The Novel Push Initiative:

NPI is a mere four days away.

Packsister and I are going to push our novels’ word counts forward from March 1st through March 31st.

The goal is to write at least 250 words (or half a page) per day. If we miss reporting our progress via our blogs even a single day, we’re knocked out of the event.

If I can’t handle this, I guess I have no business entering NaNoWriMo.

So this is a test for me.

And I’m excited.

And nervous.

The Writing Contest: Read the rest of this entry »

I think I found a great way to smoke out those unsightly plot-holes and other plot uncertainties.

((This is obviously just another way to keep track of plot-threads, but I thought I’d share this technique in case it works for you better than the more traditional plot-thread management techniques (colored index cards, spreadsheets, etc).)) Read the rest of this entry »

During the month of March, I want to push Five Rings‘ word-count through the roof.

But, sadly, maintaining a steady word-count on my own for a period longer than two weeks is too lofty a goal for me.

So I’m asking for your help.

I’ve decided to host a virtual event; one that came to me after reading Chris Baty’s wonderful No Plot? No Problem!. I’m christening this event “The Novel Push Initiative”, an easier-than-NaNoWriMo event.

But it still encourages writing every day.

THE RULES:

-NO PROJECT-JUMPING! (Please focus on only one project.)

-NaNoWriMo famously averages out to 1,667 words a day. SO…
Here’s the Break-down:

a ”KNOCK-OUT” is 0-249 words OR no post with a tally for that day. (No, I won’t sweep you under the rug like a king’s love-child.)
a ”CHECK-IN” is 250-749 words. (for those days something terrible happens, we’re sick, or we’re just not feeling it.)
an “UPDATE” is 750-1,667 words (about 1,000 words per day. Hopefully, this will be the most common one.)
a ”TOUGHER-THAN-NANO” is anything above 1,667 words. (are you nuts?!?)
a ”COMPLETE” is if you get finished with your book and type THE END. (*jealous* I suppose you can project-jump if and only if you complete a project.)

((So, at minimum, you need to CHECK-IN every day to avoid the big game-over.))

-First off, you’ll need a novel or novelette-sized WIP (work-in-progress). Whether you’re middling, have already done your research and are starting a first draft, or just want to dust off an old project you’ve been meaning to finish, you should be able to participate. (If you’re getting out those red pens to do a revision, tough luck!) :)

-Second, you’ll need a web log of some kind. Even a Twitter account will do.

-And thirdly, you’ll need to reply to this post (or any of my later posts this month) with:
A) a link to your blog, and
B) what project you’d like to work on.

-Each day We, united in writerly cause, will promise to add actual words to our WIP—every single day.
We are required to post WCs (word-counts) in our respective blogs Each and Every Day from March 1st to March 31st. 
If we miss a single day AT ALL—FOR WHATEVER REASON—we’re KNOCKED OUT OF THE EVENT. (Of course, I’m wondering how long I’ll last at this point ;D.)

-To actively participate, a simple Tweet can look like this:

CHECK-IN: 250 words.
11:59 PM Mar 1st from web

((But, of course, it’s your blog: You’re welcome to post snippets, musings, and whatever else you’d like. You don’t even have to label whether your WC is an UPDATE if you don’t feel like it. All I’m asking for is a visible word-count.))

WHAT I PROMISE:

I will periodically link to each of your sites and post your word-tallies up to a KNOCK-OUT.

IMPORTANT: I will be using whatever dates your posts are time-stamped with as a guide, so be sure your local settings are updated.

At the end of the month, we’ll see how many total words we’ve harvested.

If you stay with this until the end, just think: at the very minimum, you’ll have added 7,750 words to your WIPs.

So, still with me? Then I advise you take no prisoners as we march our plots ever-forward, all the way to March 31st! Good luck. I know I’ll need it…