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NaNoWriMo: It’s All About that Prep – the Writerly stuff

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It’s almost November, which means the countdown to the most magical time of the year. Nope, not Christmas (though my local Starbucks informs me that starts November 3rd): NaNoWriMo.

Or maybe I should say, it’s the most creative time of the year for the thousands upon thousands of people who pledge to write 50,000 words in the 30 days of November.

For some people, 50K words in a month is just how they roll. For others, it seems impossible. For me, it’s somewhere in between. I’ve “won” NaNo twice in 13 attempts. Other years, I haven’t written a word. But whatever I personally achieve, I’ve always loved the thought of people around the world slamming down coffee, slamming out stories and, maybe most importantly, cheering each other on.

NaNo requires commitment and, for a lot of us, planning. Gotta clear those decks. Tomorrow I’ll talk about the logistics, but today I wanted to focus on writerly stuff.

First things first:

Commit

If you’re not already signed up, go here, chose your username, and start exploring. Don’t worry if it takes a little time to load–the servers are usually under a lot of stress at this time of year (and on the 30th, when everyone’s entering their final word count). Grab some flair for your blog or social media profiles (I’ve got this year’s participant badge in the sidebar to the right; once NaNo gets underway, I’ll add the word counter.) Check out the forums, see if your writer friends are also onboard. (Wanna be buddies so we can cheer each other on? Hit me up!)

Pick your poison

I’ve usually got several ideas vying for attention at any one time, so it can be hard to settle on one for NaNo. Since my books are always longer than 50K, I don’t worry about choosing an idea that I think I can complete during November–I use NaNo as a way to get the majority of the first draft out. This year, I’m working on a manuscript that I’m 2 chapters into but set aside so I could work out my characters and plot during October and pick up again in November.

You might want to do that, or you might want to try something in a completely different genre than you usually write. Maybe a memoir. Maybe that idea that’s been lurking in the back of your subconscious, but that you think is too crazy or too hard to tackle. November is only 30 days long. You can afford that time off from your “regular” writing–especially since no writing is wasted. Who knows what you’ll end up with. Could be drek, could be pure gold.

Is this your first time writing a book? Take a look at some articles for beginner writers. Or if you just need a bit of inspiration, see if something here strikes a chord.

Take a workshop

I get it, pure NaNo is about blasting out into the stratosphere without a parachute, but if you hyperventilate at that thought, or if you’ve done this before then ended up with some really fun characters and scenes but no real structure, or you’re under contract to deliver a book and you’re using NaNo as your launching pad, there are plenty of online courses/workshops you can take to help you get into your story world.

Throughout October, I’ve been taking Shirley Jump’s The BrainMap: Create Intricate Plots and Unforgettable Characters course, at Margie Lawson’s Writer’s Academy. It’s helped me go from idea/situation to fleshing out the character’s and their goals/dreams/issues. So instead of turning up on November 1st thinking “Um, so why are they doing what they’re doing?”, I’ve got a much better handle on them.

This weekend, I’ll be taking Jami Gold’s Lost Your Pants: the Impatient Writer’s Guide to Plotting a Story course to build my story bible. If you’ve never heard of Jami, she’s about to become your new best friend, because her beatsheet resources might just save your book. They provide a very hand safety net in the form of underlying structure, while you get on with the fun of putting characters through their paces.

Meet your characters

If doing an online course isn’t your thing, or you don’t have time, I’ve got a bunch of resources to help you out. Gotta admit, character interviews make me a little anxious–just as filling out a character’s GMC chart makes me break out in hives–but I take what I can use out of these and wing it for the rest.

I’ve collected a bunch of articles on characters here, as well as questionnaires and interviews. The ones I keep coming back to are:

Get plotting!

My ideas come to me in the shape of the first scene, the closing scene, and the knowledge that I’m going to have get from one to the other. I usually let it percolate in the background for a while, collecting impressions in my head, until the anticipation is too much and I sit down to write.

Being somewhere between a plotter and a panther, I like the safety net of an outline so I don’t go too far astray, but I also like the freedom to change it when I discover story magic during the writing process. Some of these resources I use upfront, others when I’m editing, but I’m throwing them all out here and you can have your pick.

General plotting:

More articles here

Structure & beatsheets:

(See what I mean about Jami being your new best friend?)

More structure articles here. And don’t forget scenes!

I also recommend Libbie Hawker’s Take Off Your Pants! for helping you nut out your plot. Here’s Libbie talking about it:

So! I think you’ve got enough here to get you started, but let me know if I’ve missed something that you think is essential for the writerly side (logistical side tomorrow). I’d love to hear more about how you prepare your NaNo book–or don’t, as the case may be 🙂

 

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