tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49388406178833208942024-03-13T10:49:10.119-10:00Journey Through the Word ForestThoughts and discoveries on the trek through writing a novel (and other writing projects). NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-58208092443376155522020-08-06T16:40:00.001-10:002020-08-06T16:47:35.856-10:00Novel Approach (#1)<p>When I started on this "writing a novel" journey several years ago, I never dreamed it would take me this long. To be fair to myself, at the time I was working full time, very involved with a couple of nonprofits, and doing some side work as a grant writer. So I didn't focus on the WIP so much. </p><p>Last year, I finally retired from full-time work and decided to spend my "spare time" working on my novel. Well, I wrote a little over 33,000 words before I was stuck in the mud with no idea how to move forward. After going through my story, I realized I had forgotten a few things. I had the beginning and the end, but no middle! I had not fleshed out my plot lines, so they were disjointed and made no sense. The issue was, nothing was coming. What could I do to fix this?</p><p>When I get stuck and I realize I just don't know what to do, I start to research. I am beginning to understand just how much work goes into writing a novel. It's not just about sitting down to write -- although thats a really important part -- but writing all the supporting information before you get down to the story. As I outline all the work I still need to do, in no particular order, I am in awe that anyone actually finishes a novel! </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">1. Character Sketches</h4><div>Writing a personality entails several details. What are their occupations? What are their likes and dislikes? How did the character grow up? In what kind of environment? Siblings? Schools? Ticks and traits? Speech? All of these relate directly to a full-fledged, albeit fictional, human being. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sketches for your important characters do change as each one develops, but the sketches help define how the they approach the story, keeps them consistent, and informs their growth (if they are destined to grow) and helps the writer to get to know them as people in the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>My thought is to write the more detailed sketches for the main protagonist and antagonists and lesser sketches for the supporting characters. We'll see how that works out. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">2. Setting(s)</h4><div>The settings of the story most certainly contribute to the plot and set the stage for the events (scenes). Thinking about some of the books I love most, the places described in them always spoke to the scenes that unfolded there. Of course, most books will have several settings, so it is important to find a happy balance between discussing the place and the scenes taking place there. </div><div><br /></div><div>When describing scene settings, it can be a good idea to flesh them out as well. We all know what we see in our minds, but putting those visuals on the page is another story. Again, stressing balance is key to making the scene shine in the in its setting. I once read a book that took two and a half pages to describe a room that housed a brief conversation between two minor characters and was never used again. So while setting is important, wasted words on unimportant places and scenes that do not move the story forward are a big no-no! </div><div> </div><div>I really dropped the ball in this area. I am a technical writer by trade, so I tend toward brevity. Sometimes too much brevity. I found descriptions of settings in my story sorely lacking, so that will need a lot of work. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">For now...</h4><div>I have begun working on character sketches and will spend a great amount of time working on my setting sketches. As I continue to research the necessary pieces that go into building a coherent and satisfying novel, I will write about it here. </div><div><br /></div><div>Join me on the journey! </div><div><br /></div><div>-NC</div>NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0Hawaii, USA19.8967662 -155.5827818-8.4134676361788472 169.2609682 48.20700003617884 -120.42653179999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-23822961599121931202020-07-27T15:54:00.000-10:002020-07-27T15:54:43.160-10:00#amwriting Writer’s write, right? So I have been faithfully working on my short story, trying to finish the epilogue. I finally finished it, so I wanted to upload it Scriggler, to the writers’ platform I used for my last story. However, when I tried to log on to Scriggler, I found it was no longer there. Bummer! I went on a search for another writers’ platform and found WritersCafe.org. It seems to be a good platform, so I am posting my writings there for now. <div><br /></div><div>I’ve uploaded two pieces so far: a poem I wrote today and the short story I finished a few days ago. <br /><div><br /></div><div><div>Meaning</div><div><a href="https://shar.es/abvcjO">https://shar.es/abvcjO</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Relationship</div><div><a href="https://shar.es/absZMz">https://shar.es/absZMz</a></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve also been working on my novel. Creating more scenes that will flesh out the story and the characters. Writing again feels good and I feel productive. There’s a certain satisfaction in getting words down on a page; a small sense of accomplishment. Now to keep the momentum going.