NaNoWriMo Review: Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

(Purchased by me; affiliate link)

I’m back with my second NaNoWriMo-relevant book review, this time Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. If the thought of 'pantsing' it gives you night terrors and you’re looking for something that can help you write a book with structure, direction, and developed characters all in a month, this may be the book for you. If you like order, exercises and worksheets, this book is definitely for you!


Book in a Month has a clear structure designed to guide you part by part, and even day-by-day, through the construction of your novel. There are two main parts to the book; the first section is designed to help you break through mental barriers you might have, such as problems with resistance and time management. It’s broken down like this:

Introduction
The five secrets of BiaM
Time management
Resistance
Setting and keeping goals
The Book in a Month system (an overview of the rest of the book)

 I personally have watched lots of very well-intentioned writers set out to write their book (both inside and outside of NaNo), only to be side-lined by fears they aren’t even aware they have, and time-management issues that can easily be overcome (that are probably also related to those fears!). In psychological circles, we call these issues self-sabotage and self-fulfilling prophecy, and they’re deadly. This section talks you through common pitfalls and gives you strategies & worksheets to help you deal with those pitfalls. For example, many people allow their fears to manifest in a need for perfection—they’ll go back and rewrite or rework a section over and over trying to make it perfect, and never make any actual progress on the novel. BiaM provides you with a worksheet that allows you to write down everything you need to go back and fix/research/build on later, so you don’t have to obsess about it now. This is a strategy that the successful writers I know use in one form or another to help keep their minds clear and their work moving forward. 


The second part of the book tackles the structure and content of the novel itself, in four sections: 

Week 1: The outline and Act I
Week 2: Act II, part 1
Week 3: Act II, part 2
Week 4: Act III

In each of these sections, Schmidt guides you through structuring your book with daily exercises and worksheets. You start small and build to big during week one; on day one you write a one-sentence summary, and put your raw story ideas into a ‘story idea map’ worksheet that helps you figure out the stakes, how your character and setting fit in, and what your inciting incidents and turning points are. As you progress, you will develop scenes for your ideas, and finally, an outline. You’ll then turn your attention to your characters development and backstory. By the end of week one, you’ll have fleshed-out characters and a basic outline to put them into. And yes, during this time, you write, so you aren’t falling behind on your daily word-count for NaNo. 


During weeks 2-4, you will continued to write as you buttress your story. You’ll fill out that outline with exercises that help you hone your theme, craft excellent cliffhangers and reversals, spice up your story, continue to improve your characters’ motivations and arcs, and identify plot holes.


I love the questions and worksheets in this book; the worksheets aren’t crazy complicated or overwhelming, yet they have power. In fact, I have a manuscript I’ve put on the back burner to so I can get some distance on it; when I’m finished with my current projects, I’m going to pull it out and use all the steps in this book on it. Yes, it’s already written and it doesn’t map on to the typical three-act structure, but I believe the questions this book asks will help me get to the heart of what isn’t quite working right with it. 


So if you’re looking for guidance, especially if plotting is a must for you, check this book out and let me know what you think! I’ll be back next time with another option to help with NaNoWriMo that’s a little more free-flowing. 


Happy prepping!

Research trips for your novel: My tips!

I just went on my first official writing research trip!


I’m gearing up to revise my third novel and write my fourth; both are set in a little California town that I love. I’ve visited once a year on average for the last fifteen or so years, but always for a get-away, never with an eye to writing about it. So it was time.  


I know what you’re thinking. These days, you don’t need to leave your house to research a location. You can stroll the streets of Paris on Google maps, and you can search the history of any place, even down to the buildings and the people who live there. So why bother doing a research trip? 


As writers, we try to capture the five senses when we write, and we try to take things deeper than the typical experience, and internet research can’t capture that for you. Not the smells of the freshly-baked bread from the boulangerie. Not the sound of the violinist sitting in the park, or the crisp sweetness to the air in the morning. Not the precious surprises, like the hidden courtyards or the sculptures in the cheese shop. It can’t capture the people, their manner and their accents. Your experience of these things, even if they don’t all make it concretely into your writing, will give the ring of truth the same way your character’s backstory gives dimension even if you never reveal it. 


