When the Shadow Sees the Sun

NaNoWriMo Kick Off!

Tomorrow marks the kick off of Nanowrimo! I'm filled with nerves and anxiety about it. I'm not anywhere near as prepared as I ought to be and I'm already looking at the goal of 50,000 words with some serious side eye. 

But I'm ready to take the leap and go for it. I enjoy the challenge and, after almost 6 months with basically no productivity on the creative front, I'm excited to have the chance to get some work done. I know that I am not going to end November with a ready-to-be-published novel, but with something kind of a mess and needing a lot of help. But that's part of the writing process. 

Written in Slumber by matryosha

First drafts are almost always a messy affair that requires a whole lot of work to turn into the polished shiny novel that eager readers scoop up. Nanowrimo is the chance to turn off that inner critic and just sprint the novel race. Some days you might limp along, barely walking, and some days you may run a 7 minute mile of words, the thing is you keep moving and writing. I know a lot of people who don't participate in Nanowrimo because they think anything they produce during the sprint of November isn't going to be worth anything. But, for me at least, the point of Nanowrimo isn't just to create, it's to build the habit of writing. It's to commit to and finish a goal. 

I'm nervous as hell about this year's attempt. Every year I've committed to the 50,000 word dash, I've made it, and last year I wrote almost 90,000 words in November. But this year has been a slow slog through the muck of some serious depression and a lack of motivation. I've struggled to finish much of anything and I'm scared I won't make it to the finish line this year. But I know I'm not doing this race alone, there's a whole group of people here with me to help cheer me on. We're a team and that's an incredible soothing thought. 

Writing can be a very solitary endeavor, and it;'s one of the things that I struggle with the most. Nanowrimo is the chance to build your tribe of writers to support you through the good and the bad. Everyone starts the race with the same blank page in front of them and rather than competing to finish the race first, the goal is to help everyone cross the finish line with you. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back to Nanowrimo year after year, the friendships formed as we all write our hearts out for the same goal. 

So, do whatever you need to do to get ready for the race of the year. I've prepped some meals, figured out the times (I hope) I'll be able to write with minimal interruptions and I'm working on deciding what I'll get as a reward for reaching my goal. I'm totally not above using briberry to get myself writing. 

So, whether you doubt you can meet the goal or if you're an old pro positive that this will be a piece of cake, don't be afraid to take the dive and get involved in Nanowrimo, it's not too late to sign up and join in on the adventure. And even if you aren't in the race, take the chance to encourage everyone who might be. Sometimes all someone needs is a hopeful voice shouting louder than all their own doubts. 

So, my fellow Nanowrimo-ers, come hell or high water, we are here and we are ready to write. 

Get ready, set. 

WRITE. 

NaNoWriMo: Making Words Tips

So last Monday I wrote about ways you can start prepping your life for the NaNoWriMo challenge beginning in November. I'm a strong believer that your daily habits are what make your life so I super-duper recommend you do build time to write into your life even if it's just for NaNo. BUT, this post isn't about building your life around writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Instead, this post is going to be about what writing things you can do to prep for the word rush. (Note, there may be some overlap but that's because writing draws from your life. The two are connected much as we try to keep them separated.)

1. Have a general idea. 

For a long time, I thought I was a pantser (I'd just take off with no outline) and then I went hardcore into being a plotter (outlining), but means have their merits and work better for different people. If you know you're a pantser, at least take the time to think about the general idea of the story. One thing I've done is to come up with a short theme for your novel, something like 'friendship is magic' or something else that you can come back to when you get stuck. If you're a plotter than get to work on your outlines, plan out chapter by chapter, beat by beat, big moment by moment, etc. Do what works for you. What I've discovered works for me is to be a planter. I take a germ of an idea and bury it in a base outline. The story grows based on the nutrients in the soil but the shape of it is still free to shift and move with time. 
If you have no idea what you are? Try writing out a paragraph about your novel idea, just a paragraph. If writing that out takes some of the 'magic' out of the story, you're probably a pantser. If that paragraph makes you want to write out more, get to plotting. 

2. Find a support network. 

This is totally a life and writing thing, but part of what makes NaNoWriMo so much fun for so many people is the interaction with others. When you hit a low point, send out a tweet, hit a forum, shoot off a text, or call a friend who understands. Writing buddies are worth their weight in gold so try to start building your tribe now. 

3. Come up with names. 

Seriously. Name your characters. The number of times I've been stumped by needing a sudden name is amazing. Then I venture to the internet for help and...3 hours later I know the history of rum but still have no names. Create a list of names now that you can pull from when the need arises. If you already have an idea about your main characters, figure out what their names are and get that taken care of. You may go further than this with profiles or interviews with your characters but seriously, get some names together. (Recommendations here)

4. Decide how you want to write. 

I know it sounds simple but decide now, are you going to write in word, scrivener, notepad or something else? Are you going to read the previous day's writing before you start or not? Do you like writing sprints? (Usually started on twitter or Facebook where someone says 'Writing for the next 30, starting at 12:15') I LOVE writing sprints and hop onto them when I see one happening on twitter. It's amazing what that race like atmosphere can do for the writing muscles.  
There are also a surprising number of options for writing tools to help you reach your goals with minimal distractions. I like 750words.com and Cold Turkey Writer. 750words keeps track of your words, the time it takes you to reach them and a whole helluva lot more. I like racing myself and seeing if I can hit my target faster than the day before. Cold Turkey Writer takes over your computer until you either hit a certain word count or a set amount of time has passed, it's hardcore for making you focus on nothing but writing. 

5. Practice!

Start writing today. Right now. Get off this blog post and go write at least 1,000 words right now. I know NaNoWiMo hasn't started yet officially but that doesn't mean you can't start practicing now. You don't jump into a marathon without some training (at least I sure hope you don't because ow) so you shouldn't just leap straight from writing nothing to writing 50,000 words in a month (which is roughly 1,666 a day). Take some time now to write, get in the groove of it. When I'm really stuck I will just stream of conscious write what's going on in my head. The thing is to get those fingers limber and ready for a month of writing dangerously. 

I really enjoy NaNoWriMo and have participated for several years. I don't usually go to the in-person meet-ups but I've heard they can be incredibly inspiring and helpful. Regardless of whether you NaNo or not, getting into the habit of writing every day can't hurt if your goal is to be a writer. 

So, who's up for a writing sprint?