Whether you’re an experienced writer seeking a new challenge or simply looking to make a start in creative writing, National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) is a great opportunity to exercise your literary instincts. And it’s not too late to start!
In case you’re not sure, NaNoWriMo is an annual event during which aspiring authors try to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. This might sound impossible if you’re not used to writing large amounts, but you’d be surprised how far a bit of determination can get you! Our top tips for National Novel Writing Month should help, too!
1. Coming Up With an Idea
Getting started can be the biggest hurdle when writing, but there are a couple of techniques that can help. The first is the old idea of writing what you know. This can mean drawing on your own experiences, but it could also be something you’ve researched or observed.
The other is to think of a scenario and ask ‘what if?’ questions: e.g. what if dragons were real and it turned out they love to play baseball? OK, that might not be the best idea, but we’re sure you can come up with something suitably strange or fantastical!
2. Make a Plan
Once you’ve got an idea, you might be tempted to leap right into writing. However, if you want to result to make sense, it’s usually better to spend a little time planning first.
Sketching out a plot or outlining the characters involved is a good start, as this will give you a basic structure to work with. And you can always make changes if inspiration strikes while writing.
3. Just Write It!
We apologise to Nike for paraphrasing their slogan, but it’s a very good idea in this case.
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After all, 30 days isn’t a lot of time to write an entire novel, so the best advice anyone can give you for National Novel Writing Month is simply to sit down and write.
Try setting yourself a target word count every day, and don’t rest until you hit it!
4. Silence Your Inner Critic
It’s crucial to ignore your inner critic when it tells you that what you’re writing is wrong. Remember: there is no ‘wrong’ when you just need to get something written!
This is how we imagine our inner critic.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not completely and instantly satisfied with your work, either, as you can always edit the results at a more leisurely pace once you’ve got a first draft down.
5. Talk to Other NaNoWriMo Authors
Writing can be a lonely business, so talking to and meeting up with other NaNoWriMo authors is good way to keep yourself motivated and get new ideas.
Try looking for National Novel Writing Month events near you. Or look online for forums and message boards where other writers are discussing their NaNoWriMo experiences.