Tag: dabbling in the art of writing

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing

The Finish Line – Camp NaNoWriMo

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Today is the last day for Camp NaNoWriMo. Unlike what I had planned to accomplish, I fell short of my goal. However, I did managed to arrive at my second goal once I figured out that 50k words wouldn’t possible this month. I’m actually proud of myself for that. Against all odds, I was able to sit down, write, and get further in the story (the sequel to the Vampire Princes goes to High School). Because of this, I’m have chapter written weeks in advance which gives me time to prepare and write more chapters. That’s a good feeling to have.

There are about 6 to 7 hours left of the event and I’m going to take that opportunity to keep writing. I doubt I will be able to increase my word count by much, and that’s not the goal, but I just want to write as much as I can during this event. There are more opportunities to write that are coming up so hopefully, I’ll be able to reach those goals.

In part, it had to do with the fact that starting a new job with a new scheduled made things a bit difficult to adjust. It didnt take too long but I believe that it did affect some part of writing. I also know that I’m also to blame so, it was a bit of both sides were the
“guilty” party so to speak. I’ll have to reflect on this month in general and proceed from there.

For those who are very close to hitting their goal, keep writing. There is plenty of time left. Don’t throw in the towel just yet. You’re almost there.

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing

Day 25th of April

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

We’ve run out of water . . . Actually, that’s a different story.

However, the fact still remains that April has gone by way too fast. Now that there is only five days until May, I realize that I need to get my butt in gear and, not only plan more for my wedding, but also write. That’s a lot to unpack right there. Combined, they tire and stress me out.

But, I would say that I am diligently writing every day. I can’t seem to hit my daily goal, but I have come to terms with the fact that I won’t write 50k words this month. If anything, I’m hoping to hit 25k or 30k depending on other factors. That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to try my hardest to reach those numbers.

While I may not be where I wanted to be by the end of the month, I have gotten a lot done. I’m moving further and further into the middle part of my novel (the Vampire Prince Returns to High School). Consequences of what happened in the previous book are coming up and I’m eager to reach that portion. It’s just something about writing conflict that excites me. It’s my favorite thing to write.

If I hit that point before the end of Camp NaNoWriMo, I might be able to write more than 25k or 30k words. Honestly, I think I just need a push, or in this case, a jump start, to sit down and write more than a thousand or less words per day. Plus, as we all know, the middle isn’t always the most exciting or easiest part to write (at least for me) regardless of the story.

That being said, I’m still on Arc 2 of writing. At this point, I’m not quite sure how the story is going to end. I don’t want to make it super long as the first story (the Vampire Princes goes to High School), but I also don’t want to end prematurely. At least for this book, I think it’s more of a set up to the last book than anything else. However, it must also be a stand alone story.

So far, I believe I’m doing that correctly. There are more topics and character relationships that I want and can explore. I also believe, I have a solid plot for this story. I’ll continue to believe this until I don’t anymore.

If I had any advice for myself, and anyone else, it wouod be to get to the parts that you want to write. If you have to skip around then, do so. Just remember to link the two scenes together. As I’ve mentioned before, Notecards help because you can physically see the scenes laid out in front of you instead of floating in your mind. Do what you have to do, to write.

P.S. I’m working on a new look so, the site might look a change over the next few days.

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing

Hitting the Middle

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

It’s the start of the second week of April and things aren’t looking good. I underestimated the travel distance from work to my house and how that affects me mentally. However, I have managed to write every day despite not hitting that daily goal.

Perhaps part of that comes from the fact that I have hit the middle point of my story. As I might have mentioned before, I am working on a previously started story. While I had a few major plot points planned out, I’m finding it difficult to write the details that lead to said plot points.

So, I need to reevaluate my goals here. I still want to work on my novel this month and I still want to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m going to do all that and try to write as much as I can this month. There is a high chance that I might not make it to 50k words but even writing 30k sounds like a good number.

The game plan is to do a bit more brainstorming. As I wrote, I created two situations that I have to further develop. These were completely unplanned but I’ll be using them. Just imagining the scenes will increase my word count but also, and most importantly, add some tension and conflict to my story.

Typically, once I’ve gotten to this point, I’d start thinking about the end, but not this time. For now, I’ll focus on what I need to write next. I want to stay true to the story and not add things that aren’t necessary to the overall story. Personally, I don’t like adding elements that can easily be taken out or replaced by something else.

Lastly, I hope that everyone who is participating in Camp NaNoWriMo is doing a lot better than I am. If we’re in the same boat then, I’m rooting for us. We got this. 🤞

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing

Around the Corner

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Camp NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. Even though I have a few things planned, I realized that I might have made a mistake. My new job takes a lot of time to travel and exhaustion is more than an issue than I had initially thought. Saying this, I will still try to do my best in the following month. My overall goal count might decrease by 10,000 words or perhaps 20,000 words, but I’m not backing out.

