A discovery in writing

I'm still working through Nanowrimo with my students, and we are all finding the end of the month slowing down.   Some of my students know they are only in the middle of their stories and push to write more. Some of us are stuck.

I've been switching back and forth between a  young adult novel and another Baxter children's book.  I struggled with Baxter's story until today.  I went to read the first book I wrote, Merry Christmouse, and discovered I had been writing the new story in a very different voice and style.  Most importantly, I was writing in a different verb tense.  

Once I went back to make changes in the new draft, I noticed how I relaxed and slid right into the story again.  Who knew - the story wants to be told in a certain tense and style.

Nanowrimo - how are you doing?

As many writers are ended with Nanowrimo this month, I've takes my students to write with the Young Writers Program.  They are doing GREAT! I have one student who knows ALL of the tricks to pounding out more worse - adding description, writing out contractions, fights between characters, etc.  She's ROCKING. 

I'm not doing as well.  I'm getting stuck in the middle of my stories again. I have two stories going right now. I'm writing a paranormal YA book and another installment of my Baxter books. I can come up with strong beginnings and strong endings, but I've probably said it before - I've got a problem with mushy minutes. I thought I had plot lines developed, but something dissolved right after the rising action started. 

I've heard many writers and authors talk about "winning" Nanowrimo, but I think that winning isn't the prize for me.  I typically have the end of a six weeks where I am grading and the start of a new six weeks that I need to plan out. I wish I could write more when they write.  I can be pretty competitive, but as I've grown older, I've realized just what is to gain (or lose) if I compete. 

Nano is different for me. Nano is a time where I do write more than usual. I stay just a little more focused.  Whatever I create during Nano is more than I had before. Maybe one day, I'll work out my grading schedule and have weeks of planning completed in advance.  Until then, I'll just be grateful for the work count I didn't have before. 

Let's have a party!!!

I am very excited about all of my young authors. The anthology, Lost Tales from the Mountain published by Mountain Springs House, is a nice looking book and filled with spooky stories and poems.  Five of my students were published in the anthology, and we are going to plan for a SIGNING PARTY!  

I can't wait to get the details ready and let these kids feel the excitement of signing their autographs in books they were part of.