Hey, look what came in yesterday while we were all in a voting frenzy- a pep talk! The following is the exact e-mail from Jonathan Stroud sent Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

You could write a novel about the act of writing a novel. It's a heroic act. (Or so I tell myself as I sit here in my garret study, chewing my nails, scratching my nose and staring blankly at my screen. That's what this is, I say grimly: a heroic act.) Why is it so heroic? Because it fits the mythic pattern of all great legendary heroes' lives. It's the story of a mighty quest accepted, of a long journey undertaken, of insuperable obstacles overcome and finally—in your case after 30 painful days—of lasting triumph won. It would make a fine movie, apart from the scratching the nose bi t—probably starring Charlton Heston. Full of dramatic highs, dreadful lows and endless tedious bits when the audience goes out to make a cup of tea. It's an epic, all right, and we're all in it together.

Here's how it works for me. At the beginning there's a kind of honeymoon period, where I'm pretty excited by the idea in my head, and the possibilities it evokes. Sure there are a zillion details to be worked out later, and plenty of things that don't yet mesh, but that's ok—we've lots of time. I write the odd fragment and chuckle over the occasional piquant joke. I do a bit of research, visit museums wearing black roll-neck sweaters, scribble ideas down on napkins in coffee houses. It's a pleasant calm before the storm.

Then things darken a little. Time is pressing. I want to get to grips with the novel, but I haven't a clue how. This is the 'phony war' period. I now apply myself seriously to work, but the trouble is that it doesn’t hold together. Scenes start promisingly but peter into nothing. Main characters turn out to have all the zest of a cardboard box abandoned in the rain. Dialogue is lousy. Description descends into wall-to-wall cliché. No fragment lasts more than two or three pages before being printed off and tossed aside. And still the real writing hasn't begun.

In fact, without a few imperatives to nail things down, it's quite possible for these first two periods to last forever. Honeymoon and phony war: one of them's breezy, the other's frustrating, but both are equally deadly to the hopes of any novel. The author might easily stay scribbling, doodling, crossing out and reworking forever. The heroic quest deteriorates into a dog chasing its tail.

That's why a deadline—like the one you're working to—is such a good idea.

With my Bartimaeus Trilogy I had a big fat fantasy novel to write each year, three years in a row. One novel a year? That's not so hard. Or so I thought. Then I figured out that what with the time taken up with editing and revising my manuscript, and then with printing and distributing it, I actually had about five or six months to get the first draft done. And it wasn't long before I was mired in the phony war period, with lots of fragments, half-ideas and wasted weeks behind me, and saw my deadline looming.

So I did exactly the same thing you're doing this November, and set myself a strict schedule of pages per week to get the first draft done. In my case this worked out at about 100 pages per month for 3-4 months. Each day I kept strict records of what I achieved; each day I tottered a little nearer my goal. Five pages per working day was my aim, and sometimes I made this easily. Other times I fell woefully short. Some days I was happy with what I got down; some days I could scarcely believe the drivel that clogged up the page. But quality was not the issue right then. Quality could wait. This was n't the moment for genteel self-editing. This was the time when the novel had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into existence, and that meant piling up the pages.

So I did it, one page at a time, even when it was like pulling teeth or squeezing blood from a stone. I did it. And you can do it too.

This is just a first draft, after all. It doesn't have to be a perfect thing. I once met an author who claimed only to write when actively inspired. She was a fine and venerated writer, so I didn't let my jaw loll open too widely in her presence, but I didn't really buy her claim, and I still don't buy it now. If 'inspiration' is when the words just flow out, each one falling correctly on the page, I've been inspired precisely once in ten years. All the rest of the time, as I've been piecing together my seven novels, it's been a more or less painful effort. You write, you complete a draft in the time you've got, you take a rest. Then—later, when you've recovered a little—you reread and revise. And so it goes. And little by little the thing that started off as a heap of fragments, a twist of ideas trapped inside your head, begins to take on its own shape and identity, and becomes a living entity, separate from yourself.

Getting that first draft out is a horribly hard grind, but that (perversely) is where the joy of it lies. There is nothing better for me, nothing more uniquely satisfying in the whole process of making a book, than the sensation at the end of each day—good or bad, productive or unproductive—when I look over and see a little fragile stack of written pages that weren't there that morning. A few hours earlier they didn't exist. And now they do. In a strange way this is more actively thrilling than even holding my finished, printed, book in my hands. It's where the magic lies. Alchemists tried for centuries to turn base metals into gold. Every time we sit down and put words on paper, we succeed where they failed. We're conjuring something out of nothing.

So what does my advice boil down to? Sweat blood, churn out the pages, ignore the doldrums, savour the moments when the words catch fire. Good luck with your novels. Those old legendary heroes may not have sat around like us drinking cold coffee and tapping steadily at their keypads, but for them—and for us—it's the journey that's the thing. That's where the fun is.

Jonathan

Jonathan Stroud is the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. You can learn more about Jonathan and his work at his website.

Good point.  I put downright intense amounts of effort into my apathy at times.  Sighing is not apathy, either!  It's ennui. 

I guess strong apathy would just be a really really blank stare.

that's all right--i can tolerate enough corn for the both of us. me loves the corn. (can a person be strongly apathetic? i'm picturing someone uttering a really, really long sigh.   

They always just look corny to me.  Guess I'm too strongly apathetic.

oh, i like chris baty's emails! he does a good job of getting me motivated, encouraged, feeling like i can do this thing. i liked his book, too.

i think he's got some strong authors for pep talks this year--i don't remember any of them, ofc, but i remember thinking they looked good when i saw the list!  

I'm glad I disabled e-mails.  Chris's posts always sound so stupid.  But I may just be a misanthropistic ass.

Dear Writer,

Howdy! NaNo Program Director Chris Baty here. Welcome to the 10th NaNoWriMo! It's great to have you on board.

I'll be sending you one of these emails each week from here until the end of the event. Between my emails, you'll also get two encouraging missives from our panel of celebrity author pep talkers. This week, you'll be hearing from Jonathan Stroud and Philip Pullman.

Okay. Enough chit-chat. It's time to talk geodes.

Geodes, for the geologically disinclined, look like normal rocks on the outside. But when you cut them open, they're filled with all sorts of wonders—bubbly layers of agate, sparkly crystals, elves. 

As a kid, I was obsessed with geodes. The highlight of my year was a visit to Dick's Rock Shop in Fountain, Colorado. The owner of the store, Richard Stearns, had a crate of dirty, unremarkable, tennis-ball-sized rocks in his Geode Bin. You'd spend an hour hunting through them until you'd picked out the perfect dirty, unremarkable rock.

Richard would then fire up his slab saw and cut the thing in half for you. The machine screamed and spit water to cool the blade, and it was messy and slow. Most of the time, Richard would lose a finger in the process.

That's how I remember it anyway. The details are a little fuzzy after so many years.

When he was done, Richard would present you with both halves of your geode. They'd be wet, and sometimes you'd gaze down into a glittering concavity of purple or green. Other times, you'd cry because you'd stupidly picked one of the geodes where the all the crystals were caked with a calcified layer of elf spit.

As we head into NaNoWriMo, I'm reminded of the feeling I got standing in Dick's Rock Shop, watching as that year's mystery stone revealed whatever magic it possessed. After nine NaNoWriMo novels—most of which have trended more towards elf spit than gemstones—I still get an excited stomach-flutter at the start of November. I can't help but feel giddy as I ponder questions like: Will this be the best novel I've ever written? And, secretly: Will this be the best novel ever written in the history of humankind?

Because it really could be.

Then the writing starts, and by the second sentence, two new questions have occurred to me. Namely: What am I doing? And: Could this be the worst novel ever written in the history of humankind?

