Guest Post: Diana Pharaoh Francis

I am delighted to welcome Diana Pharaoh Francis to my blog for NaNoWriMo.

My first introduction to her work was Path of Fate and I’ve enjoyed her books ever since. You can imagine the *squee* factor for me when she became a NaNo buddy last year just after I’d become published myself. She’s down to earth and super friendly. I hope you’ll enjoy her perspectives on NaNoWriMo!

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Hi Everyone! And thanks to PJ for inviting me over for a visit. * makes self at home. * PJ asked me to talk a little bit about my experience of nano, and so I figured I’d just offer some of the things that I think about most when I think about nano.

But first, is everybody ready to be exhausted? Are you already exhausted? Four days into nano—are you tearing your hair out yet?

I’m afraid this isn’t my first nano this year. In fact my professional writing life is very much like nano. That’s because I have a day job and so when I get free to write, I have to go flat out, which I’ve already done several times this year. However, just at the moment, nano happens to coincide with some time to write and a deadline. So I am digging in like a tick on a fat dog.

When I first started writing, making even 500 words a day was a struggle. Now 2K is fairly easy and 3K has become a regular goal. Sometimes that works out well and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve learned that if I don’t make it, I just have to keep going and not beat myself up. But it’s one thing to warn you about. It’s really easy to not hit your goal and then to either punish yourself for not doing well enough, or freeze up because obviously you can’t do this. Strangle that voice. Beat it to a pulp.Whatever you write is stuff you didn’t have. If it isn’t what you wanted, so what? You’re making words and frankly, it can take time to develop the habit of making words. Be kind to yourself.

The real secret of nano is that for this month you can submerge in and wallow in your story and characters. So don’t let anything or anyone destroy it for you. Sink down in the mire and wriggle around and get it all up in your cracks and crevices, under your nails and in your hair. Revel in it. No negative voices allowed–not the ones in your head and not anybody else either.

The wonderful thing about nano is that it’s freeing, and that for one month, writing is far less isolated than it normally is. For this month, you can talk about writing to more people than you can imagine: the guy at Subway, the girl next to you on the bus, the man at the grocery store buying cheese . . . . You can come to the nano site and talk about it. You can go to a thousand other sites and do the same. It will trend on twitter and facebook will be flooded with it. For this month, you are part of an enormous writing community. Wallow in that too. Reach out, make friends, commiserate and celebrate. It really isn’t about the word count, it’s about creating wonderful stories of every stripe.

One thing that I do that is helpful for me, is to participate in word wars. I do this throughout the year because I do find it so helpful and it’s also nice to visit with other writers who are writing. Many of you may already know what word wards are, but in case you don’t, word wars are when you get together with some other writers either in person or online, and you might chat a bit and then everyone writes for a designated period. I usually do a half hour. Then we all come back together and report our word counts.

In between wars, we cheer each other on, bitch, whine, freak out, and then go again. I find it to be an extraordinary useful tool for writing. The sense that people are waiting for word counts, that I need to produce in a half hour, and the competition of it really makes me come up with stuff. The fact that I have to do it fast unlocks my creativity. I don’t have time to overthink it. If you think you might be interested, we do ours in a chatroom. Go here to find the link and post when you might be in the room. http://toonowrimo.livejournal.com/  Be sure to introduce yourself when you go into the room and say you’re new. This place is available all year long. Just remember, it’s a place to write, not a place to hang out. But you’re welcome to come and join us. I’ll be there a whole lot these next few weeks especially.

One last thing to remember: for a month, your house doesn’t have to be that clean, you don’t have to go out as much, and you can cut down on the TV and social life. For this one month, you can steal time and devote it to writing. No guilt.

Thanks for letting me hang out!

If you’re interested in what I produce, come check out my website: www.dianapfrancis.com  You can read the first chapters from all my books plus some free stories. I’d love for you to come poke around. I do have a new book out in December, Shadow City, also. It’s up for preorder if you’re so inclined! (hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink). Happy writing!

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coming out December 27th

Diana Pharaoh Francis
dpf@dianapfrancis.com
www.dianapfrancis.com
Twitter: @dianapfrancis

Available at Most Bookstores:

Horngate Witches:
Bitter Night
Crimson Wind

The Crosspointe Chronicles:
The Cipher
The Black Ship
The Turning Tide
The Hollow Crown

The Path Novels
Path of Fate
Path of Honor
Path of Blood