Setting, time, place, charting any sci-fi or fantastical elements.Names, backstory, motivations, archetypes. ![]() What kinds of things can you prepare in advance? Outlining where you’re headed is critical when you’re writing on such a fast pace, even if you’d normally never do so! Look at this as an opportunity to develop a new writing skill in terms of organizing and doing prep work. Yes, this applies even if you’re normally a pantser-believe me, your novel will have plenty of opportunities to surprise you during NaNoWriMo. You’ll need to focus on hitting your word count when the writing challenge begins, so do the work of getting your ducks in a row before November, or else plan to take the first 2-3 days of the month to get oriented to your novel. You just can’t start writing the actual narrative until then. That’s not breaking the rules-you’re not cheating by outlining and creating character maps, inspiration boards, etc. ![]() ![]() The timer for NaNoWriMo starts at midnight on November 1-but that doesn’t mean that you can’t prep for it in advance.Ī lot of the work of writing a novel actually happens before you write the first word of prose. After November, you can keep up that momentum and use the newfound time to edit your book or write another one! Do Your Pre-Writing Work Some NaNoers have found that November is a great time to teach their families to contribute more around the house by being clear about the need to write and treating NaNo like a job or other key responsibility, they’re able to get other members of the household to contribute more. Let your family know they’ll have to take on more for themselves this month-you might not be packing all the lunches, walking the dog, and vacuuming everything every day. Let your coworkers know that you won’t be joining them for lunch most days, but make plans to stay engaged. Let them know that you may not be available as much as usual, and that you’ll need more advance warning of events and activities that they want you to participate in.Īt work, try to plan ahead so that you have extra lead time for crucial projects and don’t drop the ball because you’re busy thinking about and writing your novel. Have a frank discussion with your family, close friends, and maybe even your boss or coworkers about what you’re planning. Prepping to do NaNo the right way isn’t just a matter of getting your space set up-you’ll also need to prepare the people in your life for the challenge you’re about to undertake. It’ll help you get more done! Prepare Your People If possible, set up a dedicated writing nook so that you can psychologically get into the mindset to focus on your writing whenever you go there. Try to find a calm, quiet place to do your writing. Review these great stretches for writers and take the time to use them every hour or so, or when you start and finish a writing session. Set up your computer so that you have good ergonomics and aren’t risking carpal tunnel syndrome or other issues from typing so much in a harmful way. In the interest of speed, most NaNoers choose to type their manuscripts-there are a few brave souls who write longhand, but not many. Where will you write? How will you write?ĭecide this now, before November gets into full swing, and you’ll be setting yourself up for success. ![]() You’re not likely to succeed if you don’t spend a little time getting ready first. You could be if you plan well set yourself up for victory!Īny major undertaking requires prep work, and NaNoWriMo is no exception. There’s something about setting a deadline and setting big goals that can get you extra motivated to actually take action and succeed. You just think differently about how to write your novel in 30 days than you would thinking about how to write your novel “someday” or over the period of a few years. The goal of NaNoWriMo is for each participant to write their 50,000+ word novel between November 1-30.Īgain, I love the idea of this goal because it makes you set your aim high. All you have to do is sit down and write. You can sign up on the official website to participate, but you’re not required to. So, if you’re interested learning how to write a novel or just want to experiment and see how much you can write during this year’s NaNoWriMo event, I highly recommend you give it a shot. I believe NaNoWriMo is one of the best things that has ever happened to novelists and aspiring novelists because it gives you a clear deadline, an immense challenge, and the inspiration and support to help you overcome every excuse you’ve ever had for not writing your book. NaNoWriMo is a global phenomenon that has inspired millions of aspiring and established authors to say goodbye to writer’s block and finally write their novel-in just the 1 month of November.
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