Yep, we have reached that time of year some writers love, and some absolutely dread with every fibre of their being. A few times in the past, I’ve sworn off doing NaNoWriMo – “I don’t have time this year!” – but by the first, an idea has festered in my brain and demands to be written. This year, I actually am resisting the temptation, because I do have a lot going on that will, unfortunately, keep me away from my own writing anyway. I’d rather use what time I have to work on going stuff, than force something else in which will just end up sitting in a virtual drawer until I eventually, one day have time to edit it.
Anyway!
As it is the first day of NaNoWriMo2019, I thought I’d share a few tips and tricks and a bit of advice that’s gotten me to the 50K word goal in the past.
1. Remember: It’s a First Draft!
This is important. The point of NaNoWriMo isn’t to end the month with a polished, ready to submit draft. It’s to get the ideas and characters down on paper, and give you something to work with. If you find yourself struggling, not sure what to do next, throw in a flashback. Use the opportunity to explore the characters a little. Write those aspects of them that will get cut later on – those little bits you should know about the character, but the reader doesn’t need to see. And if still get stuck, do something random – aliens appear in the room, a unicorn emerges from the woods, Godzilla starts attacking the city. See what your characters do if put in an unusual situation, and it might help work through writer’s block.
2. Use Dialogue
To extend the word count, use dialogue. Have a character who speaks formally, not using a single contraction – I have instead of I’ve, it is instead of it’s, do not instead of don’t. Maybe a character says like, well, ummm errr I dunno a lot? Little marks of speech like that, again, will help with the word count, and maybe you’ll find out a bit more about the characters, too.
3. Use Music
If you are able to write to music, use that to your advantage. Put on some fast paced, tense music, and it might help your fingers flow that little bit fasted across the keyboard.
4. Change Font
Yep! One thing I was really surprised at by switching from Times New Roman to Comic Sans when drafting was how much flowed out. Like a switch turned in my brain, unleashing a bit more creativity.
5. Get Ahead
On the days where you can, don’t just stop at the target word count. Use the time you have, get as many words down as possible. If you can double your word count on one day, it gives you more leeway later on. Even if you can only write 100 or 200 more words, it all adds up.
6. Don’t Panic About Word Counts
And if you can’t hit the word count every day? Don’t panic! Even if you only write 10 words on some days, you’ve written ten words! Don’t fall into ‘I ONLY’ or ‘I JUST wrote … words’. Life can get busy, and you may fall behind, but 50K isn’t the only goal of NaNoWriMo. If you end the month with something to work with, you’re still a winner!
7. Have Fun!
Seriously! NaNoWriMo is a really great time to unleash your creativity and really play around. Get involved as much or as little as you like, take part in sprints or use prompts or just do your own thing – whatever your preferred approach, don’t forget to take breaks, to look after yourself, and enjoy it! Go wild with your novel, and have fun learning about the characters and worlds you’re creating.
Are you taking part of NaNoWriMo? Any tips you’d like to share?
Unwrapping Words 