It's almost time for that annual, month-long festival for writers: NaNoWriMo. Are you going to subject yourself to the excitement and stress of writing a book at least 50,000 words long in a single month?
If you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, you may feel a bit nervous about whether you're going to be able to finish. Honestly, you should be nervous.
Here's the truth: almost ninety percent of people who start NaNoWriMo don't finish.
How do you make sure that you don't fail? How do you win NaNoWriMo? In this post I'm going to share the three things you need if you want to finish NaNoWriMo. (HINT: Almost all of them can be done before NaNoWriMo officially begins on November 1.)
What Is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo (pronounced nano-rye-moe) is a not-quite-abbreviation for National Novel Writing Month, a tradition going back to 1999 where people write a book of 50,000 words or more during the month of November.
Why Join In On The NaNoWriMo Fun
At The Write Practice, we've always supported writers participating in NaNoWriMo. We're big fans for one reason: we believe it's a great chance to practice your writing.
Sure, you may not write a publishable novel in just a month—although several bestselling novels have come out of NaNoWriMo, including Water for Elephants, Wool, The Night Circus, and Cinder. However, all the writing lessons you gain after focusing on your writing so closely for a whole month will almost certainly make you a better writer.
That's why this year, we want to invite you to write a book in a month with us. I don't care if you write fiction or non-fiction. You're still invited.
Is November 2015 going to be the month you finally finish the book you've been planning to write for years?
And if you commit to joining us, we will go all out to help you be part of the eleven percent of people who finish their books during NaNoWriMo.
So what do you think? Are you going to write a book in a month with us?
3 Reasons to Participate In NaNoWriMo
Why is it that every year people distill the torture of writing a book into one of the busiest holiday months of the year? And more importantly, why should you join in the fun/torture?
There are three main reasons to participate in NaNoWriMo:
1. Become an author in a month. The lure of NaNoWriMo is the idea that in just one month you could go from being a non-author to achieving something most people only dream about: finally writing a book.
2. Focus deeply on writing. Writing a book in a month is actually smart, because the best way to complete a challenge is to put your entire focus on it, and NaNoWriMo allows you to focus entirely on one thing for a short, intense period.
3. Escape (some of) the pain of writing a book. Finally, since it's a community event with hundreds of thousands of people participating at the same time, the encouragement and support of other writers takes away some of the pain associated with writing a book.
However, despite all the great reasons, only about eleven percent of people finish their NaNoWriMo books. While those who begin NaNoWriMo may have great motivations, the reality of writing a book in a month is still really, really hard.
How do you NOT fail at NaNoWriMo? How do you finally finish your book?
Download and print the full size NaNoWriMo calendar here »
How To NOT Fail at NaNoWriMo
If you want to win NaNoWriMo, you need to do three things:
1. Get a plan.
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. —Dwight D. Eisenhower
Over the last year, I've been coaching a small group of writers to write a book. Out of twelve participants, 100 percent of those people have finished their book. That's right, all of them.
When I tell my friends in publishing this, they're all surprised. They know how hard it is to write a book, and the idea of a writing program with a 100 percent success rate is almost unbelievable.
The most important part of our process is the first two weeks, when we create a book proposal. A book proposal is basically a holistic attack plan for a book, with sections focused on the writing process and the book's content, but also the marketing of the book as well.
How then do you create a book plan?
Essential components in a book plan for NaNoWriMo. What does your book plan need? Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, there are three main components (with some bonus components if you're feeling ambitious):
- Premise. The premise is the main idea of the book, and in many ways it acts as the foundation for your book. Since it's the foundation, it's important to get it right. I've spent three weeks working every day on the premise for a book before. In fiction—and especially screenwriting—the premise is also called a logline (or whatline), a one-sentence summary of the protagonist, main conflict, and setting. In non-fiction, the premise is the central argument you're making in the book. Want to know more about how to write a great premise? Check out our definitive premise guide.
- USP. The USP, or unique selling proposition, is kind of a weird marketing term, but it's purpose is to define what will make your book unique and worth reading. While thinking about the marketplace feels uncomfortable for some writers, it's essential to consider what will make your book special.
- Outline. An annotated outline of your main plot points or ideas is your first chance to think through what your book is going to be about. For novelists, here's a cheatsheet to the main plot points.
Bonus components to your book plan. You can get by without these, but they're so helpful I would highly recommend them.
