A Mary-Sue’d Update
Posted on Thursday, July 7th, 2011
Camp Nanowrimo (a version of Nanowrimo taking place this July and August, perhaps moving to a year round event) started on July 1, 2011. I, of course, decided to take part, partially because I’m insane and partially because I have Nanoitis (a disease that makes people compulsively take part in anything with the name Nanowrimo in it). However, for this project, I didn’t have a book idea ready to go, so I decided to give it a go with all of my other projects on the run. So, my goal for this month is still 50,000 words this month, however, I am counting all of my fiction words.
Right now, I have a short story of about 3,000 to 5,000 words that needs to get done, the world building/plotting for my Dual Melodies novel (speaking of which, if you haven’t read my description of the characters, here’s a link, I need opinions like a thirsty man needs water) and finishing off the novel for Falling through the Threshold, about 12,000 words before it’s finished I’m assuming. I’m only at 4072 words right now meaning that I’m a little behind (around 7K) where I should be for the 7th. This doesn’t worry me in the least, since traditionally, my first week of Nano always leaves my word count floundering. If you’re taking part, look me up on the site. If you’re not, cheer me on. I can always use a bit more encouragement to keep me honest.
This week, tricks that people fall into. I know that as a new writer, too many ideas can actually be overwhelming. It doesn’t help that some people try to hoard the ideas they get, as though ideas are in short supply. This point has always boggled me. It’s true that many ideas are bad and even more than that simply won’t have any bearing on that bit of writing that you’re working on. However, I think we need to note that ideas aren’t in short supply. The more that you come up with, the more ideas come. Personally, I write down every idea I get for a novel. And the truth of the matter is that I will never get to write in full most of these ideas. For me, the simple act of writing down the idea, gives my mind permission to come up with more. By validating and rewarding my mind for being creative, it is less likely to draw a blank while I’m writing. Also, one of my ideas (which on their own were probably not all that good) can be used in a different way in whatever I’m working on right then.
I also know that writers, especially new writers, can get so caught up in their newest ideas that they become unable to finish a project. I can’t this has never happened to me before. The new shiny is always better than the old tired thing you’ve been working on for a year. However, if I could only take one piece of advice from the past I would take this. “The very act of finishing a full project will teach you a lot about yourself and where you are as a writer.” I know that I wouldn’t be as self-aware about my writing had I not pulled my novel “Falling through the Threshold” through to the end. Has it all been easy? Certainly not and I can say honestly that, at times, the simple act of putting down words on the page has been as hard as pulling teeth or opening a vein to watch my life’s blood drain onto the page.
But the simple act of writing is so cathartic that I could never give it up. Even if I never became published, I think I would still want to write. The stories I come up with, even the ones that are so Mary-Sue’d that I may as call the main character Blaze, are worth writing. If nothing else, it’s a way of exploring my subconscious and learning things that I can’t learn any other way.
In fact, that will my question to you all this week… Do you write up Mary-Sue characters just for fun? Or do you desperately avoid any idea that may even come close to them?
Tags: Blog, Camp Nanowrimo, Dual Melodies, motivation, Nanowrimo, Novels, Writing, Writing Advice
Posted in Blogs by B.A. Matthews | Comments Off