(I'm cross posting this from Castles & Guns.)
This week, I've been getting ready for an intense experience know as none other than... National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short). For those who might not know, it's a month long writing event where you aim to write 50,000 words by the end of November. It begins November 1st, and you have a daily goal of at least 1,667 words. This year will be my sixth year/win. I know, I'm so humble. haha
Preparing is even more important to me this year than previously since I usually give myself November and then finish up my novel in December, but this year, I'm going to Europe for Christmas to spend time with hubby's family. So I'll only have a month and a half for my novel to get done before the end of the year (because I'm a sadist obviously), and I'll have to write quicker than I ever have.
Anyways, the meat of how I'm preparing.
1. First things first, I've let my family and friends know that I will be participating in NaNo. By now, they know how important it is to me, so I'll have their support throughout the month. They'll be there to cheer me on, but also, it shows them that I have set a priority on my writing.
2. I've taken care of (and am finishing up) things that could tie up my time during November and other writing projects are being placed on the back burner while I work on this new novel. Anything that isn't urgent or pressing has been dealt with. I've mostly gotten caught up on my favorite shows, too. That way my obsessions won't take up my time. lol
3. Figuring out what I'm going to work on for NaNo. With the amount of words needed to be written in the span of only thirty days, I always figure out what my novel is going to be about and (some years) outline it accordingly. Now, I'm not the type of person to write fifty page intensive outlines, but I do like to have a road map of getting from Point A to Point B. That way, I have a sense of direction, but there's a lot of options still open. It's still an adventure.
4. Cleaning my desk. Yes, I know. It should be something I keep tidy on a normal day, but with NaNo here... I'll need a place for my story notes, my character list, and my favorite caffeinated beverage, Coke.
5. Lastly, I'm kicking my internal editor to the curb. Recently, I've been doing a decent amount of editing, so the internal editor is strong. I've been doing more reading to try to cage it, and come November 1st, it's not going to be let out. It's important to keep a decent speed with writing during NaNo. If not, it can be easy to run into barriers that you can't figure out how to get around. I've noticed that when I am going quickly enough, that my brain helps me figure these things out instead of crossing her arms and refusing to help.
Anyways! That's what I'm doing this year. I hope it gave ideas of ways to make this year a winner if you're participating in NaNoWriMo! Each week in November, I'll blog my journey and share struggles and how things are going. Are you doing NaNo this year? What are you doing or have done in preparation?
The official National Novel Writing Month website.http://www.nanowrimo.org/
More Tips for NaNo.
http://www.writersdigest.com/article/november-is-national-novel-writing-month/
This week, I've been getting ready for an intense experience know as none other than... National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short). For those who might not know, it's a month long writing event where you aim to write 50,000 words by the end of November. It begins November 1st, and you have a daily goal of at least 1,667 words. This year will be my sixth year/win. I know, I'm so humble. haha
Preparing is even more important to me this year than previously since I usually give myself November and then finish up my novel in December, but this year, I'm going to Europe for Christmas to spend time with hubby's family. So I'll only have a month and a half for my novel to get done before the end of the year (because I'm a sadist obviously), and I'll have to write quicker than I ever have.
Anyways, the meat of how I'm preparing.
1. First things first, I've let my family and friends know that I will be participating in NaNo. By now, they know how important it is to me, so I'll have their support throughout the month. They'll be there to cheer me on, but also, it shows them that I have set a priority on my writing.
2. I've taken care of (and am finishing up) things that could tie up my time during November and other writing projects are being placed on the back burner while I work on this new novel. Anything that isn't urgent or pressing has been dealt with. I've mostly gotten caught up on my favorite shows, too. That way my obsessions won't take up my time. lol
3. Figuring out what I'm going to work on for NaNo. With the amount of words needed to be written in the span of only thirty days, I always figure out what my novel is going to be about and (some years) outline it accordingly. Now, I'm not the type of person to write fifty page intensive outlines, but I do like to have a road map of getting from Point A to Point B. That way, I have a sense of direction, but there's a lot of options still open. It's still an adventure.
4. Cleaning my desk. Yes, I know. It should be something I keep tidy on a normal day, but with NaNo here... I'll need a place for my story notes, my character list, and my favorite caffeinated beverage, Coke.
5. Lastly, I'm kicking my internal editor to the curb. Recently, I've been doing a decent amount of editing, so the internal editor is strong. I've been doing more reading to try to cage it, and come November 1st, it's not going to be let out. It's important to keep a decent speed with writing during NaNo. If not, it can be easy to run into barriers that you can't figure out how to get around. I've noticed that when I am going quickly enough, that my brain helps me figure these things out instead of crossing her arms and refusing to help.
Anyways! That's what I'm doing this year. I hope it gave ideas of ways to make this year a winner if you're participating in NaNoWriMo! Each week in November, I'll blog my journey and share struggles and how things are going. Are you doing NaNo this year? What are you doing or have done in preparation?
The official National Novel Writing Month website.http://www.nanowrimo.org/
More Tips for NaNo.
http://www.writersdigest.com/article/november-is-national-novel-writing-month/