Here are my tips for getting the most out of your trip:


1) Do your research beforehand. Yes, I know that sounds like it contradicts what I just said and you’re tempted to throw something at me (don’t do it, you’ll only break your tablet). But I'm talking about a different type of research. Figure out what you need to see and experience that you can't otherwise (especially in accord with #2). Find the right tours, etc., to meet the particular needs of your book. 


2) Do what your characters do, go where they go. If your book has already been planned to some degree (outlined or even partially written), you already know some of the things your characters will need to do, and some of the scene settings you'll need to use. Maybe several scenes will take place in a diner a la Seinfeld, and you'd like to pick a real one to use for authenticity. Maybe your murder mystery takes place in an art museum; you'll want to visit that museum (find out if photography is allowed in advance, take notes on layout, etc., while there if not). If your characters work at the police station (or will end up there at some point), pay a visit and at least see where it is and what the outside looks like. 

But don’t forget the non-obvious stuff. Where does someone of your protagonist’s demographics live in that city/town? Where do they shop? In my book's town, there are no chain grocery stores, only two mom-and-pop grocers; I never realized that before this trip, because when I’d visited before I was on vacation and ate out. Where do relevant locals hang out? What restaurants do they eat at? If they have kids, what do the schools and parks look like? The daily routine of someone living in Manhattan versus a small town in Central California is going to look very different, and you want to be able to portray that well. So don't just eat in the restaurants you want to try, eat in the restaurants they would eat in. Check out the places they would go.

What if you only have a very vague idea of what your plot will be? If the location is a far away, expensive trip, you might want to wait until you've written a first draft or detailed outline, and adjust your revisions accordingly. But if it's close and easy to get to, why not let the location itself spark ideas for you? Maybe you'll fall in love with a particular park and the perfect scene will practically write itself.    


3) Talk to locals. Strike up a conversation with local people when you’re doing your thing. Tell them you’re writing a book set in their town, and you’re almost certain to be met with enthusiastic help. People are proud of their homes and their knowledge, and they’ll hook you up with all kinds of inside information. And while you’re talking to them, pay attention for any local expressions or mannerisms they use.   


4) Take a local walking tour or two. Larger tours like bus tours and duck tours are fun and good for an introduction to the city/town. But smaller walking tours are where you’re gonna get your gold. These take a longer time to cover a smaller area and your guide will fill that time with information. Usually information that’s hard to come by elsewhere; local lore, obscure facts, interesting trivia, all the stuff you want to spice up your book. Take the time to find quality tours run by experienced guides; they take pride in what they do and truly love the subject. And ask them questions! They are enthusiastic about sharing what they know, or they wouldn’t be doing this for their living. Tell them you’re writing a book about their beloved town, and watch the information flow. Just don’t ask so many questions that the other people on the tour can’t get their own in, and remember to tip your guide well. 


5) Stop by the local history museum. I know what you’re thinking: "We have a local history museum where I live and it has exactly three postcards and a stuffed jackalope." First off, I bet it has more than you really appreciate, because you’re a local and you know local stuff already that an outsider wouldn't. Local history museums give priority to preserving things that larger museums can't, and you’ll be surprised what you can find there. Maybe you’ll discover an annual quilting competition founded in the 1800s put the town on the map—and that it still happens every year. That little nugget right there could be the basic plot for the next mystery in your series. Second, even if the museum doesn't really have much, it does have a docent who loves the area and has tons of knowledge hiding in their little gray cells. 

What about bigger cities? They often have smaller specialty museums based on different aspects of local history. Do some digging and find the ones that relate to your book. 


6) Experience local transportation. Sure, maybe you have enough money to take cabs everywhere when you visit NYC (if so, would you like to adopt me?), and would never need to set foot in the subway. But if one or more of your characters will be on that subway, make sure you get down there and experience it. Even walking down the street in your book's location may be very different from what you’re used to; walking in Manhattan during commute times, for example, is an experience unlike any other. So get out and walk where/when your character would walk. Stand in line for that cup of coffee they pick up on the way to work. Taste the street meat they grab for lunch when they're in a hurry. 


