Why I'm Donating $10 a Month to NaNoWriMo

I've been participating in National Novel Writing Month now for about seven years – NaNo 2014 will be my eighth, in fact. Since I penned the first words of my first ever NaNo novel back in 2007 (it was called Trinity and it was awful), NaNoWriMo has become a huge part of my life. I've won five out of seven attempts - in 2008 I gave up about 4000 words in because of college work – and the event is now one of the highlights of my year.

I've never been able to donate, though, which has always bugged me. Back in 2007, I was in my last year of high school and had literally no money, not even a bank account. Then I was in college, with a bank account but hardly any money to live on. And then I was either on Job Seeker's, which barely allows you to feed yourself, or working temp jobs on minimal hours at minimum wage.

Lately, things have been better. My job is secure, I'm working hard. I've treated myself to a Kindle, which will be an excellent back-up writing device should my laptop fail me (which it inevitably will, this November). I've been faced with a succession of vet bills in this past month, mostly unexpected, which I've actually been able to cope with. I have a small amount of savings – I've never had savings before!

So today I decided that I was finally going to get myself that halo. And I've decided that it won't just be a one-off donation of $10, I've set up a $10 monthly donation. 

The thing is, I owe NaNoWriMo, and the good people who run it, a lot. They've taken a hobby that's pretty solitary and turned it into something social, and made it so much more fun. I've made some wonderful friends through NaNo who I see throughout the year; brilliant, hilarious people who I never would have met otherwise. People to laugh with, word sprint with, celebrate with, share advice and support with. Plus I get the chance to read the embryonic work of some truly excellent writers, which is a rare and amazing thing.

I've learned a lot about discipline. I've learned a lot about myself as a writer; I can comfortably hit 2000 words a day, my all time record has been 10000 words, and I've learned that I also burn myself out when I push myself and do that much. I've come to understand the benefits of writing every day, even if it's just a little bit, and I've discovered the joys of hitting those targets early in the day and realising that I actually have a few hours to push myself even further. I've learned to seek out those little pockets of dead time to turn into writing time; waiting for appointments, bus and train rides, the half an hour or so before I head to work where I can't really do anything else. 

Plus, without NaNoWriMo, I don't think I'd still be writing The Great Couch Happening of '69 today. It would be sitting, long abandoned, in the 'old stuff' folder in the writing section of my Google Drive. There have been times where I've gone weeks or months without writing a word but I've always been able to count on NaNo, its people and its support network to give me that much-needed boost. I sometimes think that NaNoWriMo embodies the spirit of 'Couch' a little bit; that freewheeling craziness, the pretty personal mad humour that comes from me just letting go and expressing myself. Without NaNoWriMo and everything it's taught me, 'Couch' wouldn't be what it is today. It's a rubbish book, but it's mine and I'm oddly proud of it so far.

So that's why I've decided to donate $10 a month to The Office of Letters and Light. They've given me so much over the past seven years; it's about time I gave something back. 

If you'd like to take part in National Novel Writing Month, you can sign up to the site here. If you're under eighteen and would rather set your own word count goal, then maybe their Young Writer's Program is the thing for you! There are also two Camp NaNoWriMo events in April and July, for those of us who like to catch some sun while we write. You don't have to donate to take part, but that halo on your avatar does look pretty damn awesome... just saying!

It brings out my eyes.

Book Review: The House of Sleep

These past few days I've been a dedicated artist and a voracious reader, but I haven't managed a great deal of writing. The reading time has been perfect for chilling out with my rats, and the art is for a secret project that I'm working on that needs doing ASAP. So my novel has been sat for a few days, in that strange state it sometimes enters where I'm between plot arcs and waiting for things to pick up again.

On the subject of books, I now have a HUGE stack of Agatha Christie novels to get through:

I also have a book on the way and another pre-ordered; en route is Haruki Murakami's latest novel, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, which I'm led to believe is something along the lines of Norwegian Wood. The pre-order is something I'm so excited about; Patrick Rothfuss has written a story about one of my favourite characters from his awesome series The Kingkiller Chronicle. It's called The Slow Regard of Silent Things, it's about Auri, it will probably be as poetic and amazing as the name suggests, and my copy will be SIGNED BY THE MAN HIMSELF. WOO. I AM STOKED.

