I have a secret to tell you: Hidden in Sealskin was
written during Camp NaNoWriMo.
I know, right? Who in their right minds would do something
like that?
Well, besides me.
Surviving NaNo (with a First Draft to Show for It!)
The first time I did Camp NaNo (writing Hidden in
Sealskin in 2012 was my second time), I’d used the experience to figure out
my writing speed: 500 words per hour on a slow day, 1,000 per hour on a fast
day. Thus, I knew how much time to dedicate each day to writing—3 hrs at most,
1.5 hrs at the least.
This calculation is vital for me, and also the reason I’ve
only ever done Camp NaNo before this year. Trying to do university and work and
NaNo in November would be too much, and I knew it because I had the numbers to
prove it.
After that, it was a matter of writing every day.
This is where I let you in on another secret: I didn’t stay
caught up the whole month.
The point, for me, wasn’t being perfectly on top of things.
I knew that, some days, that simply wasn’t possible. So long as I made progress
towards my destination every day and arrived there on time, it would work.
Like a race, the goal of NaNo is not to make each step
utterly perfect, but to keep the end in mind and aim for that.
For me, that meant having an outline ahead of time, giving
myself the time I needed to write each day, and catching up when I fell behind.
Some people don’t need the first on that list, but the other two are essential.
No-one is going to remind you to write each day. You have to do it yourself.
Which is what makes it so worth it.
Editing the Aftermath
The manuscript I was left with afterwards needed a lot of
editing. Which freaked me out, so it wasn’t until this year that I actually got
to it and didn’t stop until I was done.
Which is another point to keep in mind: stuff takes time.
Don’t let that throw you.
Even if you’re a verified genius, your NaNo first draft will
not be ready for publication as-is. With Hidden in Sealskin, I had to
chop out chapters, characters, scenes, lines of dialogues—everything you could
think that might get chopped got chopped. New things got added, too, like the
beginning, the complete reworking of the end, several bits of worldbuilding,
and a scene or two. This was all a Good Thing.
Why?
My first draft was rambly and unfocused. The edited version
was tighter, cleaner, and the book I wanted, rather than almost the book
I wanted.
Publishing the Result
When I was done, I sent the edited version to beta readers
and a professional editor because, improved as it was, Hidden in Sealskin
still had problems I knew I couldn’t see. And, since I self-published, I got to
work at the rest of publication.
If you want to write a book, that’s one thing. Do NaNo, and
you’ll have written a book. Maybe edit it, if you want. If you want to publish,
though, there’s a few more steps.
Since I take this self-publishing-is-a-business thing
seriously, I hired a cover designer to make sure the cover was gorgeous (and it
is!). I also brushed up on formatting and typography to make sure that Hidden
in Sealskin looked good enough that you didn’t notice and just enjoyed the
read.
After I’d tested/proofed/dealt with everything I could see
to be dealt with, Hidden in Sealskin went live. Granted, I still ended
up selling a few copies
from the future, but that only goes to show that being professional ≠ being perfect. It just means you know the standards and
you work to hit or surpass them. And, if when you make a mistake, you
fix it.
You can't edit a blank page, but you can
fix it. You do that by filling it.
Which is what NaNo is for.
So let’s get going. :)
Hidden in Sealskin is the story of Adren, an outlaw who hates humans, as she
sets out to steal a sealskin in exchange for a cure for her insane unicorn.
Matters are complicated by Nadin, the awkward teenager who insists on helping
and who Adren isn't sure she can trust, the mystery surrounding the sealskin,
and the awakening secrets of Adren's mind.
Here's to hoping no one gets in the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment