There’s only 10 left in November! That means there’s only 10 days left in NaNoWriMo!
NaNoWriMo? What’s that? How do you say it?
It’s National Novel Writing Month, the month when writers everywhere try to write a whole 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I’ll save you the math: that’s about 1,667 words a day, for 30 days. For a normal typist (40 words per minute), that’s about 42 minutes of straight typing per day. I’m a fast typist (60 words a minute), but writing 1,667 words takes me about an hour. Either way, that’s a lot of typing.
And it’s pronounced “Nan – Oh – Wry – Mo”
As the organization says on their website, “Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.”
And it’s certainly one way to do it, though it’s no easy task.
Every year, I try to do NaNoWriMo. First, I’m excited. What will I write this year? Sci-fi? Fantasy? A cheesy vampire novel? I do some planning and get a basic outline going for the story. Then November starts, and I start typing. And typing. And typing. Then I miss a day, get the flu, get busy making paper wreaths for a craft show… Life happens. And suddenly there are ten days left in November, and I’m short about 25,000 words.
Oh, well. There’s always next year.
Two years ago, I did get to 50,000 words. Here are a few tips I picked up for overcoming writer’s block and keeping the momentum going:
- Write something every day
- Stop writing in the middle of a scene – this forces you to get back into writing to finish it the next time you sit down
- Keep a general list of upcoming scenes so you know where you want to go next
- Don’t worry – this is a first draft.
- Seriously, it’s a first draft. Just write. Worry later.
NaNoWriMo may be ending, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait a whole year to write your novel. Make December your WriMo. Or make 2016 your WriYear. Make your own goal, set your own deadline, and write the book you’ve always wanted to.
Happy Writing!
Liz
Teen Librarian
PS: Link to my very favorite random writing tool: Write or Die by Dr. Wicked. Check it out.