But anyway, the real reason I'm here is to write about my latest read...

THE HOUSE OF SLEEP by JONATHAN COE

Oh wow, I love Jonathan Coe. I discovered his work back in Sixth Form when my tastes in music led me to his novel The Rotter's Club (Hatfield and the North, excellent band ♥), and since then I've loved every book of his that I've had the pleasure to read. 

The House of Sleep takes place between two time frames; the odd-numbered chapters take place in the past (largely in 1983-84, and some a bit later on), while the even-numbered chapters show us the characters in their present, in June 1996. 

Coe provides us with a cast of characters who are in their own ways eccentric, unsettled, sympathetic and fascinating. There's Sarah, a narcoleptic, whose dreams are so mundane, yet detailed and vivid, that she has difficulty distinguishing them from reality; the innocent and devoted Robert, whose life seems governed by misunderstandings and the realities Sarah thinks she's living through her dreams; insomniac film critic Terry who goes from sleeping for fourteen hours a day in his youth to needing barely any sleep at all; and Dr Gregory Dudden, whose obsession with sleep leads him to think of it as a disease that must be wiped out. In the Eighties, all are university students living together at the remote house called Ashdown. In 1996, Ashdown is home to Dr Dudden's sleep clinic.

Some reviewers would have you believe that the novel starts slow, but Sarah's encounter with a furious man in the street means the novel hits the ground running and introduces her to a character and a movement that will prove pivotal to her life. We see the disastrous end to her relationship with Gregory and the start of Robert's struggle with his feelings for her. 

Like a typical Coe novel, The House of Sleep is full of misunderstandings and coincidences that might seem too convenient to believe - if that kind of thing makes you roll your eyes then walk away, but otherwise you'll enjoy a novel where the characters' lives are so deeply intertwined you might wonder whether some greater force is holding them together. That connection remains across the years, though some of the characters meet less than kind fates - there were a few moments where I had to put the book down and think 'damn you, Coe!'.

Coe explores with appropriate sensitivity the themes of lesbian love and sexuality, feminism and transexualism, enduring love, consciousness, media and reality. Through Sarah's initial tolerance of Gregory, the end of her relationship with Veronica and the way Robert hangs on to his feelings for her to the point where he changes his whole life, Coe explores the things people will do and put up with when they are in love. He shows to us strong feminist women (e.g. Veronica) in a university campus with a strong anti-feminist movement, and through Veronica, Sarah's growing awareness of feminism and her own sexuality. But he also shows us how the characters discover and rediscover themselves over the years. 

It's interesting how some of the past/present chapters flow into each-other. Sometimes it's a bit jarring but it shows us the strong connection of events over the years and how even a decade later the characters are all essentially tangled up in the same web of relationships and drama and intrigue. The novel is clearly structured as a whole, though; I had a few moments of confusion only because my edition (the e-book) had the author's note about odd and even chapters at the back with the appendices, where in the print version I believe it's at the front. Even so, you realise what time you're in as you keep reading, as Coe draws stark distinctions between the characters, the university town and Ashdown in both time periods.

The only thing that I feel lets this novel down is the lack of depth compared to some of the other books that Coe has written which are set in past decades - which are full of references to current events, themes and pop culture that really brings the era to life. The characters, while likeable, feel as though they haven't got much of a backstory beyond what is absolutely vital to the plot, but then this might just be down to efficiency on Coe's part. 

Overall, The House of Sleep is an enjoyable, masterfully written novel. It's comedic, tragic, mysterious and enthralling, and you even feel for the plight of the minor characters. It's a decent size (print editions are around 350 pages), and while it may lack the depth of some of Coe's other books, it's gripping to the point where I managed to get through the whole book in two hours. Coe is an excellent writer; while the plot, on the surface, sounds like something that might suit a science fiction novel more than a work of literary fiction, he handles it admirably well and draws the reader into his beautiful, thought-provoking book.

