Read-through of NaNoWriMo 2011 novel complete! Huzzah! (Too bad that's the "easy" part...)

Thanks to a fantastic program called Scrivener, I have finished the read-through of my 2011 novel. (Yes, you and I both would have preferred the words: I have finished my novel. But novels take time.)

I am, first of all, very excited about the Scrivener writing program (and the fact that I got 50% off for being a NaNoWriMo 2011 winner certainly doesn't hurt!) With this last novel I wrote, especially, my thoughts and ideas are a bit helter-skelter. And the added fact that I have a flashback story that is interspersed throughout the novel makes organizing it a bit of a nightmare. Until Scrivener. Now I can isolate just the flashback story and read through it sans rest of novel, and then I can insert the various portions in their correct locations in a neat and orderly fashion!

As for the story itself, there are definitely some great scenes and some terrible scenes: those I wrote in fervent excitement, those I dragged from the depths of the deepest mud (and which need to return). There are brilliant character revelations as well as some flat character moments that need to be polished until the diamond in the rough can actually be "scene". (Bwahahaha.)

Overall, I like that I gave myself freedom to write whatever popped into my mind, but I think I prefer having a pre-outlined story like in NaNo 2010. If only because with this 2011 novel I will be having to finagle the chunks quite a bit to make the story completely cohesive.

While I definitely have work to do, I am pleased to see that I have some worthwhile material to mold. And, in a way, I'm equally glad that some scenes I can just throw out without shedding a tear.

Throughout all the revisions and edits, I will be learning and utilizing the various tips and tricks and organizational material provided in the Scrivener program. (It has a virtual corkboard! With different colored virtual push pins! And virtual 3 x 5 colored notecards!)

Whatever gets me through the dreaded revision stage, right? ;)

NaNoWriMo 2011 Re-read and Outline to Commence!

Last year at this time, I'd completely re-read and re-outlined my novel from NaNoWriMo 2010. This year, that stage has gone spectacularly well: I confirmed that my writing laptop has a beautiful sheen of dust.

Good thing I found my duster today!

I guess I've been slightly busy after all:  teaching, clarinetting, thinking about writing. Oh, and going on an African safari!

Yes, those are lions!

But vacation is over now, and it's time to buckle down and kick out the heel-dragger in me. After all, re-reading my first draft has to be better than The Professors' Wives' Club. (I suppose some Goodwill items were meant to stay un-purchased...)  I guess when I spend most of the time contemplating how much better I could write a particular book than actually reading it that it's time for me to get back to my own writing!