Book Cover: A Writing Notebook

This is a blog series about writing your story of fiction. It is your writing notebook for your latest book.

You have a choice. You can read and do one of these each day and take a year to write your book.

Or, you can do multiple days and write that book in the time you choose.

READING SEGMENTS

1 a day = 1 year = 365 days (or you write 1 book in a year)

2 a day = 6 months = 182.5 days (or 2 books in a year)

3 a day = 122 days = 3 books in a year

4 a day = 91.25 days = 4 books in a year

6 a day = 61 days = 6 books in a year

12 a day = 31 days = 12 books in a year

EACH DAY

Each day will have two segments:

1 CRAFT: Something to do with inspiration and craft of writing. This is the how to write and why you write portion.

2 BOOK: Something to help you write your book. This is the hot-to write your specific novel portion.

Day 1 will start tomorrow. 

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLC
dba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.com
Blog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

WWWWW, an H, and a WI Questions (NaNoWriMo Hints and Novel Writing Hints)

Whether you have your book planned or not, it is good to ask questions about your novel. Ask who, what, where, when, why, how and what-if questions about everything you can think of and write them down on the page. I actually recommend doing this weekly so you can see how your book is coming, where it went, and where it is headed.

Some questions might appear to be the same. But, answer them again anyway, even if it is the same answer. It can stir something up in you and give you another idea or cement the one you already have.

Here are some sample questions:

~ Who is in the novel?

~ What is the novel about?

~ What is the theme of the novel?

~ What is the conflict in the novel?

~ What is the motivation of the hero?

~ What happened?

~ What do you smell in the novel? See? Taste? Feel/touch? Hear? 

~ Where does the novel take place? 

~ When does the novel take place?

~ Why is this story being told (novel being written)?

~ Why is there conflict in the novel?

~ Why does the hero do what they do?

~ Why did the novel start the way it did?

~ Why did the novel end the way it did? 

~ Why did it happen? 

~ How did the story happen?

~ How are the characters growing in the novel?

~ How did the novel begin?

~ How did the novel end? 

~ What-if something different happened in the story?

~ What-if there was more to this story?

~ What-if there was less to this story?

~ What if the story started in another scene?

~ What-if the story ended in a different way? 

~ Write any more questions you can think of here. (I recommend cutting and pasting these questions into a new document and then add some of your own.)

Those are very basic questions. But, here is a more in-depth twist. Ask each of those questions about:

~ Each of the three acts of your book

~ Each chapter

~ Each scene

~ The hero/heroine

~ Each character 

~ Each page

~ Each paragraph

Stacy Duplease
Inspirational Historical Romance Author
A timeless kind of love... 

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Where to find my upcoming books

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: NaNoWriMo: How can it be only 7 days away?

Journaling Chronicle: Weekend journaling

My blog: Where to find my upcoming books

My writing will never sell... I don't like it (and other excuses we use not to write)

I think it's time for me to get very real with you and hope you can learn from the numerous and daily mistakes I've made. I hope you can learn vicariously and not have to experience it for yourself.

Let me start this paragraph with a truth: I am NOT bragging. I am the type who can write an entire novel from beginning to end in 2.5 months. Literally. I, also, have written well over 50 novels. That sounds good, right? That sounds like something you'd like to do, right? It increases the chances of finding a novel that is salable, right? (So, I can tell you how to write a book fast! I'm practically an expert--and am teasing by the way.)

Hah. Not so fast.

How many books have I had published? Seven. That's it. 

Why?

The answer to why depends on the hour of the day. Let me list several of them here. But, what it all comes down to is one thing--which I will share with you in a moment. Why haven't I had more books published? The reasons are those in which I am sure you can relate:

~ I don't like them.

~ The writing is terrible.

~ I don't get around to editing them.

~ I lose interest.

~ I come up with a new idea.

~ I don't think it would sell.

~ I don't have enough time.

~ I don't like part of the storyline.

~ The characters don't win me.

~ I get bored with it.

~ I'm not good enough. 

~ I don't dedicate myself to it. 

~ Too many things to fix--don't know where to start

Can you relate to any of those with your writing--whether it's a paragraph of a full-fledged novel? 

Do you know the one thing every single one of these have in common? 

Commitment-issues. 

The real question to ask yourself, which goes with the real problem we have, is: 

Do I want to write a book?

If the answer is yes, then none of the above excuses should stop you. 