- Overview. The overview breaks up your book into sections, describing each in a short paragraph. In a novel, you will likely break your book up into three acts: Act I, setup; Act II, confrontation; and Act III, resolution. In a non-fiction book, the overview will likely break your book into three sections describing the problem, the solution, and the application of that solution.
- Demographics. Who is your audience? Figuring out who will be interested in your book is obviously important for marketing, but I find that having a clear picture of my audience is an effective motivator. As I imagine how my writing will affect people, it helps me stay focused on getting my book to them as soon as I can.
- Competition. The competition section usually lists three other books, preferably ones that are successful in the marketplace, that are similar to yours. It explains both what is similar about your book and what is different. While you might think, “My book is completely unique,” this is actually a bad attitude to have. If your book is totally different from any other book, then people probably aren't going to know why they should read it.
You can easily have this book plan done by November 1, and while your plan may not last long past day one of NaNoWriMo, the hours you spend planning your book will be some of the most valuable hours.
For more on how to create a writing plan for NaNoWriMo, sign up for the free series on How To Write a Book in a Month. It starts on October 13!
NOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE OUTLINING: For those who don't like the idea of plotting out your story, you don't create a book plan so you can slavishly follow your outline and remove all the space for serendipity. A book plan isn't a leash. It's a resource.
You create a plan to be your map for when you get lost (which is inevitable when you're writing a book).
“No plan survives contact with the enemy,” said one Prussian general.
On November 1, your book plan will go to pieces. And that's completely okay. However, there's no better way to spend October than working on your book plan.
2. Get a team.
Great writers have always written in community. Ernest Hemingway had the Paris of the 1920s. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and the rest of The Beats had New York in the post-war 1950s. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had the Inklings.
If you want to do something as hard as write a book in a month, you need a team.
It goes without saying that you need the buy in from the people closest to you, your spouse, especially if you have kids, family members, and friends. But you also need other writers who have gone or are going through the same thing.
The other writers in “your team” give you four things:
Inspiration. I have a lot of friends who are writers, and when they tell me they just completed another book, it inspires me to work harder on my own projects. When you hear one of your fellow NaNoWriMo participants just had a 5,000 word day, it will inspire you to write more on your own book.
Encouragement. There's no getting around it: writing a book is hard. When you hit a snag in your plot or have no idea what to write about next, you'll need your team to encourage you and say, “You can do it. You'll figure it out. Just keep writing.”
Advice. When you get into a problem you can't figure out, you can ask your best friend or your spouse for advice, but a fellow writer will often have better ideas and advice than someone who has never attempted writing a book in their life.
Accountability. At some point in November, you'll want to quit. Having a few people to hold you accountable to finish what you started could be the difference between winning and complete failure.
Not only will having a team help you finish NaNoWriMo, it's just fun! Who knows? The relationships you build with the other writers you meet during NaNoWriMo could last you for the rest of your life.
3. Get in rhythm.
Writing is all about flow, and this is especially true during NaNoWriMo, where writing quickly is essential to success.
How do you find your rhythm and write quickly during NaNoWriMo?
The biggest thing that will slow your writing down and break your rhythm in November is perfectionism.
Perfectionism is the lie that everything you write needs to be brilliant, grammatically correct, unparalleled, fascinating, and free of typos—ALL RIGHT NOW.
Perfectionism looks like this: Oh no! I just misspelled that background character's name. I need to go back and fix it NOW! If I die in the middle of writing this and someone reads it I'll be SO embarrassed!
It’s great to want to be a better writer, but if you want to finish NaNoWriMo, perfection will have to wait at least until December.
Still feeling perfectionistic? Here’s why one editor says you shouldn’t edit during NaNoWriMo.
While perfection is the great destroyer of rhythm, how do you get into a healthy writing rhythm? Here are a few tricks:
- Never miss two days in a row. It's inevitable that you will miss your word count one day in November. Sooner or later, something important will come up or you'll get writer's block and won't be able to write a thing. While it's fine to miss one day, never miss two days in a row. It's just too hard to recover and you'll likely end up quitting.
- Focus on the feeling of your writing. Meditate on the feeling of your fingers as they hit the keys, the feel of your hands moving quickly over the keyboard. Be mindful of your breathing. Focus on the feelings of your writing as it happens.
- Change your font color to light grey, making your writing difficult to see. If you can't see your writing, you won't have the temptation to break your rhythm to edit.