Couch Progress: Nearing Another Milestone...

Hello there!

It's been a good few months since I last updated, obviously. The last you heard from me, Camp NaNoWriMo was going well and I'd finally found my fire.

Since that post... eh, it kinda went downhill. I can't even remember what word count I finished Camp NaNo with but it wasn't fantastic. Still, words were words and it gave me the opportunity to think about my novel, and about what it lacked, and about what I needed to do to engage with the story again.

Since April I've been writing in bits and pieces - between tons of overtime at my day job and some stress from external sources, I've not had time to do much. But today I'm enjoying some much needed respite with my good friend Holly (a fellow writer and book enthusiast whose blog I encourage you to follow, especially if you love Sci Fi, Fantasy and YA Lit), getting some writing done, and I decided to check my word count. I've split my story arcs across several different documents now so it took a bit of cutting and pasting, but...

That's right, eleven words off the big 300k. Wish me luck!

Couch Progress: Camp NaNo Day 6 - Novel Notes Make Good Bedding, Apparently

It's happened. The fires of creativity have finally kicked in.

I'm glad as well, because my first few days were a bit of a grind and the words were hard to put down. On Day 4, I did nothing at all. Then yesterday, Day 5, I kinda panicked and ended up writing two days' worth to catch up.

Now, I've managed to write 1.8k today and it's going on 6pm and I just don't want to stop.

I think I will for a while, though, and save my creativity and my eagerness for tomorrow. Though I could always put a sneaky few words down on my side project that needs some love...

But yes, the writing these last few days has been all about bridging some gaps in the prose. I have more of a complete ending now, which gives me something to work towards now I'm nearing the stage of finally rounding this infernal book off.  I've given words to some pretty important scenes as well so that they aren't forgotten. Sorted out a few plot holes as well, so it's all good.

Words today: 1899
Words this month: 11,529
Total words: 291,283

Also, bonus picture of one my my rats, Burrito, attempting to steal my novel notes:

Couch Progress: Camp NaNo Day 2 - Yet More Beginnings...

I'm glad to report that I'm still going strong!

Words today: 1278

Words this month: 3444

Total words: 283,198

As you can see, I haven't written as much today as I did yesterday - but I'm still wrangling these beginnings, and I feel like when I get these four characters of mine together things will speed up and become much more fun.

It's also pretty exciting to see how close I'm getting to 300,000 words! And then it just gets scary when I realise that even at 300k, my novel will still be nowhere near completed, and I'll still have the daunting task of editing those words, reading through them again and again. Talk about biting off more than I can chew!

Couch Progress: Camp NaNo Day 1 - Beginnings

I've had a good start on Camp NaNo! My stats are as follows:

Words today: 2166

Words this month: 2166

Total words: 281,920

I'm still writing beginnings for all of the characters I will be dealing with this month. It feels nice, though, finally giving them space on the page to breathe. They started off as background characters, spoken about but rarely shown, and that made me sad. It bugged me from the get-go that my novel seemed to be kind of male-dominated.

One thing I'm proud of today is how much I've managed to get done despite spending so much time on the PS3. I admit it, I am the sort of person who will spend a whole day playing whichever game I'm currently addicted to - for the last half a year or so it's been Final Fantasy XIV, but the beauty of that game is that there can be quite a bit of dead time if you're waiting for a dungeon; I like to spend this time writing.

Obviously I worry that after today the motivation will begin to fade, but I hope that once I get past all the beginnings and things I can do what I usually do, completely lose the plot (literally) and start to actually have some fun sending my characters all across the Multiverse and into the weirdest of situations.

And of course there's the thought of all those words that I'll have when this month is good and done. Delicious words.   

Couch Progress: The Ladies of Camp NaNo July

Hello there! It's been a while!

I'm pretty sure my last post was some time in September – since then, I've won NaNoWriMo 2013 with about 75k, and spent Camp NaNoWriMo April 2014 trying to type up as many of my handwritten work as possible in order to get it all into the same format. I finished that behemoth of a job on May 6th.

