By Gale Albright

On November 1, 2015, the NaNo will begin.

Sharpen your pencils (really?), sharpen your quills, get out your parchment paper, turn on your computers, laptops, notebooks (both electronic and paper)—and do the NaNo.

No, it is not like the TanGo.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was started in 1999 by Chris Baty, who thought of a novel (get it?) idea that people could write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. The NaNo took off and is now a world-wide phenomenon. Chris also wrote No Plot? No Problem in 2004, which is a well-thumbed holy book for NaNoers across the globe. Every November, people who live in Kansas and Saskatoon and New Zealand and Austin listen for the imaginary pistol shot that signals the start of the race to complete 50,000 words of writing in 30 days.

It doesn’t matter what the words are. They don’t have to be good, bad, or indifferent. They don’t have to make any sense. Your ego is not on the line. It’s just words.

The most important thing is—don’t give up. Persevere. Every single day for 30 days you must produce 1667 words. If you produce 1667 words every day for 30 days, you will have 50,010 words.

You will be a winner. You will have done the NaNo. You are a champion.

What have you won?

You have won the sure and certain knowledge that you can write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. The excuses such as, “I don’t have time to write,” “I just can’t write a novel,” “I can’t think of a plot,” “I don’t think I have any talent,” don’t matter. If you produce 1667 words times 30 and enter it before midnight on Nov. 30, you can call yourself a novelist.

Chris Baty didn’t pretend that everyone would write a masterpiece or a best seller or even something coherent. That’s not the point. The point of NaNoWriMo is to show self-doubting writers and wannabe writers that they can complete a novel. It can be done. After weeping and gnashing your teeth and tearing your hair out for 30 days and a thousand nights, you can stand proud and tall and say “I wrote a %%$#^% novel in 30 days. I finished a project.”

Many writers start novels, but have trouble finishing them. They start thinking maybe the writing isn’t very good, the plot is stupid, the characters are boring, or the dialog is stilted. Then they quit the sad, unfinished baby novel and tell themselves maybe they really aren’t writers anyway.

Congratulations. You have discovered your Internal Editor.

It criticizes everything you do. It says you aren’t good enough. You’ll never be good enough. Why even try? Just go eat a quart of ice cream in the corner and shut up.

But, if you glom onto NaNo with a death grip for 30 days, you can thumb your nose at Internal Editor and say “Nya, Nya, Nya. I wrote a %$#$%^^ novel in 30 days, you miserable *%^%^&.”

Fun Fact: Did you know that over 250 published novels started out as NaNoWriMo projects? Among them are Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder.

Now that we’ve explored what NaNoWriMo is and what it can do for you, let’s talk about actually doing it this November.

My friend Kayla Marnach, whom I met in 2009 at a Writers’ League class at Sul Ross University in Alpine, is a five-time winner of NaNoWriMo. She will teach “Tips and Tricks are NaNo Bricks: Building Your Novel in 30 Days” at the San Gabriel Writers’ League meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Georgetown Public Library. Kayla has also published a children’s book called My Body’s Mine. I will be in Georgetown to cheer her on and learn more about those tips and tricks.

I am hosting two write-ins at the Hutto Public Library on Saturdays, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Write-ins occur when lonely NaNoers congregate with their laptops and snacks and coffee cups at a book store, library, coffee shop, restaurant, or any place that is having a write-in. People go there to work, to pound out words, to absorb caffeine and to ingest calories. They are seeking group warmth and solace, as, like herd animals, they stick together to ward off the terrors of novel writing.

So if you want to be a Penguin (in the Austin region, we are the Penguins, as opposed to the Maryland Crabs, for instance) and write to glorify yourself and your NaNo regional group, look up http://nanowrimo.org/ After you sign up, find your region. You’ll find friends and forums. The folks on the website are very welcoming. It’s all free. You get pep talks and your own NaNo e-mail box and writing buddies and tips and encouragement. They are great cheerleaders. They are the antithesis of the Internal Editor.