- Change your font to 4 pt. If you make the font too small to read, you can't self-edit.
- Turn off your computer monitor. For those with excellent typing skills.
- Set the brightness on your computer screen so low you can’t see the words. Same affect as above.
- Remove your delete key. Here’s a video on how to remove a key from your keyboard.
Win NaNoWriMo With The Write Practice
Participating in NaNoWriMo could be one of the most exciting things you've ever done with your writing.
This November, we will be doing a lot of cool, new things to help you finish writing a book in a month. If you've ever wanted to write a book or participate in NaNoWriMo, you won't want to miss this.
And if you need some extra accountability, sign up for our free series, How to Write a Book in a Month. You'll learn everything you need to know about how to outline and write a book in a month.
Sign me up for the series, How to Write a Book in a Month here »
Hope you'll join us for this series! It will only be sent to people who sign up for it, so make sure you sign up today.
Have you thought about participating in NaNoWriMo? What is your biggest fear about writing a book in a month? Let me know in the comments section.
PRACTICE
Today, get started on the premise of your NaNoWriMo book (you can get more help on writing a premise here). In one to three sentences, describe the story or main argument of your book.
After you write your initial draft of your premise, post it in the comments section for feedback. And if you post, be sure to give feedback on the premises of your fellow writers.
Have fun!
How do you decide what to write a book about? I’ve written a few articles on, various subjects, but this does not a book make!
Write about your passion? Okay but what is my passion? Grrr…
Good question, Bob. First, you will never make a perfect decision. There will always be new ideas, new books to write. The only thing to do is to decide to write the book in front of you.
Second, are you thinking you want to write a fiction book or non-fiction book? Because that will change my answer.
Have you done any major research on a subject or historical period that really interests you? Sometimes that gives a non-fiction book, sometimes even a novel.
I myself am fascinated by the Depression years.
YAY let’s all write books!
I’m scared….
Relax LaCresha. That is exactly why the How to Write a Book in a Month is being offered. You will see that from feeling scared you will go to feeling excited real soon!
Thanks!
And remember: if you’ve done what you could and don’t get 50k words written by Nov 30th, your writing desk won’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
Just keep on. After all the goal is the BOOK, not the date.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Good! A little fear keeps you focused. (A lot of fear on the other hand is paralyzing. Which do you have?)
Thank you for your comment. You are an inspiration! I would say that it is a mixture of both. I am a homemaker and have two special needs children. It can be intimidating.
I agree with Kellie: Yay. Let’s all write books!
By and large Nanowrimo is a great idea, if a person does indeed have a story inside them and the forward thrust to finish it. Half-finished projects can be discouraging, so plan to succeed.
I agree that it’s imperative to have a game plan — a destination — not just some scenes we hope to tack together. As for myself, I’ve contemplated the idea of writing my life story. Maybe someday my descendants will find it interesting; if not, I’ve done a relatively easy 50k word writing exercise. I’d really have to brainstorm if I want to get a novel plotted out before Nov 1st!
Having done Nanowrimo once, there are two things I wouldn’t do again. Because I was doing a relatively short story for young teens before, I padded it a lot to get my word count up to 50k, put in details and side stories that now I simply have to delete because this fluff makes the book too long. (If it ever becomes a book.) In the end this effort felt discouragingly futile. This time around, if I actually do a novel and am short on word count, I’ll write something different like an article.
The second thing is, I will correct as I go. Sorry folks. I know you feel strongly about this, but I can’t abide a lot of mess. I ‘ll stick to my outline, so won’t change the story significantly or delete half pages, but I will fix whatever minor stuff needs correcting.
I still have the novel I wrote for Nanowrimo two years ago, sitting here mostly in rough draft, and I’m still messing around with the editing. On Dec 1st I heaved a big sigh just to be done, then looked at the major edit I knew it needed — and abandoned it for over a year. That’s my nature, I guess. I need the forward thrust of being satisfied with what I’ve done.
To each his own. We are as we are and need to understand what works for us. I’m the perfectionist type that soon gets overwhelmed by a mess. Others may not be so governed by their feelings. We all want to wake up Dec 1st and feel our adventure was worth it.
Same story with me. We need to creat a NanJanEditMo
I wonder if there isn’t a ‘February Edit’ month? Anyway, I guess a person could just create two files: write 1300 words in the morning and edit them in another file in the evening. If a person had the time, that is.