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>N C Overton</i></div><div><i>July 27, 2020</i></div>NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-64932950977801500982020-06-15T11:01:00.001-10:002020-06-15T11:37:28.025-10:00Is Your Character Acting Up? I’ve been stymied on my novel for a while, so I’ve taken the time to work on a short story — which is coming along nicely. Part of the reason I’ve been stymied is that my main villain is evolving into a more likable character and I’m not sure if I like that. Such changes to characters can change your plot line as well, and not always for the better! <div><br /></div><div>In this crazy time of viruses and anarchy in the streets my husband and I became overwhelmed by all the negativity on the news and the hateful things people were saying and doing to each other and we decided to make a change. We decided to stop watching this crap that just flows negative energy into our home and return to ourselves. While this initially sounds out-of-place, it is the very reason for this post. </div><div><br /></div><div>Being a writer and having a couple of projects going, I decided to start my morning reading about writing. I came across this post on Nathan Bransford’s blog. He was writing about runaway characters. Well, of course, I had to read it because one of my characters was acting up. I’m so glad I did! The thoughts in his post helped me work through my character’s antics and how they might affect the plot if I let him go on that way. Big breakthrough for me and for my character! Thank you, Nathan!</div><div><br /></div><div>I am sharing his post in the hope that it may help you as well. </div><div><a href="https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2020/06/listen-to-your-characters-but-dont-let-them-run-away#comment-222544">https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2020/06/listen-to-your-characters-but-dont-let-them-run-away#comment-222544</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Always remember to #BeKind</div><div><br /></div><div>Aloha,</div><div>NC </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3hdPh7YHICAhUgsvSWTocKmVXsE83eHM9JnJfqisJnRqxFdp1RF5z3YwMhLp7SHL8KVJAltSG-yfJxhitOTyW7SkB_EZGqFSBuLGm6UJShprgl6AgSIEnljfGESzPla_gqu5oCzDctox/s803/336C8652-C218-41DB-A8DF-7F231FE87CC2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3hdPh7YHICAhUgsvSWTocKmVXsE83eHM9JnJfqisJnRqxFdp1RF5z3YwMhLp7SHL8KVJAltSG-yfJxhitOTyW7SkB_EZGqFSBuLGm6UJShprgl6AgSIEnljfGESzPla_gqu5oCzDctox/s320/336C8652-C218-41DB-A8DF-7F231FE87CC2.jpeg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-28922187914537363512020-03-30T13:45:00.000-10:002020-03-30T13:45:51.766-10:00Making Lemons into LemonadeI see a lot of chatter on social media about COVID-19. We all have issues with the "stay-at-home" orders and travel restrictions. Here on Kauai, it is no different. We also have social distancing, "stay-at-home", and checkpoints around the island to ensure we are not running amok and spreading disease! The media calls it Draconian. I just understand that we all need to do our part to minimize the spread of this dreadful disease. The governor of our state put these orders and proclamations in place partly because we have a large population of kupuna (seniors) and partly because some people, including our high volume of visitors, have no regard for the safety of others (at least not while they're on vacation). So, like in grade school, many suffer because of the actions of the few. Enough of the lamenting, though.<br />
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After having been couped up for a lot longer than most -- I've been fighting a bad bout of walking pneumonia for 6 weeks now -- I had sunk into a bit of a depression. However, now that I am on the mend, I've decided to look upon this time as an opportunity. Not only can my husband and I catch up on stuff we need to do for our home, I can write. I can write! I CAN WRITE!!<br />
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Today, I signed up for the April Camp NaNoWriMo. It starts Wednesday and I plan to finish the short story I started a while back. I already have a draft, but I need to expand upon the characters and fill out the story. So that is my writing goal for April which should help the month slide by quickly and be productive as well!<br />
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Stay well and COVID-19 free!NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-84222000721098254332019-12-23T14:42:00.001-10:002019-12-23T14:42:33.171-10:00Exploring Writing Resources #2I've been reading a lot of blogs lately because I want to see what others are doing to help propel themselves through tough spots in their projects. I am at a crossroads and I have completed the beginning and the end of my first novel -- not on purpose, that's just how it happened -- and I need a compelling middle.<br />
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I came across this site called <a href="http://bookbaby.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BookBaby</a> and I identified with it because my husband released his new CD (Cosmic Stowaway) through CD Baby. While searching through the site, I came across their <a href="https://blog.bookbaby.com/" target="_blank">BookBaby Blog</a>. Wow! Talk about a resource! You should check it out, really! No matter where you are in the process, they have amassed tons of articles on any number of topics -- some you didn't even know you wanted to read!<br />
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Now, I know many writers keep a journal. I have kept personal journals in the past but I would just abandon them after a few months. While I was searching through their blog, I came across an article about keeping a "short fiction journal." I have a WIP journal, but I think a fiction journal is a snippets journal, right? Little ideas and scenes that may or may not go into a story or create a plot that can be turned into a novel. Many "TV" writers use slips of paper and sticky notes for these things. The thing is that while the fiction journal can include those things, it can be used for so much more than I ever thought. For example, you can use it to flesh out characters to be used in future stories or creating new plot lines or just writing down scenes, snippets, and dialogue.<br />
