NaNoWriMo Without Power

Given a certain weather system named Sandy encroaching upon a goodly number of our East Coast Wrimos, there’s a very real possibility that November will start for some of you without access to a computer, or nanowrimo.org, or access to modern light sources!

We asked the community of Wrimos over on Facebook what they suggest for participants writing without power, and we’ve compiled their replies here. (All in all, it sounds like this approach is far more romantic and way more fun than the way we’ve been doing it all these years…..)

Who needs a computer…

when you could write with a typewriter, AlphaSmart (amazingly long battery life), pens and notebooks (“ink and trees,” as one Wrimo put it), pencils and a manual sharpener, an iPad charged off the car (!!!), or use a  hand-held voice recorder. One participant even claimed he had hand-sharpened, turkey-feather quills at the ready. If you are writing on paper, one Wrimo suggested storing your reams in a watertight bag in case of flooding.

Who needs lightbulbs…

when you could write by the light of a headlamp (Look, Ma! No hands!), strategically propped flashlight, candles, or a camping lantern. If you run low on batteries, use a hand-crank flashlight!

Who needs a plot…

when you could drop exciting elements like a hurricane, power outages, and candle-lit novel-writing into your novel. Talk about ready-made inspiration! If you do have a plot at the ready, your fellow writers suggest printing off your outline in advance or mapping your novel on note cards pinned to a corkboard for reference.

The upshot: Wrimos are an incredibly resourceful bunch, and always ready for anything! We’re all sending good, safe thoughts your way and rooting for your extra-exciting noveling experience.

— Lindsey

Photo by Flickr user jasleen_kaur