Chris Baty's Blog, page 226

30 Covers, 30 Days 2012: Day 4

Today’s cover was created by Alex Isley.

Impossible Conversations by Lydia Dawkins

Carl Gustav Noone, an eccentric millionaire with a mysterious past, is found murdered in the library of his country estate, his body in a ritualistic pose. A collector of rare books on magic, his most coveted volume, an extremely rare early seventeenth-century child’s guide to recognizing witches, has vanished. Not long after a kitchen maid of the estate is also murdered in a ritual laid out in the stolen book.

In London, antiquarian book dealer Phineas Trevelyan-Trent receives a bloodstained copy of the book in the post, this one appearing to have been stolen from the Bodleian Library with a photographs of the murdered kitchen maid and Trent’s late wife Ethelreda marking the pages detailing the rituals.

The mystery draws Trent out of his cozy book shop and into the paths of a weapons-obsessed cousin and his judgmental manservant, a French puppeteer, a bibliophile resorting to theft to acquire new volumes, a sultry flapper flanked by numerous beaux, a giggly widow already on the prowl for her next husband, a former opera star and her illiterate secretary, a monosyllabic gardener and his wife, a woman in black who dances on graves, a journalist skulking around the estate in one of the dead man’s long fur coats, policemen with handlebar mustaches, a society of witches, an invalid and his nurse, a cook on the verge of a nervous breakdown… and a murderer.

Can Trent learn the truth about the stolen books and uncover the killer before he or she has a chance to strike again?

Alexander Isley heads a firm a providing identity and communication design for “education, entertainment and enterprise.” He serves on the advisory board of AIGA Connecticut and is past president of AIGA New York. Alex has been a critic and lecturer at the Yale School of Art, Cooper Union, and The School of Visual Arts. After serving as the art director for Spy magazine, he founded his company in 1988. His work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Modern Art. He is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale and a recipient of the Federal Design Achievement Award. He likes to work fast. (Lucky thing for this assignment.)

30 Covers, 30 Days 2012: Day 3

Today’s cover was created by designer Travis Ladue.

The Prenup by Molly Koeneman

Lucy and Ed have a 25-year-old marriage, two mostly-grown girls, and a very strange legal situation in front of them. In order for the couple to divorce, they must complete the tasks agreed upon in the prenup that was designed to keep them together.

My aim in this project is to work on my delivery of humor, on the reverse gender roles couples can take on—Lucy is distracted from her family by her start-up business, and Ed is trying to feel needed and desired—and on surprising the reader.

Travis Ladue is a designer from Phoenix, Arizona. He usually works with a basset hound at his side.

The Only Writing Advice You'll Ever Need

How do you write a story?

It’s a strange question, really, like asking how to fall out of a tree, or walk across the street, or how to properly skin a cat (not that I’ve ever done that or endorse doing so, though I wonder who considered it first and, more importantly, why). 

The answer, I’m afraid, is simpler than you might want it to be, and one I suspect you already know: You simply have to do it. You write by writing.

But before this first weekend of NaNoWriMo, let me offer some encouragement beyond the obvious—encouragement that a writer far more accomplished than I gave me recently.

First, take your writing seriously…

We all write stories by putting down one unsatisfactory word at a time, then more words, and still other words until the thing is finally done. There’s no quick fix because the blue-collar nature of writing sinks bone deep. No way around it.

You will never get much done in life, whether writing a book or mastering long division, unless you take the work itself seriously. Even a blind squirrel will occasionally stumble upon a nut, but only an industrious beaver can build dam after dam. And trust me, beavers take their craft seriously. 

I realize the analogy is a stretch, but go with it. All will become clear about halfway through your manuscript.

Second, don’t take yourself too seriously.

There are a good many curmudgeonly writers in the world. They don’t have friends, or cats, for good reason, and quite a few smell funny despite their best efforts. Don’t be one of those people. 

Approach your story with a light heart. What you’re doing isn’t rocket science. After all, you’re just making stuff up, right? Take the discipline of your craft seriously, but leave the harsh judgments about yourself (especially yourself), the work, and others’ opinions about it on the curb.

Those things don’t matter, not really. Always remember: we’re just making stuff up.

Most of all… enjoy the process.

Some people say that they enjoy “having written” more than writing and that they’re unable to find joy in the creative process itself. Those people would make terrible musicians; who wants to see a band that doesn’t want to be on stage? And who would want to eat a meal by a chef who only looks forward to “having cooked”? 

