challenges – Page 2 – writer.sarafarinha

Hello NaNoWriMo and lots of ‘Shapeshifters’

Hello NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is here!!!!

Let’s make a resume of this project during all of it’s existence.

A few years ago, I plotted, planned, and wrote a book in a Universe I called ‘The Shapeshifters’. It was 2012 and it was entitled ‘The Pariah’.

I devoted a lot of time thinking about this concept which, being far from a novelty, I wanted to work out in my particular way.

Fast forward a few years… in the beginning of 2021

Freshly out of writing a Vampire Story… I decided to enter The 100 Day Challenge.

During the development of some short texts, which were my #the100daychallenge object, and with some twenty days in, I started to write this story in the Shapeshifters Universe.

I began in it’s middle and then, worked my way through until the end, and then wrote the beginning.

The idea to write about a particular scene, in ‘The Shapeshifters’ Universe had been there for a while. I had a vivid snippet of events that kept coming back, and didn’t stop until I got it on a page.

Finishing the #the100daychallenge I kept going, until the first rough draft was finished.

Then I gave it a rest.

On November of 2021

I got back to it, writing the Portuguese second draft during NaNoWriMo. With 50 412 words, just in time to accomplished the word count.

And then, it went into the back burner again. There was something about this story which seemed to be incomplete. It just felt pale in comparison to what I wanted to convey.

I’ve kept thinking about it, and spending a lot of time trying to work it all out in my mind, after all it’s a project into which I had put a lot of my faith into.

June 2022

With the approaching of June, entering in my first Camp NaNo ever, getting back to ‘The Shapeshifters’ seemed the right thing to do. So I started to rewrite a third draft, but…

Suddenly I noticed I had been reimagining a new first scene in another language. Going with it, I thought ‘I’ll change this later…’

Then it got me thinking again. Maybe this was my opportunity to strike another milestone on my path: to write a book in the English language.

Why? Quite frankly, because it seemed exciting, adding several more complex layers to this task.

I know, it isn’t some big deal but, to me, it was a strange and almost providential turn on this life’s project.

Now I had a new draft to rewrite, in a new language, in his full right of existing separately from the previous drafts.

Camp NaNo didn’t saw my expectations of advancing on a third draft fulfilled. Instead I added more layers to the complexity of this task.

But, at the same time, it got me thinking in all that I wanted to do with it; All the backstory I missed including; All the characters which were appearing shallow and unidimensional; The entirety of a Universe that palled in its previous versions.

In September…

I got really focused on polishing my notes for this project. From polishing notes to expand on the things I thought were missing, was a short step.

And then, with the proximity of this year’s NaNoWriMo event, it grew exponentially. I went from having a sketch of a story, to plotting a trilogy with all it’s flair.

On the 1st of November of 2022, I’ve started to write ‘The Shapeshifters #1’ which already has another title, but it will remain with this one until the trilogy is completed.

I am stoked by all of this process. I’m loving to bring to life the ideas I plotted for this story. I’m focusing on meeting my writing goals and in the task of building a good story… and trying to ‘never mind the rest’.

Are you entering NaNoWriMo? Let’s be buddies?

(I’m sara-farinha from Portugal)

And, please let me know how’s your project going.

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

Setting up my NaNo Project and Prepping all the must have’s

nano prep

This week’s post is something a bit strange.

I have been in an all consuming mood regarding ‘The Shapeshifters‘, NaNoWriMo, and a few of other ongoing projects…

Like the upcoming 48 hours read-a-ton (you can know it all on VLook) and register to participate here…

While planning to write a draft during next month’s NaNoWriMo, I figured I should have things better planned out. Yes, I mean it like this. I should have planned the plan! Or maybe I’m just nervous with the whole thing.

It’s my first big English writing project; I’m kind of contemplating the thought of making it a trilogy; and wanting to put this story into paper, after so many years in my head. I guess I am a tad nervous about it!

At the same time, there’s a lot of ideas regarding NaNoWriMo, and things I want to do, before the first day of November arrives.

Things I want to do, in order to feel more at ease with working on this project, uninterruptedly for a month… and then some.

Let’s start by listing some thoughts and try to get my grip on what’s going on.

First,

I want to start by confessing that I think I botched my NaNo projects page. It looks like this… [minus the ‘let’s be buddies!’ part]

nanowrimo projects

I had a Portuguese project, from last year. Then, I created the English project for Camp NaNoWriMo this July. And then I created a new project for upcoming November’s NaNoWriMo.

