It’s that time of year again. What time am I talking about you may ask? No, I don’t mean Thanksgiving or Christmas, I’m talking about NaNoWriMo. It’s the time of year where writers from all over gather in coffee shops, cafes, book stores, libraries, and all manner of other weird places. They’ll sit with their laptops open and shoulders hunched writing furiously while consuming gallons of caffeinated beverages. If you don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it happens every November. The goal: to write 50,000 words, which for many, is the first draft of an entire novel. Oh yeah, you’re supposed to do this in 30 days.
I’ve participated in the challenge for the past five years. During those years, is when I managed to get out enough words to complete my first novel, Gallery of Lies. The first time I participated in NaNoWriMo, I sat home recovering from a minor surgery with lots of time on my hands. I didn’t complete the 50,000-word challenge, but I did write over 20,000 words. As some would say, I didn’t technically “win,” nor did I fail because I had made tremendous progress.
Subsequently, in other years, I have used NaNoWriMo to revise and edit a draft. So during October, I’m prepping for NaNoWriMo. If I get my acts together (pun intended) this year, I can finish my first draft of my next book.
Here are some things I’m doing for Nano prep:
- Character profiles- Some people hate this exercise. I find that creating a character backstory, including talents, weaknesses, and personality flaws for each character makes it easier to visualize them when you’re in the writing zone.
- Plot outline- I’m not a detailed outliner, but I’m no longer a complete pantser. I want to have an overview of where the plot of the book will end up. This is especially important since I plan for this book to be the first of a series.
- Create a writing schedule- I won’t be able to write the 1,667 words every day to reach my goal because of a vacation and visiting family. So, I need to determine which days I will have to increase my word count to be successful.
- Declare my intentions – Accountability is a big part of achieving some bit of success with the mission. I will make my declaration of my project on the Nanowrimo.org website and other social media outlets. Once I put it in the atmosphere and create a mock-up cover, I’m officially in. There’s no turning back.
- Map out locations to write- I suck at writing at home. Fortunately for the Nano community, many people host write-ins at different places where like-minded crazed writers can meet up and write together.
You can officially join the challenge and find your local tribe by creating a profile on Nanowrimo.org. Once you’re there, request me as a buddy (user name EmpressLolah). Let me know what you’re doing for NaNoWriMo prep.
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