An Impromptu Guide to Surviving Nano

 

Hello everyone!

We are just a week away from November, and consequently, NaNoWriMo.

If you don't know, NaNoWriMo (hereafter referred to as Nano, because that's too much typing) is when people from around the world all set out to write a fifty thousand word novel during the month of November. It's the most stressful fun of a writer's life.

 

I've been doing Nano for four years.

The first year I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and ended up with a word count of zero.

 Yep. Zero.

 

The second year, I had a little better plan, and made it to 40k.

Let me tell you, it's depressing to come that close to the goal and still fall short.

 

Third year was a nightmare of trying to plan a wedding and work a full time job, so I wrote three thousand words.

 

But the fourth year. Ah, the fourth year. That year (last year) I won. It was my Blood and Dust (The Guns) story that I'm now querying. Last year I found a groove that worked for me and it turned out fabulous.

 

I've also participated in Camp Nano (writing a novel during months other than November) three times, and won each year with goals of 20, 25, and 50k.

 

So, here are some of my tips and tricks for surviving the craziness of Nano and meeting your goals.

 

 Hide the first day.

Just lock the door and don't let anyone in. Or, if it helps, have someone lock you in and don't let you out. Write as much as you can the first day. It's November. Odds are there are going to be holiday celebrations and family gatherings. Those are going to cut into your writing time, so you want to give yourself a good head start so you're still okay on the slow days. I try to shoot for about 8-10 thousand to start off with, because it seems like that's how short I tend to be toward the end of the month, but sometimes I don't get that much written.

 

Schedule.

Find a time of the day that works best for you to write and stick to it. The rest of life must go on, even if Nano is in full swing, so you have to prioritize and make time for writing and the rest of life's responsibilities.

 

Explain to your family ahead of time.

Not everyone gets what the big deal is about Nano. Frankly, sometimes I don't even get it. Why am I stressing over 50k words when winning only earns me bragging rights? There's not a million dollars on the line here. If we think those things, our non-writing family members certainly will. Let them know why this important to you, and come to an agreement with them on when it is okay to be missing in action (off writing) and when your presence is expected. It might cut into your time some, but that's ok. You can't get any writing done if you're having an argument about how many hours you've been at the computer.

 

Outline.

Even if you're a hardcore pantser, you're going to have to do some planning if you want to succeed at Nano. It's just too intense to not have a clear idea of where you're going. That doesn't mean you have to kill yourself filling out every character questionnaire and word building sheet that comes your way. In fact, I'd discourage it. You want to still be excited over your story once Nano starts, and if you burn yourself out with all the crazy minor details ahead of time it's going to be hard for you to get a lot of writing done. This is important whether you are a Nano Rebel (using a project that's already been started) or working from scratch. Make sure you know where the story is heading.

The outline for my current project (which may or may not be my Nano project)  looks something like this:

• Kidnaps Tamille.
• Disguises her and hides her in his haunt.
• King offers ransom that Brass ignores.
• Dukes are trying to catch him.
• Betrothed prince gets involved.

That's pretty vague. Some of those aren't even going to get their own full scene. But it just gives me a general idea of what I'm heading for in each scenario, and helps me if I get stuck.

 

Pinterest.

Start a board for your project and fill it with inspiration. Quotes. Pictures. Settings. Whatever you need. Spend time looking at them. Envision scenes. Jot down any idea that comes to you. If you're somewhere that you can't write, but you can be on your phone, tablet, etc. scroll through them. Keep that story fresh in your mind. But then when Nano starts, get off Pinterest. It's too distracting. What I usually do (unless my board has a ridiculous number of pins) is to screenshot the board. You can usually fit four pins in one phone screenshot. I keep them saved to an album on my phone for the month of November. That way if I want to look back at a character reference I can, but I'm not going to get distracted by my Pinterest homepage. And it's also available to me without internet.

 

Make a playlist.

Find songs that remind you of your story. Songs with words, or plain instrumentals. Get them all. Play is loud. All day long.

 

Keep your writing handy at all times.

During Nano my laptop does not leave the kitchen counter. I plug it in and it stays on all day long so that even if I'm writing one line at a time in between changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, etc. I'm still writing. It's easier to write on a laptop because you don't have to worry about counting words, but keep a notebook with you too if you're doing any kind of traveling. You can always count the words later on the last day and get them logged. Just get the words put down somewhere. Utilize whatever tools are available to you. If I'm cooking and its messy I write in a notebook on the kitchen table. When Henry needs rocked or nursed, I write in the notes app on my phone. Once he's down for a nap I sit down and write at my laptop. Yes, it's chaotic and the story is spread out, but that's okay. Getting the words down is all that matters, and you want to make the best of all those spare minutes. Just jot a note down in whatever device you're writing that tells you what place this chunk goes into in the whole manuscript so you can easily piece it together later.

 

Find a buddy who can cheer you on.

They don't have to be available 24/7. They have to write too after all. But if you can shoot someone a message at some point throughout the day when you're stuck and they'll help you out, that is great. Make sure you're available for them as well.

 

Utilize the extra recourses on the Nano website, but don't get swamped by them.

The first year I did Nano I thought I had to listen to every pep talk and take part in every brain storming session the website hosted. That's why I had zero for a word count. Those things are great, and if you're feeling stuck and need to brainstorm, definitely sit in on a session. But if you don't need it, don't waste time on it.

 

Take a break.

Yes. A break. Stop writing. Every day at whatever time works best for you (mine are dinner and late evening) set aside your writing and do something for fun. Read a chapter of someone else's book. Watch an episode of your favorite tv show. Scroll through Facebook. Whatever you need to do to relax and let your brain focus on something other than word counts and plot lines. You can't hit your goals if you burn out.

 

Go easy on yourself.

Yes, the main goal is to reach 50K. But you know what? Who cares if you don't. You do the best you can do, and don't worry if you don't reach 50. Words written are always a good thing. It doesn't matter how many, and it doesn't matter how sloppy. Yes, we want to try and make word count and have a neat and orderly first draft, but that doesn't always happen, and that is okay. Don't get so upset about where you're at that you don't get any writing done at all.  Have fun.

 

Coffee.

Always coffee. You'll need it when you've been awake for hours on end.

Also, duct tape. Because coffee only works for so long, and you'll need something to hold your eyelids open.

 

Another great thing to do in order to survive Nano is to have a story to write. I don't have that right now, and I'm trying to decide between a couple ideas. Care to help me out? Just take this survey and let me know which one you would choose. I'd really appreciate it.

 

Whew! Now that all of that is out of the way, tell me about your plans. Are you participating in Nano? Do you have a system that works for you? Do you want to be buddies?

 I want to hear all about it.

 

Also, I'm now offering a free novella to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter. Just drop your email in the box at the top right hand corner and it should arrive in your inbox within a few hours. It's a steampunk retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and 75% of it was written with Galway Piper playing in the background, so it's possible that there's a bit of a Scottish highlands feel to it. I'd love for you to check it out.