Don’t wish your life away or try to live in the future as someone hoping to look back on the past. It’ll only rip the space-time continuum. I’ve done the math.

Enjoy the moment and invest yourself in every single word of your story. Every moment. Your story, like your life, only happens in the Now. All the best stuff exists between “Once upon a time…” and “The End.” So, don’t rush it. Enjoy the road along the way because that’s all you really have.

Kevin Kaiser is the author of @WriMo: A 30-Day Survival Guide for Writers . 100% of the profits from the sale of the book are donated to support NaNoWriMo. He’s also the co-author of an upcoming young adult series set to publish in January 2013.

Top photo by Flickr user cjdc.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2012: Day 2

Today’s cover was created by Mark Kingsley.

Freakhouse by Ashley Newell

Birthdays are usually a big deal, but inside The Freakhouse a birthday can mark the beginning of the end. Dotan knew this day would come; it was inevitable. At the ripe age of twenty, his life, or what’s left of it, was officially out of his hands.

The Institution, known by the inmates as The Freakhouse, had owned Dotan for the last five years, and now they could legally kill him. He’s seen others change, deteriorate into shadows of their former selves, and now his turn is here. He’s prepared for anything the Institution might throw at him—except for who he finds waiting for him on the other side.

It’s been five years and it’s only now, facing his past, that Dotan can see the changes that have already taken hold of him.

Mark Kingsley received a personal lesson in branding from Ralph Lauren, traveled with the punk band Bad Religion, counts some of the greatest cultural institutions in the United States as his clients, has been designing record covers for over 15 years, was nominated for a Grammy, and is currently building Malcontent.com

The Inspiration Diaries: TW Brown & the Zombie Horde

Throughout the on-season, we’ll be asking Wrimos to share one inspiration-filled day, tracking every plot bunny, heart-thrill, and eye-opener for 24 hours that will help them to set the tone for their NaNoWriMo novels.

Read on for TW Brown’s very apropos post-Halloween Inspiration Diary!

Fall can be my slow season (until November, of course). The upside is that I get caught up on a lot of things that have piled up over the summer. This last summer was busier than usual as my name had been heavily circulated around the small-press and indie scene as an editor.

I’ve been officially diagnosed with OCD and am one of those types who has to schedule his days out meticulously. Of course, today of all days, I overslept.

6:51 a.m. I am usually up and out of bed by 6:15; Aoife, my Border Collie, normally crawls up from where she has curled up against my legs and licks my face if I sleep in. I guess the game last night wore her out, too.

So now I am behind… and today is the day I am supposed to wow the NaNoWriMo folks with a snapshot of my daily routine. Great.

7:10 a.m. Doggie business is handled and Aoife is happily snacking on her breakfast with blueberry yogurt mixed in as I sip my coffee from my newly arrived Camp NaNoWriMo mug. 

Maybe a little music will help as I bring up my soon-to-be released short and comb over it for final edits. Future Sound of London ought to do nicely.

8:20 a.m. Stopped for a moment to clear my head. This is a good time to take a reading break. I am fortunate to have been asked to provide a cover blurb for an upcoming horror anthology, Tales from the Mist. They were kind enough to provide me with an advance copy so that I could read it in plenty of time prior to release.

I still can’t get over the feeling of “Why me?” when people ask for these things. Having just left my day job seven months ago to make writing my full-time gig, I still feel a bit overwhelmed. 

10:36 a.m. Just watched the Dead Island: Riptide trailer, and then the one for the original Dead Island game. Somebody was very clever and reworked the original trailer in reverse. Then it was time to watch the Walking Dead trailer… again.

I am resuming work on my fifth book in the DEAD series today and need to start seeping my mind in all things zombie. I will be writing at noon, so I’ll squeeze in one last session of editing, and then I have to go to my “dark” place.

12:00 p.m. Dawn of the Dead soundtrack by Goblin? Check. House totally free of distractions? Check.

I know going into this session where I think the story is headed. I know that my fanbase for this story has high expectations. I also know that I have to keep that out of my head as I write so it does not cause me to force my writing. The song is “L’alba Dei Morti Viventi”. It feels suitably dark for what I am about to write.

12:54 p.m. 1,000 words. That signals my first break. I almost always stop at the thousand word marker even if it is in the middle of a sentence. This keeps my brain churning on the story line. To date, I have never suffered writer’s block using this method; knock on wood.

1:31 p.m. Must not turn on the Xbox, must not turn on the Xbox, must not turn on the Xbox…

2:47 p.m. Time to put in another writing session. This should take me to the end of chapter nine in Dead: Siege & Survival. That will put me at the halfway point. A little Tangerine Dream to set the mood, and it is back to my Dead world.

