Also known as self torture...just joking! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which has been claimed in in the virtual world by NaNoWriMo .Org and I'm participating again this year!
This yearly event has helped me go from "Maybe one day I'll be a writer..." to "I'm actually writing a novel." The community this event has created continues to teach me new techniques, show the process of how writing actually happens, introduce me to the publishing side of writing, and encourage me by revealing that I'm not alone.
Most of all, it's taught me how to write a novel. Please, join us and make your novel happen! This event has helped me and others write a novel in 30 days. Maybe it'll work for you, too.
> Celebrate when you reach mini-goals and the ultimate goal
The point is: there's no secret to writing a novel. Everyone does it differently. I use NaNoWriMo as learning source and community. You won't know what you need or what habits or challenges are blocking your novel until you try to write one.
1. I have all the food and snacks ready when I'm able to grab said food.
2. I purchase new coffees and teas to keep it interesting.
3. I put my inner editor/critic in the closet and don't let it out until December (the editing phase).
4. I set a schedule. You can't complete something you never set time for.
5. Plan chores. Something about setting a goal to write 50,000 words in 30 days suddenly makes cleaning out every closet sound like a good idea.
6. Create a writing playlist! <<<< super important. If you don't do this, you'll end up browsing through 1000s of songs hunting for "the right song" to avoid writing.
7. Plan. I'm a bit a planner when it comes to writing - especially my big stories. I jot down a plot outline, a few key notes, and last minute ideas.
8. Pick out a name list. I create a huge list of names ahead of time to draw from for those characters I didn't (or could not) plan for. I've learned (thanks to this event) that I get hung up on names during the writing process. It helps to have a pre-made list of story appropriate names. Last year I got so frustrated that I just used random names like "Sea", "Angry Guy", and "Dirt" as names...
I tend to be on Twitter during my writing times, so that's the best place to track my progress. :) Me on Twitter
This yearly event has helped me go from "Maybe one day I'll be a writer..." to "I'm actually writing a novel." The community this event has created continues to teach me new techniques, show the process of how writing actually happens, introduce me to the publishing side of writing, and encourage me by revealing that I'm not alone.
Most of all, it's taught me how to write a novel. Please, join us and make your novel happen! This event has helped me and others write a novel in 30 days. Maybe it'll work for you, too.
Keys to Unlocking Your Novel
Silence the inner editor, set a goal, and then schedule a daily routine to reach that goal. A novel doesn't write itself. You don't have to be prefect at grammar or spelling. The process of correcting mistakes happens after you write the thing. You can't fix mistakes until you make them!
> Put away your inner critic
> Set a goal
> Set mini-goals
> Schedule time in your life to reach that goal
> Prepare for this goal> Celebrate when you reach mini-goals and the ultimate goal
The point is: there's no secret to writing a novel. Everyone does it differently. I use NaNoWriMo as learning source and community. You won't know what you need or what habits or challenges are blocking your novel until you try to write one.
How I am preparing for writing a novel in 30 days:
1. I have all the food and snacks ready when I'm able to grab said food.
2. I purchase new coffees and teas to keep it interesting.
3. I put my inner editor/critic in the closet and don't let it out until December (the editing phase).
4. I set a schedule. You can't complete something you never set time for.
5. Plan chores. Something about setting a goal to write 50,000 words in 30 days suddenly makes cleaning out every closet sound like a good idea.
6. Create a writing playlist! <<<< super important. If you don't do this, you'll end up browsing through 1000s of songs hunting for "the right song" to avoid writing.
7. Plan. I'm a bit a planner when it comes to writing - especially my big stories. I jot down a plot outline, a few key notes, and last minute ideas.
8. Pick out a name list. I create a huge list of names ahead of time to draw from for those characters I didn't (or could not) plan for. I've learned (thanks to this event) that I get hung up on names during the writing process. It helps to have a pre-made list of story appropriate names. Last year I got so frustrated that I just used random names like "Sea", "Angry Guy", and "Dirt" as names...
Write with me
I tend to be on Twitter during my writing times, so that's the best place to track my progress. :) Me on Twitter
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