Do you want to know How to Conquer NaNoWriMo?? Then you need to read this blog, which will provide you with all the information.
What methods do successful novelists employ to finish their work?
National Novel Writing Month, which runs from November 1 through November 30, begins today. (NaNoWriMo). I confessed to one of my writing buddies just two days ago that I had no idea what I was going to write for National Novel Writing Month. In addition, I have no idea how I’ll write a novel in a month’s time.
In search of NaNoWriMo writing tips and methods, I looked through old notebooks. I came up with a number of different personas and ideas. Then I remembered last year’s blog entry, which brought me back. I sought out NaNoWriMo guidance from other authors to learn how they went about writing a novel in November.
I was curious about how they approached a large writing project like writing a novel in 30 days.
Sandy Brewster, Joseph V. Carusone, Janine De Tillio Cammarata, and Dan DeWitt, four writers, were requested to describe their NaNoWriMo experiences. The event featured Sandy Brewster, Joseph V. Carusone, Janine De Tillio Cammarata, and Dan DeWitt. I asked each writer the following two questions:
1. Can you tell me about your experience with NaNoWriMo?
2. What advice would you provide to other budding authors about writing?
Read through their responses to see what inspires you to keep writing even when you’re feeling bad.
4 Writers’ NaNoWriMo Writing Tips
1. Sandy Brewster is the author of, among other things, the novel Reformation. From 2014 until 2017, I was the winner of NaNoWriMo and a regular participant.
What was your experience with NaNoWriMo? What did you discover?
I started attending a local writers’ group that met at my local library sometime in 2013, and by NaNoWriMo in 2014, several of us had decided to devote our time and efforts to writing our novels. At first, a word count of 50,000 words seemed onerous, but we broke it down week by week and day by day, then registered on the website. The NaNoWriMo emails provided motivation, and our weekly meetings guaranteed that we held each other accountable.
Three of us had met our goal by the end of the month. I had finished my first book, a YA science fiction novel, and one had added another 50,000 words to her huge historical fantasy. Despite the fact that some of the other participants did not meet their full objectives, they were glad that they wrote more than they had in the past and formed new writing habits as a result of their involvement in our programme. I then went on to edit and publish Reformation, a novel about a troubled foster child who turns out to be a clone of himself, through CreateSpace.
What advice would you provide to other authors about writing?
I felt so accomplished after finishing a book that I went on to write three more, one of which is Reunion, the follow-up to Reformation, which is presently in development. This year, my objective is to complete the Christmas novel I’ve been working on and add another 10,000 words to the end. I participate in NaNoWriMo every year and have two T-shirts to show for it (and many pages of writing to show for it). I look for other participants to encourage and be motivated by in every region I visit. Another piece of advice I have for prospective authors is to split your project down into small chunks—commit to writing one chapter or one page at a time. Then make yourself a habit or a schedule. Write for a few minutes or an hour every day or every week, a little at a time. You’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish once you get started!
Joe Carusone, winner of NaNoWriMo in 2015 and 2016, as well as a NaNoWriMo participant from 2015 to 2017,
What was your experience with NaNoWriMo? What did you discover?
NaNoWriMo saved my life because it arrived at the exact time I needed it. In the spring of 2015, I first heard about NaNoWriMo while attending a fiction writers programme at the New York State Writers Institute in New York City. I had been working on a novel for six years at the time, and I had found myself constantly reworking it, seeking to remedy what I considered fatal flaws in its foundation.
During NaNoWriMo, I realised that I had been drastically underestimating the significance of simply finishing a novel up to that point. Reaching the end was not only satisfying in and of itself, but it also aided me in navigating the narrative in a way that restarting the novel would never have done.
I’m currently in the middle of my third National Novel Writing Month, and each one has taught me something new. I turned one of my own short stories into a fully developed, 50,000-word novel during my first year of NaNoWriMo participation, which I completed in one month. Extending the storey beyond the initial ending of that short storey, which was purposefully vague, required me to go outside the box and dig deep into my characters’ desires and needs, which was tremendously beneficial.
In my second year, I wrote a novel without much forethought (or, as they say, “writing by the seat of my pants”), allowing my characters to lead me anywhere they wanted to go; it turned out that I didn’t care all that much. As a result of that experience, I discovered I was more of a planner than a haphazard kind. I promised myself that I would prepare, plan, plan ahead for NaNoWriMo the next year, which takes me to this year.
What advice would you provide to other authors about writing?
I put all other writing on hold on October 1st and focused only on organising my NaNoWriMo adventure for the following year. I already knew the basic plot of my work from beginning to end, as well as the names, goals, and plot roles of my primary characters, when NaNoWriMo began. Even before the event started, I had some early thoughts for important sequences. When November 1st rolled around, not only were the words pouring out like water, but I was also having a great time writing them. My advice to all NaNoWriMo participants is to plan ahead of time, outline ahead of time, and then plan some more ahead of time. Knowing where you want to go makes getting there a lot easier and quicker.
3. Janine De Tillio Cammarata, author of several books and stories, including Warriors Within Book One of the Fianna Cycle, Eyes of the Goddess: Book Two of the Fianna Cycle, What Makes Them Amazing, and The Puzzle Quests: Shimmer’s Eggs. NaNoWriMo 2017 participant (National Novel Writing Month)
What was your experience with NaNoWriMo? What did you discover?
Despite the fact that I signed up for NaNoWriMo two years ago, this is my first year actively participating. I had never wanted to be under that kind of stress, and I was worried that it would affect my work.
I was entirely wrong! Writing every day has made it easier to keep the plot going forward in the proper path, despite the word limit and badges serving as motivators. I do not need to reread what I have already written because it is still fresh in my thoughts. It helps to silence the editor in me who always wants to review and rewrite my work since I have to write a certain quantity of words every day. I’ve decided to keep writing because I don’t have time to edit and make my word count! By the end of November, I want to have written 50,000 words. Then take a break from it for a bit. Seeing what I’ve come up with will be the most thrilling part.