4:10 p.m. Another 1,000+. I was so close to the end of the chapter that I allowed myself to finish. 56,099 words is where I stand at the end of chapter nine. That marks the halfway point.

My wife came up behind me at one point and hugged me, resting her head on my shoulder. I kept typing. Finally, I stopped and then asked her if she would like to hear what I wrote during that moment. I read it out loud.

Her response? “You are very icky.” What a superb compliment.

4:44 p.m. So far, with the day I have put in, I feel pretty good. I will get in some more editing this evening, but I have earned some time with ESPN. I just know that the first thing I hear will be about my Seahawks.

Probably not the best thing for my hypertension/high blood pressure, but I have a book to retreat to if I get too worked up.

7:30 p.m. Listening to Holst’s Planets suite and editing my short story about these spider-like aliens. Have you ever been simply walking along minding your own business and felt that sensation of a spider web strand on your face? What if these aliens placed these webs to make telepathic contact?

9:00p.m. Time to watch Face Off. As a lover of all things horror (except that whole “torture porn” thing; I just find that pointless) it is amazing to watch these special-effects make-up artists’ creative processes.

It is always the most talented of the lot that thinks what they’ve done is “just not good enough.” And, of course, when the judges comment on how wonderful their work is, they can’t believe it. Are all creative types crazy? (My wife looks at me and nods.)

TW Brown is the author of the Zomblog series and the Dead series. He is deeply immersed in pursuing his dream of being a “full-time” writer while trying to balance the duties of husband, father, friend, and border collie owner. He keeps busy reading and editing the submissions for May December Publications.  He has had short stories published by Pill Hill Press, Living Dead Press, and others.

Keep up with TW:

Through email
On his blog
At May December Publications
@maydecpub
On Facebook

30 Covers, 30 Days 2012: Day 1

What’s that? Could it be? YES! 30 Covers, 30 Days is a go. And we’re starting it off with this audacious piece by James Victore.

Oh Joy, Oh Rapture! by Lisa M. Frazier

On May 21, 2011, nothing happened; Harold Camping’s prediction of our Spiritual Judgement fizzled out like the expired candle on Mario Pereira’s twenty-fourth birthday cupcake. And this year, everyone believed that Harold Camping’s prediction failed as well. The Day of Reckoning came and went without notice or consequence for billions of humans on Earth.

But it didn’t. Not for poor Mario.

Because for Mario, the Rapture did happen. The Day of Judgement came and went and left him behind in an empty New England town and an interrupted dinner of ramen noodles and shame. The crowning achievement of Mario’s dramatic quarter-life crisis culminates in the the end of the world as he knows it.

And, for poor Mario, the bizarreness only continued after the reaping.

James Victore is a self-taught, independent artist and designer. Clients include Esquire and TIME magazines, Yohji Yamamoto, The New York Times, and The School of Visual Arts. Victore’s posters have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and are in the permanent collections of the Palais du Louvre, and the Library of Congress, among others. Victore lectures and teaches regularly around the globe and is a professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His book Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss? was released by Abrams in 2010. He lives, loves and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Twas the Night Before NaNo

For some of you, NaNoWriMo has already sprung to life! Still, on this Halloween, and NaNo Eve in our time zone, we wanted to share a little bit of spooky encouragement from a fantastic Wrimo. Happy writing!

T’was the night before NaNo, and all through the world
Ghosties and goblins and writers are heard
Moaning and groaning at the frightening sight
Of blank screens and notebooks, no ideas in sight.

The Wrimos were pacing, their hearts were sinking
50,000 words? What was I thinking?
They heard the haunting “tick, tick, tick, tock”
And picked up the stapler to throw at the clock.

They walked to the cabinet and pulled out the brandy
Then to the counter to feast on the candy
Chocolate and peanut butter. To hell with this diet!
Then outside the front door it sounded like a riot.

They stomped to the entry, ready to fight
And throw open the door, such a grisly sight.
The drink spilled over and they looked out with a glare
Crumbs on their shirts, Cheetos in their hair. 

The moon shined down on the assembling crowds
Dimmed by the shadow of gathering dark clouds
But what on the front porch did they hear with a fright
“Trick or Treat!” yell the kiddies. It’s All Hallows night! 

A vampire! A princess! A pirate! A ghost!
A zombie with brains he snacks on the most!
A kitten! A monkey! Superheroes and thieves!
One brat hits another with a big bag of leaves!

