90-Day Novel Project Update 4

From Kate's Writing Crate...

          After 90 days, I can officially highly recommend The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt. Even if you don't plan on writing a novel this quickly, it should be on your Writing Books To Be Read List.

 

          Just by reading it, I am a better writer as the content is excellent. But I also better understand how novels work because I followed through on the majority of the exercises and directions.

          I found Watt's insights invaluable. He made me think--to see and consider my options. I learned to tighten my timeline, deepen my characters' backstories, and move my story forward.

          As with most projects, I started out with a lot of enthusiasm. Writing a novel has always been a goal, but it takes a great deal of work--more work than I realized.

          For the record, I didn't complete my novel, but I did a lot more work on it than I would have without this book. It wasn't the author's fault that I didn't finish. I missed out on writing time during my job's monthly editing deadlines. I plan to complete my first draft soon.

          If you choose to meet the 90-day deadline, my advice is to make sure you have the time to put into it. Wintertime worked for me as the weather kept me indoors with time to focus on this goal. I tried to write the same time every day which also helped. For the first 28 days, you only spend 10-30 minutes a day. After that, you need to put in whatever time it takes to meet your daily goals.

          This book works best when you already have a story in mind along with a feel for your characters. Your plot may veer off your planned course; your characters may change names, physical attributes, occupations, and locations as you write, but that is what keeps you alert and interested for the long haul. And it is a long haul, but this book keeps things manageable.

          Success, of course, depends on your efforts. If you put yourself into Alan Watt's professional writing sphere, you will write your novel as long as you pay attention to the suggestions he makes based on his own novel writing experience and follow his flexible directions.

          Speaking of success, I saw Bill Geist on CBS Sunday Morning interview a 76-year-old author writing under the name Desiree Holt who has written over 100 racy romance novels in about four years. Quite an impressive body of work! Apparently, she writes according to "The 14-Day Novel" plan.

          The reality is that if you want to write a novel, write a novel. You don't need The 90-Day Novel to achieve your goal. However, Alan Watt, author of the prize-winning novel Diamond Dogs, thoughtfully shares all he learned in this writer-friendly and inspirational book that makes the tough work of completing a novel easier. Writing is a solitary pursuit so why not enjoy the company of a supportive, successful professional cheering you on?


How are your novels coming along?

90-Day Novel Project Update 3

From Kate's Writing Crate...

            Despite the excellent support and insights of Alan Watt, writing a novel is proving even more difficult than I thought. However, I am following through.

 

            The story I started to tell had too long a timeline so big changes had to be made in my plot. Characters and dialogue have also been challenging. A first-time novelist has lots to learn so Watt's gives his readers an extra week to work on the first act, if they need it, which I did.

 

            A first rough draft is daunting, but breaking it down to 500 words a day (or 750, 1,000, 1,500, or more) is what makes it possible. I've found that writing scenes rather than trying to write the novel from beginning to end works better for me. I just need to get the story down on paper. In truth, it helps when I remind myself no one else is going to read this draft.

 

Remember to be kind to yourself if you do not, or cannot, meet your word count every day. My job's editing and printing deadlines make it difficult to work on any other projects for ten days each month. The important thing is to keep writing.

 

            It's gratifying to see the pile of pages grow, but I find myself drawn to editing, rewriting, and polishing these pages instead of writing new ones. Now is not the time to do any of that. I need to let go of "perfection" and just write the story.

 

 

            This project takes up a lot of time and concentration. If you are planning on following Watt's 90-Day Novel plan, know that you will have to make sacrifices: less TV, reading, socializing, etc. However, you gain confidence, a sense of accomplishment, a greater appreciation for all authors, and a sense of community as you join their ranks.

 

When I hit my stride on good days, words just pour out. Other times, it's a struggle to make my word quota. The reality is that every day I write is a good day. I am living my dream. I have overcome my own resistance (it's easier to not write than to write) and defeated the naysayers—and you can, too.

