Every November, thousands of crazy people attempt to write a 50,000 words of a novel in just 30 days. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) has taken place for 20 years now. If you’re here, either you’re curious about what the heck NaNoWriMo means, or, like me, you’re one of those fanatical writers who plans to take part in it.
Last year, I completed my first novel during NaNoWriMo. I’ve tried writing novels my entire life (I’ve started dozens of them–no exaggeration), but three things usually happen:
a) I get bored of the story before writing it.
b) I lack direction with myself and with the story (i.e., no goals, no outline).
c) I don’t work on the story consistently enough and have to reread everything before I can continue.
Does this sound like you at all?
Last year, it occurred to me that I could do it. I could actually write a novel. I could write at least 1666.666 words/day if it were interesting enough to me.
I did lots of prep on a story, and then at the last minute, I changed my mind on what I was going to write. I wish I’d had more time to prepare the novel I wrote because now it needs a ton of work, but I don’t regret participating in NaNoWriMo at all. I had a blast, and 100% recommend you join with the thousands of other crazies who write a novel in one month. However, I highly recommend preparing ahead of time to make the best of your November.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for NaNoWriMo 2019 (and avoid some of the mistakes I made!):
Get In the Right Mindset
Writing a novel in 30 days isn’t going to be easy, but completing this challenge will bring such a sense of fulfillment (I’m guessing…if it doesn’t, it should!). Thousands of people have participated in NaNoWriMo and completed a draft of a novel. You can too!
Don’t start NaNoWriMo thinking you might complete the 50,000 words; set the expectation that you absolutely will.
When it gets tough or you experience writer’s block, try moving on to the next chapter or scene.
It may help to remember that this is just a first draft, not a perfect, publishable novel.
Some people worry that writers who participate in NaNoWriMo think their novel will be ready for the press at the end of the 30 days. I went into November knowing that what I was writing would not be complete, but it’s probably good to continually whisper aloud:
This is just a first draft.
Keeping this in mind also helped me remember that my draft didn’t have to be perfect. For my first NaNoWriMo, I wrote my draft and didn’t look back until I finished it. This is so hard for me. The backspace button is my best friend, but also my worst enemy. I know I’m not the only writer who has a hard time letting less than perfect words sit in a document without fixing them.
Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper
Get Support
When I first thought of participating in NaNoWriMo, I knew I needed to talk to my husband. Whenever I have a goal or something I want to accomplish, his support is vital because our lives are so intertwined.
Whose support can you get? Who will cheer you on and remind you that you can do this? Don’t just keep it to yourself, thinking that people will think you’re crazy for trying to write a rough draft of a novel in a month. Talk to the people who will be your greatest support.
Learn About Your Characters
Not knowing my characters well enough has resulted in problems in the past. Can you relate? If you know your characters, it will help you write a lot quicker and more smoothly.
These two posts provide excellent ideas for developing strong characters:
33 Ways to Write Stronger Characters
How to Define Your Character’s Unique Voice
Outline Your NaNoWriMo 2019 Novel
Maybe you’re like me and you like writing by the seat of your pants (or you’re a “pantser” as writers like us are sometimes called). I mentioned that last year I changed my mind about the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo at the last minute. I’d had an outline for my original story but didn’t have one for my new idea. Although I don’t regret writing my novel, I really wish I’d had a detailed outline. There were some mornings that I just had to start typing mumbo-jumbo because I wasn’t sure what was happening next.
If you’re anything like me, you may think that outlining takes the joy out of writing, but I promise it will help you win NaNoWriMo! Even if you create a super simple outline, you’ll be grateful when you’re able to whip out your 1,666 words without wondering what to write next.
This blog post describes four different methods of outlining. If you decide to outline your novel, pick a method that suits you and your story best.
Outline Your NaNoWriMo 2019 Novel
Maybe you’re like me and you like writing by the seat of your pants (or you’re a “pantser” as writers like us are sometimes called). I mentioned that last year I changed my mind about the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo at the last minute. I’d had an outline for my original story but didn’t have one for my new idea. Although I don’t regret writing my novel, I really wish I’d had a detailed outline. There were some mornings that I just had to start typing mumbo-jumbo because I wasn’t sure what was happening next.
If you’re anything like me, you may think that outlining takes the joy out of writing, but I promise it will help you win NaNoWriMo! Even if you create a super simple outline, you’ll be grateful when you’re able to whip out your 1,666 words without wondering what to write next.
This blog post describes four different methods of outlining. If you decide to outline your novel, pick a method that suits you and your story best.
I also compiled 21 resources to help you with NaNoWriMo prep! I have links to blog posts and books on everything from brainstorming to plot structure and everything in between.
Read For Inspiration
Nothing teaches or inspires me to write well like a good book. As a busy mama, I don’t read as much as I would like to, but I plan to cram as many novels into my life as I possibly can before NaNoWriMo 2019 begins.
I also plan to sneak in some writing books. One of my favorites is Bird by Bird (which I quoted above). I’d highly recommend checking it out, along with 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter. I read this book last year, and it was simple but helpful.
What book(s) would inspire you? Is there anything in your chosen genre that you already know you love or something that you’ve wanted to read?
Come Up With A Plan
If you write every single day of November, you’ll need to whip out approximately 1667 words each day.
But November can be a busy month. Will you be able to write every day? How can you plan so that nothing gets in the way of accomplishing your goal?
I don’t write on Sundays, but last year, it wasn’t hard to increase my writing amount every other day to make up for that.
If you don’t already write regularly, try to come up with a time of the day when it will be easiest for you to write as much as you possibly can.
Do you think you could get all of your writing done in one sitting, or would it be better for you to split it up in a couple of sessions?
I would love to hear about your NaNoWriMo plans and journey! Describe your novel in the comments below! Visit me at @thehopefulwriterblog Instagram so we can share our NaNoWriMo progress.
