Four Simple NaNoWriMo Prep Tips
Four Simple Tips :
It’s time again! November is National Novel Writing Month. So dust of those manuscript plot ideas, grab a pen and paper, and get started!
Um…
But how? How does one go about the task of writing 50,000 words in a single month?! Especially, November. Uh, ever hear of Thanksgiving? How can anyone get work done while stuffed with turkey?!
I’m going to tell you. :) As someone who loves NaNoWriMo, and successfully participated in it for many years, I’m going to share four simple tips that work for me.
Have a sensible timeline. Key word: Sensible. The first year, I decided to write everyday. I broke that promise the first weekend. The key to pacing out this month long marathon is time management, according to your own realistic expectations. If you don’t want to write the week of Thanksgiving, don’t. Just make up those words some other time. Get a calendar, post is someplace you can see from your desk, and keep track of your progress.
Gather a support system. This website is perfect for such a task. Not only can you track your success and receive a printable certificate when you complete your work, but you can connect with other NaNos and cheer each other on.
Have your plot outlined. There are outliners and there are pantsers within the writing world. Those who write out the details of their manuscripts, the chapters, each individual scene, all before beginning their manuscript are outliners. And then there are people who sit down in front of their computer and let the creative juices flow, no outline at hand. As you can guess, these are the pantsers. For this particular experience, I’d recommend adopting the outliner’s approach, especially if this is your first novel. Knowing how the book progresses will save a lot of time.
Have fun!! Turn off that inner editor and simply sit back and let the creativity bolt through your fingertips. You got this!
Getting started is always the hardest. But you can do this! Take it one day and one word at a time. And when it’s all done, come back here and comment below! Let me know how it went!
(Since I’ll be participating, I won’t be blogging during November. )
