from Mary
November is here! How did that happen so fast? One minute, I'm wearing a t-shirt and shorts and all of a sudden BOOM, the long thermal underwear has to come out.
For many writers, the beginning of November means Challenge. Sleepless Nights. Astronomical Word Counts. NANOWRIMO! It's the month of writing fast. Furiously churning out words and crazy ideas during the annual sensation, National Novel Writing Month.
Author Chris Baty instigated, er, invented NaNoWriMo after realizing that he accomplished more, and was more creative, when writing an extremely fast first draft on the fly. Now, hundreds of thousands of writers all over the world also challenge themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Not a perfect novel, but one that can be molded and edited. After November.
I love his book NO PLOT? NO PROBLEM which is a fantastic guide for NanoWrimo or anytime. It is hilarious and Baty is a great writing coach. I highly recommend it.
Many people find that by writing fast without stopping, new and more interesting ideas occur to them than when they pause, think about an idea or a description, then think some more, etc. Others find that writing fast makes their writing better also.
To capture your ideas, you can carry a notebook everywhere you go and jot down a sentence here, a sentence there. Scene descriptions. A bit of dialogue. Whatever comes to you.
I have my iPad with me all the time, so I like the Novel in 30 Days app which, while designed for NanoWrimoers, can be used anytime.
It helps keep you on track with your word count and has uplifting quotes on writing to keep your spirits up. The same company has a similar app for your phone called My Writing Spot.
So funny! I love this pic from elizabethbriggs.net. That's exactly how I feel sometimes. :)
If you're not a panster (fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer), you can still get in on the NaNo fun by creating an outline or even a partial list of scenes ahead of time. That way, you have a prompt whenever you find those few minutes here and there to write.
So true, Boromir. At the end of the day, you do want tons of words for your count, but you also need them to (mostly) make sense and be in the form of a story.
If an outline sounds daunting, here are two books I recommend that will help you get your ideas organized and your imagination sparking. Both are straight to the point. Both will get you up and running very quickly.
WRITE YOUR NOVEL FROM THE MIDDLE is a short book that will rock your world. Mr. Bell shows how to take your theme or important story elements and find the story you're wanting to tell. Fantastic book.
SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS by Todd Klick is written for screenwriters. Its subtitle says it all - A Minute-By-Minute Breakdown Of Successful Movies. Essentially, the book gives you an outline using examples from famous movies.
So even if you're starting NaNoWriMo a little late, you can jump in there and get that book you've been wanting to write on the road.
For group support, the official site is nanowrimo.org. Plus, you can find many sites with tips and tricks all over the web. There's even a NaNo Facebook page.
If you're a former NaNoWriMo participant, share a tip or two for others who might be trying it for the first time.
Good Luck to all!
I forgot to mention a good website, writesmarternotharder.com. Each day, there's a new post and video with ideas to strengthen your plot.
Posted by: Mary S. | November 02, 2014 at 03:41 PM