Renda Dodge is a Seattle-based author who just published her first book, “Inked” in October. During the month of November, she is participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) – for the 5th time! Renda is also the South Seattle Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo which means she’s helping a bunch of less experienced NaNoWriMo-ers come to terms with their task and then plow through their roadblocks. Hers is a noble calling. She took time out of her very ambitious schedule to talk to The Puget News, and for that I am very grateful.
Hi Renda, thanks a lot for taking the time to be interviewed for “The Puget News.” I really appreciate it, and congratulations on the publication of your first novel, “Inked.”
No problem, and thank you!
So it’s November, which means it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). How is that going for you so far? Is this your first time participating?
No, actually, this is my fifth year participating in NaNoWriMo. I started in 2005 and have done it every year since. I spend a lot of time in the writing reference section of the bookstore and I came across “No Plot? No Problem!” by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. The book details, in a fun and humorous way, how to succeed with writing a novel in 30 days. I actually happened upon the book in October, and surprise, National Novel Writing Month started less than a month later.
My first year, I did it alone in my home office. I didn’t reach out the huge community, and I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t hit the 50,000 word goal. I wrote about 24,000 words, but I was so proud of myself. Even after attending college as an English major, I’d never written anything longer than 8,000 words. But, after one month I suddenly had the bones of a story to work with. So, when November 2006 rolled around I was ready to tackle, and “win”.
One of the great things I’ve experienced, and also seen with other writers, is what NaNo does for them. It takes them from someone who really wants to write a novel, to someone who has, and each success is another to build on and learn from.
As far as this year goes, it’s only the 3rd of the month, and I’m a little behind in word count. The goal, of course, is 50,000 words in one month (equal to a short novel – some famous examples of books right around 50,000 are “Fight Club”, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Catcher in the Rye”) and that equates to 1,667 words per day. So, to stay on track I should be at about 5,000 words and I’m at about 2,500. But that’s ok, I’ll catch up.
Spoken with the confidence of somebody that’s done this a few times.
Definitely, 50,000 words isn’t as daunting when you’ve conquered it a few times.
Outside of participating as a writer in NaNoWriMo this month, you’re also serving as the “South Seattle Municipal Liaison.” What exactly is that and how did you get that gig?
Well, in 2007 I contacted the Office of Letters and Light (the parent non-profit for NaNo) and asked what I could do to help. I was offered the position of Co-Municipal Liaison with Amanda Cherry. We thought it was easiest to split the region into north and south, because it’s a huge region. We have almost 3,000 people signed up to participate in NaNoWriMo who list Seattle as their home region, and for the last three years we’ve lead every other city (and even whole states like Maryland) in the regional word counts and in donations. So, here in Seattle we write a lot and we are also generous with our donations – which is an excellent combination.
What I do as ML mainly revolves around cheer leading, running events (such as write-ins – a gathering of writers in local coffee shops for fellowship and word count) and helping people make it to 50,000 words. It’s a volunteer gig, but I have so much fun with it. I have met so many interesting people, and I have been a part of so many people reaching their goals. It’s so worth it.
For example, Monday night the King County Library in Covington I helped them kick of NaNoWriMo by presenting the basics of High Speed Plotting to an entire group of NaNo newbies, several of which went home to start writing immediately. It’s really awesome that I can be a part of that.
I’ve found NaNoWriMo to be one of the few things that can take the solitary task of writing and instantly injects you straight into a very inviting community. Everyone is so supportive.
Moving back to talking about “Inked” for a minute here, what moved you to make this your first novel? Was it sitting there, cathartically waiting to be written, or did it take a lot of time to develop?
Well, I wrote “Inked” as my fourth NaNo novel, but I attacked it differently than I had the first three. For one thing, at that point I had written three full length novels. I had a really good grasp of what worked, and what really didn’t. So I was able to plan “Inked” out and it was really an easy story to write. I deliberately dug deep inside of myself for this book though, and when I came out on the other side I had a very personal story I was proud of. It was the first draft I had ever finished that I was excited to work on. I didn’t want to shove into a drawer and never look at again. The huge difference with this novel is that I allowed myself to pull into my background and experiences to create a character with a very diverse story.
I would say it took awhile to develop, 30 days to write a first draft, however the re-writing, revision and editing process took months. I worked on it for hours a day. I did five full revisions from beginning to end (and that doesn’t count the spot revisions) and I had 10 readers, all who went through it with a fine tooth comb. I’ve lived and breathed this novel for a full year.
The one thing I tell everyone is that the title “National Novel Writing Month” is a little deceptive, you’re not actually going to walk away with a novel that’s ready to publish. What you will walk away with though is a first draft. And that’s like starting with an empty plot of land and building a house in a month. You go from having nothing to a house. However, you still have to finish the walls, pick paint and wallpaper, and furnish the house before you can sell it. It’s the same with NaNoWriMo, but how many people sit around saying “I really want to write a book someday”? Well, NaNoWriMo is that chance.
Well, consider me jealous of your stick-to-it-iveness. I read the first chapter of “Inked” (Editor’s Note: available free here) and I’m compelled to continue on. How will your next work differ from “Inked”? Are you going to stick with similar subject matter or take us someplace totally different?
Thank you! I’m glad the first chapter was intriguing enough to continue on! My current project is a bit different from “Inked” in the fact that, for one thing, I’m writing from a male character’s point of view, and instead of tackling one person’s struggle for identity in current America I’m dealing with a whole household of diverse people as they try to find themselves. I’ve also made a personal pledge to have a few more moments of levity while still tackling some heavy themes, such as modern relationships, drug-use and modern family, because well, sometimes you have to laugh at life, right?
Starting with the assumption that millions of people will read this interview and click over to buy your book, where should they go to do so?
Of course, that’s always the assumption in the digital age of the internet.
The best place to purchase my book is directly from my publishing press and the store can be accessed on my site but it’s also available on Amazon. Or, I’ll have some available for purchase at the reading on November 6th (Editor’s Note: see bottom of this post for more details on the reading). I’m also working on getting it into some independent bookstores in the Seattle area soon.
Thanks again for talking to me. I know you’ve got a really busy month ahead of you and I want to make sure you get your real work done. I’d love to check in in early December and see how things went for you and the other folks you’re helping with NaNoWriMo.
This was a lot of fun, thank you for talking with me. Oh and definitely feel free to check back with me. It’s a really fun journey, and I’d love to let you know where it ends up.
Links:
- Renda Dodge’s website: You can read the first chapter of “Inked,” find out what she’s up to, and buy her book right there!
- Renda Dodge’s blog
- “Inked” on Amazon.com
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
FYI: You heard her mention her reading but if you’d like a chance to hear Renda read from “Inked”, she’ll be reading at The Hugo House on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 8PM. Please show up and support Renda’s hard work for her readers and the local art community!
Don't miss this reading!
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