And you know what? It really could be. But that's fine. Trust me on this. Don't waste your time measuring the success of your NaNo novel by the sparkle of your prose or the rock-solid genius of your plot. The books we write in November won't start out like the novels we buy in bookstores. Because the novels we buy in bookstores didn't start out like bookstore-novels either.  

Nope. They started out as way-less beautiful, way-more exciting things called first drafts. These are the dinged-up cousins to final drafts, and they're packed with crazy energy and laughable tangents and embarrassing instances where a main character's name shifts six times over the course of a single chapter.

Creating this reckless, romantic, and potential-filled beast is the first step in writing a great book. It's also a fantastic workout for your imagination, and monkey-barrels of fun. There's a catch, though. Getting through a first draft will require you leave perfectionism and self-criticism at the door. Fear not: We'll keep them both safe and return them to you in December.

But in November, you are beyond criticism. Because you are doing something that few people in the world have the guts to try—you're packing a huge creative challenge into an already-hectic life. You're juggling work and home; family and friends. With all of that going on, you've signed up for NaNoWriMo. Where you've spent the last few weeks hunting through the bin of possible novel ideas, trying to pick out the perfect one. Maybe you've got yours already. Or maybe you feel like you're not quite ready.

You're ready.

It's November 1, writer.

What say we fire up the ol' slab saw and find out what's in there?
 
Chris
NaNoWriMo

'Tis here, 'tis here! First day of NaNo! What have you all been doing since Midnight?! Me, I was watching Ghost Hunters Live before bed XD. Yes, I'm slacking off on day one. But it okay! I'll make up for it!

I haven't checked my e-mail in like... a week, but if NaNo mail has been sent out as of late, feel free to post it before I do because I'll probably forget anyway. XD

^_^

Definately Roldan.

And I only know about the Stephen King thing because my dad has the whole series. And while reading it, he would shut up about it. 

Okay, which do you guys like more for my warrior-protagonist:

Roldan

or

Clement

?

>Roland? *blink* The little guy from Sabrina the Teenage Witch or the one from the gunslinger >series? *is almost certain that guy's name was Roland*

Crap, I forgot about Stephen King.  Damn you, Stephen King!

Roland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland   He ends up being the hero in a lot of medieval epics.  (And later ones)  Stephen King's Roland is based on Browning's epic "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came", though where I say "based on" I think I pretty much mean "Has a Dark Tower and a guy called Roland"

Roland? *blink* The little guy from Sabrina the Teenage Witch or the one from the gunslinger series? *is almost certain that guy's name was Roland*

Gyah! I need to catch up on my homework fast or I'm going to be swamped next month! *cries and finishes Sociology*

Death by triple chocolate cake... Now there's how I wanna go!

Is anyone going to their region's kick-off party? I'm hoping to. ^_^ I can smell Aroma's already... and if I'm lucky, I'll actually have money to buy something... Something yummy... Mmm...

*has bucket of cold water thrown at her* I'm okay! O_O *works on plot more* NO! *works on homework more* ....  

Probably more obvious, but also confusing, since the setting is loosely based on the Holy Roman Empire and everybody's going to have Frankish/Saxon type names.   Though I suppose I could get away with Rickart or something.

I say naming him "Richard the Lion-Hearted" would be way more obivous, Stewart! 

Quioxtic passed a free program on to me - it's called Q10.  Looks like it's based on DOS, it takes up less than 1 MB of memory (!!!) and because it takes up the entire screen, you can't cheat by going online or playing games without having to shut the program down first.  It just may be a saving grace for me... :-X

On a happier note:  I'm ALMOST done with the blasted case study! Got all 7 lesson plans done, the others should be a cinch! *dances the happily chocolated dance*

AND that reminds me.  I'm planning on creating a dangerous project today after classes.  Take the leftover fudge Dad made, chop 'em up in small pieces, and mix 'em in a chocolate cake batter & bake.  Chocolate frosting, ofc.  DEATH BY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE!

I'm uh, well.  Kinda?  I kind of got derailed after writing that story as a warm-up.  I need to finish plotting and detail characters still.

Oh yeah, and my main character doesn't have a name.  But that's a minor detail, right?  I mean, if i can't come up with anything else I can just go totally "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SEE HIM AS GOOD" and call him Roland.  (or is that not as obvious as I think it is?)

 10 DAYS! TEN! ONE-ZERO!

*blink* o.O

Who's ready already? 'Cause I'm not... *hides under a rock*

Ooh, maybe that's what I'm doing subconsciously- putting it off so I don't feel tempted to write... Well, it's a theory anyway. I really would rather have it planned, though, considering I've never written like this before. I DID set up a graphic and a synopsis on my novel info page... Not much of a synopsis, but it's mostly there to help me. I even came up with a title, but I forgot where I put the notebook that explains why exactly I chose it...

Meh... Well... I think I'm going to take a nap today and then get up on an hour or two and do my homework...

If i can JUST stop being so tired all the time, I might actually get SOMETHING done. XD

The novel I'm going to attempt is actually something I've had in my head for about 2 or 3 years now, so I'm using this as an excuse to actually sit down and plan it out and/or write it.

woop!!!! 

hey, is anyone else purposefully putting off your nano planning because you don't want to get fabulous inspirations you can't act on yet? *embarrassed giggle*

ONE MONTH LEFT! Why does October HAVE to be before November? It's my second busiest month... *cries because she might not have enough time to finish planning*

Anyway... ONE MONTH!!! Oh, yeah, I mentioned that, huh?

... ONE! 

Yeah, I've discovered that I can't really fly by the seat of my pants with my novels, either.  I am now coming up with my main character and her situation, and then I can develop the vague plot in my head further.  I'm also working on two supporting characters.  I've found that in past years, I've fully developed the MC and left the other characters in murkiness.  I would love to have all my characters figured out this year, as well as most of my plot.  It would be a first for me!

 Stewart - ROTFLMAO!!!

 Okay, one- All writers are insane. Even if you don't think you are, I'm sure there are others that do. Embrace it. Love it. Let it take you wherever it leads.

Two- My write in wasn't bad. No one was full of themselves and we just asked questions and drank amazing coffee, but then, I think that's because there were only three people there. It's most likely extremely more complicated with an area with more of an interest which means more of a turn out for write-ins.

Phedre- Wow.... that REALLY sucks... But at least they gave you good wishes!

Ben- Hi! Welcome! And you can plan, plot, twist, and obsess over an outline as much as you want before November. Just DON'T WRITE WORD ONE OF THE ACTUAL STORY until NOVEMBER 1st! That's the rule.

Horatious Whores Again... I like that. XDD

So, for the first time in my life, I'm going to plan out my story. Well, some of it anyway. Just because I'm going to be writing something I've never done before and I fear that if I wing it, it will die and I won't finish. Anyway, I should get working on that planning. Even though there is over a month until NaNo starts, I don't have much free time these days.

Wow, it's time for NaNo again.

I've been an utter failure the last two years.  I'm talking less than a thousand words sometimes.  This year I've established better writing habits (thanks to flash fiction fridays) so I think I might have a chance.

I've always been confused though.  Are you supposed to not plan at all before the first day, or is that allowed?  I realize I can do whatever I want, but I like to compete in the spirit of the event.  My problem is I always get this confused with 24-hour comics.

-Ben

Synonymous.   Trepanning is fun, too!

Just go with a "working title" and then change it later when you find something in it that's really important.  I think titles can be dangerous anyway: they might get you set into thinking of such-and-such a thing when really that isn't where your novel is trying to go.  Much better to do it after the fact.

Suggested working titles:

Immortality Bites.

