WriMo Ireland

Yes, already. Cavantucky and I just can’t help ourselves - there might be 3 and a half months to go till the start of NaNoWriMo 2008, but she and I have already been swapping ideas about what we’re writing this year.

And since we both have unfinished projects that we want to get out of the way, we’re going to get back into the writing habit right now. Well, next week anyway…

We’re setting ourselves a goal of 10,000 words a week (for as long as it takes, I’d imagine) and you’re invited to join us with whatever size goals you want to set yourself.

You could join in one week and not the next if you have other things in life to contend with. Or you could try and keep up with us (OK, keep up with Cavantucky) for as long as you like.

So: what’s your goal for summer (what’s left of it) and autumn this year?

April is poetry month, at least in the US, and so there’s also National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) - OhNo!

Since I’m not doing Script Frenzy and I’ve been on a poetry-writing kick lately, I’m just going to have to join in with this. Dammit!  Anyone else care to join me?

Script Frenzy, the sister to National Novel Writing Month, starts on April 1st (I think it was June last year) and sign-ups are now open. If you’re a NaNoWriMo participant, you can log in with that username and password.

The challenge is to write 100 pages of script in 30 days - you can do this alone, or with one other person. You can write screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, comic book and graphic novel scripts, adaptations of novels, or any other type of script you want - which gives plenty of scope (and presumably includes radio scripts as well, although it’s not in that list I swiped from the official site).

Bad Municipal Liaison that I am, I won’t be participating as it’s not something I’m interested in doing (at the moment - I’ll never rule it out completely), and they have other MLs to cover it anyway. Any of you going to take part though?

I’m running a writing competition on my blog.  It launched today and will run until the 21st of March 2008.  Check here for the rules - one of the judges might be a familiar face

Anyone can enter.  There is no entry fee.  Short stories must be a minimum of 1,000 words but other than that the rules are quite flexible.

Prizes include a year’s free hosting & domain for a wordpress blog, $50 Amazon vouchers, Entrecard credits, etc.   The prize list will change as the contest continues.  Anyone who enters, sponsors a prize or advertises the contest will get full credit and a link back on my blog.

Swiped from an email from the Creative Writers Network:

“The Linen Hall Library [Belfast], has recently launched the 2008 Michael McLaverty Short Story Award - a nationwide search to find the best new short story by an Irish writer. With a terrific chance for the overall winner to capture a lucrative prize of £2000 and an exciting possibility of having their work published by Linen Hall Library, this award seeks to unearth the best emerging new talent, whilst also celebrating the legacy of one of Ireland’s most important writers.”

See http://www.linenhall.com/displayNewsRecord.asp?ID=41 and http://www.linenhall.com/displayNewsRecord.asp?ID=25 for more details.

(X-posted to my LiveJournal)

Still swamped in school assignments, I’ve hardly the time to work on my novel plot, but I recently found this quick fix in last month’s Writer’s Forum. Hope these few tips by Vanda Inman (her words in bold) will help me and other writers struggling with their novel’s storyline :

1) Keep writing and trust that your creativity will step in - you may be surprised.
(Tested and approved by your humble blogger during NaNoWriMo 2007 :))

2) Transport one of your characters to a completely different situation and see how they react - you might gain some insight which will drive the plot in another direction.
(See what I wrote in How to increase your word count about writing gratuitous scenes ;))

3) Decide on the ending, then allow the middle to unfold.

4) Identify the theme of the story - what it’s really about - and how you want your characters to change by the end.

5) Draw a mind-map or flow chart of possible scenarios and endings. Then try making an outline of how the story could work in different combinations.
(That’d be like writing a RP chronicle scenario, wouldn’t it ?)

6) Use the ‘what if’ thought - what if a character does this instead of that ? What if the ending is poignant instead of happy ?
(I’m doing that all the time and I get so confused and entangled I just wanna scream !! >_< You might also want to follow Cavantucky’s advice and ask yourself the following question : What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character ?)

7) Don’t always go for the most obvious ending - try an alternative that hasn’t been used before.

Remember - the plot is never is never really lost. It has simply taken an alternative route for a while, and searching for it will take you a number of paths which will make your story all the stronger.
(I totally agree :))

The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning - the 2nd Annual Ted Walters International Short Story and Poetry Competition. Deadline 31st May 2008.
They don’t seem to have their own website (I got the full details in a Studio-NI email), but the Write Out Loud blog has them here.

Also, the deadline for the Creative Writers Network’s Brian Moore awards is now Jan 31st (thankfully as I still don’t have my entry sent in…)