Ready to Write
November is National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, as promoted at nanowrimo.org. That means that October has been NaNo Prep month!
For the last several years I have been participating in the writing adventure. I prepare outlines and inspiration boards. I do research and take notes. I revise my outlines. I clean my desk. I tell everyone that I love that I’ll see them again in December.
The trick of writing 50,000 words in 30 days is simply to write. Make the time—set aside a segment of every single day—and write. Write like the wind. Write as though your life (or income) depended on it. Write like nobody is reading. Write like… whatever it is that will get you motivated to write. No one will take your writing more seriously than you do. When you get real about it, others will, too.
Make a pact with your family and friends so that they help you write, not distract you from your task. Wear a “do not disturb” hat. Send them out for a day at the park or pizza. Offer them a “walk-on” role in your novel, or at least a shout-out in the dedication. Let them know how much it means to you. Tell them what writing your story feels like.
When it comes down to the end, though, don’t stress about not making 50K by November 30. Just do your best. And if you need another week to finish, take it. The deadline is there for motivation, but even if you do reach your goal—DON”T send your novel to be published December 1st. Do your editing. Make it right, make it clean, make it beautiful. Make it a quality product that on which you’ll be proud to have your name for years to come.
Sign up and participate. You’ll be glad you did. The rewards are amazing—nothing monetary, unless you pursue it—but the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction are better than cash, anyway. Be my buddy on NaNoWriMo (Kim Black)!
Te help me with my character profiles (especially for a series of novels that I’m working on) I developed a workbook to keep everybody straight. It turned out pretty nice, so I have made it available on amazon. Have a look!
Happy writing!