Throwing in the Towel

NaNoWriMo has come to an end, and I have failed miserably in the goal of generating 50,000 words for my novel. It isn’t the first time this has happened, and I dare say it will not be the last. Still, I’m coming away from November with my head held high, and I would encourage all of you other writers that “failed” the test to do the same.

At the end of the day, I added 25,000 words to my book. While this was less than the goal, it was still a good chunk to tack on to the work I’ve been doing all year. In the past I have tried to bear down and push to the word total at the end of the month, but this year I learned a very valuable lesson.

Sometimes, it is better to recognize defeat and throw in the towel.

Before you start saying that I’m being defeatist, hear me out. Writing is NOT a production-line, assembly-style process. You can’t make the magic happen, no matter how much you want it to. Though I am inspired by my novel right now and continue to plough forward with it, I am not 1,700-words-a-day inspired. I know that to create something truly special, sometimes you have to be patient. I would have loved to completely NaNoWriMo, but it made more sense to step back and breathe. In the end, I know my project will be stronger for it.

NaNoWriMo – Week 2 Update!

The second week of NaNoWriMo is underway, and I’m doing much better out of the gate than I have in past years. I’m usually a long way behind by now, but this year I am only about a day and a half behind. This came from taking an entire weekend off; by the end of the week, I should be fully caught up.

The hardest part of NaNoWriMo for me has always been learning to turn off my inner editor. I always want to go back and rewrite things as I’m moving along, because I’m too much of a perfectionist. I need each scene to feel alive; I want each line of dialogue to be a zinger, and I want each character to be a compelling web of fears and desires.

Still, the act of putting plot on paper at speed helps to push a novel forward. I have been lost in the details in the months following NaNo each year, but that is okay; the speed with which I cut out the majority of the work in November makes it easier to focus on the finer details when the time comes to cut and add to bring value to the overall manuscript.

If you’re writing a novel this November, do everything in your power to turn off the inner editor. You never know what word count you’ll achieve when you put the tedium aside for a short thirty days, and focus on nothing but bringing out the plot that lives inside your head.

NaNoWriMo 2015

For the last three years I have participated in the National Novel Writing Month, held each year in November. It encourages authors to knock out 50,000 words in a novel over the thirty days in November, giving them a rough draft to move forward once the month is concluded.

During the first year I failed miserably. I didn’t devote the necessary time to accomplish the tasks. I was still fresh back into writing in November 2013, after several years spent away from my passion. As a result, I simply disintegrated under the weight of the task.

As with many authors and artists, I have a difficult time completing the tasks I lay out for myself. Until early 2014, I had never completely finished a book manuscript. With that enormous accomplishment behind me, though, I was able to focus down in 2014 and finish up 50,000 words in my second novel before November was over.

I learned a lot, including time management and dedication to a task, from the time I spent at the keyboard last year. I’m off to a strong start this year as well, though I am pacing myself much more so that I won’t burn out around the middle of the month. The confidence and experience from previous years have equipped me for the task ahead.

If you’re a writer and have never attempted NaNoWriMo, I would strongly encourage you to give it a try. Even if you don’t succeed, you’ll learn a lot about your own writing processes along the way. Some people need a strong outline ahead of time, while others (myself included) prefer to have a general idea before they “grip it and rip it.” Either way, you’ll quickly learn your strengths and weaknesses as an author, along with valuable lessons in pacing and time management.

There’s no time like the present; your book will never write itself!

Thoughts by Threes

It has been quite some time since I posted. I've still had my nose to the grindstone with writing my second novel and completing the editing process on the first, but I allowed my blogs to suffer during that time. I'm back to give them more attention, and with NaNoWriMo on the horizon (geez, again already!) I decided to post one more piece of poetry before my life is once again embroiled in the 1667 words-a-day challenge.

Enjoy.

Thoughts by Threes

Long to write

Choose to sit

Muse will come

Wait a bit

Baby’s laugh

Old man’s tear

Ponder pain

Fathom fear

Life so short

Burns too fast

Think how to

Make it last

At graveyard

Heard the sigh

Sobs have gone

Tears have dried

Life and death

What beyond?

Triumvir

Still unknown

Randall Madden

October 26, 2015

Lessons in Failure

I did not succeed in my word count goals for Camp NaNoWriMo in July. Real life simply got in the way too often, and I quickly fell behind. I spent the rest of the month writing, but it simply wasn’t enough to get the word count total back where it needed to be. With that said, I feel that I walked away from last month’s attempt with a better perspective (and more lessons learned) than I have in the past.