Ideas are soaring! Inspiration abounds!
Quick! Where’s a pencil, some paper, a wall?
The kids scream for candy but now there’s no time
The door slams in their faces, they coat it with slime.

New characters and plots, settings and scenes
As hopes for best-sellers sneak into our dreams.
The witching hour comes with the chimes for midnight.
Happy NaNo’s Eve to all, and to all a good write!

Find Beth on the NaNoWriMo site, and on Twitter!

Ask NaNoWriMo: Writing Unplugged, and Unrequited Romance

This month, twice a week, we’ll be offering advice from NaNoLand (read more in our initial blog post!). Our second session includes questions about how to write without internet access, and whether you can write romance without ever having been in love…  Require some wisdom of your own? Ask us here!

Dear NaNoWriMo, I’m going camping the first two weekends of November! It’s crucial that I be there. No internet service. What do I do? – Worrying in Whitney

First of all, I am intrigued by the importance of these trips. Are you part of some covert camping ops team? Or are you just really into s’mores? Either way, I have a few thoughts on your predicament.

As soon as you get to your campsite, carve this into a nearby log: “I don’t need the internet to write a novel. In fact, it can often be an unwelcome distraction. I’ll get along just fine.” Hopefully, you’ll be so consumed by your new interest in woodwork that you’ll forget NaNo entirely. But if that doesn’t happen, read over those words. They’re totally true. Many successful writers actually disable their internet connections so they can get words on the page. You’re lucky to be in a situation where you won’t even have to exercise that self-control; your camping weekends make the choice for you.

That said, there are some challenges here. If you’re a laptop writer, be sure you’ve planned some kind of battery-charging situation. (Maybe this crazy thing?) You’ll also need to figure out how to best track your word count since you won’t be able to do it online. I like the idea of stacking rocks or marking notches for 1,000-word milestones—but a pocket notebook will work just fine, too.

And yes, you might miss some word sprints. But many of us internet-addled novelists are envious of you getting to sit in nature and create for a few days. This time is a gift; use it to get truly absorbed in what you’re making this month. Also, you might see a bear. (Please let me know if you see a bear.)

— Chris

Can I write good romance if I’ve never fallen in love?

This could not be a better question. My short answer? Hell yeah; superstars do what they want.

I’ve got a longer answer, too: when I was in my early-twenties, I wrote a novella about a robot that falls in love. Yeah, yeah, it’s well-worn sci-fi territory, I know; but as a fresh graduate of college, with not a single long-term relationship under my belt (yeahh, boy), the story became important to me, and something that was constantly on my mind. Your question inspired me to go find the email I sent around to my friends about it, actually:

Hey guys, this is totally random, sorry; I’m writing something.

So, if someone who doesn’t think that romantic love exists asked you to define it, what would you say? I know it sounds like kind of a hokey question, but it would help me a lot. Is there something you heard once, or read, or maybe even something you witnessed that stuck with you, or resonated with you about love? I know for me, my mom drilled it into my head that love is tied to persistence, that it’s the act of choosing and continuing to choose. That’s always stuck with me.

ANYWAY. LOVE. I know it’s a reaaaaaaaaaaally cheesy discussion and this email is disjointed as heck, but look past my lameness.

The ensuing conversation from my best friends, some of whom I’d known since high school, was incredible, and enlightening, and hilarious (One friend attached graphs he’d drawn in Paint. Real smart, Joe.). More importantly, it deepened my personal thoughts about love, what I wanted, what I was allowed to expect, where I needed to be flexible.

The thing about writing is that it offers you the chance to explore a whole world contained inside your brain. A side-effect is that you get the chance to know your inner-realms a little bit better.

You may not have real-world experience yet, but I’m willing to bet you know more about what your brand of love is than anyone else. Not only can you write a romance, you should. Why not take the chance to think about why you write your MC’s relationship the way that you do, why the obstacles you throw in their way seem troubling to you. Build up a bulwark and foundation, and when you do meet the right person, whoever he or she may be, you can bring to the table a rough draft of what it means to love someone. Editing’s always better with a partner, anyway.

— Tim

Got any tips about writing while traveling, or writing romance? Weigh in below!

Photo by Flickr user EnvironmentBlog

Ask NaNoWriMo: To Plan or Not to Plan, and Missing Kitties

This month, twice a week, we’ll be offering advice from NaNoLand (read more in our initial blog post!). Our inaugural session includes questions about the benefits of planning, and writing while grieving…  Require some wisdom of your own? Ask us here!