7) Try to go at the right time of the year. Maybe you hate snow and it would never occur to you to go to Boston in November. But if that’s when your book is set and you visit in August, you’re going to miss a lot of detail that would lift your book to a different level.


8) Be on the lookout for the unique and quirky. When I was in Paris, I saw a lady feeding sparrows out of her hand in front of Notre Dame Cathedral (she did this regularly). I tried to imitate her with the leftovers of my morning baguette; she came over and showed me how to attract them, and soon I had scores of little birds sitting on my fingers and eating crumbs from my palm. Not only was that an amazing experience, but how wonderful would it be to have this woman in your Parisian mystery? Think of they joy your readers will feel if they recognize her in your book! Did you know that the Roman Colosseum is overrun with stray cats? Throw a cat or two into your description, and you just got a lot more real. Did you know that bands really do walk through the streets of the French quarter in New Orleans? (That detail made it into my second book, sho’ you right.) Writers have great imaginations, and we can make up our own color when we need to. But if we can capture the color that’s already there, so much the better for connecting with others who love our location.       


9) Take a lot of pictures and video. I’m talking an obsessive, mind-numbing, ridiculous amount of pictures. Of things big, details small, and everything in between. You think you’re gonna remember it all, but I promise you, you won’t. As I was writing up my notes an hour after finishing my walking tour, I went through my pictures and they reminded me of several things I'd already forgotten. And sure, there are tons of pictures on the web of things like Times Square. But only YOUR picture will capture what was on the billboards while you were there, and that crazy lady who was wearing a hat that matched her dog’s. 

And I’m not talking about those types of pictures, anyway. Pretend you’re a photographer who is trying to capture what’s unique about the city in a new way, and you’ll end up with a trove of material to spark memories and build setting. I've even been known to literally take pictures over my shoulder when I’m on a tour that is moving too quickly for me to snap all the pictures I want. What can it hurt? These aren’t the days of yore when you had to go to ye olde film store and pay through the nose for developing; if the picture is a blur, you can delete it. But it’s always always always better to have too many than not remember that perfect detail for your scene.  

10) Journal, journal, journal. Write down what you're experiencing as you get the chance, in down moments and at the end of the day. You'll be experiencing a lot in a short period of time, and memory decays quickly when overloaded. So dump what you can onto the paper and keep that storage space clear for the next bunch of information! Also, journaling now will help keep those experiences fresh and compelling.


Most of all, don’t forget to soak it up and enjoy. Whether you chose your location because it’s somewhere you love or have always dreamed of going, or because it’s a necessary by-product of the story you want to tell, let it invade your soul. Your experience of it will naturally bleed into the story you write, and will make your project that much richer.  

Have other tips that I missed? Leave them for me in the comments!

Happy writing! 
M.

Using Pinterest for character development and marketing

I recently made a discovery that I had to share: Pinterest is a great tool for character development.

A while back, someone in a group I'm in asked if anyone had made a Pinterest board for their books. The thought intrigued me, but I didn't run with it. Then, a few days ago, a friend mentioned she had created a Pinterest board for a character in one of her books.

But I heard her wrong, and thought she said she'd made a whole page for the character. A whole page? Like there is an actual person, who has their own actual page with their own actual boards? The idea banged around my head setting off a bunch of fireworks, and I was off and running.

See, there's a lot of advice out there about building your characters, so they aren't two dimensional. Exercises you do when you put your character in certain situations to see how they would react. Questionnaires and lists. All wonderful, and I love using them. But none of those techniques give me a legitimate reason to look through pretty pictures.

I instantly ran to Pinterest and created a page for the main character of Accidental Divination, the book I started during NaNoWriMo. I've just finished the first draft, and hope to write a sequel, so thought it would be cool to create a space where I could 'become' the main character, Semarra Rae. I spent several magical hours creating boards for her, and finding pins for those boards.

