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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

NaNoFiMo/ Brain Research (because everything's always really about writing anyway.)



NaNoFiMo



Okay, yeah, I changed some of the letters....wanna make something of it? Actually, the Fi stands for finish. I just want to finish my YA by the end of the month. Not a lofty goal, not crazy like the rest of you folks out there who are busting you tails to complete an entire novel. I just want to finish one measly lil' book. (Of course, it needs about 35k more words.....sigh)

And, because I am crazy, I am also trying to finish an easy chapter book and EVEN started a picture book today. WHAT AM I THINKING??? It is like there's all this crazy writing energy in the air and with every nostril full, my brain conceives new junk which my hand must dutifully jot down on paper. And, even though we got that one hour back over the weekend (Thank You, God) it's just not gonna be enough to finish this stuff.....

Or is it?

Am I crazy enough do manage it? Or will I just burn out.

Time will tell.

On to the scientific part:

Part of my job at my school is that of International Baccalaureate Coordinator. (More impressive sounding than Crazy Lady in Velvet Robes with Crown and Fake Diamonds). Anyway, I am running a study group of fellow teachers and the topic is Inquiry (with a capital I).

What does this have to do with writing?

Well, I'm glad you inquired. According to research by Berlyne (cited in Kashdan, Rose and Finchman, 2004,) "whatever possesses novelty, complexity, uncertainty and conflict invites curiosity, exploration and investigation."

Think about it.

Novelty

Complexity

Uncertainty

Conflict

These are the secret ingredients of stories that are impossible for our brains to stop reading.


I am still contemplating all this, but I think it's pretty fascinating.


hrh

P.S. I'd like to thank blogger, again, for the big font. Gee, blogger, if you could give me a little warning before you thrust the old big letters at me, it might make me stop and try to write something worthy of the largeness.

14 comments:

Joshua McCune said...

I'd like to add a caveat to complexity (oxymoron alert :): keep it simple (i.e., understandable, or relatively so), at least for writing's sake.

I kind of like the font.

lisa and laura said...

Count us in for NaNoFiMo! We NEED to wrap up the WIP and get it off to our agent by the end of the month.

And I LOVE your list. It's like a recipe for a good book.

Julie Dao said...

Woo-hoo go get em! You can do it. Good luck finishing all your stories! Hopefully by December I will have something to finish too.

Anne Spollen said...

I liked that font, too -- I read it without my glasses...

NaNoFiMo - sounds like fun, if for only one reason - it's so much more fun to write than revise.

Good luck!

Jessie Oliveros said...

You can do it! 35K is like 1000 words a day, if you leave out the whole chapter book and picture book part of the equation. Anyway, good luck.

Susan R. Mills said...

I'm in for your NaNoFiMo. I need to finish. It's written from beginning to end, but it's not finished. This, too, is my goal. We can do it! Good luck with your chapter book and picture book. I think you have more on your plate than I do. I love the list.

Myrna Foster said...

Go, Shelley! Go, Shelley!

Sherrie Petersen said...

I'm also trying to finish a book. I started it last year then got distracted with rewriting another. So now I'm back to this one and I just want to finish!

Renee Collins said...

You can do it!!!

I also love that list. Very, very interesting. And totally true. A great list of what every story needs.

Wendy Sparrow said...

I think the post merited the big font, so you're fine. ;)

I like the inclusion of "uncertainty" because I think some books skip that and it's vital for me to stay interested. Since becoming a writer, I've developed a surprisingly short attention span for other people's writing if it's not good. I find myself putting down books that before I think I might have trudged through. Life is too short to read books that don't suck me in.

P.S. I hope you don't burn out.

storyqueen said...

Bane-agreed. But creating simplicity can be very complex...

L and L-congrats again. I was going to call it NaStuFiMo (national stuff finishing month) but it reminded me too much of rastafari.

Julie-You will! You will!

Anne-The large font is growing on me, too. (don't like revising as much myself....)

Jessie-Yikes, 1 k a day! I don't think I'm gonna make it.

Susan-Too much on the plate often equals stomach ache....I'm going to have to be careful.

Myrna-My first cheer from the crowd!!

Sherri-we can do this!!! It will feel sooo good come December 1.

Renee-I thought the list was cool, too. Especially the uncertainty..

Wendy-Me too! I need to remember that the stuff I don't know about what I am reading often keeps me reading it....hmmm.

Carrie Harris said...

You = nuts.

Not that this is a problem. Me = nuts, too. I just wanted to point it out in case you hadn't noticed.

Natalie said...

Good luck with your 35K! Your list made me think of all the books I couldn't put down (The Hunger Games, the later Harry Potter books). Oh, I wish I could write like that! Must get more practice!

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