Horatious Whores Again.

Laurie - 

Yeah, that was the problem.  I thought the boy was the protagonist, and tried to make him the focus.  Wasn't working...turns out that his enemy is the protagonist.  So now I have to ditch the title.  Or at least save it for when the boy IS the main focus. XD

Circus - whackjobs are synomnous with writers.  (I know I'm not spelling snynomnous right) 

I know that people, especially writers, are very, very strange, and I have a feeling that the write-ins that I am hosting are going to have a pretty decent turnout of whackjobs, but if I come away from this with even one decent, hardworking individual benefitting from the program, then I will feel excellent about the whole thing. I know enough loons to know how to deal with them, and while I am easily annoyed by people who are ridiculous, as long as I am in a position to request that they stop being asses, it's cool with me.

On another note! I am totally winging this year's NaNo. I'll see how that goes for next year. Maybe next year I might even have a cohesive plot! Wouldn't that be something? I am far, far too excited for all of this. I was excited in JULY.

hey, phedre--

i've only read the first two chapters of 'immortal child', so not sure if i have enough information to judge yet, but i have been expecting the boy vampire to take a larger role in the overall story because of the title...now the question becomes, 'what the heck do you name the novel'?  

stewart--my one experience with a write-in was the kickoff last november. not sure if people were themselves or hopped up on jujubes and coffee, but yeah, there was a lot of talk about their own plots, their characters, debates about obscure religious practices (trepanning, if i remember right)...it was fascinating to watch, but i wasn't compelled to participate in the social stuff. i did benefit from the energy of the room, though, when the bell went off and we all started typing away like furious chimps.

Momo,

One professor is SO professional if I tried to con him he'd condemn me to the deepest circle of Hell.   Another professor simply hasn't decided WHAT assignments to give out that's due in November.  The third simply refused.   Not for the lack of trying on my part... *sigh*  But all three did wish me major luck for this year's nano! 

Stewart, plan all you want, be as detailed or as vague as you want - but don't start actually writing till Nov. 1st!

I'm about halfway through outlining Immortal Child.  And now I have a problem.  Since the protagonist is Horatius (the evil dude in the 2nd chapter I have posted on here), I'm wondering if the title is still appropriate, or if I should change it...

I tend to be a loner too, laurie.  This site is a big change from my normal writing procedure: "Don't tell anybody about it."

I avoid in-person writer's groups not only because people are weird, but because I have this view that everybody who goes to one of those is going to be full of themselves and talk about how awesome they are all the time.  That or they'll be hacks. (Is that true?  anybody been to one?)  This site has for the most part a remarkably grounded group of individuals who are also writers, which I love.

I think I'll stick to donning my top hat and writing by myself like a madman.

Mr. Stewart, it is my understanding that you can plot and plan as much as you want before hand. You just can't actually start WRITING the story until November 1st.

I went to one write-in last year (the only one close enough to go) and it was awesome. There were only, like, 17 people or something like that registered to my region and aside from me and the Maniciple Liason (I know I spelled that wrong...), only one other person showed up, but, I still had fun. We went to this little cafe in town, talked about what we were working on, and it was so convenient for the other person because our Liason was a nurse and her husband was a police officer and she was answering all her questions about how to kill people and police procedure.

Phedre - CON THEM INTO IT! Okay, just kidding, but it never hurts to sweeten the pot. "Professor, here's this fruit basket and a bag of chocolate, just because you're awesome! Oh, by the way, do you think you could give me November's assignments so I can do them early? I've got this thing..." *cackles* 

golly, i'm undecided about write-ins. i went to the big kickoff last time here in tucson (in an ihop. ohhh, evil, delicious ihop), and got a goodly chunk of writing done, but it was weird. i mean, writers are weird. and not that that's a bad thing, because i'm a writer and kinda weird myself, but...i dunno. it was a lot of concentrated weird in one place. and caffeinated to boot. but the ihop people were very cool about the whole thing.  

maybe i'm a loner. a rogue writer. *cues ennio morricone*

hmm, so does it count as cheating if you sit down and plot out the story before-hand?  I mean, are you supposed to wait until Nov 1st to start thinking things out and plotting and stuff, or is it okay to do that ahead of time?

I doubt I'll be doing any write-ins this year (other than the wars online) mostly because my area has so FEW writers.  There's what, 5 or 6 of us here in St.  Augustine?  PLUS the oodles of other stuff I can't avoid. *SIGH* Like, school.  I am aiming to start and finish my practicum as fast as possible and yes I'm using my pregnancy as an excuse.    But the real reason.... NANO!!!!!!!!!!!  I have 4 exams during NaNo but I can get almost everything else done before then.

Now to smile and needle my magazine writing & creative writing teachers to let me know what the assignments are ahead of time so I can just hand 'em in when it's due in November...

Heh, short of experience requirements and the DRUPAL, I more or less qualify for that job   I lack the experience though, definitely. 

Trust me, you aren't missing anything fun by not being able to apply for it.  It's only 20 hours a week too.  And who can live on that in San Fransisco?

Oh, a friend reminded me that in addition to stocking up on Junk and Coffee, DON'T FORGET THE RAMEN! *cries because she can't have any because she's allergic to some ingredients* Eat and think of me! Haha!

Anyway, if you've checked your e-mails then you know that the season has officially started- Chris Baty has sent out the first of many e-mails and it's my duty to post it here for you!

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

NaNoWriMo's 10th anniversary year is almost upon us! We have some NaNo news bits for you before the site relaunches on October 1 and another beautiful season of novel procrastination begins.

NANOWRIMO.ORG LOCKED ON SUNDAY FOR SCRUBBING
We'll be turning off new sign-ups, locking the forums, and turning off NaNoMail-sending from Sunday, September 21 until October 1 so we can archive the site and delete all forums posts. This will free up database space for the 800,000 new posts we're expecting this fall. We'll also be deleting all NaNoMails that are more than a year old. If you have any old NaNoMails that you want to keep, be sure to go in and grab 'em before Sunday.

DONATION STATION & STORE HAS GREAT "NEW T-SHIRT" SMELL
Thanks to Tavia's whip-cracking skills, we have our 10th Anniversary NaNoWriMo t-shirt, the  Young Writers Program t-shirt, and our stunning new travel mug in the Office of Letters and Light store. Our donor goodies are ready too! You want seven years of NaNoWriMo pep talks from me with embarrassing behind-the-scenes commentaries? You got it! And, uh, this year's poster? Yowza.

OUR DREAM: 10 FOR 10
We have a 10th-anniversary dream that 10% of Wrimos will support NaNoWriMo with a donation this year. Please join our "10 for 10" revolution by chipping in something small towards our costs.

2008 PEP TEAM IN PLACE, RARING TO GO
One of the great things about NaNoWriMo is the pep-talking you get in November. These bi-weekly emails are scientifically calibrated to make you feel so inspired and/or guilt-ravaged that you sit down and work on your novel even when you don’t want to work on your novel. This spring, we asked what authors you would like to receive pep talks from, then tabulated your responses on the NaNoWriMo blog, and sent out invitations to the 50 most-requested folks. Who answered our Invitations to Pep? You'll have to wait until the site relaunches on October 1 to find out. But we're pretty dang excited.

NANOWRIMO SITE SWEETER, MORE SERVER-Y
Thanks to donations from our 2007 participants and our summer vintage-sticker fundraising drive, you'll see some new features and improvements when the site relaunches. These include the ability to update your word count from every page of the site, a place to add a synopsis and book cover image to your author profile, and a more feature-rich NaNoMail. We've also moved your "action links" into your profile (instead of hiding them up in the masthead) and invested almost $10,000 in extra hardware and server testing to give the site as much zip as possible. We know it'll still get very slow right around November 1, but our servers are now rippling with new muscles to help them lift the load better.     