I like keeping track of my word count, getting badges, and encouraging my writing partners. Writing is such a solitary art form that being able to share it with others is a breath of fresh air. Despite the fact that I have yet to attend a write-in, I write when I am aware that others are gathering.
NaNoWriMo preparation is akin to marathon training. If you practise every day, crossing the finish line will be even more enjoyable.
What advice would you provide to other authors about writing?
Before November 1st, I would conduct some preliminary planning for NaNoWriMo. I usually write in a naturalistic style, allowing the storey to develop naturally as I go. However, there are times when I need to take my character or set development a step further. While I recognise that this will happen during the writing process, I’d like to strengthen my novel’s foundation before taking on this issue. It eliminates the need to take a break and do more research.
Create a storyboard, either on a poster or in an excel spreadsheet, for NaNoWriMo, or for the start of any project, in my opinion. The following aspects would be included: themes, characters, setting, and storey threads. This month, I’m working on the second instalment of The Puzzle Quests: Saving Atlantis, a middle-grade novel that will be released next year.
Water, the ocean ecosystem, mermaids, being different, dealing with bereavement, and controlling what you can are just a few of the topics covered. Having this put on a whiteboard or in an excel spreadsheet helps me remember the themes. This avoids the need for me to go back and rewrite them if my train of thought gets interrupted. As new issues emerge and change, they can be added to the list.
The name, physical description, personality, conflict (if any), and how they advance through the storey are all included in a character list. I maintain a character development form on my desk, but these are the five most important reminders I want to keep in front of me so I can keep working. In addition, I pin up photos of people I think the characters look like. It’s a lot simpler to relate to the characters in The Puzzle Quests series because they’re based on my two sons and their best pals.
Setting: When writing about a fictional realm, I incorporate physical elements and place names. A map can be beneficial in a variety of scenarios. To capture the bright colours of the aquatic worlds, I print out photographs.
Story Threads: It’s vital to maintain track of which storey threads have carried over from the previous book in the series when writing a series. There hasn’t been a good conclusion to every dispute or storey. I don’t want to forget about it and have it disappear from the next book. I’m able to stay on track because to the narrative threads.
Finally, when I’m done for the day, I make a mental note of what I’d like to investigate the next day in order to keep my storey flowing even faster. With all of my tools in front of me, I’ll be able to jump right in.
Dragons and the concept of time travel have always fascinated Janine De Tillio Cammarata. When her children were younger, she used to make up stories while rocking them to sleep. Janine now teaches creative fiction and journal writing workshops to students of all ages, from elementary to middle school, high school, and adult education levels. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature with a specialisation in Medieval Literature from the College of Saint Rose in 1988 and 1993, respectively. She enjoys spending time with her dogs, riding her motorcycle, doing yoga, and helping children with cancer through her organisation, Nick’s Fight to be Healed, which she started. Zoey Shadow and Toby, their two rescue dogs, reside with them in upstate New York with her husband and two children.
4. Dan DeWitt, author of the zombie thriller Orpheus and a two-time NaNoWriMo champion, is a NaNoWriMo participant.
What was your experience with NaNoWriMo? What did you discover?
In 2006, I took part in NaNoWriMo for the first time. Despite starting five days late, I made it to the finish line by the skin of my teeth. Because I was displeased with the way the final manuscript (a Norse-themed adventure novel) was written, I opted not to publish it. However, it did act as a big springboard for my literary career. In the years thereafter, I’ve “won” two more times (the most recent in 2016), participated in others but didn’t complete them, and skipped a few years entirely.
In 2017, I opted to skip NaNoWriMo because the experience, at least for me, maybe draining. I was absolutely exhausted after finishing in 2016 and decided to take a break to recharge. That little respite turned into a several-month-long hiatus. For a writer, that’s not a good indication. Nonetheless, I recommend that every writer give it a try at least once to see how it goes. There are just too many success stories to dismiss them only on the basis of chance.
What advice would you provide to other authors about writing?
This is a challenging one for me because I am the world’s worst writer when it comes to doing what writers are “supposed” to do, which is write. I don’t make it a habit to write every day. Every day, I don’t write in the same place or at the same time. I don’t sit there agonising over the fact that I’ve written something, no matter how bad it is, staring at a flashing cursor (I believe this is the worst thing a beginning writer can do, to be honest). I don’t do any of the things that authors have been told to do in order to be successful in the past.
“You’re writing, you’re just not typing,” someone said a few years back (I believe it was Spider Robinson, but I’m not sure). In a nutshell, it is how I approach things. Unless I’m doing something else, I’m always plotting out scenarios, looking for typos, and other such activities for my present or future books. Is it true that you’re doing the dishes? Yes, but I’m also composing in my head right now. Is it time to cut the grass again? Same. As a result, when I sit down in front of my computer, the words flow easily and swiftly. I come to a halt when that source of energy runs go.
This is not for everyone, I understand. Although writing can be challenging and unpleasant at times, I do not believe it should be a punishing experience. As a result, I guess my advice would be, “Take whatever time you need to recover if you’re not having any pleasure at all.” Make a decision that you will enjoy. Allow your mind to wander. “If your storey is compelling, it will always lead back to you.”
Take Control of Your Writing Goals
You’ll be challenged with difficult writing projects at some point, whether it’s academic writing or creative writing. If you have a deadline approaching, it may be difficult to stay motivated and finish your novel, short storey, poem, essay, or academic assignment. Along the process, you’ll run against barriers like writer’s block, but there is a route forward.
The path that is taken is not always the same.
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