Dear NaNoWriMo, I am conflicted. Do I meticulously plot my novel? Do I fly by the seat of my pants? I hate planning, but I have a suspicion that my novel may come out more coherent if I do. What do you seasoned NaNo veterans think?

Yours in Writing, Overly Worried Novelist (OWN), Toronto, 0 words.

Dear Overly Worried Novelist,

NaNoWriMo is all about challenging yourself to try new things, isn’t it?  The age-old battle between plotters and pantsers is one that has raged quietly since 1999. 

The thing about NaNoWriMo is that there is no “should.”  Seriously! I always encourage people to venture outside of their comfort zones. If you’re a planner? Drop your safety net, put on those pants, and try just pantsing!

Pantser? Grit your teeth, and make an outline. What do you have to lose?  Challenge yourself to try something new. The worst that could happen is it doesn’t quite work. You drop the outline and start planning. Or you scramble and plan a quick outline before you start.

You don’t have to have a super-meticulous plan, either. A sketchy outline can work wonders for keeping you on track, without eliminating that discovery factor that pantsers love so much!  Make a battle plan, with the understanding that plans rarely survive the first engagement. Even your most hardcore plotters will tell you that their plans often change as the writing continues. Use your plan as a guide, not a restriction; it’s a road map… not a train track that only allows motion in one direction.

Basically: plan. But only plan a little; not so much that you’re tearing your nails out of your fingers in agony, but just enough to keep your novel on track. And if you’re hating it… throw it out! No one says you have to stick to it!

— Heather

Dear NaNoWriMo, I have just lost my best friend and writing companion Spazz. He was fifteen years old and was with me since I was five. Spazz would always cuddle me while I wrote and kept me on track through all three of my previous attempts. My question to you is this: Should I go on to do NaNo this year without him? I don’t think I want to write without first having grieved properly.

Yours in writing, “Missing Her Kitty”

Dear Missing Her Kitty,

Oh, my friend. I am so sorry about Spazz. I’ve been where you are. I was absolutely destroyed when my kitty Lucy died back in 2006. I used to go out to the living room at night so I wouldn’t wake up my husband with how hard I was crying. 

The thing about losing a pet is that it’s so constant. Your friend was around all the time and now they aren’t and it’s awful. And it used to be that when I cried I would cry into Lucy’s fur and she’d lick my nose and it wouldn’t be so bad; so when I was crying and there was no fluffy friend there to lick my nose it just made it so, so much worse. But it will get better, a little at a time.

Moving on to your actual question, let me heartily endorse the idea that you can grieve through your writing. It is, in fact, my preferred way of working through my emotions. My grandfather died in the middle of November in 2007, and it was pretty hard to get back into my novel when I was so distracted by everything that was going on, and so sad about my grandpa. 

But I poured my heart into that novel, and I wrote a lot about all the great memories I had of my grandfather, and it was incredibly cathartic to have that safe space to work through everything. And now I have this great tribute to him, in the form of my novel that year, and even though the novel is pretty mediocre, the sentiment means a lot to me. 

So I vote heartily in favor of participating, and using the opportunity to work through your grief. Maybe that takes the form of a particularly great and Spazz-like cat in your story, where you can write about all the wonderful things you did with your kitty and have this record of how much you loved him. Or maybe it means your character just lost a pet, and you write about how horrible you feel. So you can wallow in your pain for a while, and somehow your soul gets a cleansing while you’re wallowing. 

It’s going to be hard to write every day without your kitty there next to you, and there are going to be days when your keyboard is soggy and your writing is filled with typos because the screen was blurry. But there are also going to be days when your story fills you with joy. Think of what this opportunity is. It’s a chance to spend an entire month remembering, mourning, and celebrating your best friend by doing this amazing thing that the two of you shared for so long.

Spazz wouldn’t want you to miss out on NaNoWriMo. Neither do we. I know you can do it, even though it’ll be hard. 

— Sarah

Got any advice of your own for our friends? Do you plot or fly by your pants?

NaNoWriMo's Map to November

With November 1 just around the corner, the time has come to map out the month ahead. Read along for important dates to remember, tools for the journey, and an idea of what you can expect over the next five weeks. (Tip: Expect the unexpected!).

This road map is a long one, and for good reason! We’ve got a month’s worth of literary abandon to plot out, so bear with us. We’ve also sent this to your NaNoMail so you can refer back to it when you have a “What am I doing?!?” moment and need to reorient yourself in November’s NaNoLandscape.