I've also acquired a dog, adopted two more rats (Hattie and Violet) and suffered the loss of one of my oldest rats, Barnaby, earlier this month. She had started to get poorly last November but is at peace now.

My word count for The Great Couch Happening of '69 is currently 279,754. This past few months have been dedicated to planning the next stage of my novel: tackling the three other story arcs that I've decided to work into things. This is what I'll be doing for Camp NaNo July... and it starts tomorrow and I'm absolutely bricking it.

The arc I will be mainly focusing on for this Camp NaNo event concerns a group of characters that I'm collectively referring to as 'the ladies'. At first I was going to have Clarietta go it alone in the book, doing what she does best, but then during NaNo '13 a minor character, Jane, who didn't really have any lines or real appearances in the book, suddenly joined her and I thrust the two of them into the midst of a pretty bizarre 'whodunit' type of arc. Then there was Tessa, floating in and out of people's lives at the whim of the Multiverse; I decided I'd like to give her a permanent place with Clarietta and Jane, making the group a trio.

But something felt a bit unbalanced. I had four main male characters and only three female. I realised then that there was another minor character that I would like to develop; Maggie. So now I have four of each, things feel a lot more equal and I'm getting really excited about the prospect of writing some adventures and dilemmas for these four to get through and forge friendships in.

So far, I've planned the bare bones of their arc, a well as some details about their characters. I have notecards with the important plot points laid out; I prefer the notecard method because it suits my way of writing better. It's more loose, you can move things around easier, add or discard ideas or completely go off the path if need be. After all, there's always editing to weed out the twaddle.

I've not got as much planned as I'd have liked, if I'm honest, but I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to just cast off any doubts and write. Wish me luck, and good luck to anybody else who's taking part!

On Writing: The Importance of Motivation

Before writing, before planning, in those formative moments where you're just deciding you want to write a novel, there is one crucial ingredient you need that can make the whole process happen.

That ingredient, my friends, is motivation.

Let's face it; writing a book is stupidly difficult to do. I haven't even succeeded yet (I know, awfully rich of me to give advice considering I'm still learning myself); I've been working on my novel since 2008, and the first draft isn't even completed yet.

But it is doable. People will spend decades working before getting their first book out, but it is worth it and it is possible, all thanks to a little thing called motivation. Motivation gets you past 'once upon a time', through the tough parts of your novel, right through to 'the end' and back again with redraft after redraft. I cannot stress how vital it is to the writing process.

So, how do you get motivated to write a book? Well, as with all areas of writing, there are several methods; some may work for you, some may not.

Personally, I like to go out, buy a notebook or pad of paper for my project, then number out how many pages I'd like to write. If the pages are loose, I'll stick them in a ringbinder. Then I'll let myself imagine those pages filled with my words; my stories. I feel how heavy it is, flick through the pages, feel how thick they are and imagine it as a real book, a book that I've written.

Maybe it sounds silly, but for me, this is a springboard into the next step: I start to think about my plot. I dream up characters and situations, get excited about them, and this I can do while I plan. I dream about seeing those ideas in a published novel because come on, how is that not exciting?!

Then, when I feel ready, I write.

Of course, this method is only really good for the first burst of a project you're just starting. After twelve pages, or thirty pages, or, if you're lucky, a hundred pages, maybe the wind will leave your sails. That initial explosion of creative energy might start to wane. It happens to the best of us. What can you do to get back your fire?

You could think back to what inspired you to write the project at first. Again, just think of how cool it will be to have this book published; because if you think it's worth writing, there's definitely someone out there who thinks it's worth reading.

Perhaps you've hit a snag in your plot? Make a note of where the snag is, and carry on. Even if you only write a little bit a day, progress is progress, no matter how small. This applies to all drafts.

Set yourself goals to work towards every day. I like to set myself a goal of 1600 words, which roughly equates to the typical goal of a NaNoWriMo participant. Maybe something smaller works for you. Just imagine, if you wrote 500 words a day (about a page and a half, depending on your handwriting), in a year, you could have 182,000 words, or about 600 pages (again, depending on your handwriting or font size). That's amazing, and you could totally do it.