GEEK? LET US HIRE THEE!
Our longtime tech guru Russ is sadly retiring at the end of this year's event, so we're looking to bring a new Tech Director on board in December. We're interviewing candidates now. Check out the listing on our Help Wanted page. Then quit your job, move to the Bay Area, and come join our team.

Looking forward to seeing you in NaNoLand in a few weeks,

Chris
NaNoWriMo 

So... How many of us wish we a) knew anything about what a Tech Director does and b) could move to the Bay Area? *sigh*

Since this is the first NaNo that this circle will be up and alive for, I want to know everything when the big event hits! Who's going to write-ins? Who's laptop broke and they have to pencil to the end? (Well, I suppose if that happens you wouldn't exactly be able to tell us...) Who's family truly believes they have dug a hole in their computer chairs and died? The circle is not just for me to post e-mails.

Let's have a great year!

-Momo

 Hey guys!

I was bored and someone left me a question on my scratchpad and it got me to thinking and I did a little math and do you know that we only had about 45 days of life left? Seriously! For 30 days solid after Halloween, we're going to be dead to the world! We'll be shut up in our study's and libraries and bedrooms and dens typing and writing away to 50K! And I don't know about you, but it seems that this year has been flying by pretty quick! So use these last days of life to your advantage!

I encourage you to spend time with your loved ones, let them know you care, say your goodbyes, and stock up on the junk food and instant coffee! You're only going to have 45 chances to do these things! Use your time wisely!

And get a spare keyboard. We all know how you like to smash your face into them when your story isn't going your way and it's always nice to have a spare in case of breakage. YOU know who you are!

-Momo

 Hey, this is from Jennifer Arzt, sent May 7th. Sorry for the delay, I only just got back from a small vacation. ^_^

Man. April flew by.

 

I can’t believe the Frenzy is over. Well, it’s not really over, is it? Frenzy-ers are a different kind of people. We jump into crazy ideas without concern for wrist-health, eye strain, or clean laundry. (Mine has piled up in an impressive way. There could be a small bear hidden in the mass and I wouldn’t know about it. Don’t even ask about the state of my kitchen.) I know we will continue setting goals and racing, full-throttle, towards them all year.

 

But, I have to admit, I really miss the Frenzy.

 

It was so wonderful writing alongside you this April. When my eyes were tired and I wanted to escape my story, I thought of everyone out there working away and my spirits were lifted on a wave of scriptarific energy. 

 

The size of the wave was especially impressive this year. In the month of April, 134,433 pages were written by 7,898 main program writers and the 860 kids and teens in our Young Writers Program. We had a remarkable 964 main program winners.

 

Hats off to all our winners, and a big hug to our superhero donors. Both Script Frenzy and the Young Writers Program are funded entirely by your loving and generous support. We really couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for helping so many writers reach their goals!

 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out a few more Cameos and launching a new page about rewriting. (Here's a sneak preview: "Step one–Sleep".)

 

Scriptfrenzy.org will be up and running all year, and our forums will continue to serve as a cozy café for writerly discussions of all kinds. Be sure to stop by our shiny, new Script Frenzy and Beyond forum to talk about life after April, editing, and script-swapping.

 

If you are beginning to feel the panic that results from the quiet calm of free time, rest assured that November is right around the corner. November is National Novel Writing Month; Script Frenzy’s older and wordier sister event. I’ll be there with a fresh supply of coffee and chocolate.

 

Before you start thinking about your editing or novel, though, I wanted to ask you to fill out our Script Frenzy 2008 Participant survey. We're always striving to make each Frenzy better than the last, and we'd love to get your thoughts and ideas on how to do that. Survey data is also really helpful in going after grants, so please take a minute and fill out our survey.

 

No matter how many pages you wrote this month, I would like to congratulate you for setting a goal and reaching for it. I hope the rest of the year you strive to create, invent, and do.

 

Good luck, Script Frenzy Class of 2008!

 

Write on,

Jennifer

And with the final word from Jenn, Script Frenzy has come to an official close. Let us all mourn....

 From Chris Baty April 29th:

Dearest Script Frenzy participant,

Hi. It's Chris Baty again—Script Frenzy's Executive Director and head cheerleader.

I've spent the past weekend fasting and meditating to achieve a state of Universal Writing Consciousness. I do this at the end of every April to commune directly with Script Frenzy scripts worldwide, and get a solid read on how things are going out there.

During my vision quest, I chatted briefly with your script, and it asked me to pass along the following two messages:

1) Your script loves you very much, even if things between you have been a little difficult lately. It promises that if you give it just two hours per night until the end of the Frenzy, it will behave. No more nagging. Just the two of you, in love again, building a beautiful page-count together.

2) Your script really wants you to donate to Script Frenzy today.

We're in complete agreement with your script on this one.

As you can see from the Cash-o-Meter on the front page of ScriptFrenzy.org, only 4.2% of Script Frenzy participants have chipped in so far to help pay for the event. This has left us $85,000 below our break-even point for the year.

As a nonprofit, numbers like $85,000 put a little fear in the hearts of our board of directors. So here's my challenge: Think about what Script Frenzy has been worth to you this month. The motivation. The fun. The new ideas. The terrifying, empowering deadline, and the push to finally do something you've been wanting to do for a long time.

Then head to our Donation Station and make a tax-deductible contribution in that amount. Donating ensures that the Frenzy will be back next April to inspire and encourage you—along with 8,000 other adults, teens, and kids&mdas h;all over again.

More frenzied love,

Chris Baty
The Office of Letters and Light

ps: Look for a final, wrap-up email from Jennifer Arzt immediately after the event ends, along with the appearance of the celebrated "I Wrote a Script, Now What?" page, and the first-ever Script Frenzy participant survey! Many big things ahead!

Well, April's over and we have little to do other than wait for summer break, work on a few pieces we've been meaning to catch up on, and wait for November to grace us with it's presence.

I hope that all those who participated in Script Frenzy this month reached their goals and beyond. Post here and tell us how you did! Like I mentioned a few months ago, I chickened out before I started. Real life sucks, man.

 Okay, Jennifer Arzt sent this April 22nd. Sorry for not having it up sooner. I hope those participating are having fun and either almost there or have crossed the finish line!

Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.
~Pablo Picasso

Dear Script Frenzy Participant,

We are in the home stretch my scriptwriting friends! You have made it through the hardest part of the Frenzy, and the great FADE OUT is around the corner.

If you've crossed into the latitudes beyond Page 70, your journey is nearly at an end. You're likely typing away leisurely from some shipboard hammock, enjoying the light breeze on your laptop.

Like most Frenzies, I'm many, many leagues away from that hammock. I'm four days behind schedule, still trying to right my page count from the storms that have blown me off-course these last few weeks. 

But the way I see it, a little struggle is a good thing. It means we're getting in over our heads, tackling something larger than we are. Sure, our wrists are sore, our brains are tired, and the quest for 100 pages has brought a little chaos into our lives. But chaos is a sure sign that we're dreaming big dreams, and daring to get these oversized dreams down on paper. Chaos rarely befalls couch potatoes.

Which brings us to the key question: What happens when we reach 100 pages?

So much happens you won't even believe it! People will ask for your autograph on the street. Traffic will part and let you pass. Your kitchen will magically produce three gourmet meals for you everyday. (This is all true.) The grumpy memories of having forgone all those prime TV-watching hours will fade, replaced by a lifelong sense of pride.