Today: Make sure your family, friends, neighbors, pets, the nice check-out lady at the store, and your mail delivery person all know that you are writing a novel this month. Not only will they ask you about it when they see you (helpfully holding you accountable to your awesome creative goal), they’ll understand why your hair is standing on end and you’re vibrating from some combination of overcaffeination, lack of sleep, and creative euphoria. (Just kidding. Your hair will look great!)

Tomorrow: Pop into your regional forum to catch up with local writers and find a write-in near you. (Not homed to a region yet? Join up and get local support from your neighborhood cohorts.)

November 1: Write your first 1,667 and feel great about embarking on this wild, wordy adventure. Tell your inner editor to take a hike for the next 30 days, or else. Watch him/her/it skedaddle, and heave a sigh of relief.

November 2: Check your NaNoMail early and often for pep talks from staff and published authors, messages from your fellow Wrimos, and updates from your regional Municipal Liaison (AKA magical ninja heroes of noveling goodness). To stay extra-informed about everything happening in NaNoLand, you can also like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and keep up with our daily blog posts.

November 3: Take some time this weekend to stockpile writerly rewards. When you reach a word-count goal, you’ll have a treat at the ready to reinforce your admirable dedication to this project.

November 5: You hit your weekend target of 6,668 words (or not—that’s okay, too, so long as you keep writing!). Now save your novel-in-progress to a USB drive, or email a copy to yourself or a trusted friend, as part of the first “Back Up Your Novel” Day. These occur every Monday throughout the month, and will ensure that your novel is soundly saved in multiple locations to prevent loss, theft, or destruction.

November 6: If you’re in the US, vote! And keep writing. In whichever order you choose.

November 9: Your goal by the end of the second weekend should be to write at least 18,000 words. Plan to use Saturday and Sunday to catch up (or get ahead) in preparation for Week 2.

November 12: You are entering Week 2, a time when encouragement is key. Be sure to read up on the pep talks from staff and guest authors in your NaNoMail, and peruse all past writerly encouragement in our Pep Talk Archive!

November 14: It’s Donation Day, a public-radio-style fundraiser running from 6 AM to midnight Pacific time. If NaNoWriMo is rocking your creative writing world, please consider making a tax-free contribution to fuel our engines of inspiration for kids, teens, and adults around the globe. And today alone, you’ll be eligible to receive great hourly bonus prizes for making a donation.

November 16: On this ML Appreciation Day, be sure to thank your ML(s) for all they do. Send them a NaNoMail message, high-five them in person, or bring them a bouquet of plush porpoises. Trust me, it’ll be a hit.

November 18: By land, sea, and sky, NaNo-novelists travel from around the world to congregate in San Francisco for the Night of Writing Dangerously Write-a-thon. It’s an extravaganza of noir and noveling: fast-and-furious typing, costumes, raffle prizes, a candy bar, oratories, fabulous food, and more inspired writers than you can shake a gold-tipped cane at! Sound like the most fun you’ll ever have? Find out how you can attend!

November 19: Have you been backing up your novel? No?!?! Well thank goodness it’s “Back up Your Novel Yet Again” Day. Do it. Future You will thank Present You profusely.

November 21: Do a happy dance that you’re three-quarters of the way through the month and still trucking on your novel. Are you not still trucking on your novel? There’s time yet! Visit YWP’s Dare Machine to get your novel restarted.

November 22: NaNo HQ is closed in observation of Thanksgiving. We will raise a goblet of gratitude for Wrimos everywhere; wonderful, wordy novels; and delicious, carb-filled holiday foodstuffs.

November 25: Winning begins! Between now and 11:59:59 PM on November 30, you can cut and paste your 50,000-word novel into the website’s Word Count Validator to be declared an officially official NaNoWriMo Winner!

November 25, later that day: Winner Shirts are back on sale, as the perfect complement to your officially official win. Visit our online store to get yours today, or whenever you cross the finish line!

November 26: Plan out your word-count goals for the final five days of noveling to ensure that you do indeed reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. Deploy emergency measures as necessary.

November 28: Take a quick break from writing like the wind to mark down the date of your region’s TGIO party.

November 30: Write, write, write! You’re in it to win it!

December 1: Validated, won, and done; you’re sleeping like a baby. As you should be. Sleep on, Winner!

As you can see, the month will be overflowing with writing, encouragement, and creative hijinks as your work your way toward the Winner’s Circle and a first draft of your novel.

And we’ll be right there with you. Us and 300,000 of our closest writing buddies.

Looking very forward to trekking through this noveling terrain with you,

— Lindsey