Look after yourself. Eat well, take plenty of breaks while you work to avoid burning yourself out (this is so important, you wouldn't believe it). Take walks to let yourself think, cut any doubters out of your life or ignore them. In fact, make it your mission to prove them wrong. Love yourself, believe in yourself.

If you're working on the first draft and have worries about the quality of your writing, do not be worried. All first drafts suck. Yours does, mine do, J.K Rowling's do, Shakespeare's did. There's a magical thing called editing, in which you will shape your novel into the beautiful thing it was meant to be. Besides, even if your work sucks, it's wonderful because it's an extension of you. We live in a gorgeous, diverse world full of fascinating people with interesting things to say, and you are one of these people. So don't be afraid to just write what you want, write what makes you happy.

And if you're editing, just persist. Revel in the beauty that's beginning to shine through your words. Take pride in the shape it's beginning to take, and always remember that you've overcome a massive step in the writing of your first draft; one of the biggest steps is already behind you.

The most important thing is to keep your original inspiration in mind, and remind yourself constantly that you can do it. If you've written one page, you can write a hundred more. Three hundred, maybe even six hundred and beyond. You can do it. I believe in you.

Book Review: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: Or, 2000 Years of Upper-Class Idiots in Charge - John O'Farrell

The past few weeks have been rather strange for my fiancé. To his knowledge, I'm quite clued up on a few subjects including writing, literature and progressive rock. Then, out of nowhere, history. Suddenly I'm telling him about the Beaker People who lived in Bronze Age Britain; giving him the lowdown on Richard the Third (conniving hunchback or poor victim of Tudor propagandists?); listing some of the many monarchs we've had who've either eaten themselves to death or had to be buried in square coffins (clue: it was Queen Anne).

Before, I'd have just about been able to tell you that a battle happened in Hastings in 1066. Now, thanks to a man called John O'Farrell, I can tell you that it actually happened in a place that would come to be known as Battle, on Senlac Hill. 

As history books go, 'An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (Or, 2000 Years of Upper-Class Idiots in Charge)' is accessible and readable, though you do sometimes get lost in all the Edwards, Georges, Williams etc. But if you were unfortunate enough to have a dullard for a history teacher, at least O'Farrell approaches the subject with wit (hit-and-miss in my opinion, but if you're a fan of his Guardian columns you may enjoy it) and energy.

Not only does O'Farrell cover the intrigues, scandals, lives and decisions of the upper classes, but also the middle and lower classes, plus the constantly shifting dynamics between them - suggesting that Labour's victory in 1945 was Britain's only revolution is rather thoughtless though considering Britain had pulled through several invasions and changes of leadership that shaped society, the first summoning of Parliament, and a pivotal civil war that completely changed the balance of power between Parliament and the monarch, paving the way for a more democratic leadership in the coming centuries. Mind you, O'Farrell doesn't dismiss these events as insignificant when he does deal with them – he certainly acknowledges the struggles of the working classes through periods of slavery, serfdom, poverty and powerlessness. 

Cramming 2000 years of history into 500 pages means that some areas seem rushed. However, I did finish the book feeling like I'd had my memory refreshed - and there were a few chapters here and there on eras that my high school syllabus hadn't even covered, such as the years between the World Wars, and the years between the downfall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. While many of the nitty-gritty details have been lost in, you could say, the 'compression' of history, O'Farrell definitely covers the big picture, which is a good springboard if you want to do further reading into a particular event - you'll already know the basics.

The book isn't as 'impartial' as the title ironically suggests (in fact, it seems like everyone is fair game to O'Farrell's teasing), but it is enjoyable, humorous, and deals with certain subjects such as the horrors of the First World War with appropriate sensitivity.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, but as with all history books, read with an open mind and don't just take it at face value. As O'Farrell himself points out, history is affected by the bias of whoever is writing it (e.g. the monks who wrote the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle), and should be treated as such. Plus, he sometimes falls into the trap of presenting his jokes as though they were fact - confusing if you don't already know otherwise.  

