Verisimilitude. What does that even mean?

This isn’t one of those 'word-a-day' calendars, and yet here I am throwing out words I’ve never used but plan to…in three…two…one--

Verisimilitude is the word that I’ve been avoiding in my writing…well not the use of it, but the effect of it. It’s believability, the appearance of truth, and it’s really getting under my skin.

Confession time. I’m not a very patient person. (Ok, whew, glad that’s off my chest.)One of the great things about writing fiction is that you can create worlds and if you write it, it happens. Right? Well, sort of. You can write about flying gorillas and worlds that exist inside of peanuts, but if you do like me and rush right into the thick of things without doing some research somewhere along the way, you’ll find yourself in a great big mess.

This is something that I’m learning as I type this.

I hear that J.K. Rowling had boxes of notebooks where she evolved her world on paper. Boxes?! And guess what? People of all ages love her story. They can’t get enough. Was it worth the plotting and planning? Absolutely. Is it totally necessary to create a good story? I don't know that we need dozens of notebooks full, but I’m realizing that without some research, we don’t know our world as well as we should to make it believable, and that is what engages readers…unless I want to write about a slightly nutty mother of three that lives in the Midwest. Interested? I didn't think so.

It will be a lesson in patience but it must be done.

It frustrates me to be in the mode to write yet sit down to the computer and scratch out meager tidbits about setting, characters, you know, the things that make a story fun? I want the entree- no potatoes, no parsley, just get to the story. Words on paper. Yet that’s not enough and I, like everyone else, must take the time and appreciate all parts of writing, even the slow ones that make us feel like we wasted our day doing nothing at all.

Verisimilitude. Research it. Own it. Make people believe (at least temporarily) that it could really happen. 

Do You Love a Challenge? I've Got Just the Thing...

from www.nanowrimo.org

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo- get it now?), which means that for those of us that enjoy writing, the next 30 days are an opportunity to write with abandon. Get wild. Get crazy. And let's do some creative storytelling!

NaNoWriMo has been happening every November for more than a decade. Aspiring writers (which is a term I have learned to hate but will explain at a later date), writers, authors, and people from any and every walk of life have joined the movement. To be perfectly clear anyone can do this. ANYONE- that includes you.

There are very few rules required to "win" this writing marathon, mainly that you write a new work of at least 50,000 words between the days of Nov 1 and Nov 30 at midnight. To do so means an average of 1,666 words per day will be typed, scribed, scrawled, and scritched toward a work limited only by the power of your imagination.

What is great about this is this is that it's a chance to join thousands of others in the world doing the same thing. Who knows? Just maybe you'll start a fire within yourself that you never want to extinguish. If nothing else, you'll have a guaranteed way to get out of any social engagement for a whole month. Also, it will stave off the gremlins that get in your brain to build cobwebs and turn off the lights. Yeah, that's right, thinking is good for you...go figure.

Image courtesy of ddpavumba at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, we're getting interested, this idea sounds like it could be fun...now what?

Time to get those wheels a-turning, and if you want to make it "official" sign up for free on the NaNoWriMo website so you can track your progress and network with other challengers. I tell you, the writing community is full of some of the most inspirational and supportive people I've ever met! You can join forums and message boards to help cheerlead others and receive those essential pats on the back in return. Don't be shy!

Some of us are lucky enough to have an idea fluttering around upstairs, all we need to do is pay it some attention. Not so lucky? If you would love to act on this opportunity but don't have a clue where to start. Here is a good jumping off point. Click around on these pages and you're sure to get some sparks flying, or maybe look over here for some interesting seedlings.

But now you say, "But Amanda (that's my first name), what if I lose the NaNoWriMo challenge? Well then, my friend, large, muscular gangsters will knock on your door and give you an exuberant number of paper cuts. You don't want to mess with these guys, trust me. So, throw that defeatist mindset out the door and give it your all.

OOOH! I just got a great idea: Tell us what you want to write about. Post a comment with the tagline and genre so we can wait on the edge of our seats for the whole story. This is so exciting!!

While we're sitting around thrumming our fingers in wait of Thanksgiving's indulgence, let's do something productive.

You never know, you may be the next superstar!