No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - November 2023
a newsletter and voiceover podcast by Poet Laureate Wendy Van Camp
Welcome to the monthly No Wasted Ink Newsletter and Ramblecast. My name is Wendy Van Camp and I’m the Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter and ramblecast is not affiliated with the city and is my own personal newsletter. All views stated here are my own.
RAMBLE
Embarking on the journey of creating a novel is like setting sail on an uncharted sea, armed with nothing but a pen, paper, and one's imagination. Well over thirteen years ago, I attempted Nanowrimo for the first time with nothing more than an idea and a used Alphasmart typewriter I purchased off of eBay. Since the book was recommended on the website, I also purchased Chris Baty's "No Plot, No Problem." It’s the book that started the entire Nano craze. As we begin another November and National Novel Writing Month, I find myself thinking about the steps that transformed the daunting task of novel creation into a reality.
In my days as a novelist, I recall the first crucial step Baty advocates: silencing the inner critic. That nagging voice, once whispered doubts about the quality of my prose or the legitimacy of my ideas. NaNoWriMo taught me the art of temporarily muting this internal voice, allowing the words to flow freely. By liberating myself from perfectionism, I discovered the joy of unrestricted creativity.
The next step was to embrace the writing process without a planned plot. As a poet, I appreciate spontaneity while creating poems, but NaNoWriMo's encouragement of "pantsing" is what started me on this path. While I now plot my books in a loose manner before I begin drafting, learning how to “fly by the seat of my pants” as Baty’s calls it, helped me to connect with my inner muse. This is a vital spark of writing poetry.
Learning about word counts and tracking your words as a method of measuring your process was also a good tool to learn during Nano. I admit as a poet, word count is not quite as useful. Sometimes I might spend a lengthy amount of time deciding where to place a comma! Yes, this is a thing. But when writing prose, I admit keeping track of your words and hitting that sweet spot of 1600 words a day is a good habit to develop. The first time I wrote fifty thousand words in a single month, was an astonishing event for me. One I would repeat for many more years to come. It all comes down to the method.
The most important part of Nanowrimo is the power of community. Getting out there and joining your fellow wrimos to write and share your knowledge of the process, is the biggest push you can get as a writer. Even though I am no longer a municipal liaison with Nanowrimo, I still value getting out to a write-in now and then. I meet up with my fellow writers and turn the solitary act of writing into a collaborative action. These days, I end up teaching others more than learning new techniques, but it feels good to pass on my learning forward.
I suppose that "No Plot, No Problem" served as my compass in those early years. I still recommend it as a good book to new writers. From silencing the inner critic to setting ambitious goals, and celebrating small victories, each step in Baty's guide contributed to the rewarding experience of crafting my first novel. NaNoWriMo's approach is not just about writing; it's about fostering a love for storytelling, nurturing creativity, and building a supportive community.
If you are thinking about starting Nanowrimo for the first time, I hope you go forward. Even if you don’t make the writing goal, at least you tried. In my book, that makes you a winner! Find more information about Nanowrimo at https://nanowrimo.org.
yours in poetry,
Wendy
ESSAY
Building Tension and Conflict: Strategies for Creating Pacing in Your Novel
As authors, we are the puppet masters of emotions in our novels. It is our job to keep readers on the edge of their seats, turning pages, eager to uncover the next revelation. But how do we achieve this? What are the methods to weave a web of tension and conflict that enthralls our readers?
Let's start with the heartbeat of your prose. Pacing is the secret-sauce that can make or break a story's tension. Just like a music conductor, you must orchestrate the ebb and flow of your narrative. Be strategic in manipulating the tempo of the story. You slow it down during moments of suspense. Drawing out the tension like a lingering note. Then, unleash bursts of rapid action or revelations, like a crescendo to shatter the silence. It is important to vary the length and structure of your sentences. Use shorter and fragmented ones during intense scenes to increase the sense of urgency. Switch to longer sentences to create a breathing space in the flow. By using these methods to control the pacing, you can create a symphony of tension.
Cliffhangers are the literary equivalent of a well-timed punchline. They leave readers dangling, thirsting for answers and yearning to know what comes next. End each chapter with a tantalizing question or an unresolved conflict. Let the reader's curiosity gnaw at them until they turn the page into the next chapter of your book. But beware. Use cliffhangers with care. Employ them sparingly, to maintain their impact. Otherwise, you risk frustrating your readers and leaving them feeling manipulated rather than captivated. When using cliffhangers in a series to help move the reader to the next book, make sure you resolve enough of the conflict in the current book to satisfy your reader. Otherwise they may abandon your series.
Characters are the lifeblood of tension and conflict. They are the catalysts of every story. Exploit conflicts, both external and internal, between your characters. Pit your protagonist against the antagonist to challenge their beliefs, goals, or desires. Create oppositions in values or worldviews. Don't stop there. Dive into the depths of your characters' motivations, for it is in the clash of internal desires where tension thrives. This is the heart of where a three-dimensional character comes from. Allow readers to witness their clash of wills and emotional turmoil to enter your story.
As authors, we hold the power to build the tension and conflict that keeps readers hooked for more. Through the use of strategic pacing, varying the lengths of our sentences and paragraphs. To cliffhangers, where we compel the reader forward. And finally, in the exploration of character conflicts, we become architects of suspense. I hope you will embrace these strategies to enhance your story's pacing. The power is in your hands.
SCIFAIKU
This science fiction haiku poem first appeared in a magazine called “Far Horizons” in 2015. It is entitled “Heart Valve” and was one of the first scifaiku I ever published. It is about using bio-printing in healing. Poem is by Wendy Van Camp.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
November 5th - Indie Author Day at Anaheim Central Library from 11am to 4pm
I am the coordinator of this flagship library event at Anaheim Central Library. Indie Author Day is a book fair of local authors, a writing conference for the public, and hosts writing related workshops. Author readings and a poetry tent are featured on the outdoor patio. I will be teaching a workshop on creating a poetry anthology or chapbook and moderating the poetry tent event. My books will be on sale with our bookseller Mystery Ink.
November 16th - Anaheim Open-Mic at Anaheim Euclid Library 5:30pm (reader)
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Star*Line - November 2nd - Fall Issue - UAP: a nonet poem
PODCASTS
Con-Tinual: Fandom - Wizard of Oz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKOP_mwTmmQ
Small Publishing in a Big Universe: Speculations on Poetry
https://61144a4462eef6-27492062.castos.com/player/1572692
LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Portfolio - http://wendyvancamp.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp
Medium - https://medium.com/@wvancamp
Twitter - https://twitter.com/wvancamp
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nowastedink
Mastodon - https://me.dm/@wvancamp
BOOKS
The Planets: a scifaiku poetry collection - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z8HMPF2
The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OU1V45A
ANTHOLOGIES
Eccentric Orbits: An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry
Volumes 1 - 4
Editor
https://dimensionfold.com
Anaheim Poetry Review 2023
Editor
Free to Read: https://anaheimpoetry.com
Eye To The Telescope: Quests #46 - Fall 2022
Guest Editor
https://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/046issue.html
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