Gearing Up For NaNoWriMo; Part Quatre

This is my 4^th year doing NaNoWriMo. Year one was a mess, year two was productive, year three was a disaster up until the last minute and as for this year- I’m still not sure if I am committed to it with the hectic schedule of doctors appointments and traveling to Denver. Even if I don’t go all in, November is a great time to re-assess my writing journey and take stock of my projects that are lingering.

I finished Waking Up In Bedlam before NaNo was over in 2012 (year two), and I was like this story is finished and I’m only at 38k! Then I went back, filled in some spots and by the end of the month I came in at just over the 50k… Then came the editing and cutting and I was back down to around 38k again and wondering what the heck was wrong with me. But then after countless Betas and editing it ended at over 56k. The point being, no novel is ever ready at the end of NaNo. You still have to fill in plot holes and shine it up with editing. Lots and lots of editing.

This year I might go at it again but with a story I’ve already been working on and if I really dig in and try for the 50k goal I’ll just make sure that whatever I write in the month of November equals 50k minus whatever I’ve already written. Or maybe I’ll start something new and fresh. At this point I have no idea what my plan will be. But what I love about this time of year, this month before the chaos starts, is the excitement for writing that abounds around the internet. People are excited about writing. Companies are encouraging people to write. It’s fun. Go to YouTube and you will find any number of NaNo songs, skits, information, tips & tricks. It’s so much fun to see people get excited about something that encourages everyone to get their creative juices flowing. It’s fun to experience, but even if you can’t devote your entire month of November to pounding out 50k words at breakneck speeds you can still have fun enjoying the energy and excitement of the participants.

So in honor of NaNoWriMo I’d like to share a couple of the deals, tips, and songs that can be found around the internet to help spread the cheer of Pre-NaNo this month:

1)      StoryBundle has a NaNoWriMo bundle that includes up to 12 books about writing and also on crafting a career out of writing. Check it out. StoryBundle lets you pay what you think the books are worth. The minimum is $5 which gets you the first 6 books, anything over $15 gets you the other 6 for a total of 12 books by amazing authors. My favorite has to be 500 Ways To Write Harder by Chuck Wendig.

2)      For Tips and Tricks the web is an abundance of information but the best place to start is the NaNoWriMo forums. Participants throughout the years have posted their best tips, tricks, and hints for everything NaNo related from plot holes to writers block. Check out the forum here to get you geared up and prepared for the 30 days of chaos you might embark on come November 1^st.

3)      And lastly. NaNo on YouTube. Oh the fun. Check out classic vids by some fantastic NaNo folks!