Happy Halloween to all you ghouls and goblins!
While all the super heroes, zombies, and princesses roam the town in a sugar induced rampage, writers across the world are in full panic mode. The fear has little to do with the horror movie marathons on television. Today, the fear is real; the looming fear today is that of a blank page.
Halloween is the calm before the storm. Halloween is NaNoWriMo Eve.
For those not familiar with National Novel Writing Month (referred to as NaNoWriMo), is a quest to write 50,000 words in a new novel during the month of November. The goal is to write as many words in 30 days as possible with the hopes of those words becoming the first draft of a novel manuscript.
I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo several times in the past but decided not to do it this year. I’ll still be writing though, focusing on my current manuscript. For those who are braving the madness, whether an old pro or a NaNo Novice, here are a few things I’ve learned from my experiences.
- It’s a sprint, not a marathon – Unlike the process of seeing a novel through from concept to publication, NaNoWriMo is about writing as many words as possible in 30 days. They don’t have to be good words. First drafts are messy, so focus on word count, not quality..
- Write when you can – Writing time is hard to come by some days. It’s always best to schedule a chunk of time to write, but we know that things sometimes come up that are out of our control. Take advantage of any spare time you can find. I used my lunch break at work to get in an extra 30 minutes of writing. Other people I know used the time when their toddlers were napping. The goal is 1667 words a day, but trying to get ahead early will help stay on target.
- Stock up on supplies – Once November hits, you’ll want to spend your time writing, not prepping your work area. Be sure to have the supplies you’ll need – notebooks, pens, laptop charger cord, etc…. In addition to office supplies, many writers work best under the influence of caffeine. Stock up on your favorite caffeinated beverages (or wine for those that go that route), along with any snack foods you might want. If you want music in the background, set up a playlist ahead of time so you’ll have favorite songs at your fingertips.
- Let others know what you’re doing – November is a busy month.Thanksgiving. Starting Christmas shopping, Kids with end of semester projects looming. you need to let others know you are not available to help with those last minute holiday planning committees. If you let your family and friends know you are serious about completing the NaNoWriMo challenge, they will (hopefully) respect your time. Unless there’s some sort of emergency, or a zombie invasion, it’s okay to say no to activities or requests that may come your way.
- Understand it doesn’t have to be perfect – Remember, this is a first draft, a first attempt at putting words together to form a story. Whether you’ve planned out your narrative and have full character sketches or you are employing the wing-it method, don’t get caught up in wondering if your story is going where you thought it would. Just get it written. You can always go back and fix plot holes later.
Good luck to all you NaNoWriMo participants! Whether you’re using this month to jumpstart the novel that’s been trapped in your head for years, or you’re using this month as a chance to practice writing in general, you are to be commended. Writing is hard. Writing with a deadline is even harder.
**** Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? If so, what advice would you give to those trying it for the first time? If you haven’t participated, what has held you back from doing so?
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