If you’re looking for tips on doing the NaNo, go hear Kayla at the San Gabriel Writers’ League on Nov. 5 at the Georgetown Library. If you happen to be passing by Hutto Public Library on Nov. 7 and 14, bring your laptop and come on in. We will give you big smiles and snacks. And it’s all free.

To learn more about the local NaNo scene in Central Texas, go to AuNoWriMos on Facebook. To reiterate, get a free account at NaNoWriMo at http://nanowrimo.org/ and find your local region, find out who your Municipal Liaisons (ML) are, and look at the write-in calendar for November.

Let the NaNo begin!

Many writers suffer from this affliction–myself included–surrounding the idea that we could make monumental progress on our short story/novel/non-fiction project if only we could have some long uninterrupted days. My perfect day involves a cabin in the woods with an incredible mountain view, something I am unlikely to experience since I live in Texas. It includes meals magically appearing without cooking, coffee all day long, and, and at the end of the day, a review of several thousand words, all perfectly placed and paced.

My reality is, like many others, one that is full and fragmented. Yes, I work from home, which allows me to handle client projects with some flexibility. I also have three children who play year-round sports, a husband with a demanding career (read: no schedule flexibility), and it seems most evenings are spent at the soccer field or volleyball games. A night at home after 6:30pm feels luxurious. And I know I’m not alone. Most people who strive to make fiction a priority have lives bursting with responsibilities and commitments. So, how do we finish our fiction in the midst of this realization?

I still struggle with this issue, and at times, catch myself lamenting the idea that I would get more done if only I had more uninterrupted time. While that’s true, it’s also completely unhelpful. Some days I have several hours in a row and other days I’m running from morning until night. I’ve decided that I need to make the most of what I’ve got, which means letting go of the idea of the ‘perfect writing day.’

This one decision has proved to be quite freeing because there is no one perfect writing day. Each one of us has to figure out how to fit our fiction into the demands of daily life. I am by no means an expert here but here are a few tips that have helped me make the most of the time available:

Track Your Schedule: Let the eye-rolling commence, but I promise this works. If you can track your day (or a few days) in 30-minute increments, small pockets of time will reveal themselves. Granted, these times may not be ideal but they are available, so if you can seize even one or two blocks per week, you now have momentum on your book. It’s also important to make peace with whether you are an early bird or a night owl. Don’t force yourself to write early if you prefer to start your day late. Find your flow and grab a small slot of time when you feel you’re most likely to take advantage of it. Early morning, after midnight, whatever works best for you.

Touch Your Project Every Day: I’m not suggesting you need to write 1,000 words per day. I do believe, however, that spending even 15 minutes at a time reviewing your outline, reading a scene or pondering a plot problem helps you remain connected to your work in progress. And this connection stays with you, rolls around in your brain, helps keep your head in the story. I don’t follow this advice as often as I should, but when I do, I notice a huge leap in weekly word count and productivity.

Stay Connected to the Creative Life: Writing is often a solitary endeavor, so it’s important to find ways to stay connected to other writers and the writing life. For me, listening to writing podcasts and, when I am surfing online, I’m directing my attention to sites related to reading and writing. An evening at the soccer fields allows me to walk a few miles while listening to a writing podcast, an activity that has helped me transform unproductive time into something that helps me both physically and mentally. TedTalks remain my favorite source for writing-related podcasts: https://www.ted.com/topics/writing

Take Note (cards): A confession first–I have an office supply addiction. Apparently, it runs in my family and there is no cure. I’m fine with that. In fact, I’ve found that notecards and a pen are my best friends when it comes to working on a project when I only have a small snippet of time to spare. I use them to write down issues with my book such as understanding a character’s motivation. Sometimes I use cards to outline scenes and sometimes I write down research topics. The most important thing is that notecards help me capture issues related to my novel, and the fact that the notecard is only 4×6 in size helps keep the intimidation factor down.

Fill Your Feed: This is a strategy for those who run to social media as the perfect temporary distraction. My twitter and Facebook feeds are filled largely with posts from writers and people in the storytelling space. This is intentional because, if I’m compelled to kill a few minutes while standing in line, I’m still staying connected to the creative life I wish to live.