 

Writing is hard work. No way around that, but, if it's what you want to do, it's worth the effort.

 

As support is essential, I also recommend The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. I find reading his insights get me writing everyday. I simply flip open to any page and read until I cannot wait to pick up my pen or get to my keyboard to work on my novel and other projects.

 

Pressfield's thoughts on "The Artist's Life" is posted in my Writer's Crate as it is so inspiring. I wish he had put it on the first page of his book instead of the last as it reinforces my belief in myself and my writing goals.

 

How are your 90-Day Novels going?

 

My next update will be posted on April 1.

 

90-Day Novel Project Update 2

  From Kate's Writing Crate... 

              I'm now on Day 35 of the 90-Day Novel project.

 

Days 7-28 follow the same pattern as Days 1-6 that I wrote about in my first 90-Day Novel Project post. Author Alan Watt shares his thoughts and insights on a variety of topics then asks his fellow writers to answer two or four open ended questions, spending five minutes on each question.

 

 

Watt addresses problems some—or most—writers face as well. He also provides support to strengthen his readers' resolve to finish their novels. On Day 7, he states, "We are uniquely qualified to tell our story. Everything we need to know to resolve the dilemma at the heart of our story lies within. Our job is to maintain a spirit of curiosity." On Day 8, he continues," If our hero is at peace at the end, be curious about where he is not at peace in the story. If he's willing to share intimacies at the end, be curious about the secrets he is keeping within the story. This gives him a dramatic arc. It gives him somewhere to go."

 

On Day 13, Watt shares, "Story structure invites our subconscious to organize a host of disparate ideas into a coherent narrative that leads to a transformation. We are seeking to imagine a story that becomes bigger than we are, where we step back with wonder and say, 'Where did that come from?"'

 

On Day 15, readers are also assigned to read Alan Watt's novel Diamond Dogs. On Day 22, readers look at a story structure analysis so they can see how Watt's prompts, thoughts, and insights apply to a novel. He welcomes readers to start working on their novels after Day 22, but recommends waiting until Day 29.

 

In 28 days, I'd only answered the assigned questions. However, I put a lot of work into my novel's characters, backstories, plot, subplots, and settings.

 

After Day 28, there are writing assignments, but no more prompts and questions. Watt switches to support and cheerleading. On Day 34, he says, "Even if we don't understand why it's being written, we can trust that when we've completed our first draft we'll begin to see patterns that will lead us to a more specific understanding of our story."

 

On Day 35, Watt notes, "Expecting too much too soon can be a fatal mistake. Of course we should strive for excellence, but excellence in the first draft involves dancing with the muse, not self-flagellation…"

 

What a lovely goal: dancing with the muse. It sounds so much more fun and easier than writing.

 

Trust in the process. Get your story down on paper. That's what matters.

 

What I most love about this book are Alan Watt's thoughts and insights. He takes you at your word that you want to be a novelist and that you are willing to put in the work. He is a mentor sharing what it takes to complete a novel successfully with those ready to write their own.

My next update will be Monday, March 4.

 

How are your novels coming along?

90-Day Novel Project Update 1

From Kate's Writing Crate...

          For this blog, I decided I would only write posts about books that I found helpful or inspirational. I had to make an exception in this case because I am comparing two books for the 90-Day Novel Project.

          It's Day 6 of the 90-Day Novel project. I have followed the schedules and exercises in both Alan Watt's The 90-Day Novel and Sarah Domet's 90 Days to
Your Novel--and they could not be more at odds.

          The first, and most important, difference is the tone in each book. Bestselling author of the novel Diamond Dogs, Alan Watt's tone is professional and supportive. His readers are colleagues. Each day's first page begins with Hi Writers. He always uses "we" and "our" as he discusses and shares his thoughts and ideas with fellow writers.

          Watt also allows for his readers to have different writing processes and to be at different stages in their growth as well as in their novels. He brilliantly addresses some trouble writers may have come across in the past along with solutions that include the importance of creativity on pages 4 & 5 and the role of the subconscious on pages 8 & 9.