Commit to writing a book. Period. That's the solution.

Now, with that being said, I want to take it to another level.

Are you writing the right genre?

You might have just answered yes. You just might be right, too. However, I recently learned, after trying several, that when you find the right genre, nothing will stop you. It's easier to get determined and commit. 

So, ask yourself again...

Are you writing the right genre?

If your genre isn't one that exists... Don't let that stop you. Write it anyway! You can change the publishing industry. Build a reader platform and publishers will have to look at your work. 

So, now that we covered all of that.... 

Are you committed to writing a book? And, are you committed to the right genre? Ready for NaNoWriMo?

Don't let anything or anyone stop you--including you! 

Stacy Duplease
Author of Historical Fiction, Blogger, & Journalkeeper

My historical fiction blog & latest book information: Word count for Yorktown's Dawning

My writing fiction & NaNoWriMo blog: Another NaNoWriMo Confession

Writing books, education, and learning

As a writer, I know the necessity to learn more about writing and then to hone my skill of writing. Consequently, I study up on writing every day. I read books and blogs on how to write. Therefore, I will share them with you. It will be a regular feature on this blog. I will call it: "Always Learning: A Writing Class."

Why call it a class? I hope to get multiple degrees in writing, whether I ever step foot into a classroom. I can learn and have my own writing class here at my home. I just have to put in the time.

So, what are the texts/books on writing I am reading right now? I will share the tidbits I learn from them. They are:

~ "The Writing Group: Creating and Sustaining a Successful Writing Group" ed by Lisa Rosenthal

~ "The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing" by Writer's Digest

~ "The Productive Writer" by Sage Cohen

~ "The Breakout Novelist" by Donald Maass

If you want to read any of these with me, let me know. We can do the book club and writing thing over the internet and/or through email. 

If you don't have time to read these books, I hope my notes in this blog will help. 

--

~ Stacy Duplease

Author of Historical Fiction (of Virginia and the U.S.) & Journalkeeper

NaNoWriMo: Join the Fun: Write a Novel... Why?

First of all, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is 34 days away. Yep. 34. The clock is ticking.

Are you, as writer, going to participate?

Are you thinking about it?

Have you ever dreamt about writing a novel? 

Or have you written a novel or done NaNo before? 

I highly recommend doing NaNoWriMo. Why? First of all, you're actually writing a very short novel of 50,000 words. Most novels are between 80,000 and 100,000 words. So, it's not as daunting as you might think. It's more of a novella. 

Next, if you've always wanted to write a novel, or are in the middle of doing so now, what a perfect opportunity to throw all caution to the wind and write like a crazy person, as fast as you can--not caring about editing or perfection for an entire month. It's more like a stream-of-conscious writing for a month--where you write as much as you can as fast as you can and you don't censor yourself. You just throw it up on the page and you can correct it later? NaNo is actually extremely nonthreatening for just that reason. It doesn't have to be polished. 

Also, you don't have to finish 50,000 words in a month. It's just a goal. You can finish your novel later. You won't be judged if you don't finish it. The point is to throw all of yourself into writing for one month. Make the appointment and do it. Then, try that again the next month. The next thing you know, you'll write several novels. 

Why else should you do NaNo? It's fun! 

I don't know about you, but I love a challenge. I love to push myself. 

So, sign up for it at www.nanowrimo.org and join me in writing like crazy for a month. I would love to support you and chat with you about it. 

NoNoWriMo is a contest. But, you don't compete with others. You compete with yourself. Do you know how a winner is classified in NaNo speak? It's if you achieve the goal of writing 50,000 words in a month. That's it. Simple. Really. It's only complicated if you allow it to be. It's only stressful, complicated, dreaded, or anything toehr negative word if you choose. Make it be a fun goal to see how far you get. Take the pressure off of yourself and write. 

I will write suggestions for NaNoWriMo on this blog, along with my preparation, in the next four weeks. 

What do you have to lose? You actually lose more if you don't try and you've always wanted to do so. 

--

~ Stacy Duplease

Author of Historical Fiction (of Virginia and the U.S.) & Journalkeeper

of Remembering Your Present, LLC

Latest Book: "Yorktown's Dawning" (Book 1 of 7)

Latest Historical Fiction Series: "The Chronicles of the Siege of Yorktown"

Next Book Planned: Jamestowne (Book 1 of 3) (NaNoWriMo Book 2011)

Email: hisfiction@gmail.com