How to Survive National Novel Writing Month
Care about what you write., Sleep., Ask your friends for advice., Find inspiration everywhere., Bounce ideas off each other when you’re supposed to be writing down your plot., Have music playing in the background., Close the door., Use the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Care about what you write.
Even if you don’t hit your word count, having 40,000 words that are well written and don’t need another month to edit is much better that getting stuck with 50,000 words that don’t even make sense.
Speed is your friend.
Time is your enemy, so type fast.
As much as you want to slam the laptop down on the person who seems to write at the speed of light, don’t.
Just laugh at the look on their face at the end of the month, when they’re realising just how much editing lies before them.
But don't take yourself too seriously, especially if you're writing for the first time.
Fifty thousand words is a lot to write in one month, and it will be easier to do if you're having fun and not editing as you go. -
Step 2: Sleep.
Sleep is good, it’s about the only break you get, and prevents you from writing incomprehensible drivel. , Something you may think is an awesome idea, (for example a half squirrel half leprechaun character) may not seem so awesome to normal people. , Would your quirky, eye-contact-challenged driving instructor make a good basis for a character in your book? Quiet writing periods of 30 minutes followed by 40 minutes of doing nothing (i.e. eating and playing solitaire) are actually a good thing.
Better than 10 minutes of writing and an hour doing nothing. , You may not end up with a plot written down, but you’ll get the whole book figured out, down to the size of your character’s shoes.
It's ok to think up the plot as you go, rather than charting the whole course ahead of time.
If you take this approach to writing, you should still look ahead a little ways.
As you get more practice, you will learn what approaches work best for you in terms of balancing spontaneity and having fun. , Although we don’t recommend catchy tunes, as you may abandon your book to have a mad dancing fest.
Though this may relieve tension when you feel like punching your computer, stick to movie soundtracks, as they work for scenes a lot better. , Having anyone else reading over your shoulder or just being curious can dampen your creative process considerably.
Tell them you'll talk about it in December.
Other people can also be distractions to your writing. , No, not for Facebook, or for other inappropriate things, but use it to research the background of your story to make it more plausible.
Find out the climate, what the people are like, what myths they have.
You may be surprised.
Not falling off your chair surprised, but at least an eyes open wide tongue hanging out surprised. , In it, jot down all of your ideas and thoughts, however random. , You may also want to refer to your list in future years to avoid past mistakes. -
Step 3: Ask your friends for advice.
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Step 4: Find inspiration everywhere.
-
Step 5: Bounce ideas off each other when you’re supposed to be writing down your plot.
-
Step 6: Have music playing in the background.
-
Step 7: Close the door.
-
Step 8: Use the internet.
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Step 9: Have one mad piece of paper or notebook that is incomprehensible to the outside world.
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Step 10: Write a list of tips for NaNoWriMo beginners
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Step 11: so they may embrace the sea of knowledge that you lacked and were forced to discover the hard way.
Detailed Guide
Even if you don’t hit your word count, having 40,000 words that are well written and don’t need another month to edit is much better that getting stuck with 50,000 words that don’t even make sense.
Speed is your friend.
Time is your enemy, so type fast.
As much as you want to slam the laptop down on the person who seems to write at the speed of light, don’t.
Just laugh at the look on their face at the end of the month, when they’re realising just how much editing lies before them.
But don't take yourself too seriously, especially if you're writing for the first time.
Fifty thousand words is a lot to write in one month, and it will be easier to do if you're having fun and not editing as you go.
Sleep is good, it’s about the only break you get, and prevents you from writing incomprehensible drivel. , Something you may think is an awesome idea, (for example a half squirrel half leprechaun character) may not seem so awesome to normal people. , Would your quirky, eye-contact-challenged driving instructor make a good basis for a character in your book? Quiet writing periods of 30 minutes followed by 40 minutes of doing nothing (i.e. eating and playing solitaire) are actually a good thing.
Better than 10 minutes of writing and an hour doing nothing. , You may not end up with a plot written down, but you’ll get the whole book figured out, down to the size of your character’s shoes.
It's ok to think up the plot as you go, rather than charting the whole course ahead of time.
If you take this approach to writing, you should still look ahead a little ways.
As you get more practice, you will learn what approaches work best for you in terms of balancing spontaneity and having fun. , Although we don’t recommend catchy tunes, as you may abandon your book to have a mad dancing fest.
Though this may relieve tension when you feel like punching your computer, stick to movie soundtracks, as they work for scenes a lot better. , Having anyone else reading over your shoulder or just being curious can dampen your creative process considerably.
Tell them you'll talk about it in December.
Other people can also be distractions to your writing. , No, not for Facebook, or for other inappropriate things, but use it to research the background of your story to make it more plausible.
Find out the climate, what the people are like, what myths they have.
You may be surprised.
Not falling off your chair surprised, but at least an eyes open wide tongue hanging out surprised. , In it, jot down all of your ideas and thoughts, however random. , You may also want to refer to your list in future years to avoid past mistakes.
About the Author
Jonathan Thompson
Jonathan Thompson is an experienced writer with over 1 years of expertise in lifestyle and practical guides. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Jonathan creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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