For almost any aspect of a character you can imagine, you can make a board. Of course the obvious visual things, like a 'muscle car' board or an antique jewelry board, but not just these. A home repair board for a character that flips houses. A board for tech articles for your software engineer. Even a board for gambling tips and favorite casinos for your gambling addict. No matter how strange or obscure, you can make a board for it.

In fact, if you realize you can't think of many boards for your character, that's probably a warning sign that you haven't given him/her enough dimension. Give them a few hobbies, or a few odd quirks. Maybe they love Tasmanian Devils (I know I do--don't judge). Challenge yourself to come up with a half a dozen, at least.

As you make decisions about which things you want to put on your character's board and why, you'll find yourself making decisions about them that deepen your insight into who they are, and this will show up in your writing.

But it gets even cooler.

Remember when LOST came out, and had a whole bunch of fake web pages based on the show? Pages for the Dharma Initiative, and the founders of that initiative, pages for the fake websites, etc.? Even though the fans knew these pages weren't real, they spent hours surfing them, looking for insights and clues.

You can do the same sort of thing with your character, if you create a whole page and not just a board. If you build it the way a real person would, it will give the impression the real person exists, because it's a full page with multiple boards determined by their personality. And with that, you've created a web presence for your character, and you can use this to build interest for your book:

• Before your book comes out, use the page as a teaser. What sort of character is this? What sort of person likes these things? 

• When the book comes out, use the page to highlight interesting aspects of your character and plot. Pin items/lists/places/events that feature in your book. Tweet them as hints to your audience. Play guessing games about how they're relevant. 

• In between books in a series, use them to keep your reader's interest alive. Reveal things about the character that you didn't in your book, bonus aspects of who they are. Give hints to the next plot. All of this will help keep your audience engaged. 

So how do you do create a separate page for your character?

1) Create a new e-mail address to use for this purpose. 
You will need a separate e-mail address for every Pinterest page you create. But, that's not as annoying as it first seems. Gmail, for example, lets you create multiple e-mail addresses, and you can forward the mail from each one to your 'real' e-mail address, so you don't have to deal with multiple accounts. So, if your character's name is 'Sherlock Holmes', grab something like sherlockholmes@gmail, and set it to forward any mail to your main Gmail account.

2) Set up the Pinterest account associated with your new e-mail address. 
Name the page after your character in some way, preferably something that a search engine will pick up on. Here's the one I created for my character; I used her first and middle name:

Now you'll want to start adding pins...and here's where it gets a little bit tricky to have more than one Pinterest page. Let's say you're on your personal Pinterest page, and you see something that would be perfect for Sherlock's page. You don't want to have to log out and log back in as Sherlock, find the pin again, and pin it. So there are two ways you can get around this.


3A) Create a board on your personal Pinterest page for pins you want to later pin to Sherlock's board. Then have Sherlock follow this board (or all of your boards). That way, you only have to log on as Sherlock once in a while, and grab the pins you've been storing up. This is my favorite solution. I have a board on my personal page named after the book itself, for this purpose and to publicize the book if I want to do so directly from my own page.

3B) From Sherlock's page, invite your personal page to add pins to his boards.
This way, Sherlock's boards show up under your personal list of boards, and you can pin directly to them without having to switch accounts. To set this up, log into Sherlock's page. Go to the board you want to share; either open it, or click on 'edit':

Then, invite your personal page to add pins; enter the e-mail address associated with your personal board, and click 'invite':

You'll get a notification on your personal e-mail board to pin to Sherlock's boards; once you accept that, you're golden.

The reason I don't like this method as much is that when you pin to Sherlock's boards, it will say that the pin was added by your main page, not by Sherlock. If you're going for the illusion that the page is actually maintained by your character, this will interfere with the effect.



There you have it! I hope something here has been helpful; I'll report back as I learn more.

As I've been pinning things for Semarra, I've been whittling away at her character, and have been inspired on her behalf. Quite a few of the pins have started to spark potential plot points, and have helped me flesh out existing scenes. And it's been tons of fun.

And here's a parting question for you: which book character's Pinterest page would you like to be able to visit, if it existed?


Happy Monday!
M.