The past few posts have been about developing ideas for April. Now that Camp NaNoWriMo is around the corner, it’s best to sit back and take a breather. By this point, a writing schedule should have been put in place. If not a writing schedule, perhaps an idea of between what times you’re going to start writing. There are some things that we’ll have to give up, but I’m willing to cut down some time from other activities to write.

This weekend is about ironing out the starting details for your story. Even if the middle and end aren’t exactly planned out to the fullest, just having a vague idea or a goal, will make writing easier. The first few days (maybe the first week) of Camp NaNoWriMo are, I believe, fairly easy mostly because these days are about introducing your character and their everyday life. You might want the perfect starter sentence but don’t worry about perfection until later. Focus on writing.

Have pen and paper on hand or perhaps use an app like Evernote or Google Docs on your phone so you can write away from home. Ideas tend to strike when you least expect it. Also, write when you get the chance. You’re waiting for something to heat up? Write. You’re a passenger? Write. Take advantage of the free time you have. Of course, you don’t always have to be writing. Taking breaks is essential. You don’t want exhaust yourself every day.

Personally, I like to write whenever I get the chance. I like to decrease the word count as much as I can before I sit down and actually write.

Overall, test the waters the first few days. If you get to write more than the daily recommended amount, that’s good. It gives you a bit of leeway on other days. Figure out what works for you and go from there.

Just remember, take a deep breath. We got this.

Posted in Methods, NaNoWriMo, Writing

Where to Start?

Posted on by Kassandra Carrillo

Now that I’ve decided to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo (some of you may have too), it’s time to decide where to start. This is where the time to decide what project to work on for the month comes in. My project for April is currently ongoing at the moment and I do have a few chapters written. Camp NaNoWriMo will be used to write 50k words of that story. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have any planning to do.

For those who don’t have a project in mind, I’ll offer some advice. In my humble opinion, I feel that Camp NaNoWriMo is all about writing (I’ve probably already said this before and I’ll continue to say it). It doesn’t really matter what you write, only that you’re writing. We all have a story inside of us and that doesn’t necessarily mean that this story will or should be share with anyone else. Maybe it’s a story you have to write for yourself.

The story can be anything. If you want to try your hand at fan fiction, go ahead. If it’s mystery, or romance, or science fiction then, go for it. It’s not going to be perfect – it never is – but at least you’re going to try and that’s all that matters.

Most of the writers I’ve met keep an idea journal with them. What’s to stop you from choosing an idea from there? However, in case that you can’t seem to choose something, there are tons of story idea generators out there. A quick search online gives you a lot of websites. Choose ones that interests you.

Once you have a story in mind, what I like to do is to keep a separate notebook or folder for this story. This is where I place all my notes so that I don’t loose anything and they’re easy to find. The method of developing the stories and generating ideas differs from person to person. I tend to think (daydream) scenes with my characters or maybe it’s just a phrases but I take note of everything because I might use it later. The scenes I think about don’t always make it into the writing itself but it is a place to start.

Now, what I won’t go into is naming the characters. It must be done. What I will say is that it’s okay for character names to change. For now, especially for Camp NaNoWriMo, use a name and, if later you don’t like it or doesn’t fit well, change it. The name doens’t have to be perfect right off the bat. I literally used “the Vampire Prince” has a name for almost half of my story on wattpad because I finally figured out a name for the Prince. It can be done.

The next “step” is a little tricky. We have to figure out what’s going to happen at the beginning, middle, and end. Planning is probably the second hardest thing, I believe, when writing. Editing is the first hardest then, writing. So, how are we going to plan?

For starters, there isn’t a correct way. It depends on how you write. Do you need a detail plan or do you just mostly wing it and see where that leads you? This is where having scenes in mind can come in handy. If you have a scene, you can figure out how the characters are going to arrive at that point. Maybe that scene is how the story starts. Planning is a lot of brainstorming and trying to fit it all together.

Lastly, if you’re new to Camp NaNoWriMo and/or writing, try both ways. Write down a sequence of events. It doesn’t have to be too in depth. Rough ideas or scenes help too. I find using flashcards for this helps. With the scenes on each flashcard, you can rearrange them how you like without deleting, copy and pasting, or starting over on a document. You don’t have to be a newbie to do this either. When I’m not too sure on which scene should go first, I take out some flashcards and lay them out in front of me.

Overall, find an idea and try brainstorming about it. The idea might change but the more you think about, the more it can help. April isn’t here yet so, you have time. Be flexible in your thinking and planning.

As always, thanks for reading.