Write by Wednesday... an Interview with the Wonderful Tia Bach!

Last Wednesday, I talked about my fear and shame surrounding the NaNO idea. This week, I thought the only good way to follow that up is to feature an author that seems to have being an excellent NaNO writer down pat. Thus, the below is an interview with my friend Tia Bach, co-author of the award-winning novel Depression Cookies and author of the paranormal YA novel Chasing Memories.

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Was Chasing Memories your first NANO project?

Yes. I let fear keep me from doing NaNo in years past. Now, I need to commit to not only November but June’s CampNaNo. June terrifies me on a whole other level because my three kids would be home. Talk about a challenge.

What did you start with (i.e. a detailed outline, an idea, etc.)?

I had the idea for almost a year before committing to it last November. A month before NaNo, I filled a small notebook with a bunch of scribbles. Story ideas and character traits bombarded me, and I tried to capture all of them—to the point that I slept with a notebook and pen by my bed. But once November 1 came around, I just wrote as the story came to me.

What was your attack plan for getting it written? Did you write for X hours every morning, or grab a few minutes when you could? How many words did you average?

For me, the key is to write first. I get distracted so easily. I’m the mom who walks into a room, spins around a few times, and says (out loud even if I’m alone), “Why did I come in here?” So, my goal each day was to write before looking at anything else. Of course, life doesn’t always work that way, so there were many nights I was up until the wee hours of the morning. But some days the words flowed better than others. When they did, I thanked my muse and allowed myself some breathing room to not push as hard the next day.

What did the "immersion approach" to novel writing mean for the rest of your life?

When I was done, I was on a writer’s high. I knew I could write 50,000 words in a month. But I’m so motivated by the public declaration of committing to a challenge. Book two has been in my head since Chasing Memories was published, and I’m writing it in NaNo again. I am determined to stay on that high this time and finish book three shortly after book two. Wish me luck!

Once you finished, how much editing, writing, and rework did you have to do?

Before I sent it to my editor in early March, I did several rounds of self-edits. I was scared to read it at first, because I truly did shut down my inner editor while I was writing—something that is very hard for me. But I was thrilled that I liked most of it on my first read-through.

Now that it’s November again and you're writing the sequel, is this the first project you've tackled since the book launched? Or have you written other things non-NANO style?

*hangs head in shame* I don’t even know what happened between NaNos. Were there really 11 months in between? I had every intention of writing book two right after publishing book one, but marketing and other commitments sidelined me. I’m stoked to finally be focusing on it.

Clearly, as the mom of three, you do not have the luxury of just writing whenever and as long as you want. What is your advice for people like me that fear the NANO and think they could never make the time to do this?

There’s nothing to fear! I truly believe that armed with a good idea anyone can write 50,000 words in a month. Once you do it, you’ll know you can. And that’s half the battle. It’s all about making the time. I’d read anything you wrote, my friend!

Thanks so much for hosting me today. I would love to have you visit my blog once my NaNo brain clears.

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To read more from Tia and follow her progress on this year's NaNO project, visit her blog at http://depressioncookies.blogspot.com/.