Emotion in the Process (NaNo Prep 31)
When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable. — Madeleine L’Engle
Month: October 2013
Prepare for Imperfection (NaNo Prep 29)
Remember this is just the beginning. Celebrate progress, silence that critical voice. If it needs acknowledgement, give it a pat on the head and tell it you’ll listen better after the 30th.
Odds and Ends (NaNo Prep 28)
Choosing names, collecting images, rough-mapping (working with physical spaces) and using music in the writing process.
Cross-Cultural Inclusion (NaNo Prep 27)
I will probably continue to feel self-conscious about the dark-skinned character (largely because it frustrates me to have to redirect people’s predicted assumptions by specifying a color), but I’d rather do that than act like every character has to be white or young, or conventionally beautiful in order for the story to be told properly.
Research Ahead (NaNo Prep 26)
Don’t be afraid to ask questions—of yourself or anyone else. Questions can be the best way to make progress on a problem.
Every Helper a Hero (NaNo Prep 25)
The way to keep your extras alive (and even let them surprise you with their depth beyond a playing piece) is to remember: each helper, just like each person you meet in real life, is the hero of their own story.
Transport (NaNo Prep 24)
Some ideas and easy meals for functioning as a protein type (practical self-care), because about 1/3 of people are each of the 3 nutritional types, and the healthy eating lists you read all over tend to focus on the lower-protein types.
Self-Care (NaNo Prep 23)
Writing is a part of life, it will always be affected by your life, and it will develop and train parts of your brain in ways that will, in turn, affect your life.
Designing Relationships (NaNo Prep 22)
The idea with these categories is not to say that anyone is locked into a narrow role but rather to illustrate how there are multiple roles in a story to fill, and by assigning those roles on-purpose, more the work gets done automatically.
Stakes! (NaNo Prep 21)
Ethics, community, and adventure are a the summary of what drives meaningful stakes: Deep abiding truth, one’s connection to others, and the niggling (big or small, chosen or just accepting) of internal drive to action.