It’s easy to give up when you find yourself in a difficult position. When you know that the end is beyond reach, and that nothing you do will see the effort completed satisfactorily, the temptation to simply quit is very high. Yet nothing else can be gained by giving up early. By pushing through to the end of the month anyway, I was able to complete roughly 30,000 of the 50,000 planned words. This is a huge chunk of my second novel that wasn’t written at the beginning of the month. By staying true to the course, I was still able to partially realize my goals.

I also learned quite a bit about time management. I have been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People this month as well, and it helped me to understand why my writing fell behind so early in the month. In an effort to simply tick things off my list, I was passing over the writing to complete other, less important tasks first. By doing this I ran out of time to do my actual writing. By prioritizing it at the beginning of my time, I found myself reaching the goal and exceeding it each day. I also feel that it allowed me to write more proficiently, as I didn’t feel a rush to reach some kind of arbitrary goal.

I strive to learn from mistakes and losses throughout life, because I firmly believe that we learn more in those instances than we ever can from our successes. When something doesn’t go to plan, don’t simply throw it into your past. Instead scrutinize the events that led up to the failure, so that you might be better prepared in the future to address any similar issues that arise.

Poem - R'lyeh

I've been in a Lovecraft mood lately, and wrote this poem back at the beginning of the month. Next week I will check back in, and let you know how Camp NaNoWriMo went for July. For now, enjoy some Cthulhu-inspired terror!

R’lyeh

What days are these?

I find myself

Lost on darkened seas

I cry out, but no voice

Hears my muffled pleas

So turn I will

To splintered oar

My fate not yet seal’d

There is time yet, if

Courage is tempered as steel

From deepest black

Does shadow rise

Unfathomed crack

Where he abides

Deepest terrors wrack

As shattered steel

My fate becomes

Insanity crushes real

Now left to rot in nameless void

Consumed by endless will

Randall Madden

July 1, 2015

To Say “The End”

My novel is finished.

No, I’m serious this time!

After crying wolf at least three times, I am now completely done with my novel, and plan to start sending it out to agents next week. With a little (okay, a lot!) of luck, maybe I’ll land something soon, and Dawnbringer will be on its way.

I’m constantly at war with myself between having no self-esteem at all in regards to my writing, and being a complete narcissist at the same time. I want to believe that it is good enough after each draft, yet something inside tells me to do one last round of edits. These always end up being drawn-out affairs as I add or change existing characters, and each time my narcissist side cries a little as I rip apart the beauty it created.

This time, though, the book is as good as it can be. I have confidence in my work, and while I could spend the rest of my life trimming here and adding there, I know that it will stand on its own two feet.

So wish me luck, for I’m off to the races! Prepare for a steady stream of motivational speeches about how to respond to rejection, all while secretly drying my eyes on a spare sheet of paper!

Camp NaNoWriMo - Final Thoughts

Camp NaNoWriMo has finally come to an end, and I rolled in at 50,000 words near midnight on April 30^th. I’ve continued to pluck away with the book in the week since, though at a slightly reduced pace of 1,000 words per night.

If you’re a writer and you’ve never attempted the NaNoWriMo experience, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot at least once. The pace can be somewhat frenetic if you aren’t used to it, but it will teach you a lot about holding yourself to heavy deadlines. It will also just get you in the trench each day to write, which is the best thing of all.

This nudge has finished my final rewrite, and this time, I MEAN IT! I have one last proofreading edit to do for the chapters I wrote in April, and then I am going to begin querying agents. I’d say I have about a week or so of work before I’m ready to throw down this next gauntlet in the challenge.

Wish me luck! Soon my posts will turn to the travails of finding an agent.

Progress Report – Camp NaNo Comes to an End

April has been a busy writing month for me, with hobby projects and YouTube work competing with my writing time. However, I’ve found the pace I need to finish in this last stretch of days before the competition ends.

I’m currently sitting at 37,000 words, meaning I have about 4,000 to write each day to be finished on time. That said, I have a clear outline and plan as to what comes next, and the words are flying onto the page much faster than usual. Barring some blow-up elsewhere in life between now and then, I’m almost certain that I will make the word total.

As this winds down, though, I’m also coming to the realization that I’m reaching the point in the publishing quest that is most difficult for me personally. After one quick round of edits to this new writing, which will take a day or two at most, I’m going to be moving on to an agent search. So many people have difficulties at this stage, and their manuscript remains just that because they’re unable to find their niche in selling the book.

