November. To some it may mean Thanksgiving, the fall, raking leaves, visiting vetran’s graves. Many things. To me, it’s a focused month of writing for National Novel Writer’s Month aka NaNoWriMo.
The goal: 50,000 words in 30 days.
This will be my 14th NaNo. I started in 2004. Took a few years off, but have succeeded in every goal I’ve made for NaNo. I have a trunk full of rough drafts.
This year, I will be writing Wielder World 4! Looking forward to getting back to Reggie, August and Kyle. I want to squish them, I love them so much.
If you go to the website, there are lots of prep posts and documents. Check out NaNo Prep 101. Some of them are rockin’ useful, so give them a look at. I’m an outliner, so personally the outlining post/handout was useful for me.
Here are some tips, from me to you:
Outlining keeps the flow going, but don’t forget that you can off outline if the muse strikes
For people who abhor outlines, ignore this, but just think, maybe a little outline might help you, if you ever get stuck on ‘what happens next?’
Do not edit as you go
This will only slow you done. Go forth, writer, and get that junk down. Sure, it’s a rough draft, it will probably be junk, but that is what the glory of editing is for.
Write every day
This is the most important. Get into the habit. Sit your butt in the chair and do the thing. Don’t whine about it. Don’t talk yourself out of it. Just sidle up to it, so it’s not really paying attention to you, sit down and DO IT. Nobody can make you write but you. And to be a published author, to get a book finished, to have that warm fluffy accomplishment feeling, you have to write the words first.
Good luck and may the words flow smoothly.
Nat Kennedy Books 