I’d like to try my hand at a cozy mystery, but not the “corpse in the closet” type; looking for some crime interesting but not so murderous. Any suggestions?
Hey, there is actually already a whole month dedicated to editing that NaNovel!
http://nanoedmo.com/
I think it’s fine to set down a draft for a while, maybe a long while. How long did Dostoevsky set down his novel The Idiot? 7 years?
Hi Christine:
I am writing a memoir myself, and would encourage you to do it for your own sake, not for your descendents. Do you think of the memoir as a fall back project to avoid the planning of a novel?
Thanks. My childhood was rather crazy and several people have told me I should write my 0-30 life story. Plus I have this fill-it-in journal my daughter gave me, I think it’s called “Gifts From a Mother’s Heart.” Prompts are given and the mother responds to them, thus recording her early life as a keepsake.
But yes, I think it would be one way to avoid planning a novel, though like all writers I have a couple all plotted out in the back of my mind. But I have a chronic form of leukemia and am starting to feel so tired all the time. Not sure my brain will cooperate for plotting a novel.
(Unlike Dostoevsky in Joe’s comment below, I’m not sure I’ll have the next seven years–or maybe I’ll be all treated and so much better by then.)
I completed my novel through NaNoWriMo on October 31, 2014. I was so proud of finishing that novel. I have not gone back to it since. I found The Wright Practice and I’m learning to write short stories. I’m really enjoying a lot of the prompts which have given me a lot of great ideas. I did go back to the novel and read a chapter, only one chapter. Some of my writer friends used to tell me that if you are away from your novel for a long time, it’s almost like reading a novel somebody else has written. The novel needs soooooooo much work. As of now, I’m really enjoying the lessons and critique from the fellow writers here. I have only been a member since, I believe, early September and I have already seen a different in my writing of short stories. I still have a long way to go. However, i do appreciate NanoWriMo for challenging me with completing that novel. I really recommend any program that can challenge. You feel so great afterwards. KENNETH
Kenneth, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m glad I read it and it’s helped me feel more confident and sure that I am taking the right step. Especially now, that I don’t have a “traditional” job and do have the time to dedicate to writing. Again, thanks and all the best with your writing!
B. You will be just fine. It’s very, very difficult but writing is our passion and NaNoWriMo is a great teacher. As you mentioned, right now, you don’t have a traditional job. You will be able to put a lot more into this.
When you finish that novel, the feeling is unbelievable. It might not be publishable, but the story is there and you can shape it over and over until it’s publishable.
Good Luck KEN
I can see how much you’re improving, Ken. I loved your story from the last writing contest. Are you going to focus on short fiction this month instead of doing NaNoWriMo again?
Joe thank you so very much. For now, I am going to focus on short stories. I believe that it takes a lot more time working on a novel. When I was in college and taking all of those fiction writing courses, I focus only on novels. Since I have been part of the Writing Practice, I feel as though I had never taken a course in short stories. Actually, I did take or had to take courses in short stories. I learning more and more about the structure, characterization, POV of short stories. I will eventually go back to the novel. I had already written two novels. The one that I completed through NaNoWriMo is the one that I prefer. The others were like a good starting point for me at that time. They were about 250 pages. Thanks, KEN
My biggest fear in attempting something like NaNoWriMo is just not having a good enough story idea and premise to make it the distance. I’m looking forward to giving it a go, and to the How To Write A Book In A Month series. Let’s do this!
That’s a valid fear, Matt. It’s also what October is for, though,to work hard on that premise, building your story foundation so you know your story has enough energy to make it 50K+ words. Very glad you’ll be joining us!
Thanks Joe. I’m looking forward to it!
Don’t worry about a “good enough story idea,” Matt. Just go for it.
Joe, thanks for the encouragement. I’m definitely going to go for it.
I’m in!
Great to have you!
Me too! Count me in! Mine will be a Non-fiction story about going thru surgery, recovery, and rehab while being disabled and living alone. I will share the challenges and suggestions I discovered and worked, I guess the premise is learning what my strengths were when I was pushed.
This is one of three stories.When the full story is done two are nonfiction while one is fiction but based on events from my past. All designed to show ones strength comes from within.
Sounds fascinating, Debra. I’m so excited to have you in the challenge.
