A tip I read in one of the NaNo communities I'm in: To keep the story going at a fast pace, keep up the suspense by putting the information the reader wants to know at the end of the sentence.

He looked up, shocked, as something crashed through the window.
versus
Something crashed through the window, and he looked up, shocked.

Reaction first, explanation afterward.

Good fiction is personal. If you're writing - and if what you're writing matters to you - you are going to be in your fiction, and the people who read what you've written will read your mind. They will see YOU. - Holly Lisle

I've read novels that make the readers realize a few things about themselves. Which is probably not part of the author's intention, but still.
From a little self-analysis I did on my NaNo so far, it seems that I believe people should be able to fend for themselves and have a personal goal in life, as opposed to just going along and seeing where life takes them.
What does your writing say you believe in?

We Indonesian NaNo-ers have been featured in The Jakarta Post, a Jakarta-based English-language newspaper.
Scan courtesy of clueless_psycho.
Via amamiyarin: The online version of the news.

Day 10: 17,379 words.

cynic_in_charge asks if anyone is interested in a NaNo redux, which will take place during December and January.

1. Day one: 1,755 words, including the tentative chapter title.

2. Plug: Lotus and Sword, my wuxia review site, kindly hosted by ronin. There are only two reviews for now, but the site is definitely ready for visitors. ETA: Link fixed.

Via start_writing: How to write badly well. Except that, you know, I am sometimes guilty of using too many adjectives.

Saw this quote from writer John Dufresne here:

"You have nothing to prove in the first draft, nothing to defend, everything to imagine...You write the draft in order to read what you have written and to determine what you still have to say...You may have a destination in mind, and you may well set off in that direction, but what you encounter along the way will likely alter your course. This uncertainty, though daunting, is crucial to the writing process. It allows for, even encourages, revelation and surprise, while it prevents the manipulation of character or plot to suit a preconceived, and usually ill-conceived, notion of what the story must be. In writing the first draft, you begin to work through all the uncertainty and advance toward meaning."

That's pretty much how I felt about last year's NaNo. The journey is exhilarating, yes, but at some points I want to know when it's going to end (not where - that's part of the surprise).

NaNoWriMo:

1. Both in 2007 and 2008, I submitted my final wordcount on the 25th, the date when you can start collecting the winner badges. This turns out to be a good idea since you may not be able to access the site at all on the 30th, as clueless_psycho told me. Long story short: it's always better to finish early, even if you don't want the badge.

2. Via cristin_terrill: An offer from Scrivener for NaNo - Participants can receive a 20% discount and winners will have a 50% discount on December 2.

Via jolantru: Tu Publishing, a multicultural SFF press for children and YA.

Also from cristin_terrill: What Patrick Ness said about YA.

He said he was writing for his teenager self, trying to create what he would have wanted to read. He feels a lot of YA falls short because it tries to write for a theoretical teenager instead of a real one. It aims for the 'normal' teenager when there's no such thing; every single teenager in the world feels atypical, so writing for the popular kids is doomed to failure. He, astutely I think, theorizes that this played into the success of Harry Potter.

Writer: "Yeah, you're different. But you're a wizard."

Reader: "I KNEW IT!"

NaNoWriMo meme from here.

( Questions and answers )

A couple of ancient ideas that I wish could grow into drabbles but have remained stuck as one-sentences. Starring the female characters, no spoilers. Bleach © Kubo Tite, et al.

( One-sentences )

The sign-up for mini_nanowrimo is open: write a minimum of 100 words every day during November instead of 1,667.

Yes, I'm planning to participate in NaNo again this year, and I've discovered that brainstorming on paper, rather than on the laptop, is more helpful for the thought flow. Anyone else in, other than clueless_psycho?

Kaku is visiting Yun-gyong and meets with a Go player. For the Bunny Euthanasia Project. Whistle! © Higuchi Daisuke, et al. Hikaru no Go © Hotta Yumi, Obata Takeshi, et al.

( Sweeter When Subtle )

1. NaNoWriMo in September 2009's Writer's Digest.

2. Back in 2006 salixbabylon started the Bunny Euthanasia Project. Basically, in October you go through your WIPs and unfinished pieces, then do one of the following:

1. post your notes as they are and let the bunny die a graceful death

2. give your bunny a Frankenstein-style half-life by polishing what you have and letting it stand as a ficlet or series of drabbles or whatever you can make out of it without too much effort

3. revive your bunnies and give them a life they deserve, fully realized as actual fics

I'm planning to do this. Anyone else interested?

9 Ways to Strengthen Your Beginning. In medias res ftw, says I.

Karen S. Wiesner's Novel Blueprint, or what she calls a Story Plan Checklist. nano_writers has tailored the list in preparation for November. While it looks very handy, I think I'd still be worrying more about plot than anything else.

Book #17 of imaginarybeasts is out, theme: Monsters. Sign-up for Book #18 is open, theme: Winter.

The workshop posts in spnroundtable are interesting reading for fanfic writers in general. The most eye-catching post for me is Finishing Work in Progress. :)

For helike, who requested a fic based on this icon. Saint Seiya © Kurumada Masami, et al.

( Ricochet )

Writing progress:
. If you can call me editing at a snail's pace and wondering if a certain turn of plot makes sense, or whether I should start abusing the thesaurus, progress...
. In lieu of reference books, I downloaded Indonesian translations of Jin Yong novels. I've already got three (two of which seem to have been translated by Gan KL rather than Oey Kim Tiang - not sure about the third), the shortest of which is 700 pages long.
. All the female characters are the strong, knightly type, though with different personalities. Since women in wulin tend to rely more on weapons than men do, I also get to pick cool weapons for them.
. Speaking of characters, I don't usually make a detailed list of their personalities from the start. I just assign an adjective or two to each character (e.g. A is hot-tempered, B is rational, C is your usual curious teenager), and, as the story rolls along, watch how they'd react to particular situations. (My type is probably one of the worst pantsers imaginable)

Meme:
Choose one of my icons and I'll write something based on it. If it's not a fandom icon, I have the right to write for any fandom or an original snippet.

In reply to this post. Shendiao Xialu © Jin Yong, et al.

( Five Regrets Guo Jing Keeps Inside the Folds of His Sleeve )

fictictactoe, to quote: "Instead of an empty grid, there is a prompt-table and instead of using X's and O's to mark a space, a player must write a fic. The two authors take turns writing, and the first one to get three prompts in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row wins the game."

Beta resources, compiled by michelel72.

Holly Lisle: "Give the best lines in the book to your protagonist." First, I'd have to think up witty lines.

For xseiskink. Tobi, Deidara. Naruto © Kishimoto Masashi, et al.

( Deprived )