How To: NaNoWriMo

November is coming up, and you all know what that means... a lot of writers are going to be sat up to their laptops and pushing out 50,000 words in 30 days or under. Some people don't think that it's a good way for a writer to spend their time... but I don't think of a better way. Writers write, and what better way to get the party started and the words rolling than to have an army of writers and an event like NaNoWriMo to kick it all off.



And the best thing is, if you do make it to the end with 50,000 words, then you have a novel... so well done, and congratulations.



I have created a list for you to use as a pre-NaNo check list, you can right click and save this image, and keep it as a reminder. Oh, and don't forget to share it with others.









Snacks: this is very important, if you're writing at night time, you're going to get peckish, so keep some snacks around, they don't have to be coated in sugar (but that's how I like them) you can always chop an apple up, or eat orange segments.



Stationary Hunt: it's always nice to have some new stationary around. I've bought some nice new pens and a new notepad to write it during my stay at the crazy house that will be, all because of NaNo. Also, if you have a strong start at the beginning of November, then there will be a better chance of you going all the way!



Read! A lot: don't forget to do some reading, before, after, and during the event. Oh, and don't forget to keep those writing books by your side.



Caffeine up: keep your levels peaked, eat chocolate, drink tea, drink coffee... and if you're no fun, then use herbal stuff... because believe me, you're going to need some caffeine if you're being 100% committed to NaNo, or it will swallow you whole.



Characters run the show: they really do! Plan some amazing characters and they will run the show for you!



Plan spontaneity: yes, ha ha, you can't really plan to be spontaneous. You can, however, plan days where you will kill a character, or introduce a character. If you see the calendars that I've created below, you'll see on some of the days I've add "kill someone"... I'm sure it will be fun to be a bit spontaneous!



Unplug: take yourself away from the internet. Facebook and twitter are both your enemy and friend during November as you'll be connecting with people and sharing your NaNo experience... but you'll also be wasting time where you could be getting those 1,667 words down.



Keep saving it: it's become second nature to me to press ctrl + S whenever I'm not typing, just so that I'm saving my work... and it's really helpful, it's even more helpful if your laptop is prone to crashing and/or overheating. Don't forget to save it



I've also created 5 desktop backgrounds... ones which you can easily nab, just right click and save as. There's a fun little commentary that's the same in each picture, you might use some of the points as a guide: I do have, on 2 occasions: "kill a character" which could be fun, depending on where you're up to in your novel.




Blue copy!



 Orange copy!



 Pinky/Red copy!



 Purple copy!



 Black and White copy!






I hope you enjoy your calendar. So, on with the post...




How do you do NaNoWriMo?


There is no definitive guide to writing a novel in 30 days, even if there are people who claim to know the secrets and blah--blah, there just isn't. Each person is unique and each person will write their novel differently...



Time - when do you usually write? Well, whenever that is, you should write then. I usually write in the evening or at night time, and I don't think that will change for NaNo, so I'm not going to try and force it. I think if you have a good thing going on... then don't try and stop it.



Goals - you need to know yourself, you need to know how much you can write in a certain time frame. Some people can only write a little amount at any one time, while others have huge bursts and then can't write for a while after.



I've created three different brackets, the first is the bare minimum that you need to be a NaNo "winner", and then the second two are for those of you who are more daring.




Minimum

1,667 words a day

11,667 words a week

50,000 in 30 days




2,000 words a day

14,000 words a week

60,000 in 30 days

(AN EXTRA 10k)




2,500 words a day

17,500 words a week

75,000 in 30 days

(AN EXTRA 25k)



Treat yourself - create some positive reinforcement and treat yourself. It's always good to treat yourself, especially after a hard day of writing.



Sweets, chocolate, TV... yes, TV, that's going to be my vice... and I'm going to use it to my advantage, I'll be watching TV after each successful writing day. It can be something as simple as that. Or you can buy yourself something, something to do with writing.



Plot & Plan - I love plotting and planning, I do it for hours, days, before I start to write because starting a new project is terrifying. However, with NaNo it can be fun to just be spontaneous and plan to do random things... you can plan to introduce new characters, or kill someone, or have an invasion of some kind. Planning characters is a way forward, if you get stuck, you can always look back at your character, see what they would do, and just let them lead the way.



Oh, and don't forget that there is a world outside... you do need fresh air, and yes, you also need to socialise.



I hope these have been handy. I know that they've helped me (and they are still). It's not long now until NaNoWriMo 2012 starts, and I can't wait... and a lot of you guys can't wait, and I'm going to be posting to my blog daily with posts "#NaNoDiary2012" that should be fun!




Are you doing NaNoWriMo?



Joseph Eastwood




Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | YouTube 

Comment. Follow. Share.