From this little insight it has me hooked. Would love to read all 3 Good luck Debra
Thanks, It’s going to be fun. ( I think)
Joe, I’m looking forward to the series. I tend to fall on either side of the extreme before NaNo – determined to go in and write by the seat of my pants, or plan every detail and fear straying from it. In both cases, I wind up crashing mid-month and think how ridiculous my idea was and how ridiculous I am for thinking I could ever write something as significant as a novel. Still, each year as NaNo comes around, I can’t help but to participate. I use software called Snowflake Pro, and your process you described in the article reminds me of the highlights of it. The focus is breaking down the proposal letter into subsequent parts that help authors home in on what exactly they’re writing.
This November, I’m writing a story based off an actual event in my community. In a nutshell (which is not quite a premise but on its way), it’s about the aftermath of a school shooting – the way the community and the family of the student copes with the tragedy, and how our lives diverge from their original paths by someone else’s decisions.
(I will admit that the research has been emotionally challenging – but worth it.)
Here’s to 50,000 words! 🙂
The snowflake method is great, but I hadn’t heard of Snowflake Pro. I’ll check it out. Thanks Cayleigh!
The novel sounds fascinating and poignant. Excited to hear more! 🙂
Thank you for providing this resource – and reminding me of the existence of NaNo! Have signed up to both things, as I’ve got a children’s book I wanted to finish the first draft of before the end of the year. My own fear is ‘the void within’ – sitting down to write and finding I have nothing whatever to say. Technically I’m not brilliant at plotting, so the October planning-time will be very useful, as will the support of being part of a group.
I really look forward to hearing all about other people’s writing projects during this time.
I know a lot about that void, Emma. I hope we can give you some direction to help you rouse all the resources hiding within (because you have more hiding in there than you think). Thank you for joining us!
I’d love to participate in this, but I have a few busy months ahead of me, and unfortunately writing won’t be a priority.
I’ll write where I can though 🙂
Understandable, Beth. Hope things settle down soon!
I’m in. I had planned to finish my memoir before Thanksgiving, and this is the push I need. Does the 42,000 words I have written count as a head start? Maybe my goal should be be 92,000 words?
Sounds good since I too have about 50,000 words already penned.
Nice suggestions. I dove in, without any of these, in 2010, and made the word count after some serious cheating. (Since it dealt with time travel, I had a set of “Groundhog Day” chapters that started out identically, then mutated later on.) Life and a wife with cancer has kept me from committing ever since. (For those interested, The Quantum Suicide of Schroedinger’s Cat is available on Amazon, at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01106NIRE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B01106NIRE&linkCode=as2&tag=conthi08-20&linkId=KCPYPH5AFWLENKV3
50K words is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you’ve got a beginning and an ending in mind. I followed the suggestions and just let things run on their own, and that’s when it got interesting.
Here is the premise for my book: This is a story of two hearts searching for love. One old and one young. Both longing for a mate with whom their lonely soul can soar. Neither knows the formula, the right mix, that will ensure success and end the loneliness. In essence, this is a story about love. But it’s also a story about faith.
Joe, thanks for the invitation. I wish I could join your NaNoWriMo program. Let me share with you a frustrating handicap that has been holding me down as a writer all my life. I think I write well, and over the years I have written plenty of news stories, op-eds and journal articles. But I write at a glacier’s pace. Believe it or not, I can barely turn
out a page of creative nonfiction a day. I can write much faster if I’m on a
deadline with a news story. As you know, you don’t need to use your brain to
write a pyramid-style story about a mayor’s or senator’s press conference you’ve
just attended.
Because of this handicap, which I probably inherited from my father, I haven’t been able to finish a book project yet, and have missed many op-ed deadlines for breaking events about which I had ample research data and in-depth knowledge. Which is why I would not also be able to participate in the NaNo program. It would take me at least three days to make out 50,000 words.
I’m making my last attempt to write a political autobiography of sorts. I have just
enrolled in your resourceful and very helpful site for inspiration, support and
guidance, and I thank you for the opportunity.
And if you have any advice about my snail-paced book project, please let me know.
Thanks again.
Mustafa
There is nothing scarier than facing a blank page. Okay, there are a few things scarier than staring at a blank page- walking through a dark alley and hearing footsteps behind you, the mall during holiday shopping season, the NYSEG bill in February… Truly, though this is just slightly less terrifying. I always tell my students, “just get the ideas down. We can go back and revise and edit after you live with this thing for awhile.” I see now how silly I must sound to them.
