Today is the last day of Nanoedmo and of March. It's also the last day of this editing workshop.
To those of you who have finished or will finish by the end of today-congratulations. You've come a long way this month and done a lot of hard work. Give yourself a reward.
To those of you who haven't finished your second draft and who probably won't have finished your second draft by the end of the day, don't beat yourself up. Just keep working at it, give yourself a pat on the back for what you've done, set a new completion date, and work at it bit by bit, day by day. Don't give up on your novel if it's a complete mess-as long as you still love your story, it's worth rewriting until you've done it justice.
I'll be continuing my own editing, hoping to finish my second draft by April fifteenth. The workshop is over, but you can expect to see updates here throughout the coming month on how my novel's coming along, and you're welcome to comment here and let me know how yours is doing.
Thanks for reading.
Today I want you to write to the following prompt:
Falling out of a tree.
Go crazy with it, and if you end up with something awesome, I'd love to read it.
NanoEdmo, and the month of March, is almost over. With any luck, and minimal interference, you should be finishing off your second draft, almost ready to write 'the end' once again. During these final days, you're going to be concerned with how your novel will end, reaching an ending that will give both you and your readers satisfaction.
If you're writing a stand alone book, read through your rewritten chapters and make sure there aren't any plot threads that have been dropped. If there are, pick them up again and finish them off. Write a satisfying end to the story you've been writing, but don't end your book on a static note. Just because the evil overlord has been defeated or the two characters have been married doesn't mean that your world and your characters won't face future challenges. It's not 'happily ever after'. Your characters are living, breathing people and they will continue to be so after the book is done.
If you're working on a book that's part of a series (and not the last book) then remember to tie up the book's individual plot and leave the main plot at a point where you-and the readers-are willing to wait to find out what happens next. If your characters are on an epic journey, then end with them in a fairly safe place, perhaps sleeping their last night in safety before they continue on their way. Or end them having just overcome a major challenge and preparing for the one ahead. There are many ways to end it, but you want two things-story satisfaction, and a curiosity about what happens next.
And if, like me, you're still deeply entrenched in the middle of your second draft, don't worry too much about it. Life probably got in the way with various distractions-sick friends or family (or sick you), extra things to be done at work, big projects at school-and you shouldn't beat yourself up for attending to those things before your novel. For most of you, this isn't your job; you're only accountable to yourself, and beating yourself up does more harm than good.
For those of you who have finished editing your novel or are very close to the end-congratulations. You've come a long way from the messy first draft to the mostly mess-free second draft. Once your job is done, give yourself a reward, a fancy dinner, a sweet dessert, a walk through the park, a hot bath: whatever makes you smile.
For those of you who are in the middle with me-just change the date. I plan on having my second draft, and some minor edits to the first couple of chapters of that second draft, done by the end of April. Come with me on my journey to reach the end of our books. This 'workshop' is over and the posts about editing will be less frequent, but I will be regularly updating and if I find any more cool links, I'll send them your way.
No matter where you are in your book or on the planet, no matter who you are, I'd just like to say thank you for reading this blog. I hope that you'll stay with me throughout my journey as a writer and throughout your own.
This week's prompt is to write a story/scene in which a child (male or female) accidentally discovers a dark secret in their family's past.
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