The Art of Distraction for Writers

Okay, so it's Day Four of NaNoWriMo and I'm writing about cake. One of my characters is a pastry chef, and she's making Three-Layer Lemon Chocolate Cake for a party in which a big secret will be revealed.

But I have lost sight of the scene in which a big secret will be revealed. I am stuck on cake. I am dreaming and doodling and googling about cake and lemons and chocolate.

Turn that Distraction Frown Upside Down: Meyer Lemons

I can taste this cake, with its triple layers of sweet and tart lemon cake, made with the juice of Meyer lemons. A Meyer lemon is a Chinese citrus fruit that's a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They taste swell!

You can buy Meyer lemons at Whole Foods, just so you know. Hmmmnnn...Maybe I should include the recipe for Three Layer Lemon Chocolate Cake in the story. Readers love recipes. I better get up and go to Whole Foods right away and get some Meyer lemons. I have to test all my recipes, don't I? In the name of accuracy...and dessert for dinner.

Not So Fast, Cake!

Wait, but first I have to hit my NaNoWriMo word count for the day. I have to write that scene in which the big secret is revealed. The cake must wait.

That's how NaNoWriMo works: Word Count Before Cake.

Why? Because Life Is Uncertain, So Write That Book First.

And then you can write your cake--and eat it, too.


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NaNoWriMo Movie Night!

Only two more days before NaNoWriMo!

Get ready to make the most of the next month by having a NaNoWriMo movie night. Watch two or three films based on bestsellers in your genre. Make scene lists as you watch. Be sure to select movies that closely follow the plotlines of the novels on which they are based. Do this, and you’ll understand structure in a much deeper and comprehensive way. Most importantly, you’ll be preparing your sub-conscious for the storytelling marathon that is NaNoWriMo—and laying the plotting groundwork to pound out those pages.

So do yourself a favor, and have a NaNoWriMo Movie Night tonight! It's good for your plot, and a lot of fun—and the only NaNoWriMo homework that goes with popcorn.

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