Do whatever you need to do to reach 100 pages if you are within striking distance. If you are roughly a third of the way to your goal, the finish line is within your reach. It may mean less staring out the window daydreaming, less people-watching, and definitely many more cups of coffee. Tell everyone you died, or have been relocated to Middle Earth, but do not let the storm push you off course. I'll be watching.

If you are less than a third of the way along, you also have to keep going. Even if you're absolutely sure that there's no way you're going to hit 100 pages, every page you write now will do a couple great things for you in the long run.

First off, it will build up your idea bank. Each situation, plot twist, character tic, and witty line of dialogue you write in the next eight days can be filed away for future use. These are ideas you can draw from for the rest of your writing life.

Second, every page you write now will be a tremendous gift to your future self. There is a huge difference between needing to write the final 20 to 30 pages of a script and having to draft the second and third acts of a script. Because of the helpfully menacing deadline of Script Frenzy, it will be easier to write now than any other time of the year. Use and abuse this writing window. When April is over, there will be a sad 11 months until the next time we'll all get to write with thousands of others.
 
And now, a quick word about winning. Starting April 25 our official page-counting robots will go to work checking script lengths, handing out winner's certificates and web icons, and adding names to our Winner's Page. In order to be crowned a Script Frenzy winner and receive one of the amazing 2008 certificates, you'll need to upload a PDF version of your script to the robots for verification between April 25 and April 30.

You can practice uploading a PDF to our validator now---just head to the Script Info tab of your Edit Profile page. Remember: Winning goes live April 25. You can read the ins and outs of scrambling and winning on our site. 

Good luck to everyone this final week of the Frenzy!

Writing for sunnier skies,

Jennifer

PS. Back up right now!

 From The lovable Chris Baty, sent today:

Dear Script Frenzy Writer,

Hey there! My name is Chris, and I'm the Executive Director of the Office of Letters and Light, tiny-but-mighty nonprofit that runs Script Frenzy. The Frenzy rocked my writing world last year, and it's been difficult for me to sit out this year's Frenzy to focus on administrative projects.

The upside to missing out on this year's fun is that I've been able to put a lot of creative energy into serving as a cheerleader for Tavia and Jennifer as they work on their screenplays. I'm proud to say that my friendly support—along with intimations that staff coffee rations will be cut for underperforming scriptwriters—has everyone on track for complete victory.

But I'm not here today to talk to you about our staff's scripts. I'm here to talk to you about beans.

As the Executive Director, I'm the head bean-counter for Script Frenzy and Script Frenzy's Young Writers Program, responsible for making sure we raise the funds we need to pull off an inspiring and fun Frenzy for 8,000 adults and 700 kids and teens.

We fund our programs in a grassroots way. No advertisers. No entry fees. Instead, a couple times a year, we reach out to our kind-hearted participants with a request to chip in something to help us cover costs. Even a small amount has a huge impact. If every participant makes a tax-deductible donation of just US$10—the cost of a single movie ticket—we'll be in great shape.

Please take a moment to donate today. You can give online via PayPal or credit card, and find instructions for donating by check, in our secure Donation Station and Store.

You can also have someone donate on your behalf—just have them enter your Script Frenzy details in the online form when they make their donation. While you're in the Donation Stat ion, be sure to click on the Store tab to behold our fine array of Script Frenzy merchandise. Proceeds from store sales go directly to our adult and youth programs.

Thanks so much for keeping the Script Frenzy writing revolution alive, and best of luck to you in the second half of the Frenzy. Remember: You're a hero for making it this far. Write on!  

Lots of Frenzied love,

Chris Baty
The Office of Letters and Light
 

PS: Want to see exactly where your donation goes? Stop by our Script Frenzy finances page.

 HALFWAY POINT! ^_^ How's everyone doing? o_O I have to admit that I never even started  I dislike being too busy... Kudos to those who are sticking to it, though! Or even those who have already finished. Halfway through the month, and according to Jennifer Arzt's E-mail sent this morning, quite a few people have already reached 100 pages! Here's today's E-mail:

Calvin: "You know, Hobbes, some days even my
lucky rocketship underpants don't help."

Dear Script Frenzy Participant,

I can't believe we're already halfway through the Frenzy! What is even more astonishing to me are the people popping up on the Script Frenzy site with over 100 pages. The lesson, especially for those of us stuck below 50 pages, is that you can do the whole enchilada in two weeks.

Just in case that didn’t sink in, let me say it again. People have written 100 pages in 15 days. Though I don’t know each and every participant personally, I can tell you that our rigorous screening process did not reveal a single participant who was also a registered superhero. These folks are just like you and me. We can do this.

The key is in getting through this next week. There's an interesting thing that happens in the writing process that warrants investigation by NASA engineers and brainy brain surgeons. Somewhere mid-story, about where we are today, many stories simply sink.

They do this for a number of reasons, few of which have anything to do with the worthiness of script or the talent of the storyteller. The sinking happens because…

1) You're as far as possible from the exciting beginning and the heart-pounding ending.

The thing to remember, though, if you're feeling down right now is that being at this low point (and moving along out of it) is just part of the process. Every script has sailed through these same rough waters of doubt. Which leads us to the fact that…

2) Middles are just plain hard to write.

You know what? Just do C. Go ahead and write the wedding scene or the epic monster battle. It may feel like cheating, but anything that gives you the writerly momentum you need at this point is good. You can go back next week and fill in the connecting scenes.

Sometimes, though, you may not have a C to jump to because…

3) You've completely run out of outline.

If that's the case, it's time to hit the outline again. Decide how many days your outlining sabbatical from writing will last (two is probably a good number), and then come right back to writing. I mean it! Don't forget that I'll be watching you, waiting for your page-count to begin rising again.

4.) The Beat Sheet, baby!

Whether you feel your script is sinking or soaring, there are great things in store in the week ahead. Continue onward through the challenging second act. In two weeks, you can look back on this midway moment when you wanted to quit but didn't. Your victory (and script) will be all the sweeter for the struggle.

Now go!

Oh wait! One more thing! Before you go, please back up that script! Send it as an email to yourself, back it up on a jump drive, or print it out and line your coat with it. Do whatever you need to do to save a copy in case your computer tires of the constant use and dies (computers get grumpy at the midpoint too).

Okay. Now go! Do! Write!

Jennifer
Program Director

Finally, if you just can't see a way forward at all, maybe it's time to examine your script from the shoulders of giants. Most scripts (especially screenplays) follow a rigorous formula that unfolds on a very reliable timetable. That is not to say you can’t be creative or original, far from it, but if you're at a loss for how to proceed, why not borrow a few of the moves that have worked for others in the past? One of my favorite tools is Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet <http://www.blakesnyder.com/tools/>. He's broken down thousands of great films and has found that many are based on a similar skeleton. Download yourself a copy (Thank you Mr. Snyder!), fill it out, and I bet you a thousand times over that it helps get you back on track. You had a handful of scenes and ideas when you started, and those carried you through Week Two. But as you've tried to improvise a story from the point where your outline ends, you've found it slow going. Maybe writing sessions have started to feel less like a joyride and more like a stab in the dark. You can begin a script pretty much anywhere. And the ending is really just an outgrowth of the actions that preceded it. But second acts? They can be complete head-scratchers, even for professional scriptwriters. Which is why I’m giving you permission to skip ahead if you need to. Maybe you've been tearing your hair out trying to figure out how to get your character from A to B so they can do C. Starting a project and finishing it are both moments packed with built-in energy and excitement. Confetti rains down. The red carpet rolls out. Champagne corks pop. Being in the middle of a writing project feels very different. The midpoint is more litter than confetti, and more flat soda than champagne.
~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

 Double header because I was dumb and didn't check my E-mail! Hehe. I'm sure all of you who have signed up on the site have recieved these, but just in case you're a little too busy to do anything but write and visit Scribophile, here are two E-mails sent from program director Jennifer Arzt. The first was sent March 29th and the second was sent April 1st:

Greetings Frenzies!

