive when we get out of our own way.

Most recently, I forgot the name for the location of the school I created in my own fictional world. I searched through reference materials saved in Scrivener, but could not find the answer I needed. Following this slight sense of panic, I took too many hours diving into archives of notes from 2014 to present day. I discovered folders from Phase One and Phase Two only to be struck by the realization that this story is now in Phase Three. Here, dear writer, is where my most beloved advice of don’t look back would’ve suited me well.

While I did find the answer I needed, too much time spent away from the writing dwindled the momentum I gained that Sunday morning. Perhaps, it was procrastination at a subconscious level. I knew that specific writing session would be about tackling a difficult chapter. In an effort to feel prepared, I lost that fizzle of alchemical obsession that often causes us to write in a haze. You know those days, dear writer, as they are often the ones which never feel tangible. The words are just there without a real memory of putting them on the page.

But here’s the thing. Tough chapters will happen. There may be answers to questions you cannot remember in the moment. The key is to keep writing despite these challenges. And you guessed it, don’t look back.

When facing troublesome scenes or struggling to make sense of what you think your story should be, consider the points of the journey you are most excited to write. It might be a small idea or image, it may be a conversation echoing on a loop in your head or an action scene you’ve imagined with perfect pacing. Whatever it may be, use these as an anchor to stay tethered to the act of writing.

As mentioned earlier, my work-in-progress novel began as a small seedling of an idea in 2014. During my time in the Mountainview MFA, I conceptualized a story filled with dreams. I researched and wrote. I added more pages and ideas. My final semester of my graduate studies, I met with my mentor to pitch that story and discuss the plan for the next few months. Very quickly, my mentor let me know that this was not what my story was actually about. She gave me a deadline and urged me to rethink the concept. I must note that I have always thrived on setting a goal, and that night, I did in fact conceptualize a new version of this story. It felt right. And even then, there was a scene in a lighthouse I needed to write. It got me through to the end of my thesis.

Now in Phase Three having finally gotten out of my own way, leaning into my strengths as a writer, and incorporating my love of mythology, I have finally found what this story needs to be, and I refuse to look back. As I approach the final part of the novel, I am once again writing toward that scene in the lighthouse. Even amidst the tough chapters, it keeps me excited to continue this journey.

Throughout this month, you will encounter all kinds of chapters and scenes moving you toward your desired word count. This is your destination. And along the way, there is magic to be found in the journey.

This is what keeps us returning to the page, right? There will be days when you’re tired and the words come too slow. And other hours may hurt because the writing feels too real, too authentic to ever consider sharing with the world. I’m here to tell you that this month, it doesn’t matter if the writing is scary so long as you put words on the page.

Dear writer, the world is not always kind and life is not always easy. Some days, survival may be all you can manage. But on the other days when you find excitement for the scenes you’ve yet to write, these are the days when getting close is better than best because it means you haven’t given up.

Believe in yourself. Take a deep breath. Drink some water because you’re probably dehydrated. Keep trying. And most importantly this month, don’t look back until you make it to the end, whatever that means for you.

Wishing you all the very best,

Kayla King

Kayla King is an author of fiction and poetry. Her debut micro-collection of poetry, These Are the Women We Write About, is published by The Poetry Annals.

She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Pages Penned in Pandemic: A Collective, now available for purchase. All proceeds will be donated to 826 National, an organization supporting young writers.

Kayla is a graduate of the Mountainview MFA with her sights set on publishing the novel conceptualized during her graduate studies. She will be completing her YA speculative novel about dreams this summer before seeking representation, and always dreaming bigger than ever. To learn more and catch a sneak peek of her first page, check out her conversation with agent Danielle Chiotti featured on the Manuscript Academy Podcast! You can follow Kayla’s writing journey over at her website: kaylakingbooks.com or her twitterings @KaylaMKing.

June 4, 2021May 22, 2021

Pep Talk Week #1: Finding Venus

Sentences. Those precious, precious sentences… I find myself thinking about sentences a lot, especially after I’ve written a bunch of questionable ones.

Oh, writers: those esoteric beings perched over a keyboard or a notebook, crafting stories one word at a time, one sentence at a time. And the writers who have written and/or published multiple books LOVE to remind us of the incredible importance of the finely tuned sentence, and the Herculean battle they embarked upon to get those lauded strings of words just. Exactly. Right. The lost sleep! The blood! The sweat! Etcetera!

When I started grad school, it had been twenty-plus years since I’d had to carefully contemplate things like sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, tone, beats… In my workaday world post-undergrad and pre-MFA program, sentences were purely utilitarian: say things to convey information, ideas, feelings, or make a friend laugh. Of course it was always important to me that my sentences, whether written or spoken, were soundly constructed and made sense, but understanding them to the degree that my program’s faculty discussed in workshops (and even in casual conversations I’d overhear while passing by) was overwhelming, to say the least. It had just been so long since I’d thought about that stuff, I was afraid I’d never be able to grasp it again. I remember scribbling “What have I done? I am in completely over my head.”