Still, the facts are (mostly) there, if a bit dubious in places, and even if you disagree with O'Farrell's opinions and musings on the various aspects of our nation's story, seeing things from another person's  perspective isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'd recommend the book as a decent starting point for someone who wants to brush up on their history but aren't looking for something too heavy and academic. Ultimately, though, if you're looking to become a history buff, I wouldn't use this as your primary source. By all means read this, but read even more.

Software Review: OmmWriter Dāna II

I'm one of those writers that gets easily distracted. So many things are hazardous to my productivity; choosing some music to write to can lead to me completely rearranging my iTunes playlist or seeking more music to buy, making a cup of tea can turn into me making a full-blown meal, looking for a pen can spark off a quest to find the Holy Grail and slay a dragon. I try to keep my screen minimalistic while I work, but there are still tons of windows and buttons around to tempt me on even the most frugal of settings.

Then I discovered OmmWriter. With its minimalist design, functions limited to a vital few, and music that you might expect to hear during a meditation session, could this be the program I need to banish distraction for good?

Developed by an independent creative agency in Barcelona, OmmWriter is a simple, no-frills text editor designed to 'transport us away from the humdrum noise; allowing us to be at one with ourselves and our ideas'. The designers advocate 'writing for the simple pleasure of writing', and their program reflects that philosophy.

As soon as it installed and I got it running, I was greeted with this beautifully simple interface. The six buttons down the side toggle font style, font size, background, music, keyboard sound effects, and the final one has Save, Save As and Open features. If you prefer a larger text box, you can resize it. If larger text boxes are too distracting, you can keep it small. Simple, but effective. Words are counted in an unimposing bracket beneath the text box, and the whole interface is invisible as you're typing but shows up again with just a twitch of the mouse should you need it.

The program provides a lovely, tranquil setting for your work - I almost feel as if I'm writing sat in a snowy plain or something as I type; everything is so quiet, so minimal. The music is atmospheric, gorgeous, but not off-putting in any way. Tracks fade smoothly into one-another; not one bit of it is jarring. Track 3 even simulates the sound of being on a train, complete with five minute 'station breaks' every twenty five minutes to encourage you to have some breathing space, which is an often overlooked part of every worker's schedule.

Plus, there's always the 'mute' option if you'd rather write in silence or listen to music of your own. And you can turn off backgrounds and keyboard sounds as well, if that's how you roll.

When it comes to saving work, OmmWriter is simple even then - you can save as .omm or the universally recognised .txt, or as a .pdf if you intend to print your work. Or, if you have another format in mind, copying and pasting into the program of your choice is easy: copy and paste functions are available in the 'edit' bar at the top of the screen (move your mouse up to reveal it) or you can just go for the good old ctrl+c/ctrl+v.

My only gripe with this program is a pretty minor one - the cursor in OmmWriter is horizontal, under the space after the last character you typed, and for users like me who are so used to the vertical cursors of Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, Pages et al, it takes some getting used to. Whilst writing in OmmWriter I found that I'd lose my place or delete the wrong letter if I went back to tweak something - however, after some time, I found the horizontal cursor was another subtle way of removing distraction from the writing process - without the vertical cursor up alongside the letters, or in the middle of a word, I found I was able to look at it much easier without the presence of the cursor throwing me off.

I would recommend OmmWriter for those of you who need to just sit down and write. It's excellent for churning out those first drafts with minimal distractions, and I'd even say that people who worry a lot about the quality of their first drafts might benefit from its minimal interface, tranquil music and calming environment. You can tune in to OmmWriter, forget your worries and just write with little regard for page count – and hopefully, if the program works for you like it should, you'll end up putting down way more words than you expected. For editing though, I think I'll stick to good old OpenOffice.

OmmWriter is available for Mac, PC and iPad, but no versions are available for iOS or Android. It's free for now, but once October 1st 2013 has been and gone, OmmWriter will revert to its usual minimum price of $4.11/£2.59. By 'minimum', I mean that you can choose to pay more if you like. For $4.11 though, is it worth it? I'd say definitely, if distraction proves to be a big issue in your work process.