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Now, I'm sure this is nothing new to many of you writers out there, but it was a great help to me! You have to remember, I'm a technical writer by trade. We work with specs and programming tools and other resources to create technical manuals, help text for software programs, etc. We don't keep journals for future projects because it's, well, unnecessary.<br />
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Finding an article that actually explains using a short fiction journal in a bit more detail than most blog posts I've read in the past is simply gold to me. I had to share this on my blog because I've now read a few more of this author's posts and she is very good at providing concrete examples. Her name, if you're interested, is Dawn Field. So, if you go to BookBaby Blog, look her stuff up. You might just mine a little gold for yourself.<br />
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Merry Christmas!!<br />
<br />NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-41486330309387081802019-12-10T17:16:00.000-10:002019-12-23T14:36:45.707-10:00Exploring Writing Resources #1I had to miss this year's NaNoWriMo, but I am beginning to work on my novel again after a very long break. I am reading a lot of blog posts and articles about writing a novel because it is much more difficult than one would think.<br />
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You can have a couple of great characters and a great plot, but so much more work goes into fleshing out those main characters, the supporting characters, and a story line, that you can become discouraged very easily. I often realize that I need to return to the beginnings and write character sketches so my characters don't (unintentionally) switch gears midstream.<br />
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While I intend to finish my novel in 2020, I thought it I could take a page out of the NaNoWriMo book. I was reading a blog post By Rae Ell of Barely here Books entitled "<a href="http://barelyharebooks.com/how-to-write-a-killer-first-chapter-aka-what-your-first-chapter-really-needs/">How to Write a Killer First Chapter: (AKA What Your First Chapter REALLY Needs)</a>" and ended up buying her book. I just did this today, so I haven't read the 54-page book yet; though I'm hopeful that my small investment will yield some good tips to help me write and finish this novel. I'll let you know how it goes.<br />
<br />NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-43406484326694524252019-11-20T23:04:00.000-10:002019-11-20T23:04:11.032-10:00Book Review: The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6449551-the-brutal-telling" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Brutal Telling (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #5)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327952311l/6449551._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6449551-the-brutal-telling">The Brutal Telling</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/194243.Louise_Penny">Louise Penny</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3026294237">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I LOVED THIS BOOK! So many levels of human goodness and failings.The realities of human nature abound with jealousies between friends, lovers, and newcomers come to light. Secrets are revealed that will give you insights into the characters you thought you knew from the previous books. These secrets will haunt you. The characters become more real, more human, more uncomfortable with their own feelings. This is especially true for Clara and Peter, Olivier and Gabri, and Ruth. But, of course, this is a murder mystery and the culprit must be found. This ending will surprise you. A must read for Louise Penny fans!!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/102797399-nc-overton">View all my reviews</a><br />
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NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-76218753908962497962019-10-09T08:02:00.000-10:002019-10-09T08:02:07.262-10:00Learning for Writing - Do You Need a Platform?Sometimes to stay focused on your writing, you need to spend time increasing your skills at other extraneous tasks which are just as important. So, while I am not actually writing, I am learning. I am on the email list for Gabriela Perreira's DIY MFA updates. She sends out some great info on increasing your writing skills as well as things you need to learn to build your base.<br />
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I tapped into a great FREE webinar from Gabriela yesterday. And while it was a teaser for her upcoming Pixels to Platform workshop, it provided some important information that writers need to think about. Their social platform and how to build one. <br />
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All too often, writers do one of two things...spend all to much time on social media trying to sell their books at incredibly low prices, or they spend most of their time writing and forget all about their social media platform.<br />
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The biggest question I have is, "How important is it to have thousands of followers in order to be picked up by an agent or publisher?" I see some writers who have 20 or 30 thousand followers on Twitter and I wonder if they bought all those followers (which you used to be able to do) or if they cultivated them organically. Obviously, the latter method will take work and a semblance of a posting schedule. This takes away from precious writing time. If, in fact, it's necessary to have a platform that supposedly provides some guarantee of readership to a potential agent or publisher, then you must choose the best way to develop one.<br />
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I have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a blog. I really don't see the point in an Instagram account because I don't draw or paint or take photos. For me, writing in the blog is the exercise that keeps me in the zone. Then, all I have to do is share it on Twitter and Facebook, right? Not exactly. There is a whole science to gaining followers on Twitter. And these are the followers you want to fill in your for your potential readership. So you interact on Twitter. You follow people, you mention people in posts, and you like or retweet their posts. In turn, they follow you and retweet your posts. Eventually, you create a network.<br />