Realizing all that we don’t know, and haven’t even thought about when we start on a writing project is enough to make a person turn back before they really start. Maybe you’re there right now.

OK, so… I’m working on something now, too. It’s been in progress for what’s got to be two years now. I had a lot of ideas, and, in fits and starts, have written – as of today – 47,702 words. Most of the reason why I haven’t gotten more words and more story is: the sentence. The vast majority of sentences in this thing are garbage. I can practically see the comments by former mentors and editors about how messy this sentence/paragraph/chapter is. It’s like commentary during a baseball game, only it’s about this thing I’m still trying to make. I’m editing myself before I actually have enough to edit.

Sculptors make beautiful things. I always think of the Venus de Milo, with her luminous, pensive facial expression, the dropped shoulder, and the curve of her neck. And how she started as a block of stone – or maybe marble? I’m not sure. I’m not a literal sculptor. But that detail, that beauty, came out of an amorphous block. Think how strong the artist’s vision must have been to chisel away at that block to reveal that goddess of beauty that still evokes emotion and passion today.

That block is your first draft. And you don’t even get to buy it or have it given to you; you have to MAKE it. And a block is exactly what it needs to be: blocky (of course), heavy, bulky. In fact, the bigger the block, the more material there is to chisel away at. And if you make a mistake with that chisel, at least you’ll have enough marble or stone or whatever to chip away more and more until it looks exactly like you want it to.

If you spend too much time editing your sentences as you try to plow through your first draft, you will never get to play with that big, strong, solid block. So keep going, keep building that blocky word count until it’s so big, with so many sentences that will absolutely need chiseling, that you’ll have lots of room for mistakes and missteps – and then when you’re all the way through you can start obsessing about making your sentences fine and intricate. But until then, keep making those big, blocky ones. Your Venus will reveal herself to you in due time.

Shawna-Lee is a writer with a debut novel called Radio Waves, which is all about connecting to music in such a way that it can change the course of one’s life. In addition to music, she also loves stand-up comedy, proverbial rabbit holes, and desolate lighthouses. She’s a lifelong New Englander, and is currently working on a novel about Gen X-ers, friendship, and life’s unexpected turns.

Radio Waves is available anywhere you like to get your books, including your local indies, via Bookshop.org .

May 12, 2021May 4, 2021

5 Inspirational Videos to Help You Gear Up to Write Your Book

Writing a book is no mean feat. If it were easy, everyone would do it, right? If you’re thinking of participating in JuNoWriMo 2021, that’s fantastic. It really is. Deciding to write a book is exciting, and making that decision is the biggest step because it’s the first. Most people don’t even decide to write a book.

That beautiful commitment to yourself and to your story can fuel you through the whole drafting process…but why go it alone? We’ve sourced five inspirational videos to help you gear up to write your book. Over the next [x weeks/days] we will share some additional resources to help you shake off the doldrums of the pandemic and prepare to launch into a month of storytelling.

No. 1: When You’re Seeking Creativity…

Watch Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) talk about creative genius.

No. 2: When You Need to Choose…

Writing a book is scary. But that doesn’t mean you have to let your brain keep you from trying.

No. 3: When You Need to Find Your Passion…

Do you love to write? If you’re feeling like you’ve lost your way a little, this video is for you!

No. 4: When You Need to Think Outside the Box…

If you’re feeling trapped by your ideas, by your story, watch this video to step outside of the norm and expand your creativity.

No. 5: When You Stumble or Others Put You Down…

When we strive, we inevitably experience setbacks and failures along the way. When you need to feel able to continue on despite feeling like everything is wrong, watch this video.

Final Thoughts

Not all inspiration has to be on the topic of writing. If these videos don’t help you feel inspired to write, watch an inspirational sports video. If that doesn’t help, look for videos by more people who have succeeded even though the odds were stacked against them. Look for the people who could have given up, who almost gave up, but who didn’t give up.

Inspiration is everywhere. Hopefully this list of videos will get you started on your way to preparing to participate in JuNoWriMo.

Author & Author Accelerator Certified book coach Margaret McNellis holds an MFA in fiction, an M.A. in English & creative writing, and a B.A. in art history. She writes historical fiction for adult and young adult readers. Her debut YA novel, THE RED FLETCH, will be released on 9/18/21. Margaret’s short fiction has been published in several markets, including Assignment Magazine, where she was the 2019 student fiction contest winner. Margaret loves the beach when it’s empty, the forest in the fall, blasting Mozart’s piano sonatas, and baking bread.

June 8, 2015

Pep Talk Week 2: Seven Things to Do When Your WIP is a Hot Mess

This week, Katharine Grubb offers advice on how to rescue your work in progress (WIP). Katharine’s blog is about the “Confessions of a Busy Mom Who Became an Independent Novelist.”