Maybe I should have created a new goal… but wouldn’t it be Camp NaNo, instead of November’s NaNo? I don’t know!

Question: Do you have some thoughts on the matter?

Second…

I have written, and added some scenes, contemplating the major plots, transversal to the three books in the trilogy. [Seeds are evolving here and turning into sprouts.]

Organising these scenes has been my main prep activity for some time. All of my nights for the last three weeks, minus a day, due to a medical appointment.

I wanted it to be easy and perfect, and to be able to fix all the things I had messed up in the Portuguese drafts. Instead it just feels like a big mess.

More of a mess than before because, now I also have my english to contend with.

I am planning for a three act structure more openly now. For this book and the trilogy. [Just got myself into a big, three parted mess, didn’t I?]

While trying to visualize it all I got a bit confused… I am a visual planner, and I need to have some sense to where I am going… even if it’s a three year’s long project. I need to plan!!!

Third…

I am planning to make a billboard out of my 3 act structure. There is no way I can see the story just with my cards. Even if I’m using A5 cards! I need to have a sense to where all of these bits and pieces fit in.

[Thank you, Universe! for I am a crafter, and have plenty of supplies, including a children’s roll of paper from IKEA!]

With a huge billboard in toe, I expect it will be a long, crowded November, in all of my writing corners of this small house.

Fourth…

I am still hesitant in my working hours for this project.

I have been using during/after dinner time to write my scenes, but I don’t know if it’s the best fit for me. I prefer to write in the mornings. Usually I am more tired in the afternoon and in the beginning of the night, and less aware of idiotic writing (not exclusively) decisions.

But if I choose to block two hours, first thing in the morning, I’ll have to get up at 6… again. This means that by 9:30 pm I’ll be praying for rest and not getting any. I have a child. She doesn’t abide to my sleeping needs.

Scheduling two hours on a middle of the day would be complicated. Conflicting activities will always be a given.

And who says I can write 2000 in two hours? Every day? For a month? I write kind of slowly and usually cut too much of the fluffily prose that would serve a word count, but doesn’t make a decent writing product.

I am still mulling over this one… but it probably will affect my blogging consistency, and I’ll just end up writing during small increments of time, all day long.

Fifth…

I wanted to make a reminder for myself… but, this time, put it in front of me.

camp nano — Shouldn’t the reminder be in front of me?!

I thought maybe a banner. Why? You may ask…

To help me focus, and get in mood for this project, and to remind me of my most immediate goal, and to just feel some support of the objects-displayed variety.

At the same time, I hope it would serve as a reminder for other people, in the apartment, to accommodate my November’s writing needs. But that’s just wishful thinking.

Sixth…

Deciding on my writing spot.

I now have four possibilities… five, if I count the living room couch. I’ll be alternating between them, I guess.

These are: 1. The kitchen table. 2. My desk in my(shared) office. 3. My bedroom desk. 4. My child’s desk, in her bedroom.

Choosing a spot to write will be intimately connected with the day of the week, and at what time I’ll be working on this project. But I have choices and this is kind of a novelty for me.

I have written entire books on my couch. I have revised books from my bed. I have layered story cards on the spare bedroom floor (before my child’s arrival).

And there were times I didn’t had a proper desk to write on, nor one suitable office chair to sit comfortably. Proofs are pains all over my back and legs. But, even though it wasn’t healthy, I still miss sitting cross legged, writing on my lap.

Now…

Now I have this list, and my thoughts a bit more organised. I have been taking notes, parallel to writing this article, because putting stuff into paper, even if virtual paper, always helps me make sense of my to-do’s.

Have you been planning for NaNoWriMo? Are you planning to write a novel soon? How is your prepping activities going?

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

Writing update and a Camp NaNo redirection

camp nano

So… let’s talk about writing. Last time I posted, I was kind of working out some possibilities for my first Camp NaNo.

Even though it was nearly July, and I had a surgery scheduled, and two weeks vacation planned, and absolutely no respect for my need to rest… Camp NaNo was a given in my To Do List.

You can read more about this here…

I started planning, or better yet replanning, the chosen writing project, intending to write a third draft. All the preparatory tasks were being dealt with, and I was confident that I could expect a productive month of writing.

I am a fool!

With a surgery scheduled for the last day of June, in a non-mentionable body part, and… I got rendered useless a few days after the cut and cauterize procedure.

I wasn’t able to sit, stand, or to lay in any other position than on my sides, and in so much pain that got my head scrambling for relief… and there goes my best writing intentions out the window.