November is the month where thousands of writers around the world attempt- and some succeed- in writing an entire novel in one month. It’s looming on the horizon, people. That’s frightening. More frightening than the amount of Halloween candy I’ll have left over and be forced to eat while trying to tackle this goal. Set a word/day goal the experts say. Devote two solid hours everyday to writing for this sole purpose. Just do it, as the people at Nike proclaim. The advice is so simplistic it’s actually tricking my brain into believing I can do this. I can participate in this challenge and maybe, finally, after years of thinking it over, I will succeed.
So I guess what I’m saying is I need your help. I need to know this is okay. That my words won’t be torn, examined, annotated, explicated and exposed before they’re ready. Once they’re on the page, out of my head, they’re on their own. A living, breathing thing that I will need to “live with for awhile.” I’ll put in the time, but I may require your understanding when I arrive somewhere bleary eyed, mind wandering into what my character should have said. I’ll need to listen and look and study what’s happening everywhere; people, places, things. No noun will be safe. I’ll need you to tell me strange things that have happened, weird things that were said and the most mundane day you’ve ever had. I need it all. Advice, inspiration, solitude, tea… and lastly, I may need your help with all that leftover Halloween candy.
I just signed up for NaNoWriMo, once again. Here’s my premise: When a series of baffling murders rock 23rd century San Antonio,
cross-species criminal profiler, Dr. Kira Braden, convinces the
reluctant police to let her help. An academic at heart, Kira secretly
doubts her ability to apply her research to the real world, but knows
that the only way to keep her funding is to solve these murders.
Yes, I write science fiction. I love creating worlds and species, but this often bogs me down in the actual writing of the story. This one I’ve been working on for over a year and managed to write myself into a corner. So, I decided to scrap the original and start again.
This is my second try at nanowrimo, 2 years ago i stumbled upon it, started out great and then an unexpected death happen on my husbands side of family that just tore everything apart. Last year my son was 3 months so i didn’t even try know that it was just too much. Baby and just starting back to my full time job.
This year i am ready (I think) I bought myself a chromebook last month, so i can now type anywhere in the house. Plus i have my google docs right there. This is where my outlining will be for my novel. My determination for this is high this year and i’m trying to be as active here and on the nanowrimo website i can be. Need to expand my wings, meet new people and try to suppress my fears.
My biggest fear is that actual act of writing the story. I have all these ideas that i am confident about, feel good about, but when i think about expanding and writing them down terror hits. I;m already thinking if people will like it, how will it pan out. Stayng in the now for me is very hard to do in my normal life let alone trying to write my first book.
I love romance and everything about it. The first meeting, angst of the new relationship and how one another feels. First kiss just everything that goes with it, so that is what genre my book will be under. Tho how it will actaully map out i’m not 100% sure just yet.
Premise
Mary lives in a small town working in her parents floral shop with aspirations of going to college and then taking it over. Kim is her best friend and loves flowers just as much, so working together just seems right. As time goes on everything just falls together for the girls until one day Kim’s brother shows up unannounced to work at their dad’s body shop. Not a word has ever been whispered about a brother (very attractive brother) to anyone. Lies and tragedies come out of the wood work with an unwanted bond forming. Will anyone come out of this clean? Lives will change forever, is love enough to Put one back together
I won NaNo once in 2011, and then Camp NaNo once the following summer. Since then, I’ll half-heartedly start something, only to become too involved in other things (work, life, etc.) to stick with it. Now, I want to win it this year again, but mostly so I can get a discount on the Mac version of Scrivener. lol (Of course, Scrivener is writing software, so being able to win and get the discount means more of an opportunity to write.) I have a billion stories, but I need to stick with one or two to get through November!
I personally disagree with everything in the “Get in rhythm” section. If I don’t correct simple mistakes RIGHT THEN, I will obsess over it and won’t be able to continue. And not being able to see what I’m writing would *completely* break my flow. (I’m blind enough as it is. lol) That being said, if those methods work for you, then carry on! 😀 They just aren’t things that work for me. (I might try the planning thing, however.)
I have the premise and the conclusion, the the steps in the middle are unplanned. I like to have a solid outline before I begin, the writing goes so much faster, and I know the story will be strong even if I screw up the writing. I’m excited to get started and maybe publish it by the end of the year.
I’m totally doing it!
I’m all in!!!