I’m confident in my writing; I’ve put hundreds and hundreds of hours into completing this thing, along with several revisions and some difficult cutting processes. All that remains is to polish my query letter until it shines, and then I will be on my way. I expect that process to begin in the second week of May.

Time will tell!

Poem – One Chance

I have another “Randall Madden Original” for everyone this week. I’ve been reminded this week that things can end at any point, and that chasing after the financial to the exclusion of all else leaves us as little more than slaves.

As well as my words will allow, here is a poem on the subject.

One Chance

This world is not a circle

One day, it too, will end

Sun’s fire, or God’s Judgment

It’s fate simply won’t bend

And yet we scurry onward

Seek progress for its own sake

While love is growing colder

And real is becoming fake

Arts are pushed aside

No time for them, you see

We’ve got to make more money

Golden chains, no longer free

Yet willingly, necks are offered

Into financial stocks

They rage and pull to free themselves

But down have slammed the locks

So there they stand in courtyard

All our people, village fools

They call for one to free them

Yet those free all know the rules

For those who dance are poorer

Yet have the heart to leap

For their necks aren’t overburdened

And their time’s their own to keep

So the rich-robed, in chains, languish

While the ragged remnant dance

So choose gold bonds, or happy rags

For you only get one chance.

Randall Madden

April 17, 2015

Poem – On the plains of Picardy

I’ve been reading The Somme: Heroism and Horror in the First World War this week. It is a book penned by Martin Gilbert, and discusses the appalling loss of human life during the Somme campaign of World War I. Throughout, Mr. Gilbert discusses the effect it had on the troops, and showcases some of the excellent poetry that was written throughout.

One of the most human elements of this war for me came in the form of the poetry that was written. If you’ve never looked at it, you’re truly missing out on some thought-provoking pieces on the state of man, and how much harm we’re capable of doing to one another. The piece I selected to share with you today was written by Captain Hugh Stewart Smith, and was found in his pocket after he was slain in the fighting.

On the plains of Picardy

Lay a soldier, dying

Gallantly, with soul still free

Spite the rough world’s trying.

Came the Angel who keeps guard

When the fight has drifted,

‘What would you for your reward

When the clouds have lifted?’

Then the soldier through the mist

Heard the voice and rested

As a man who sees his home

When the hill is breasted –

This his answer and I vow

Nothing could be fitter –

Give me peace, a dog, a friend

And a glass of bitter!

Captain Hugh Stewart Smith

1916

Poem – Between the Silence

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned in life. We lose those we love, and we’re left only with the memories. Though they might be a place of comfort, they are often imperfect, and they tragically fade with time.

This poem was built around the idea of those memories. It isn’t necessarily a happy piece, but it is one of the truest pieces I’ve ever made, and I relate to it in a way that I cannot explain. I hope you all enjoy it, and get half as much of an experience as I had writing it.

Between the Silence

You lived here once before

When there was so much time to kill

Now you dwell between the silence

And I know you are there still

When things become too loud

You’re impossible to see

Then the silence comes once more

And you’re waiting there for me

The quiet blinds my senses

And leaves me lost within

The tranquil, sighing hollows

Where I see your face again

With time the space there narrows

How I wish that it could last!

But the roar becomes a mutter

And too soon, the space has passed

With practice, could I find it?

Is it mind, or strength, or will?

You remain there in the silence

And I know you are there still.

Randall Madden

April 4, 2015

Camp NaNoWriMo 2015

Tomorrow begins Camp NaNoWriMo, a second month full of writing for those of us who can’t get enough punishment in November! The goal is once again to push through 50,000 words over the course of the month, getting each writer who participates that much closer to finishing their work.

I’m excited to get started on Dawnbringer 2 once again. I’ve been so lost in getting Dawnbringer ready for the publisher, I really haven’t messed with the work on D2 since last November. I will probably give it a quick reread tonight before midnight to get myself reacquainted. The plan is to knock out my first two thousand words right out of the gate, while my energy is high!

To any aspiring writers who have never given NaNoWriMo a try, I couldn’t recommend it more. If you’re willing to hold your own feet to the fire and be self-motivated, it is an excellent way to move your story forward. The focus is not on editing; just write, write, write!