While the painkillers were working their magic, I felt kind of okay, and the first three days of July saw a 4942 word count. But then I had to stop some of the medication, and the pain intensified.

writer — Puffy face at my first sitting attempt…

What changed in this writing project?

The biggest novelty in ‘The Shapeshifters’ was… I started the third draft in English!!!

Believe me, this is huge!

I did wrote the first two drafts in Portuguese, but suddenly, as I opened a new google doc, I got swayed into the english language.

I kept assuaging myself saying “It’s okay” or “I can change it later” or “What the heck am I doing???”, but decided to push through my doubts.

Camp NaNo also saw the birth of new scenes and a promise to rewrite the entirety of the scene plan. There’s still so much work to do in this story. I wasn’t pleased with some of it, and I will use these twists and turns to rewrite it, in a somewhat better manner.

Finally, I thought ‘The Shapeshifters’ needed a new cover image. I designed two possibilities and put them to the public vote, on Instagram @saragfarinha.

And this was the winner! Love it!

the shapeshifters

Meanwhile, I have been released from Surgery Consultations and am feeling quite recovered… and back to writing.

I need to go back to the drawing board and write a new plan for this story. There are some changes that I want to make regarding characters and story line. I’ve noticed that I designed a lot of backstory but failed to put it to good use.

Characters backstory, connections and past traumas are important and need to be carefully embedded in the story. How could I write a story with 79341 words and not put enough density is beyond me.

I’m always careful about not overdoing on what might be considered the boring stuff, an excess of whatever isn’t required. But it seems I trimmed it too much, leaving out even the important story details.

I’m looking forward to getting back to this manuscript and put my english to good use.

Have you done Camp NaNo in July? How did your project faired? What other distractions interfered in your writings?

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and see you soon.

Camp NaNoWriMo: who’s in?

Camp NaNo

First, some context on my first Camp NaNo participation. I know I must be deranged to consider this because…

I’m having a minor surgery tomorrow. Minor in size, but massive in pains, or so I was told.

I have decided to launch this blog today. It’s kind of missing some bits and bobs but… it is what it is! I am not waiting around for the unforeseen problem, which will show itself more speedily, if I go live right now.

And I’m waiting for a few stuff to evolve, on the personal side. And it’s summer and almost vacations time, so…

Camp NaNo it is!

For some years that I have been subscribing a few (okay! not a few but some) blogs and websites, and yesterday I read something from Robin Sharma that got me thinking on lost time.

Do you know Robin Sharma’s work?

Yes, take it with a grain of salt, but I try looking at it as if I could achieve a more perfect mindset anyhow.

So, it was a list containing ‘The 49 Laws of Monumental Leadership’. And in that massive list of items, what did catch my eye?

N.15 They (leaders) are extremely physically fit because weak health is a massive vulnerability. – Robin Sharma

I agree. And I wish I’d convinced myself of this sooner.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are tons of other valuable insights on this list but, as I am facing some health hardships for the last hand full of years, and I do know that I was never a disciplined, or even interested, fitness geek this sounded so very true… after all we are supposed to be our own life leaders.

A corporate desk job AND a writer’s desk job has been my perfect storm. And then I added some more stuff. So, now I’m invested in starting slow, but starting nevertheless.

And I started by taking care of issues that I must do something about… and do it fast. So, an operation it is, to avoid more pains throughout all of my foreseeable future.

I know that accumulating is never good. We tend to fill our plates with too much, and then get very upset when we can’t do it all properly.

meme

Except if we are talking about accumulating with Camp NaNo. In this case I am in!!

I figured I needed a boost on my writing, as well as a distracting activity from the rest of the ongoing suff.

I have a story to construct further, and I need this incentive to get back to the construction board, and keep writing.

About Camp NaNo Project

I’ve started this first draft, called ‘The Shapeshifters’ on #the100dayproject in 2021. Continued with my second draft on NaNoWriMo of 2021. And now I’m hoping July’s Camp NaNo will help me get through an icky kind of third draft.

You see, I have focused too much on the main story, and didn’t pay due much attention to a good placement of subplots , or the evolving characters that surrounded my hero.

Even my main character is kind of lost in all that, and needing my help to get things sorted out.

So I plan to do that on Camp, and maybe I will be able to rewrite the entire book, or who know’s, start the second book of this series in November.

Ah!!! it’s so nice to dream!

I do not know how it’ll go. But I will try all of this out. Can I master more physical pain?!? I don’t know!!! LOL

But I sure as hell will have to try!

So… are you doing Camp NaNo? On what project will you be working on? Do you find health issues distracting from your writing?

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and see you soon.