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Organically creating a following is a long journey. I only have 600+ followers. But, I've been lax of late -- got side-tracked for a long while and ignored the Twitterverse. But, as much as we writers need to be writing, apparently we also need to be social -- online anyway. My suggestion is, if you don't know how to build a platform, you can find many resources to learn from. Find one that resonates with you and good luck building your platform!! Oh and don't forget to follow me on Twitter -- @NCOverton313. Thanks!!NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-83750159705421597632019-10-08T12:07:00.001-10:002019-10-08T12:07:09.590-10:00Over the Moon Just need to share this from my husband's new CD "Cosmic Stowaway" --<br />
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He wrote this one for me! ❤️❤️❤️ Check out his other songs on YouTube! I am so very proud of him. Motivation to finally get back to and finish my book!! </div>
<br />NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-77708022336483535432019-09-15T10:39:00.000-10:002019-11-22T16:13:08.772-10:00Book Review: A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8116565-a-rule-against-murder" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="A Rule Against Murder (Armand Gamache, #4)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525392958l/8116565._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8116565-a-rule-against-murder">A Rule Against Murder</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/194243.Louise_Penny">Louise Penny</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2978481301">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This was the first Armand Gamache Series that was not set in the familiar location of Three Pines. I suppose such a little place should not be filled with murderous residents and guests, so this was a good switch. Plus, it was set during the Gamaches' anniversary get-away. Not only was Armande Gamache solving a murder in his usual calming fashion, but we were able to see a different side of him. The family man. He and his wife became more three-dimensional characters. We can identify him and we can begin to understand how he approaches the murders he and his team solve. Bravo!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/102797399-nc-overton">View all my reviews</a>
NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0Hawaii, USA19.8967662 -155.582781800000025.1417316999999976 -176.2370788 34.651800699999995 -134.92848480000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938840617883320894.post-80732006422901016212019-08-20T15:05:00.003-10:002019-08-20T15:28:40.193-10:00New Blog, New Motivation<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(I have retired my WordPress Blog -- Journey Through the Word Forest -- and started this new blog: Writing the Journey.)</span></span></i><br />
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After my husband finished his long-awaited (and AWESOME, by the way) CD, I started thinking about my project and how much I truly want to finish it. I have let so many things get in the way over the past several years — yes, I said several years.<br />
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The idea for my novel germinated back in 1997. The main idea of the book has been overhauled a few times and I started writing the novel about 10 year ago. My problem is that I let other things take precedence...work, home, volunteering, etc., so my calculations of time actually spent working on my novel add up to about 9 months. Seriously.<br />
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My talent for procrastination is incredible. I can make up any excuse to avoid doing something...even those things I really want to do, like writing. While work, home, and volunteering are all valid reasons, they do not take up the whole of my day. I feel like, if my husband can finish his CD, then I can finish my novel, right? Of course, I can. I just need to stop procrastinating. Hmmm. How does one do that exactly? This is the 64 million dollar question.<br />
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I decided my first step is to take advantage of the fact that we are moving to another state soon to step back from a few things, specifically my work with the Foundation. More recently, I decided to resign my many posts there at the end of the year if we don’t move by then (we must sell our home before we can buy another to move). I want to finish my novel, do some traveling with my husband, and just get out more. Right now, I have become so entrenched in the Foundation I always have something to do for them, not really good for me anymore.<br />
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Step 1 will also help me reduce my stress levels, which are astronomical with a huge move on the horizon. Writing is relaxing for me, so that will also help relieve stress. My second step is to allow myself to drift and actually think about my novel, where it should go from where I left off, creating and organizing a timeline, and just allow the ideas ruminate. Creativity happens when you allow it to ruminate.<br />
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It’s never been about writer’s block, just lack of attention. I have made promises to myself before, so how do I know this time will be different? I am a procrastinator, after all. Well, I Don’t know that this time will be different. However, I DO know that if I don’t try, I will never finish my novel. So, I’m resolving to try again.<br />
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<br />NC Overtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247157942575965541noreply@blogger.com0