WELCOME
In preparation for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) I have invited Suzan Isik, one of the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liason for my area, to share some of her wisdom and experience with us.
Let's Get to know Suzan!
First of all, thank
you, Suzan, for taking a minute to chat with me. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your
writing. How long have you been writing?
What genre do you write?
No,
thank you for inviting me. So, a little about me… I've been writing for many
years, since my first Peter Pan fanfic as a child. But I've been doing it
professionally and with the intent to publish since 2007, when I joined my
first writing community. As for genre, that's a loaded question. I've written
every genre except horror, but I've recently found that I'm best at Steampunk,
fantasy, and erotic romance.
What has your NaNo
experience been like in the past? What are you looking forward to this year?
I did
NaNo unofficially for several years before I actually signed up on the website.
And then when I did my first official one, in 2009, where I ventured out of my house to meet
others, I made friends with and found Team Awesome, my current writing and
critique group. So I got lucky with that. I'm really looking forward to meeting
the new Rhinos at the write-ins and having a good time. Last year was all about
quantity, but this year, I really would like to stop and say hi to other
writers in my area, so I guess this year is the Year of Socialization for me.
So, you are the
NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison for the Dallas/Fort Worth area, what does that
entail and how did you decide to take on that role?
I'm
actually one of four MLs for the DFW area this year. I usually describe the job
as head cheerleader for writers. We organize fundraisers for the region, host
write-ins, and maintain a regional calendar so people know what's going on. We
serve as volunteer NaNo representatives and handle disputes and try to make
sure we do what we can to help participants reach their 50,000 word goal, all
while trying to make that 50k mark ourselves.
What are
"write-ins"? If one has never been to a write-in, what should they
expect? Is there any particular "group writing" etiquette that should
be observed?
Write-ins
are the social aspect of NaNo. We pack up our notebooks, our laptops,
Alphasmarts and whatever else people write with and go to a local place, like a
coffee shop, a restaurant, library, wherever we can find the space and write.
We'll have writing games, sprints, and sometimes we'll have prizes for the
person who writes the most. It's a lot of fun. As for etiquette, all we ask for
is common courtesy. If everyone is writing and being productive word-wise, then
be quiet and allow them to do so. I recommend going to at least one write-in
during NaNo and talking to other WriMos that are going through the same things,
and having the same issues that you are having trying to reach their goals.
What tips do you have
for a first time NaNoer?
Find out
what is going on in your local region. My region is pretty good about getting
write-ins hosted by our WriMos on the calendar pretty fast, and we tend to show
up at as many as we can. I haven't met an ML yet that didn't do what they could
for their region. Also, stick to a schedule and have a weekly goal. I don't
write every day, even during NaNo, but I do have a weekly goal I have to hit or
I don't get to take Sunday off. It's important to tell people what you're doing
as well, so that they understand when you vanish for hours at a time and appear
later, starving and red-eyed.
What tips do you have
for a veteran?
Keep at
it, plug away, even when you want to quit. I recommend setting a regular
schedule, and sitting down with the family and talking to them about
expectations for November. You never know. You may find that your family will
be your biggest supporter. Even if you're struggling, make sure you take some
time off each week. Like I take Sundays off, but only as long as I make my word
count during the week. If I don't, I work on Sunday. Make friends with other
writers, if you haven't already. Writers, especially ones who know what you're
going through, make the best support buddies, and they can help keep you
accountable to yourself and your goals.
Have you decided what
you are going to write this year?
Not a
clue. Okay, I have a few ideas, but I haven't nailed a single idea down yet.
I'm a discovery writer, meaning I write without outlines, so I probably won't
have it down until a few days before NaNo stars. I'm not worried… much.
What is the
significance of the Rhino?
I
actually wasn't around when they took on the Rhino mascot, so I'm unsure of the
details. What I've been told is that one year, the OLL asked all the regions to
pick an animal as their mascot. The Rhino was ours. We even have a stuffed
little rhino that comes to all the official events.
Where can we find out
more about you?
Man, I
am all over the place on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus. I do maintain a
writer-oriented website and blog at suzanisik.com. As for the others:
·
Twitter:
@SuzanIsik
·
Facebook:
facebook.com/AuthorSuzanIsik.
·
Google
Plus: gplus.to/SuzanIsik
NaNoWriMo
website: sisik (hopefully, the writing buddies will be back soon.) I'm mostly
in the DFW regional forums, but on occasion, I venture out to the main forum as
well.
My pen
name is Suzan Butler, and she can be found at all the same places under her
name. Mostly she's on Twitter and tweets about hockey, food, and naughty
stories, and maintains a website at suzanbutler.com
I also
own and operate a new online writing academy at www.novelistsatwork.com, in which I have several
wonderful people teaching different types of classes for writers of all kinds.
I'm doing a character workshop in January, and I'm toying with offering a
revision class in March to coincide with National Novel Editing Month, which is
also sponsored by the Office of Letters and Light, but we'll see.
Thank
you, Dawn, for having me visit your blog. It's been so much fun!
So, do you NaNo? If you do, what has your experience been like? If you don't, why not? Just not your thing? Can't imagine writing that many words in 30 days?
Any other questions for Suzan?
2 comments:
Great tips! Maybe next year I'll do it. I'm swamped with revisions at the moment. Is there a revision Nano? :)
Actually there is National Novel Editing Month in March. :)
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