My November Challenge

As I explained, I won't be participating in NaNoWriMo this year. It's odd to be waiting for trick-or-treaters and not also waiting to begin a new novel at midnight, but mostly I'm content to sit this year out.

However, I was talking to another longtime NaNo devotee who's also taking a year off, and we decided that we should do something to harness the NaNo buzz around us and funnel that energy toward our revision projects. So my friend and I agreed that we'd each commit to a certain number of revision hours during November. We intend to stick to these numerical goals with the same fierce dedication that we've always had for our NaNoWriMo word count.

I've given myself a goal of 65 revision hours in November. It's a number that should be attainable, but only if I buckle down. So while hundreds of thousands of people worldwide start filling in their word count meters, I'll be starting my own count.

Best of luck to all my NaNoWriMo buddies as you embark on your November challenge!

Good Stuff Out There:

→ Theresa Stevens at Edittorrent discusses subplots and how to evaluate them in revision: "Whether in foils, themes, motifs, parallels, or any other kind of non-plot element, relevant subplot echoes will relate in some way back to the main plot. That relationship will serve to underscore the element in the main plot -- that is, the subplot serves the main plot by making some aspect of the main plot feel more significant through repetition or reversal."