Well I've done it. Last night, I registered for NaNoWriMo! I've got eight days before it starts so what should I be doing to prepare? The NaNoWriMo Website gives good advice on this.
The first thing I've done is I've committed myself to do this so I need to shout this far and wide so that you can all nag me to keep on track. So here's my banner telling everyone.
The next thing I have to do is decide if I'm a planner or a panster?
Do I like to plan my story, know who my characters are and know what is going to happen?
Or am I more spontaneous? Will I have a blank document and just let my imagination take over?
I'm definitely more of a planner so the advice is to work on an outline, having made plenty of notes. I think that knowing roughly where the story is going will help me to keep writing and I know I would waste so much time if I waited 'for inspiration'!
There appears to be a lot of support on the website so I'll let you know how I get on. Must dash! Have got a meeting with my characters to find out more about them, starting with
NaNo Prep: The Official NaNoWriMo Character Questionnaire.
Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year? If you've done it in past years, what advice do you have for a newbie like me? What was the hardest part about staying on track? I'd love to hear what you have to say.
Thank you for reading and, hopefully, commenting on my blog. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.
I did it several years ago, and it was a really good kick-start for me, although everything I wrote I scrapped. Advice? Make sure you write every day to keep up with the word count, and if you have a full time job make sure you do at least some of that writing in the morning before work. If you leave it to the evening there are bound to be some days when you are too tired.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Thank you for commenting, Claire, and for your advice. I don't have a full time job as I'm retired but I will still need to discipline myself into writing each day. I'm hoping it will be the 'kick-start' I need but not that I will have to scrap everything I write.
DeleteYou might find it hard not to read back what you've written and to not fix typos etc. If that's the case then give in and do it - but only AFTER you've reached your target.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't worry if you think you might be repeating yourself a bit. If you've said it twice you can decide, after NaNo, which version is best and delete the other.
Also, if you get totally stuck on one part 'cheat' and write a completely different scene
Thanks for the advice, Patsy. I can see that not stopping to read what I've written will be the hardest thing for me. You know how long a short story takes me! As you said last week. it's something to be done once.
DeleteI think having done it a few times has helped speed up my writing. I don't write as quickly and with as little reading back and changing as I go as is needed for Nano, but I can get a first draft down more quickly now than I could before.
DeleteThat's good to hear so am hoping that will work for me too, then.
DeleteGood luck with it, Jan. I've considered taking part but know that it's not for me. I wouldn't respond well to the pressure of the daily word count. However, I do like to observe the spirit of NaNo in November but do it by setting my own realistic goals.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine. I'm not sure that it will work for me but I'm going to try it once if only to kick start me back to the novel. As you know, I've made very little headway since the summer. Good luck with your own goals through November. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteI've done NaNo twice, once with a plan and once without. It was definitely better with the plan.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, Sally. I can't imagine staying on track without some sort of a plan so you've confirmed that it's better to have one. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteWishing you lots of luck and even more, fun!! It seems as though you are doing all the right preparation. YOU CAN DO IT! Don't think too much about achieving the bigger target but allow the creative juices to flow and enjoy the writing and the peace and quiet. Then you'll achieve the target without a problem. I wish I was doing it. But can't this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an encouraging post and your good wishes, Nicola. It's getting closer now so I'll let you know how I get on. BTW, have just popped over to your blog which looks great so have added it to my list!
DeleteHi Jan, good luck, and you will find it helpful to just write and not look over your work. And, like Patsy says, if you're stuck with your characters, or plot, write whatever comes to mind, and you will be able to use it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue, for your comment. Yes, I can see that's good advice from both of you. Going to spend today and tomorrow working on a very rough plan but won't let it dictate what I write as it may hold me up as you say. See you on December 1st!! Only joking, will be coming up for air! ;-)
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