For those of you who are already a part of the crazy train that is Camp NaNo, I will see you all in a few hours; the fate of Cestre hangs in the balance!

www.campnanowrimo.org

Counting the Days

The final round of edits concludes today, with the exception of my last rewrite. It is still in process, and will undergo one last bout of edits before the book goes out for the query process. I’m excited as I reread the manuscript, because I think I’m truly on to something good.

I’m working with a local artist on getting a map set up and drawn out to accompany the manuscript, and for the first time in quite a while I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Each time I’ve thought that I was rolling into the station, I’ve found another tunnel that must be endured on the long march to publication.

Still, I know that there is a good chance the publisher at the far end will put my manuscript back on the train for a little bit longer of a ride. There is always the chance that they won’t like what I’ve written, or that they will feel another rewrite is in order. Patience is the name of the game at this point, and I’m desperately trying to keep that in perspective.

The book is almost ready!

Knowing When to Stop

I’m a perfectionist. I know that many writers will fall into that camp by nature, but I can only speak for myself. I constantly criticize my own work, looking at it over and over to see what more I can squeeze out of it to make it better.

I’ve really been experiencing this with my Dawnbringer series. I planned to have it ready for submission to agents by the beginning of this year, yet here I am working through one more edit. I’ve added a new set of characters, been through three edits, and listened to a series of “alpha readers” and made some adjustments based on their feedback. I’m now completely rewriting one of the story arcs, and trying desperately to finish one last round of proofreading.

In short, I’m calling an end to the madness! You must know when your work is good enough, and for now, I’ve reached that point. I’m completing this last batch of edits, and then the project is going out to a set of agents for consideration. I could dwell at this stage forever, given my perfectionist tendencies. I simply must set my foot down, take a chance, and send it out.

I may forever wonder if I misspelled a word somewhere in the text I submit, but it has no chance sitting on my desk. Wish me luck; before March is out, I will begin the submissions process!

Poem – Thaw

With all the crazy weather in my area recently, it seems appropriate that my mind is stuck on cold weather. I’ve also been in a moody place recently, reflecting on the nature of man and how we come to be so distrustful and cynical. I decided to roll the two together, as I was watching the last of the snows melt.

Thaw

The virgin white drifts all around

Cascade of perfect flakes

I know I must trod purest field

Though a step, the perfect breaks

Such beauty in this world I see

Moonlight off unstained glass

The path is lost in powdered sheet

Until cold travelers pass

Like nature’s beauty, soul shines clean

Despite inherent flaw

Yet rises sun, as trials come

And purest clothing thaws.

Randall Madden

February 27, 2015

Streams of Consciousness

One of my favorite things about writing is the open nature it presents. I can literally write about anything I want, whenever I want, and in any format I choose. I think that exploring multiple avenues of expression is a critically important approach for any writer who is attempting to flex their creative muscles.

This is one of the reasons I occasionally drop off my novel writing and punch out a poem or two. It is also the reason I like to throw in a short story or two when I’m stuck somewhere with nothing but a pen and a pad of paper to occupy my time. It is also the reason that I write daily streams of consciousness.

In their purest form, streams of consciousness seek to emulate the thought patterns as they occur. Rather than breaking for standard dialogue or descriptions, they seek to follow the thought process as it comes. For me, this forces a very spontaneous, unplanned way of putting words to paper. This can be useful, as it forces you to write on the fly, leaving less thought to the words themselves and instead putting down the words as quickly as they come to mind.

This can be a valuable tool for building understanding of how your characters think and feel. Sometimes we get so lost in the idea of telling a story, we forget that our characters are (usually) human, with all the hopes, dreams, and fears that come along with such a state. If you write, or want to write, I would highly recommend this form of writing as a regular exercise. It takes time to become comfortable with the style it forces, but you will not regret the time you spend.

Heck, you might even learn something about yourself.

Poem – Flower

It has been too long since I’ve had an update for the blog. I plan to start doing regular updates again, as I work to add more content to the site. I’d like to start reviewing books as I read them, and perhaps sharing news stories regarding writing when they move me to do so.

In the meantime, here is something I have been working on recently. Enjoy!

Flower

Through sooty, smoke-filled room

Past dingy, cold formed glass

A bright speck makes its mark

As its brief time here does pass

Can any say for sure

Why wisdom chose this place?

Was its presence in this gloom

Benefit for my beholding face?

This moment spent between us

Juxtapositional beauty, take in

And wonder if there be meaning

Through miasma of caked sin

Frail resilience, ruthless progression

Bright and vibrant, cold and gray

Can such beauty truly last here

Or is it destined to fade away?

Randall Madden

January 30, 2015