I won’t be doing NaNoWriMo this year; I have too many projects to be able to take on another, sadly. But if you’re getting ready for the big event we’ve got some writing tips to help.
What’s NaNoWriMo?
If you’re not familiar with NaNoWriMo, it’s National Novel Writing Month. Totally free to enter; hundreds of thousands of authors take part each year.
When your writing just won’t flow, you’ve lost your connection to your creative self. Make a word list. Any words you choose. Just list them across the page. Keep going, until you’re inspired to write a sentence.
You will be inspired… keep listing words. Your words don’t need to have any connection to your novel. This is a simple trick, and it works.
Relax. Start writing slowly. See how you feel. Over the course of the first week, you should be building a rhythm. If you only manage to write 400 words on Day 1, that’s OK. You will make it up later.
Starting a novel is hard work, much harder than working on your novel as the days pass. Be satisfied with a low word count initially, because your story is taking shape.
After November: here’s how to get your novel ready
By the time you reach the NaNoWriMo finishing line at the end of November, you’ll have the basics of a novel.
The real work kicks in now.
Schedule time to revise and edit your novel, so that you can set the seal on your hard work. In After Nanowrimo: 5 Ways To Sell Your Novel, we looked at tips which will help you to sell, including traditional publishing:
The big benefit of going the literary agent/ traditional publishing house route is that everything (except marketing) is done for you. You get an editor and a copyeditor. Your book’s cover and formatting are done for you, as are paper editions, and audio editions.
Make NaNoWriMo work for you
In our writers’ group, a couple of new novelists have been suffering the “what ifs…” about NaNoWriMo.
What if they can’t finish?
What if they hate their novel?
What if it’s a mess when they’re done…
None of these fears matter: none.
No word you write is ever wasted. If it’s your dream to be a published author, NaNoWriMo can be a wonderful first step — “winning” by completing your stint is wonderful, but so is trying.
Enjoy November, whether or not you tackle NaNoWriMo.
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Although he's a prize on the Marriage Mart, wealthy and twice-widowed Lord Delmere thinks that nothing could ever tempt him to marry again. Until he meets the lovely Lady Kingston.
Henry (Henrietta) Eardley makes a huge mistake. Then she makes it worse. She's never known a man like Lord Devernwood, and he's never met a woman like her.
Julia doesn't know whether to be amused or angry when Lord Lyneham decides to find her a husband. He and Julia's cousin take charge of Julia's fortunes. Suddenly, Julia's an heiress and her life changes.
1 thought on “NaNoWriMo: Make November Your Best Fiction Writing Month”
I wanted to reply to thank you for your advice here and in other posts. You’ve given me a new way to look at beginning and continuing the things I’m working on.
I wanted to reply to thank you for your advice here and in other posts. You’ve given me a new way to look at beginning and continuing the things I’m working on.
Thanks again!