We have officially entered into the final hours of the countdown. On Tuesday, the lights will burn and the camera will roll on Script Frenzy 2008! But for now, enjoy the calm before the Frenzy.

This is your last chance to polish outlines, stock up on chocolate and caffeine, and concoct "symptoms" that you can use to your advantage. Such symptoms, of course, come in handy at work and can be used to explain any sudden absences, daydreams, or frantic dives for pen and paper. Especially if such activities happen mid-meeting while you scribble down a brilliant idea before it fades away.

I can hear Rod Serling's droning voice, "You are about to enter another dimension," and it sends shivers of anticipation through me. If this is your first trip with Script Frenzy, welcome! You are really about to enter another dimension. One where the mad dash toward April 30 will keep words flowing from your fingers and your mug full of coffee. Returning for a second round of Script Frenzy? Hello! Nice to see you again! Remember just last year, the other dimension? Ah, good times. Good times.

Now we, together, will be the class of Script Frenzy 2008. You may know about the new rules, but just in case you’ve been in a work or family frenzy, here’s what has been changed:

All script types are allowed this year. If it's a script, you're in.

April, baby! If you've missed this, ah… ahem. Sorry. You’ll need to flip your calendar around just a bit, oh and perhaps a bit more. Yep. That should do the trick. We're in April!

If it's been a while since you've signed in, stop by the website! It's been spruced up over the last few weeks, including the addition of a

The website's page counter will open on April 1, local time. So, get ready to write! Sharpen all pencils, find a way to backup (oh yes, you read that right, the backup reminders start now), and buckle up for the ride. We're going to have a blast this April!

Jennifer "still missing some of the second act" Arzt
Program Director

writing software page <http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/software>. Of course, I'm not the boss of you, but I highly recommend using scriptwriting software. There are many free options out there. Believe me, the time saved and the hair loss prevented are more than worth it.

Greetings Frenzies!

We have officially entered into the final hours of the countdown. On Tuesday, the lights will burn and the camera will roll on Script Frenzy 2008! But for now, enjoy the calm before the Frenzy.

This is your last chance to polish outlines, stock up on chocolate and caffeine, and concoct "symptoms" that you can use to your advantage. Such symptoms, of course, come in handy at work and can be used to explain any sudden absences, daydreams, or frantic dives for pen and paper. Especially if such activities happen mid-meeting while you scribble down a brilliant idea before it fades away.

I can hear Rod Serling's droning voice, "You are about to enter another dimension," and it sends shivers of anticipation through me. If this is your first trip with Script Frenzy, welcome! You are really about to enter another dimension. One where the mad dash toward April 30 will keep words flowing from your fingers and your mug full of coffee. Returning for a second round of Script Frenzy? Hello! Nice to see you again! Remember just last year, the other dimension? Ah, good times. Good times.

Now we, together, will be the class of Script Frenzy 2008. You may know about the new rules, but just in case you’ve been in a work or family frenzy, here’s what has been changed:

All script types are allowed this year. If it's a script, you're in.

April, baby! If you've missed this, ah… ahem. Sorry. You’ll need to flip your calendar around just a bit, oh and perhaps a bit more. Yep. That should do the trick. We're in April!

If it's been a while since you've signed in, stop by the website! It's been spruced up over the last few weeks, including the addition of a

The website's page counter will open on April 1, local time. So, get ready to write! Sharpen all pencils, find a way to backup (oh yes, you read that right, the backup reminders start now), and buckle up for the ride. We're going to have a blast this April!

Jennifer "still missing some of the second act" Arzt
Program Director

writing software page <http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/software>. Of course, I'm not the boss of you, but I highly recommend using scriptwriting software. There are many free options out there. Believe me, the time saved and the hair loss prevented are more than worth it.

 Missoccurs, Municipal Liason of Japan, December 2nd:

Wow, guys, so many purple bars! You're amazing! I hope you all learned valuable lessons this nano, like...

1. Google documents will save your life when you forget your usb stick and have free time at work
2. Describing the same scene from every characters point of view is perfectly acceptable if you can't think of where they're going next
3. Ninjas are always appropriate
4. If you put off validation by saying "Oh, I'll do it in the morning" when the morning in question is after a drunken all-nighter, you're likely to forget to validate and make it look like you've done crap all this month (this is a personal ML "my bad!")

Anyhow, I hope you guys had fun, and feel free to post excerpts on the forum for everyone to read! Kansai will be having its TGIO Tuesday, the 4th, and I hope other places follow suit, so check the forums!!

OTSUKARESAMADESU!!! You've been amazing, and see you next year!!

--
This email was sent by a NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison in the 'Asia :: Japan' region using a blind mail forwarding system. Municipal Liaisons are never given direct access to your contact information.

Well, that's the last of the messages from last year's NaNoWriMo, aside from the oddball E-mails from Chris Batty. (Is that Batty or Baty?)

Tuesday is April 1st and this is very important for many reasons.

--1) APRIL FOOLS! ^_^

--2) Script Frenzy begins.

I hope we get quite a few people to participate and I hope we all reach the 100 page mark. If any of this groups participants happen to post their scripts and plays on Scribophile, please post them to this circle so we can find them easily!

 Author Garth Nix, November 27th:

Hi there NaNoWriMo writer.

I’m writing this on a Sony notebook perched precariously on my lap, said lap created by me slouching in the red armchair in my living room. Prior to the red armchair slouching I thought about what I was going to write on my walk home from my office (a luxury of my later writing life) and I scribbled down some notes with the first pen that came to hand while I was standing up in the kitchen cooking dinner. Which leads me to my first bit of advice.

Don’t get hung up about how, where and with what you write.

Most of my earlier novels I wrote longhand first, only typing up each chapter or sometimes a bunch of chapters when I could get to a computer. Many of my later books I wrote parts of longhand but much more directly on many different computers, in bedrooms and living rooms, park benches, offices, beaches and even on the wall of a cr usader castle. The location doesn’t matter, and you don’t need a great computer, or any computer at all, to start with. Many famous novels were written on pieces of paper with pens or even pencils. You can always type it or get it typed later. Don’t let the lack of a computer, or the lack of a desk, or a writing room, or an attic, or a comfortable café or time to go somewhere put you off. Writing in bed can be pretty productive, or in the bath (though best to not use a laptop there). Try writing wherever and whenever you can, and see what works.

The journey of a book begins with a single chapter.

I never actually sit down in front of a blank screen or a piece of paper and tell myself I have to write a ninety or one hundred thousand word novel. I tell myself I have to write a chapter, which typically will be somewhere between two and five thousand words. That&rsq uo;s a much more achievable task. Then, when I’ve written a chapter, I put it aside for revision and tell myself I have to write the next one. Eventually, I discover that just by writing a chapter at a time, I’ve written a book.

Rereading and revision works best after rest.

I like to let chapters sit for at least a day or two before I go back to re-read and revise them. A little bit of space is helpful in looking at the work with fresh eyes and mind. This can work well for getting a rhythm of writing too, where you spend part of your writing time re-reading and revising a previous chapter and then go on to write new material. The re-reading and revising helps you get back into the ‘world’ of the book and the new writing helps you feel that you’re making forward progress, not just revising the old.

Write for the wri ting, don’t plan on publishing or dwell on success (or the lack of it).

