Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing

storm moving across a field
April 1, 2015

Prepare to Write Up A Storm

photo credit: Nelson Minar via photopin cc

photo credit: Nelson Minar via photopin cc

No Fooling.

Writers in the Storm is having a "Writing Event" on Monday, April 20.

Write Up A Storm is a one-day sprint-writing bash on Facebook, designed to motivate and sustain your writing throughout the day. Even if that day job impinges on your time, you can participate before work, during lunch and after hours. We'll be here. Writing. Piling up word count. Supporting each other.

We'll be writing all day and keeping track of word count totals from our fabulous readers. You can post your word count in a comment that day, and we'll add it to the tally. You can post every hour if you want to and encourage others--or challenge them. Hmm, is this a WITS Throwdown in the making? We're hoping that everyone's combined word count will add up to a novella. Actually I'm hoping for a full-length book!

Here's a short list of simple things you can do to prepare for Write Up A Storm:

  1. If you're a plotter, work on that outline for your new idea. You don't have to finish the outline, but have enough to get you through three (or six) chapters.
  2. If you're a pantser, work your process so you've got the beginning of your story solidly ready to put words on the page.
  3. Know your characters–their motivation, their character arcs, what they want more than anything else in the world.
  4. Know what keeps your characters from getting what they want, whether it's another person, lack of something, like education, or maybe something from their past.
  5. Read.*
  6. Mark the date on your calendar. Set an alarm on your phone.
  7. Commit to a definite number of minutes–even if it's only ten–of solid writing time.
  8. Complete any research necessary to write the section you plan to work on.
  9. Contact other writer friends to participate for support. They will thank you on Tuesday, April 21, when they look at what they've accomplished.
  10. Finish routine chores like the laundry and grocery shopping during the week-end.
  11. Pre-cook meals for the day.

* At the California Dreamin' Conference last week-end, Laura, Jenny and I heard Keynote Speaker Sylvia Day talk about how when writers stop reading, they stop writing. So read to fill your writer well. Read like a reader and enjoy yourself.

Sign up link for the event.

Are you willing to commit to writing on Monday, April 20? Are you willing to share your word count? How about sharing a tip to help all of us get ready?

*  *  *  *  *  *

About Fae

Fae Rowen

Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak.  Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes  that she can live anywhere but the present.  As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules.

Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than the horrors of algebra lessons gone wrong.  She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.

A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now enjoys sharing her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told.  Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keeps her fingers on the keyboard.

When she’s not hanging out at Writers in the Storm, you can visit Fae at http://faerowen.com  or www.facebook.com/fae.rowen.

34 comments on “Prepare to Write Up A Storm”

  1. Sounds like a mini Nanowrimo. Great, because the commitment is only one day. Another tip: shut off all mail, social media on your computer and silence the phone (but those are obvious ones).

    1. Great reminders, lrtrovi! Particularly when we'll be writing just one day. Electronics can be a huge time sump.

    1. We're going to have fun! I may just challenge you to word count! What a surprise!

  2. I'm noodling new projects so this will be perfect play time to get the creative juices going. 🙂 We're going to have so much fun!

    1. Absolutely true, Orly! This is going to be perfect for beginning a project, but also great for sprinting to the end and getting through that saggy middle. And a fun way to do it!

  3. I'll participate. I'm doing background research for my sixth novel and writing various sections as I go rather than try to write from the start of the story to the finish. This is a new approach for me, but I think it will free me from the tyranny of having to write chapter 11 after I've finished #10 to be able to work on what seems most pressing.

    1. Wow, Another Take, you write like our own Jenny Hansen. You two will have to share word counts on April 20th!

  4. Thank you! I've needed some accountability, and motivation. I look forward in participating.

    1. So happy you'll be joining us, ramblings. We are going to have a great time while we are productive to the max!

    1. Great, Lara! Feel free to share any tips from your Camp between now and April 20th.

  5. Ooh, a mini NaNo day. How fun is this? Wonderful idea girls. Keep us posted! 🙂

  6. It's not an April's Fool joke, right? Because I'm about to tweet about it, commit to it, despite a very long working day on Monday, 20th. But there's always the train ride and the lunch break.

  7. I'm joining in! I have scenes to flesh out as part of the edits for my book. Even when not doing sprints like this, I work from a detailed scene outline. know as much as you can about the scene(s) you are going to write to help you from getting blocked.

  8. Fae, what were you referring to when you when you wrote "Who needs sleep? We’ll yawn together, ocjarman1"? I was writing about how I could utilize my copy of "90 Days to Your Novel. . ." by Sarah Domet.
    I'm currently in the midst of writing the middle of Act 1 of my WIP. I'm going to be deciding what exactly I'll be doing for WUAS event Monday, over the wwwk-end.

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