What the heck is that you say? Why it's national novel writing month and it officially kicks off in November, so this is the perfect time to start scheming and dreaming for your new WIP (work in progress).
Although NaNo has many rules, most of which I routinely break, I say be a rebel and make your own rules. The gist of it is to get 50 thousand words (a start to a novel, or a full novella) down in the month of November. I think it's a great challenge for writers because it allows you to get into the rhythm of working at a challenging pace and setting attainable goals for yourself. You can sign up on their website and track all of your progress as the month goes on. You can even add friends and give one another cyber high-fives as you speed along in your respective novels.
For me the most important part of writing a novel is having a seed of an idea that germinates and morphs into a thing of beauty (actually it morphs into a deformed mutant that my editor has me delete and rework until it resembles the English language) but I digress. The point is, you've started something.
Short on ideas? There are tons of ways to find your muse, music, story starter websites, you can even look for inspiration in movies and television shows. So what's the hold up? Get our your pen and paper, your laptop, ipad or whatever your fingers love to tickle when you're getting your writing groove on, and start jotting down ideas. You might be surprised as to where you end up.
Above all have fun!
Happy writing!
Here are some everyday writing tools you might want to add to the toolbox:
Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading. Feel free to visit her blog: http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com
Now your pictures made me hungry. Good luck to everyone doing NaNo. I've never done it. Seems I'm always on some kind of deadline for something else.
ReplyDeleteSusan, NaNo is a great way to build discipline and it makes for an interesting month. ;)
DeleteLet the rat race commence! LOL So much positive, 'can-do' writing energy surrounds NaNoWriMo I don't know how you couldn't get excited for it. :)
ReplyDeleteE.J. - Amen! lol! I love the "we're in this together" kind of feeling.
DeleteI always feel like the WriMo's are going to jump start a season of consistent writing for me, but by the end of the month, I am just happy to have another first draft written. I figure two book a year is a good pace for me, so yea for Wrimo's for teaching me my limits. Congrats to those who participate.
ReplyDelete