pennavnprojects

[pennavnprojects]

I'll be honest, I hate outlines. Ever since I got a bad grade on an outline I wrote in high school English, I've dreaded using them. So when I planned my first draft, I didn't outline.

Instead, I grabbed a piece of notebook paper and jotted down every scene I wanted to write, regardless of the order I planned to write them. Then I rewrote the list of ideas in chronological order. Then, someone recommended this Three-Act Structure method of planning and I formatted my scenes to better fit the model. Then, when I finally started chipping away at my draft, I knew the basics of what each scene needed and where the story was going next. This saved me a lot of brainstorming and rethinking while I was trying to write.

Thank you Writer's Edit for the great article and examples!

There are lots of different methods for planning a first draft! Comment which one works best for you!

#writinggoals #novel writing #creative writing #writers on tumblr #writing advice #writing tool #writerscommunity #writers and poets #female writers #writer #writer community

[pennavnprojects]

Next

They say to be a good writer, you need to be a good reader. I don't know about being a great writer, but I love to read.

I just finished reading "Next" by Michael Crichton. Most famous for his novel "Jurassic Park", Crichton does a great job weaving science and storytelling to portray feasible, but sometimes extreme, scientific advancements and their consequences. "Next" is no exception, tackling still-relevant topics like GMOs and genetic therapies.

So, back to writing. I'm taking notes from Michael Crichton's work - how he introduces a scene to draw readers in and keep them in suspense, wanting to know what comes next.

Share your recent reads in the comments! Who are your favorite authors and why? What did you think of "Next?"

#writinggoals #michael crichton #books #science #science fiction #favorite authors #novel writing #writing tips #writing advice #creative writing #writing adjacent #reading #bookworm #reading goals

[pennavnprojects]

Cancelling April Bootcamp

Hi. I know I don't have any followers or anything, but since I put a post up advertising my commitment to joining NaNoWriMo's April bootcamp, I wanted to make this decision public too.

After hearing from my [former] NaNoWriMo ML's about some changes to the website and system, I am withdrawing my participation in the April Bootcamp. My local MLs made my goals possible and my success real - and I am sorry I have not properly acknowledged their contributions sooner. Their support was invaluable and greatly appreciated. In an effort to support them, I have decided to cancel my participation in the April Bootcamp.

Thank you MLs.

#novel writing #writinggoals #nanowrimo

[pennavnprojects]

April Bootcamp!

Did you know NaNoWriMo isn't just for November?!

I signed up for the April boot camp! Who's with me?

Image courtesy of NaNoWriMo.

#novel writing #writinggoals #nanowrimo #50k words #fantasy novel #love story

[pennavnprojects]

The Plan

Thank you to Alexa Bigwarfe for sharing her "6 Stages of Book Production and Launch" at the Women in Publishing Summit. One cool thing is that you can be in multiple stages at once! I'm currently between stages one and two, since I have a finished first draft and I'm working on self-editing.

Want to learn more? Check out Alexa's video here:

#womeninpublishingsummit #writepublishsell #writinggoals #novel writing #Youtube

[pennavnprojects]

How a First-Timer Wrimo Landed Literary Representation

NaNo participant Demi Michelle Schwartz shares her story on how NaNoWriMo helped her sign on with a literary agent! She also offers some lessons she learned from taking on the challenge — and maybe it'll inspire you too!

Are you an author with dreams of being represented by a literary agent? If so, I’m here to tell you that NaNoWriMo played a key role in my journey to signing with my agent, Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary.

I received an offer on the manuscript I drafted during my first NaNoWriMo in 2022. Fun fact, I signed my contract during November in 2023, exactly a year after writing the book. Reflecting back, there were choices I made that I hope will give you insight into how your NaNoWriMo project could lead to securing representation.

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

I’ve been an avid reader of young adult mysteries and thrillers ever since middle school. For this reason, I naturally gravitated to those genres when I started writing books. Still, I’ve grown to appreciate all genres from my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University, a top one being fantasy. When I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, I stepped outside my comfort zone and drafted a young adult Little Red Riding Hood reimagining with Greek mythology.

Exploring a different genre led to me writing the book that got me my agent. So, if you’re interested in taking the NaNoWriMo challenge, consider trying something new. Along the way, you’ll expand your creative horizons.

Planning Before Taking the Challenge

Something I noticed after participating in NaNoWriMo twice now is that planning my books led to me feeling invested in them. As authors, we always have ideas bouncing around in our heads. Some stick, and others don’t. Taking time to explore my characters, plot, world, and more made me realize how much I loved what I was creating. Before I even started writing on November 1, I felt passionate about my story.

When you’re pitching agents, your goal is to sell your story. Having such a strong belief in your manuscript will allow you to authentically query it. Passion shines through, and if you care about your book, an agent may fall in love with it, too.

Taking Time to Receive Feedback and Revise

I can’t stress enough how important it is to receive feedback on your work and do several rounds of revisions. Once you draft a book during NaNoWriMo, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to send it out right away. Rather than querying a manuscript that isn’t ready, channel your eagerness to share your work into finding critique partners and beta readers.

For my manuscript, I did a revision on my own after winning NaNoWriMo. Then, I received critiques, made edits, and repeated this process until I felt my manuscript was ready. I queried my agent in August, and she offered me representation at the end of October. I truly believe the time and effort I put into polishing my book led to getting many full requests and my offer.

If I would have pitched the draft from NaNoWriMo, I’m 100 percent sure my email would have been flooded with only rejections. So, remember to take your time revising. The wait will be worth it when you begin receiving positive responses to submissions.

Now that it’s a new year, there’s a long runway before November arrives. It’s never too early to start planning your NaNoWriMo project. Since this challenge gave me the opportunity to draft the book that made one of my dreams come true, I hope you feel inspired to take a strategic approach to your NaNoWriMo project and give it wings to soar in the publishing world.

Demi Michelle Schwartz is a young adult fantasy and thriller author from Pittsburgh, PA, represented by Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary. After earning BAs in Creative Writing and Music from Seton Hill University, she went on to pursue her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill and graduated with her degree in June of 2022. When Demi isn’t working on her manuscripts, she’s busy chasing her other dream as an award-winning songwriter and recording artist.

Check out her website, Twitter, and Instagram!

Header photo by Negative Space.

[pennavnprojects]

Let's Go! Writing a novel.

Big shout-out to the Women in Publishing Summit!

In November, I signed up for NaNoWriMo and committed to my goal of writing a fiction novel. Getting 50k words was no small feat, but the process doesn't end there! As I embark on a new goal, to publish my novel, I've jumped headfirst into a thrilling passion shared by people all around the globe.

To get myself started, I knew I needed to know a thing or two about the publishing process. So I signed up for the Women in Publishing Summit. Last week, I attended the online conference, gaining access to resources for learning about self-publishing and traditional publishing - and the other options in between! I also connected with professionals in the field. It was a fantastic experience and I can't wait to do it again.

Moving forward with this project, I want to share what I've learned and document the process - so others can learn just like me!

#nanowrimo #womeninpublishingsummit #novel writing

[pennavnprojects]

Book Three!

Very excited to annouce that I’ve started the third “book” of my current, fanfiction project. I’m writing by hand for my first draft, using whatever notebook/diary strikes my fancy and I am very proud of this accomplishment!

This marks the first step in my journey towards publication. I know I don’t have any friends or followers yet, but I wanted to get it out there! They say: “Every black belt starts as a white belt”, so here I am trying to earn my stripes!

#fanfiction #writinggoals