While I think it’s important and useful for writers to learn about publishing and how the book business works, try to forget about all that when you’re actually writing. Worry about agents and publishers and marketing when you actually have a finished novel, if you want to try and get it published. But also remember that being published is not a necessary validation or a path everyone wants to take with their work. Writing---and finishing---a novel is a great thing in itself, whether or not the book is published or becomes widely-read or not.

Finally, I think it’s always best to write the story that is currently strongest inside you, the one that won’t go away, regardless of its genre or marketability. If you are true to your inner vision, believe in the reality of your story and write the book you want, you will bring it to life.

Go od luck!

Garth Nix

--

Garth Nix lives in Sydney, Australia. He has been a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, a bookseller, book sales representative, publicist, editor, marketing consultant and literary agent. Garth’s books include the award-winning fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen and the young adult science fiction novel Shade’s Children. His fantasy novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence, and The Keys To The Kingdom series. Garth’s books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Bookseller, The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Sunday Times.

To put that in context, it took him five years to write his first published book, and the one after that was universally rejected and has never been published. But he just kept on writing. For more on Garth, visit www.GarthNix.co.uk http://www.garthnix.co.uk/home

 One more E-mail after this, folks, plus the E-mail from Missoccurs. This E-mail is from Deanna Raybourn, sent on November 25th:

Welcome, writers, to the place I call Very Nearly the End.

By now, NaNoWriMo has taught you that writing is not for the faint of heart. You must be stalwart and brave, like pioneers of old, unafraid of uncharted lands or crossing vast frontiers. It was exciting at first, wasn’t it? Preparing for the journey, stocking supplies, counting down the days until the start of the great undertaking. That enthusiasm would have carried you through the first weeks, and even the pitfalls along the way might have seemed like thrilling opportunities for adventure. But now you have come to the bleak no-man’s land just before the last great push to the end. It is barren and empty and it seems as if no one has ever passed this way. Except for every other writer who has come before you. This place lurks along the journey of each book for all of us. Here we hate our characters, our plot is mundane, and our prose is as flat and unlo vely as the landscape. Be watchful; it’s dangerous, this place. I have heard of writers who lacked courage and who turned back to safety, never to return. They simply stopped being writers because they could not find their way across this nothingness. That is not an option for me, and I don’t believe it is an option for you. You have come too far, weary travelers! And there is a way across, I promise.

The solution has two parts. The first is to be a little selfish. At this point in the book, a writer is a bit like an invalid emerging from a life-threatening illness. We are fragile and wan, and people will remark that we have grown thin and pale. We startle easily and we tire quickly. This is when we have to be kind to ourselves. If there is someone who can cook for us and bring us cups of tea and rub our feet, excellent. If there are children to be attended to, they ought to be settled onto the sofa next to us&m dash;or better yet, the bed-and told to read something soothing to us. Phone calls and e-mails and chores that can be neglected, ought to be. A few hours of cosseting are often just the thing to restore us. If that fails, we must employ more drastic measures. We must get right away and leave the book behind. Some writers take up big-game hunting, others like to sail or climb mountains. I shop for shoes, the higher the heel the better. (Fiction is more easily subdued when one is well-shod.) You might try a massage or a pick-up basketball game, anything to change your perspective. When you return with flushed cheeks and bright eyes, you will be ready to work again.

That is when you move on to the second half of the cure: you must sit down and be quiet. It sounds like an admonishment, but believe me, it isn’t. Think of it as a gentle reminder instead. I know, writing every day is challenging. But it is also incred ibly easy. When you write every day, you are always in the story. There is never a period of reconnecting with your characters, of trying to remember what mood you were attempting to create the last time you worked. And by working every day, you engage your subconscious in a way that simply isn’t possible when you keep a more whimsical schedule. There is no need to summon the muse because there is no time for the fickle little strumpet to go anywhere. I become so immersed in my story that I seldom write more than an hour a day, but I am typing the entire time, with no breaks to think or to wonder where the story is headed. I write flat out because the other 23 hours I have been thinking about the book while going about the rest of my life. (That includes the time I’m asleep. I seldom wake up without thinking of the scene I’m preparing to write. When I sit down to work, I’m essentially taking dictation from myse lf.)

Now, for being quiet. This is by far the more difficult of the two, but I have learned through painful experience this one, incontrovertible truth, and I am going to put it in italics so you will know I mean it: you only have one chance to tell your story for the very first time. One chance. Do you want the first time you tell it, when it is imbued with all of the passion and enthusiasm and verve you possess, to be when you’re chatting up the UPS guy? Or your mother? Or your cat? Trust me, you don’t. You want that first time to be on paper, so it’s there forever, recorded in all its juicy, rich, living color. When you have already described your brilliant twist or your genius plot device or your protagonist’s crippling character flaw, you have killed some of your own thrill, whether you realize it or not. Yes, it’s an ego rush of the very best kind to watch someone’s eyes widen when you tell your tale, but the thrill is very short-lived, and when you go to put that twist on paper, it is just a little bit stale. The more times you tell it, the duller it becomes. Like a bottle of opened champagne, the fizz has faded, but when all of that wonderful effervescence is bottled up, seething and bubbling, you have one choice: work or explode. That last delicious burst of creativity is what will see you through to the end.

So, be kind to yourselves. Be quiet and be seated, and be ready for the heady rush of completion because you are almost there!

Deanna Raybourn

--

A sixth-generation Texan, Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After three years working as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time. Fourteen years and many, many rejections later, her first novel, Silent in the Grave was published. The sequel, Silent in the Sanctuary, will be out in January 2008. For more on Deanna, visit www.deannaraybourn.typepad.com http://www.deannaraybourn.typepad.com/

E-mail from Julianna Baggott, sent November 22nd:

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

You’re hearty stock. This is obvious. You don’t have prissy notions about the muse as some airy thing that sometimes does and sometimes does not alight on your shoulder. And I like this about you. It is, in fact, one of your most endearing qualities.

If you look at the world one way, it takes from you---it’s a thief of time, energy, creative mojo. But if you look at the world another way, it gives you an endless supply of motivation. Here are a few things that the world offers (in furious fistfuls) that get my butt into the chair: petty jealousy, the chip on my shoulder (a slight deformity I was born with), my kids’ pending orthodontia bills, guilt of the Catholic variety, rejection, and, on a Freudian level: my parents’ love.

And now my tips:

Polish your jealousy to a high shine---like the chrome of a well-loved Mustang.
My jealousy took the form of the phrase "two-book deal with Dutton." My student, Sharon Mitchell, who went on to become #2 on the African American Bestseller's list for her first novel Nothin’ But the Rent, had just gotten a two-book deal with Dutton. I hadn't. I was her teacher. I'd been at this, seemingly forever. She was a psychologist, dabbling in the novel. This phrase haunted me: "two-book deal with Dutton, two-book deal with Dutton." Luckily, I couldn’t shake it. At that point we were running a boarding house out of our home, and my desk was in the living room. Every night I went to bed, after turning off my computer, late at night, and it had a light that, even when the computer was off, blinked at me across the room. Each time it blinked it said, "Two-book deal with Dutton, two-book deal with Dutton."

Ditto the chip on your shoulder. Treat it well. Feed it crackers, and maybe it& rsquo;ll turn into a parakeet---one of those blue ones who knows how to cuss.
Luckily I was born a scrawny fourth child after a suspiciously long gap. I was forever trying to prove that I could hang with the conversation, that I was a good enough athlete to be chosen for Kick-the-Can-Dodge-Ball (a virulent strain of Kick the Can that entailed hurling a ball at someone when you snuck up on them in a hiding spot). I eventually grew into a vicious field hockey player in high school, known for shoving in the box. I liked the tall itchy socks, the pleated skirts, the wooden sticks, even the mouth guards, but most of all I liked that I was shorter and scrawnier than everyone else on the field---because they expected nothing from me. If you lavish the chip on your shoulder, you will always be the underdog, and I've found this---for me---is the best place to write from. Every insult, every slight, every underestimation---I take comfort in these days, because I know they 're rocket fuel.

