Creative Lift

e're into week two of NaNoWriMo, and in this season of Creative Lift, Alex and I have taken on the challenge of drafting 50,000 words in a month. Many of you are drafting, too, so we're offering mini-sessions designed to help you (and ourselves) stay on track. Today, we're discussing How to Overcome Character Overwhelm.

Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's the first week of NaNoWriMo, and the Creative Lift episodes this month are focused on helping you maintain your drafting enthusiasm and momentum as you aim to draft a novel in a month. In today's mini-session, we explore how to move forward when you're thinking, "I know what happens, but not how!"

Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's NaNoWriMo, and Alex and I are drafting our hearts out this month. Are you, too? If so, this episode is for you. It's a podcast mini-session focused on overcoming world-building overwhelm, and designed to help you maintain your momentum.

Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's almost time for the NaNoWriMo challenge to begin. That means, across the world, writers are preparing to draft 50,000 words in the month of November. In the past couple of episodes, we've discussed how to prepare for a month filled with flow. In today's episode, Alex and I are discussing one final, but essential piece of the puzzle: How might you troubleshoot ahead of time, so that when you're mid-month, and possibly tired, you still have a plan for how to keep moving forward. Similar to the way marathoners plan for that part of their run where they know they'll be tired, you can do the same.

In today's conversation, Alex and I discuss: • How to capture your reasons for drafting now so you can remind yourself later • Strategies for planning ahead and in the moment • Problem-solving tools for plot tangles and other common issues

Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's not too late! You can still create a new character in time for NaNoWriMo, if you haven't yet. You'll find a lively, shortcut kind of process to get to build a winning character in my Skillshare Class: Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Are you considering taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge? Whether you plan to draft a novel in November officially, or simply want to think more about the art of drafting and how you can face the blank page with more flow, this episode is for you!

In this season, Alex and I have decided to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge, and are sharing our experience as we go in order to keep ourselves motivated and on track … and in hopes of inspiring you to do the same. In this episode, How to Set Yourself Up for NaNoWriMo, we'll discuss strategies that will help you prepare for smoother sailing as you draft.

In today's conversation, Alex and I discuss:

• How to create a loose plan for drafting that leaves room for surprises
• How to get to know your character in advance
• Tools for brainstorming scenes and plot points
• Strategies for building your creative confidence

Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

Since November hasn't started quite yet, you still have time to gather ideas for your drafting project. If you want to develop a new character, check out our Skillshare Class: Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Welcome to season five of Creative Lift: Dive Into the NaNoWriMo Challenge! I'm Naomi Kinsman, and you're listening to episode 36, How to Choose a Project for NaNoWriMo.

In case you've never heard of NaNoWriMo—it's a challenge started by an organization of that same name, in which writers are invited to draft a novel in the month of November.

Now you may not be a novelist yourself, or you might be someone who doesn't like to draft quickly—before you skip this season entirely, I want you to know that this season will be packed with tips and tricks for the art of drafting. Drafting takes a special mindset, one you can develop and fine-tune. Imagine if, when you next face the blank page, you didn't have to cross your fingers and hope inspiration would strike? What if you had a mental toolkit to make slipping into the flow state easier?

Last season, we discussed revision and explored a variety of tools you can use to shape a story. But before you can do that, you need a story to work with. And to have that story, you need to draft. You can struggle through, or you can stumble through, or you can flow through. My deep hope is that more of us can flow through—and that is what this season is all about. So, if you are curious about drafting, about tackling the blank page, about flow, or about NaNoWriMo, this season is for you.

If you listened in last season, you met Alex Doherty, who is the editor for Creative Lift, and who is also a fellow middle-grade writer. When I told Alex I planned to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge this coming November, he said he wanted to do so, too. So, we decided we'd record our conversations about planning for the challenge, and then record quick sessions along the way as we draft in November, to keep ourselves on track, and hopefully to inspire you to draft along with us.

If you're listening to this episode when it releases, you'll be tuning in during October 2022, and that means it is perfect timing to prep your novel writing plan for this coming November. If you're listening at any other time, remember that there are no rules that you must draft in any specific month. You can take on a similar challenge at any time. If you're ready to draft, by all means, don't let the calendar or other people's expectations get in your way.

In today's episode, Alex and I will talk about how we're choosing our NaNoWriMo projects this year. My hope is that our discussion will expand your view of what's possible and give you permission to make the best use of November's challenge, even if you aren't currently ready to start a brand-new project.

For this season, I decided not to make individual RGs for each episode. You have enough to focus on with your own writing project. However, I did create a little book of drafting strategies that you can use on days when you're in need of a little extra mojo. You can download those drafting strategies by visiting the show's webpage, scrolling to the bottom, and signing up for Creative Lift resources.

In every CL episode, our hope is that you walk away inspired and encouraged. Hopefully, today's episode gave you some fresh ideas about how to set yourself up for drafting success. Where will you begin? Next week, we'll wrap up our prep episodes with some ahead-of-time problem-solving because November is just around the corner! After that, our episodes will be shorter, and we'll publish two per week, designed to keep you (and ourselves) on track as we draft.

Until next week, here's to you and your creativity!

Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character

Where do you start with a full novel revision?

We're finishing up season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which Alex Doherty, a fellow writer and I have been discussing his full-novel revision. Our conversation has been guided by his questions and goals for the manuscript, and today we're wrapping up the discussion. Alex has started his revision process, using some of the strategies we've discussed in this season, and he has some insights to share.

Since we are wrapping up the season, there is no reflection guide for this episode.

How do you speed up and slow down the pace in your stories? And when do you choose to speed up or slow down? What purpose does pacing serve in our storytelling?

We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're discussing pace.

Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.

The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, for every writer there's generally room to amplify a character arc in your novel once you've completed a full draft. But what does that process look like, beyond firming up the first scene, the climax, and the final scenes?

We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're looking at one of the most important aspects to consider in a full-novel revision, the character arc.

Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.

The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Even if a story isn't a mystery, there's something about a great question that keeps us turning pages. We want to know: What's the answer? But can a question draw out too long? How many questions does it take to turn suspense into confusion?

We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're looking at questions and the role they play in storytelling and pace.

Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.

The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.