Being Prepared Helps You Be Flexible: Consistency is key when it comes to writing, but let’s face it, kids get sick, you end up driving a last minute field trip, or your work day ends up longer than you expected. Even in these circumstances, you may find yourself with small fragments of time you can use. Having notecards or a journal with ideas to explore can help you make the most of whatever minutes present themselves. These stray moments can add up, like pennies in your pocket. You collect enough words, and soon enough, you’ve got a finished novel.

Start Saying No: This is a tough one for me. I’ve been accused of having lousy boundaries when it comes to volunteering or taking on local projects. I would have to confess that to be true, but this year, I decided to severely limit how much time I would spend on other people’s priorities. I still help with school dances and other volunteer activities but I am far more selective because, by saying ‘yes’ to others’ requests, I’m saying ‘no’ to my own projects. There are times when we can’t simply steal time or find time. We only have so much, which means we sometimes have to put our own priorities first. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s even better than okay.

Take (or Leave) Any or All Writing Advice: How many times have you tried to follow some specific writing advice from a best-selling author only to have it become more hindrance than help? If that’s the case, let it go. Take what you want and leave the rest. You get to stock your own writing toolbox with the tips that help you move forward. I’m including all the tips I just listed in this post. Helpful? Awesome. Not Helpful? No problem. Skip them and find something else. You know what works best for you, so let that be your guide.

My contention is that there is no perfect day to write, no perfect hour, no perfect moment. We only have today, which may or may not look anything like tomorrow. Letting go of the belief that we need four hours per day to write means that, instead of being imprisoned by an unrealistic idea, we are now free to pursue our projects, even if it’s only a half hour at a time.

–Laura Oles

(Sue Grafton and my friend Carol Austin at BookPeople on August 31)

by Gale Albright

When Hopeton Hay of KAZI Book Review (88.7 FM) asked me to help him interview Sue Grafton, I was thrilled.

Then I was nervous.

Sue Grafton is big. William Holden said that to Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. “You used to be big.” She replied, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

I digress.

Grafton was big and is still big. She penned a long-lived, successful mystery series that made her heroine, Kinsey Millhone, a household word. In literate households, at any rate. Her California female private eye novels have remained big through 24 novels. And Grafton is still penning them, even though she has only two letters of the alphabet left.

Grafton’s most recent Millhone offering, X, is a slight departure from her usual title strategy. Her first detective novel was A is for Alibi, published in 1982. Soon thereafter came B is for Burglar and C is for Corpse. You get the drift. There is a letter of the alphabet, a verb, and a noun. Now X comes along all by its lonesome. She didn’t call it X is for Xylophone, Xenophobia, Xeriscape, Xerxes, Xerox–nothing. Just X.

I received an advanced reader copy of X to read so I could prep for the interview. Along the way, I tried to figure out intelligent questions to ask.

I found out that legendary crime writer Ross Macdonald of the Lew Archer mystery novels was her inspiration for the alphabet series. I think Ross Macdonald is one of the greatest writers of all time, have read a whole bunch of his books, and believe anyone who likes Ross Macdonald has to be really smart. That gave us something in common, even though I’m not a world-renowned successful professional mystery author. Let’s not quibble.

I was trying to be nonchalant about the interview, but kept asking Hopeton Hay things like, “What should I call her?” Your Worship? Your Honor?

He said to call her “Sue.”

I read X carefully, looking for “x” clues in the manuscript. There were several. I read about Grafton’s life. I typed up questions. Finally, as I drove to the KAZI studio on August 23, I figured I was ready.

Hopeton Hay is a professional. He does interviews all the time. No doubt he sensed I was a bit jittery, so he talked me down in his soothing way. By the time we put on headphones and he called Sue Grafton, I felt reasonably human.

She answered. She was nice and informal and friendly. She didn’t sound like Gloria Swanson. She sounded like a real person. I started to relax, but I kept clutching those questions. This was being taped!

Hopeton asked her a question. Then he turned the microphone toward me. The moment of truth. I opened my mouth and hoped I didn’t sound like Minnie Mouse, a hick, or a wavery-voiced nitwit.