Stare at your children’s crooked teeth or imagine the crooked teeth of your imaginary children. If this doesn’t work, jump straight to college tuition. This writing could pay off at some point.
Nowadays, I write because it's my job. I go to work, just as any fishmonger would, and at the dinner table, we often end up talking about the business as a fishmonger would talk about the discount prices he's got going on salmon. I write because I have four kids, and although kids start out pretty cheap---especially the breastfed variety---they do add up. Frankly, almost anything times four is pricey----like jimmies on ice cream. (Do they all need jimmies on their ice creams? Turns out, they do.) Piano lessons times four. Orthodontia times four. College education times four. It gets ugly quickly. And although I’d write if I made no money whatsoever, I do use money as a motivation. A nd, who knows? You could sell this novel you’re working on … It’s been done … Regardless, if money motivates you, use it.

Remember Vocation Day at your grade school. If you’ve got a nun rattling around in there, remember how she told you not to ignore a gift from God. Try to think of writing as a gift---more complexly put: it is the curse and the cure.
For me, writing has become like breathing---a necessary exchange with my environment. If I get too much air, hold my breath, I’ll pass out. If I take too many breaths, I hyperventilate. Writing is how I sort the world. I allow it its mess. I don’t make sense of it. I witness and rummage until I feel better. The more I write, the more I need to write? Maybe. Maybe so.

As for my nun, yes, I had a good one. Sister John Marie. Faith is involved in this writing curse and cure---but I’d rather not go into all of that here. (You’ve got a novel to write. I won’t dawdle.)

Invite rejection in. Offer it a drink. Become pals-y-wals-y. Don’t fight it even when it goads you with inflammatory politics and ribald jokes.
This business offers endless opportunities for rejection---even in the most successful careers. (At a certain point, you just have the opportunity to fail bigger, no?) In any case, rejection is guaranteed. And if you haven’t been rejected as a writer yet, look forward to it. And when it happens, cherish it. It’s a sign of authorial authenticity. Also, rejection is a spur, if you see it the right way. A beautifully sharp spur.

When all else fails, call your parents just to talk about the weather and termites and hip replacements.
We all want our parents’ love. We might hide it - most of all from ourselv es. But it’s there so you may as well use it, too, on top of all else.

Plus, a reminder of your own mortality can do wonders to drive you to the page.

That’s a sampling of what gets my butt in the chair.

What keeps it there? (This is the most important part. In fact, if you get this part, you can forget all of the above.)

A love of this mad work, the thrumming in the chest, this pure desire to tell it.

Julianna Baggott

--

Julianna Baggott is the author of four novels, including Which Brings Me to You, co-authored with Steve Almond, and three books of poems, most recently, Lizzie Borden in Love and Compulsions of Silkworms and Bees. She also writes novels for younger readers, including The Anybodies trilogy and The Slippery Map. She teaches at Florida State University's Creative Writing Program, is married to David G.W. Scott and has four young kids (who can eat their weight in jimmies). For more info on Julianna, visit: www.juliannabaggott.com <http://www.juliannabaggott.com/> and www.theanybodies.com http://www.theanybodies.com/.

 Happy Belated Easter, all! Today's E-mail is from Niel Gaiman, sent November 17th.

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

By now you're probably ready to give up. You're past that first fine furious rapture when every character and idea is new and entertaining. You're not yet at the momentous downhill slide to the end, when words and images tumble out of your head sometimes faster than you can get them down on paper. You're in the middle, a little past the half-way point. The glamour has faded, the magic has gone, your back hurts from all the typing, your family, friends and random email acquaintances have gone from being encouraging or at least accepting to now complaining that they never see you any more---and that even when they do you're preoccupied and no fun. You don't know why you started your novel, you no longer remember why you imagined that anyone would want to read it, and you're pretty sure that even if you finish it it won't have been worth the time or energy and every time you stop long enough to compare it to the thing that you had in your head when you began---a glittering, brilliant, wonderful novel, in which every word spits fire and burns, a book as good or better than the best book you ever read---it falls so painfully short that you're pretty sure that it would be a mercy simply to delete the whole thing.

Welcome to the club.

That's how novels get written.

You write. That's the hard bit that nobody sees. You write on the good days and you write on the lousy days. Like a shark, you have to keep moving forward or you die. Writing may or may not be your salvation; it might or might not be your destiny. But that does not matter. What matters right now are the words, one after another. Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

A dry-stone wall is a lovely thing when you see it bordering a field in the middle of nowhere but becomes more impressive when you realise that it was built without mortar, that the builder needed to choose each interloc king stone and fit it in. Writing is like building a wall. It's a continual search for the word that will fit in the text, in your mind, on the page. Plot and character and metaphor and style, all these become secondary to the words. The wall-builder erects her wall one rock at a time until she reaches the far end of the field. If she doesn't build it it won't be there. So she looks down at her pile of rocks, picks the one that looks like it will best suit her purpose, and puts it in.

The search for the word gets no easier but nobody else is going to write your novel for you.

The last novel I wrote (it was ANANSI BOYS, in case you were wondering) when I got three-quarters of the way through I called my agent. I told her how stupid I felt writing something no-one would ever want to read, how thin the characters were, how pointless the plot. I strongly suggested that I was ready to abandon this book and write something else instead, or perhaps I cou ld abandon the book and take up a new life as a landscape gardener, bank-robber, short-order cook or marine biologist. And instead of sympathising or agreeing with me, or blasting me forward with a wave of enthusiasm---or even arguing with me---she simply said, suspiciously cheerfully, "Oh, you're at that part of the book, are you?"

I was shocked. "You mean I've done this before?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not really."

"Oh yes," she said. "You do this every time you write a novel. But so do all my other clients."

I didn't even get to feel unique in my despair.

So I put down the phone and drove down to the coffee house in which I was writing the book, filled my pen and carried on writing.

One word after another.

That's the only way that novels get written and, short of elves coming in the night and turning your jumbled notes in to Chapter Nine, it's the only way to do it.

So keep on keeping on. Write another word and then another.

Pretty soon you'll be on the downward slide, and it's not impossible that soon you'll be at the end. Good luck...

Neil Gaiman

--

Neil Gaiman is the author of the New York Times bestselling children's book Coraline and of the picture books The Wolves in the Walls and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. He is also the author of award-winning novels and short stories for adults, as well as the Sandman series of graphic novels. His most recent novels include InterWorld and Anansi Boys. For more info on Neil, visit www.neilgaiman.com http://www.neilgaiman.com/

Gather 'round, boys and girls! I hope these E-mails are helping you out with your writings. They don't just apply to NaNo, you know! ^_^

Today's E-mail is from author Sara Gruen, sent November 15th. No content has been changed from the original E-mail.

Dear NaNoWriMo author,

I've been trying to write this pep talk for almost a week. The problem, you see, is that I'm wickedly behind on my word count and I was determined to catch up first. Last night I realized that it wasn't going to happen. So. All you people who have vast amounts of words in the bank, gobs more than you're supposed to have at this point in the month? Super great! Keep it up! Those of you who are just a little bit depressed and crazy, not to mention googley-eyed because you've pulled eight all-nighters in a row trying to catch up? Come sit with me. We will get through this.

I started out with the best of intentions, namely letting my OCD run free. I created a spreadsheet that shows my word count for the day and what my word count should be if I had completed my 1667 words a day. Just looking at that growing column made me feel giddy---If I could just drag my way through 16