So it’s JuNoWriMo and you’ve hit the second week!

You’re like um, I have how many words to go?

You thought you could do this. You had ideas! You had characters! You had a plot! I mean you kind of have a plot but now it kind of feels like a plod. You had a vision for the perfect story in this genre! But then you realize that maybe this contemporary romance might do better on Mars? Maybe your heroine needs fangs? Maybe you could kill everyone off, call it a dystopian and be done with it?

What do you do?

1. Take a deep breath. Deep breathing can calm you down. They don’t tell you this in writing classes but breathing when you write is as important as the kind of mug you use for your hot beverage. Take another deep breath. No one ever died from JuNoWriMo. Continue reading “Pep Talk Week 2: Seven Things to Do When Your WIP is a Hot Mess”

May 13, 2015

Jump-Start Your Novel Writing Month… Without Cheating by Larry Brooks

Mapping out your novel can help you avoid lulls in production. Check out tips from Larry Brooks on how to plan ahead and give your novel a “jump-start.”

According to the “rules” of National Novel Writing Month – no matter what month you undertake the work – there is nothing that prevents you from planning your novel out in advance. Doing so – solidifying your concept and premise, and laying out the narrative expositional sequence itself – is perhaps the most useful and functional NaNoWriMo tip you can find.

Continue reading “Jump-Start Your Novel Writing Month… Without Cheating by Larry Brooks”

June 6, 2014

Pep Talk Week 1: Three Ways to Win by Margaret McNellis

This week’s pep talk is brought to you by JuNoWriMo crew member Margaret McNellis.

When you feel like 50,000 words is an impossible goal, follow these three methods for building word count in mind and in practice.

Word Wars for the Win

Word wars saved me during my first novel challenge, and again during each and every novel challenge I’ve taken on since. A word war is when, given a pre-set amount of time, you write against the clock and fellow challengers–in a cafe, online, or anywhere you put pen to paper or fingers to keys. Word wars are immensely useful in that they provide support and friendly competition. There’s something about racing against the clock that keeps the words pouring out onto the page.

Keep a Writing Schedule

Your novel is important, or else you wouldn’t bother writing it–so make sure you give yourself the time to write. For some people, the morning is best–others are night owls. If you’re having trouble writing, try switching to a different time of day. Give yourself 15-30 minutes (or more) of uninterrupted writing time each day. Schedule it into your tablet if you must; enable the “do not disturb” on your smartphone, and breathe life into your story. Maximize your word processor or avoid electronics and other distractions if you like to write by hand.

Set Realistic Goals

If this is your first novel-writing challenge, don’t promise yourself that you’re going to write 200,000 words. The goal of 50,000 words is suggested because it means you only have to write 1,667 words each day to stay on track. That’s only a little more than 1,500, or about 4 pages single-spaced in most word processors. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to write 10,000 words in the first day–you may find yourself burnt out by June 15th. The true success of a novel-writing challenge isn’t to create a perfectly polished manuscript ready for a publisher in 30 days. The true success is to break the barriers set by the inner editor, self-doubt, and sometimes, writer’s block. The true success is to develop consistent writing habits that can eventually lead to a beautifully polished manuscript ready to share with the world. Slow and steady wins the race.

Of course, nothing horrible will happen to you if you don’t reach the 50,000 word mark by midnight on June 30. Your computer won’t turn into a pumpkin. Your notebook(s) won’t self-destruct. If and when writer’s block does settle upon your shoulders, skip to a different part of your story, write a foil character for your protagonist, or jump head first into a word war.

In addition to being a writer, I’m a martial artist. Winning a novel-writing challenge is much like a black belt test–it’s all about attitude and perseverance. When a student tests for his/her black belt, the rank is there for the taking. They just have to finish the test with a good attitude–an attitude that’s unwilling to quit just because something is difficult. If you write daily, whether you write 1,667 words per day or 200, at the end of the month you will have a product you can be proud of. You will have developed the habit of writing every day, and you will have started the process of writing a complete novel.

People often talk about when they can go from being aspiring writers to writers. When I was new to writing fiction, I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Higgins Clark. I asked her this question–this equivalent of “What is the meaning of life?” for writers–she smiled and succinctly replied, “Writers write, so start writing.”

Margaret McNellis first participated in a novel-writing challenge in 2008. In 2010, she became a Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo–a post she held for three years. In 2013, Margaret joined the JuNoWriMo team, helping to run word wars and sprints via Twitter. Margaret began writing fiction in 2006 and, after completing coursework with the Long Ridge Writers Group, Margaret enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University, where she is currently pursuing her Masters in English and Creative Writing with a Concentration in Fiction. Her story “A King’s Life” appeared in the premier issue of Fictitious Magazine, and she has published articles in regional magazines and news sources. For seven years following her graduation from Southern Connecticut State University with a BA in Art History, she worked as a freelance writer, covering art shows, literary events, book releases and more. You can find Margaret online here.