She was gracious. She laughed. She was pleased when I told her X reminded me in some ways of Lew Archer on the search for truth in the dark underbelly of Southern California. We were off to a good start.

I got calmer. I was getting a handle on this thing. Then I ran out of typed questions. And Hopeton kept turning that microphone toward me. I had to go unscripted. I was panic-stricken. Then I started having fun.

By the time the interview was over, I could have gone on longer. I felt like Sue Grafton was a heck of a nice person and a lot of fun to talk to.

Hopeton said the interview went well. He reminded me gently not to mutter “Uh-huh” when people were talking. He said it was a natural thing for people to do in a conversation, but on the radio it’s a bit distracting when the microphone picks it up.

And sure enough, when I heard the tape a week later, on August 30, at one (thankfully brief) point, I heard myself “uh-humming” along enthusiastically while Sue was speaking.

Live and learn. As well as learning not to “uh-huh” on radio, I learned some interesting things from Sue Grafton.

She writes five pages a day. She doesn’t count time she spends writing, just the page count. She says it’s a more accurate way to estimate output than putting a time limit on writing. She keeps writing until she gets those five pages.

She finds index cards “invaluable.” If a section of writing is muddy and difficult, she writes everything down, scene by scene on index cards, spreads them out and finds out where she went wrong.

When she spoke about increasing her male readership, she said men should realize that a book written by a woman about a woman detective is not girly stuff. “These books are not about mascara and pantyhose. It’s about kicking serious butt.”

I agree. Kinsey Millhone is into serious sleuthing and butt-kicking, not high fashion. The novels are full of movement, mystery, questions, wry humor, and scary bad guys. If you’re a man and haven’t read the alphabet series, you are in for a treat. You have 24 great books to choose from. I would start with A is for Alibi.

It’s not about G is for Gender. It’s about G is for Great Writing.

Drop by BookPeople for a copy of X

If you want to find out more about Hopeton Hay, go to

https://www.facebook.com/kazibookreview

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When it comes to writers’ conferences, it can be difficult at times to decide which one is best suited for your needs. Considerations regarding schedules, genre, speakers and panels will all come into play. There is one event, however, that stands apart from the rest because it is, by nature, completely different from the traditional writers’ conference experience.

It stands alone because it’s not a writers’ conference at all. I’ve heard it called “Disneyland for crime writers,” and after attending this year, I agree completely.

The Writers’ Police Academy offers extensive hands-on training and education for writers who wish to learn more about all aspects related to forensics and law enforcement. Want to learn how to photograph a crime scene? Learn arson investigation techniques? Chase bad guys? Learn what it’s like to go undercover in New York City? If so, there is no better place for hands-on learning than WPA.

When I arrived in Appleton, Wisconsin on the day of registration, I was greeted by sixty-five degree temperatures (thank you, thank you thank you,) and a lobby filled with other curious crime writers waiting to receive their welcome packets. The event is only one weekend but easily packs an entire week’s worth of events and education. The first evening, after registration, we were treated to Dr. Joe LeFevre’s program on 3D Crime Scene Mapping. As someone who has spent her career in the digital photography field, I was thrilled to learn one of my favorite camera manufacturers, Leica, is also a leader in providing this 3D laser technology. Joe’s program was packed with information and went until after 10pm. I was full of information and exhausted.

Officers demonstrate a high speed pursuit

The next morning we traveled by bus to the Fox Valley facility. The Fox Valley Technical College Public Safety Training Center hosted this year’s WPA courses, and it truly is a fun park for crime writers. The 75- acre campus houses state of the art simulation technology, laboratories and areas designed for tactical training in all aspects of law enforcement. As I walked through the main building and out the back door, I stepped into a town. Okay, it was a fake town, but it was an impressive fake town. The campus includes a hotel, a couple of houses, a convenience store, a jet (yes, you read that right) and other buildings designed for various training exercises. At one point, a training team of officers enacted a high-speed chase with a suspect and two police cars speeding down the streets behind the buildings so we could witness different methods of police pursuit. We then had the opportunity to ask questions related to their decision-making, tactics and strategies. What an exhilarating way to start the morning!

