Bones, Muscle, and Skin

NaNoWriMo... Here I go!!!

It's now November and I am participating in National Novel Writing Month again. This will be my third year doing it. The goal, as always, is to reach 50,000 words. And it is not about having a perfect product, it's about getting the story out of you.

If I could give advice, which I don't ever like to do, since if one thing works for one person does not guarantee it will work the same for another, but people who want to write many times get stuck on the little details and rewrite... and rewrite... Truth is you could rewrite forever and never feel satisfied. Many published books are publish simply because the author finished them.

As I see it, there are three stages in writing - Bones, Muscle, and Skin.

The Bones of a story comes out to a completed manuscript, but is never perfect. Bones are only the framework of what can be accomplished. If you are worried and missing details, I wouldn't. If they are in your head at one moment, they return, I promise.

The Muscle is the second rewrite - gives your work strength and a strong bond to characters, situations, and gives you better clarity and understanding of, not only the reality of the story, but also background, or what's to come.

And Finally the Skin. The skin of course it the beautiful package. It is where the story begins to live on its own. The Characters could make decisions and stand on their on without you; the world turns, the plants grow - you believe it and then others will believe it too.

You are giving birth in a sense, to this child and soon it will walk away from you. So don't stop writing, give your ideas a chance to live. NaNoWriMo is a great opportunity for that. Give that idea you have been kicking around some bones and see what happens.

Wish me luck!

If any of you are thinking about doing it, search for me - cani-jo and see how we do.

http://nanowrimo.org/

http://youtu.be/miBhmLA62O4