Barri Bumgarner

Photo courtesy of Barri Bumgarner

By Chelsea Goodwin
Barri Bumgarner, author of “Dregs,” “Slipping,” and other works, is a second-time participant of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. A former English teacher in Louisiana, Mo., Bumgarner is now pursuing a Ph.D. in English at MU. Bumgarner has also served as president of the Columbia chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild.

Q: How do you go about organizing your thoughts and ideas when writing?

A: On the computer, I create individual folders for each of my stories. In each is a “novel notes” page, which includes information about the characters. The rest of the folders include grouped chapters. I don’t outline fiction because I feel it constricts my characters. I want my characters to tell me where they’re going.

Q: How do you manage to cope with writer’s block?

A: Any time I feel I can’t get started, I free write. It’s just rambling, basically. From there, I try to make my free writing relate to a character I’m working on. It helps me get into his head. For the book I’m working on now, “Playing the Line,” I ask myself, what would Charlie do?

Q: How long have you been doing NaNoWriMo?

A: Last year was the first time. I wanted to do it the year before that, but I had just released a book, so I wasn’t in the position to do it.

Q: Did you feel any restrictions trying to write 50,000 words in one month?

A: It’s not a lot of words to me. I was already averaging 75,000 a month. But it does make it fun to try and hit a goal like that.

Q: What did you write about last year?

A: About a third of my book, “Playing the Line.” I realized during the competition that the story would end up being really, really long. It’s about 300 pages long now, and it should be around 600. My publisher doesn’t really want to print anything over 500, so it will require editing! A lot of books are really long these days, though, like Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter! It made reading cool. J.K. Rowling did for reading what the Beatles did for music. She’s one of those people that creates a frenzy wherever she goes.

Q: Do you want to have that sort of fame as an author?

A: Oh yeah, totally. I want to be commercially successful. I’m not sure I want to be the J.K. Rowling-type where I can’t go out in public, but I would like to have a taste of it.

Q: So back to NaNoWriMo. What makes it different from writing a novel?

A: You feel motivated in such a different way. You get competitive with people you know are doing it, and it becomes a matter of pride. You just get so into it. I usually do my own writing on Mondays and Wednesdays. Life tends to get in the way, but NaNoWriMo compensates for that. It makes you work harder to find the time to write.

Q: Is there anything you’ve got to have when working on a story?

A: Coffee or Diet Coke. I’m a caffinated writer. I feel incomplete without it.

Q: What advice would you give first-time participants?

A: Budget your time. Think about when you do and don’t have time to write. There are only 30 days and 50,000 words, so you need to write at least 2,000 each day. If there are days you don’t plan to write, organize how you will divide your work. And just write. Don’t worry about quality. That’s what the revision and editing part of NaNoWriMo is for. I really enjoy the revision process. That’s the English teacher in me, I guess.

Q: What are some places you can go to for literary inspiration?

A: I think we forget to let the everyday things inspire us. I went to France and saw the most beautiful sunsets. We have them in Missouri too, but people don’t notice them. We take things for granted. You don’t always have to go somewhere for inspiration. It’s all around us.

Q: Anything else?

A: NaNoWriMo is a great launching place for someone who wants to take writing more seriously. And not only do you build a writing-self, but a writing community. I’ve met 15 authors in Columbia I wouldn’t have known existed if it weren’t for this competition.