          In the Preparation section (pp. 16-18), Watt discusses that characters need dilemmas, not problems. Problems can be solved. Dilemmas take transformation. Right then my whole relationship with my characters and novel shifted, became deeper and infinitely more interesting. I was excited and inspired to get back to my novel.

 

          Watt expects his fellow writers have stories to tell and characters in mind. His exercises for each day consist of open-ended questions about their heroes and other characters. In the 10-20 minutes I spent answering these questions each day, I have learned some surprising things about my characters' backgrounds, goals, and motivations. I also learned a great deal about my novel as a whole while answering the structure questions on Day 4.

          I can always tell that a book is inspiring and motivating to me when I flip through it and see many underlined sentences, marked passages, and comments in the margins. More than half the pages I have read so far have "spoken" to me.

          On the other hand, Sarah Domet's book with rigid thoughts and exercises might be appealing to beginning writers, but I think she turns her entire audience off with her "Gotcha" comment on page 41, before Day 1 exercises even started.

          In her book, we are not all writers in this project together. Instead, she writes as though she has all the answers and the readers are merely students. She does not give her readers credit for having much writing experience or different processes. I found this book uninspiring so I will not be following it any longer.

          I will update my 90-Day Novel Project again on Monday, February 4.

How are your novels coming along?

Will Power--Thanks to Shakespeare!

From Kate's Writing Crate...

          As a writer, it's difficult not to be inspired by William Shakespeare. He wrote prolifically. He wrote beautifully. He wrote without the aid of a dictionary, a thesaurus, spellchecker, or Google. And he wrote by hand with a quill and inkwell.

          I once tried to write with my great great aunt's pen with a slightly bent nib and an inkwell. It was frustrating. The ink would run out mid thought. It dripped and smeared, too. I gave up after one page. But Shakespeare had no other choice so he got on with it. He was driven and dedicated.

          This leaves me--and everyone else who wants to be a writer--with no excuses not to write. I have plenty of modern pens and paper, a computer, and every reference book and web site I need, including refdesk.com, which I take for granted.

          I am constantly reminded of this by a sign I received for Christmas that now hangs in my Writer's Crate. It makes me laugh--and it keeps me writing.

         It's a picture of Shakespeare with WILL POWER written underneath.

          So if you are not writing, what is the obstacle?

          No time? You can find pockets of time. Cheryl wrote her book, Pregnant Women Don't Eat Cabbage, on a series of Saturday afternoons when her husband took charge of their children for an hour or two. A woman in Japan has written two books on her smart phone while on trains going to and from work.

          No writing space? The Writer's Desk, by Jill Krementz, shows authors writing in all sorts of places: Toni Morrison on a couch; Walker Percy and Cathleen Schine each in their own beds; Rita Dove and Saul Bellow standing at tall writing desks; Ann Petry at her dining room table; and Veronica Chambers sitting on her kitchen counter. A majority of the authors are sitting at their desks, some with their feet up, most with their feet on the floor. With few exceptions, the 55 writers photographed have very cluttered or sparse spaces so your level of neatness/organization is no excuse either.

          Face it, writing all comes down to determination and dedication. You need to sit, stand, or lie down in your writing space and write.

          Now list five writing goals for 2013--then make them happen!

          My 2013 goals:

                    write every day;

                    write 52 posts for this blog;

                    continue to edit or co-write articles for trade and/or national magazines;

                    take another writing class;

                    and finish my novel.


          Cheryl and I each have started novels, but we want to finish them. We decided to test out two writing books to help us reach that goal. Starting January 1, Cheryl and I will follow 90 Days to Your Novel: A Day-by-Day Plan Outlining & Writing Your Book by Sarah Domet. I was also intrigued by The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt so I will be following it as well until I find which one really inspires me.

          Wish us well!

What are your 2013 writing goals?