Fake training town, jet included…

One of the wonderful but challenging things about attending WPA is that there are several programs available in each session–and all are excellent. This is a problem in that you have some tough choices to make. We were told to pick our top three programs in each time slot because the events fill up quickly. Some programs required an early sign up and an additional (modest) fee, so if you want to try a building breach, a shoot/don’t shoot scenario, called Milo, or the firing range, you had to sign up in advance due to limited spots being available. I was fortunate in that I was able to attend most of my first picks.

John Gilstrap teaching Bangs & Booms 101

John Gilstrap, bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave series, conducted a program on explosives, Bangs and Booms 101, that was equal parts informative and hilarious. Gilstrap’s sense of humor, coupled with his extensive knowledge, made his session one of my WPA favorites. Amanda Thoma, coroner for Green Lake County Coroner’s office, was another top pick with her program From Crime Scene to Autopsy. In addition to her extensive credentials, her approach to her chosen profession was one that demonstrated her enormous enthusiasm, curiosity and respect for her profession. She had the room’s rapt attention from the time she started her session until she ended, and even with several pages of notes, I know we merely scratched the surface.

Laura’s first target practice at the indoor firing range

Nothing takes the place of hands-on experience and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of firearms training. I was fortunate to draw a slot for the pistol shooting range, and going through the firearms training was exhilarating and intimidating. And it turns out that I’m not such a bad shot, either.

Dan Feucht’s program on Bloodstain Pattern Investigation and Techniques was one that allowed attendees the benefit of hands on experience. It was a packed class, but Dan managed the group well, allowing each of us to conduct a couple of lab tests and also taking us through how to determine trajectory based upon various bloodstain patterns. Dr. Katherine Ramsland’s program on Forensic Psychology reminded me that truth is often stranger than fiction, and understanding a person’s motives and “why people do what they do” remains a complicated and fascinating puzzle.

The Crime Scene Photography course, conducted by Dr. Joe LeFevre, provided insight into how this critical role in law enforcement can assist in understanding a crime scene as well as provide valuable tools in understanding the relationship between objects at a scene and how they fit into the larger scenario. Joe took the class through his process of photographing a scene and discussed the techniques currently employed to protect photographic data from being altered or edited in any way. Protecting the chain of custody is paramount in order for the images to be beneficial in a prosecutorial capacity. Joe, a stickler for details and process, patiently answered our litany of questions and took us through an example of how we could photograph a crime scene. Depending upon the particular case, photographing a crime scene can easily take several hours, even going through ten to twelve hours if a death is involved. It is a specialty that requires patience, a disciplined methodology and a dedication to thorough detailed examination.

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan had us in stitches sharing her advice on how to get research right in fiction. Her willingness to share how she gleans the key details necessary for her novels was refreshing, and it’s clear that Allison is willing to go down a rabbit hole of research to garner one or two key details for a particular story. One excellent piece of advice she offered related to how to handle an interview with an expert, such as an FBI agent. “Ask smart questions,” she says. “Don’t waste time asking questions whose answers can be found online.” She added that the FBI website, for example, provided a number of excellent resources, so do your homework first before picking up the phone or sending an email.

Meeting with Karin Slaughter after the WPA Banquet

Karin Slaughter, the #1 internationally best-selling author of the Will Trent series, served as the keynote speaker for the WPA banquet, and she delivered a speech that, were I to try and explain it here, simply wouldn’t do it justice. Her wit is clever and fierce, and her delivery is deadpan and on target. Her speech demonstrated her prowess as a master of the spoken word as well as the written one. And yes, her next book, Pretty Girls, is on my reading list the moment it hits the stands (September 29).

Several authors I met have attended the Writers’ Police Academy more than once, and now that I have had my turn, I understand why. I hope to one day be able to attend WPA again because the hands-on aspect of this program is extremely valuable to those writing mysteries and crime fiction. Truly, there is nothing else like it, which makes it a gem in the field of writers’ conferences.

–Laura Oles