Often around this time of year, I start to feel the stirrings of literary ambitions– more than usual, I mean. Ideas start to swirl in my head and fill my dreams, as I begin to contemplate taking the plunge and signing up for NaNoWriMo.
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (or even just NaNo) for short, takes place every year in November and encourages writers everywhere to attempt to write a complete rough draft of a novel in one month. If we’re being technical, the goal of 50,000 words isn’t likely to be a full novel (you average adult novel is more likely to be around 80,000-90,000), but it is still an ambitious goal and one that signifies a significant amount of work. Though the pace, which works out to about 1,667 words per day, is one that many professional novelists produce all year long, it is a daunting task for those of us who have not already made a habit of it. Luckily, the festival atmosphere of NaNo does its best to keep writers motivated with a virtual carnival of events and support, including advice from professional writers, discussion forums covering everything from writing tips and prompts to casual virtual hang-out spaces, and online word sprints guided by NaNo staff.
It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of NaNo, but unfortunately it is also easy to find yourself in the midst of National Novel Writing Month without much more than undirected excitement. While some people are able to produce a draft with nothing more than their positivity, I’ve never been able to manage it. To be honest, my record with NaNo is abysmal, but my worst years have been the ones where I decided on November 1 that I might as well sign up and give it a shot. Even though I’m not much of a fan of intensive planning, I also don’t do well if I have no idea where I’m going or if I’m not in the right mindset.
So does this mean NaNoers are doomed? Absolutely not! Lots of people finish drafts during the month of November, and some of those books have gone on to be bestsellers (ever heard of a little book called The Night Circus?*). The key is to give yourself a little bit of time for preparation before November gets here with its daily writing goals and frantic word sprints.
*Note that The Night Circus was a NaNo cheat that was written over a couple of sessions. See Morgenstern’s Twitter post for more.
Inspire Yourself
Obviously, the point of writing a novel is not to copy someone else, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look to other sources for inspiration. Think about the kind of book you want to write. What makes you excited about it? Is it the mood? The themes? The intricate plot or quirky characters? Are you thinking of a high fantasy full of magic and romance and deep, dark forests, or a gritty urban dystopia set on the grungy streets of post-apocalyptic New York? A detailed historical drama or a futuristic satire? This month is a great time to soak up stories that are like yours in some way that is meaningful to you. Read books and short stories, watch movies, or play games that make you think of your fictional world (or your fictional version of the real world).
To get in the mood for writing my novel, as well as reading traditional fantasy novels, I’m reading legends, myths, and folk tales from the old kingdom of Bohemia. I’m not stealing from these stories, but they have been inspiring me with ideas for character and plot points that I might not have thought of on my own.
Figure Out Your Routine
The boring, uncool part of writing is the part where you make a habit of it and set a routine that will help you to make time to sit down and write every day. Figure out when your most productive times are, both for your natural rhythms and for practicality. My brain is sharpest in the afternoon, but as far as having time to sit down and write, that usually doesn’t happen until night. I can try to find a balance by setting aside time in the early evening, once I’m free but before I’m too tired to get anything done. Figuring out what works for you and ways to make writing a priority then can make a huge difference.
If you have no idea where to start, consider consulting with the experts. Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus and Sharpen Your Creative Mind is full of suggestions and tips for making creative work a priority within your day. Though it is written largely with people’s time at the office in mind, the advice the authors give for setting aside and protecting time to spend working on your projects and building a daily routine will be valuable for NaNo writers as well.
Get Your Space Ready
There is no right or wrong place to write, as long as it works for you. Think about what will make you comfortable as you settle in for a nice long writing session. Do you need a desk? A comfy chair? Your favorite coffee shop? Test out some options and decide what will work for you. I was sure that having a dedicated desk for writing would be important for me, but I often get more writing done sprawled across my bed with my cat and my laptop. Don’t spend a lot of money on setting up the perfect writing space (unless you have tons to spare, in which case, why not?) but make sure you have what you need. You don’t want to get started and realize your charger won’t reach the outlet, your pens are all out of ink, and you’re starving and snackless. Often while you’re writing, you’re subconsciously looking for an excuse to stop. Don’t give yourself any.
I’m also going to say one very painful thing, that I am directing more at myself than anyone else: You will be very happy if you do a nice fall cleaning of your writing space. Scrub it, get rid of clutter, and tidy up. You will (or at least I will) loathe doing it, but you will feel much better if you do. Some sort of unsympathetic science insists that cluttered, chaotic surroundings make a cluttered, anxious mind, and that is something you don’t need when you’re trying to focus and do some serious writing. If you prefer a more woo-woo interpretation, think of it as breaking up all of the stagnant energy in your surroundings so that fresh, creative energy can flow. However you look at it, the tidiness of your writing area will be one less thing to worry about during November if you take care of it now.
Do Some Planning
I don’t want to lose the pantsers out there with this part, because I am absolutely not talking about developing a full outline of every detail of your book before you even start writing. (Though if that’s your thing, go for it!) What I’m really talking about is figuring out how your world works, who your characters are, and a general idea of what is going to happen. I can assure you, nothing drags you to a painful halt more quickly than getting stuck on worldbuilding details that you didn’t realize would be an issue. You can never predict everything that will come up (unless maybe you’re using that outline), but the better you know your world and story, the better chance you have to work things out quickly.
If you don’t mind investing a little bit of time and cash, I highly recommend Maggie Stiefvater’s online writing seminar. During the eight-hour video seminar, she goes through her entire process of writing a book, from the first tiny seed of an idea to finished product. Maggie instructs students on all of the decisions she makes before she ever takes pen to paper, several different options to plan and structure a novel and when they are most useful, and the finer points of writing and editing. Though Maggie’s presentation is fun and accessible, there is very little fluff, and she leaves you feeling like writing a book is something that you can do.
Visit the NaNoWriMo Website
Few things get you more excited for NaNo (aside from your brilliant book idea, of course) than hanging out on the official National Novel Writing Month website, NaNoWriMo.org. Read through the archive of pep talks from famous authors, check out their NaNo prep materials, and find writing buddies in the forums. You can even join local groups, which often have in-person meet ups and live chat rooms for group writing sprints. NaNo’s Twitter feed is also a great source for updates, encouragement, and resources. So go take a look! Just be sure you don’t get so absorbed in having fun with the community that you forget to do the writing part!
So how are you feeling about your novel? I hope I’ve been able to give you a little direction for your pre-NaNo endeavors. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry– no one is grading you. While we’re all secretly hoping to come out of November with the beginnings of a bestseller, remember that the main point of all of this is to have fun! Whether you reach your writing goal or not, you will come out of November having exercised your imagination and creativity, and that’s always a good thing.
***The Bookshop.org links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase any of the titles mentioned through them, I will receive a small commission, but it won’t cost you any extra!
If you’re interested in more of my recommendations, keep an eye on my affiliate shop, Black Cat Books.***
