September 16, 2011

Today’s post is a two-part blog. First, I’m calling all NaNoWriMo fans! It’s almost that time again: National Novel Writing Month. Second, I’ll give you links for articles on writer burn-out, boundaries for writers, writing every day for a year, and ten skills every writer needs.

First Things First

I wanted to remind you that November will be here sooner than you think. According to their website, “National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Want to try? Or just curious exactly how it works? Then read “How NaNoWriMo Works in Ten Easy Steps.” 

I’ve participated three times in NaNoWriMo, and each year was better. If you’re an organized writer who uses an outline–even a brief one–NOW is the time to be planning your November novel (or two novels, if yours will be in the 25,000-word range.)

The first year I did no planning, and I quit after a week or so. The second year I had an idea, and I made it through the month successfully, but most of that novel got thrown away because it had no real structure. My third year was the most successful because I had the books more planned out before I started. (If you’re not a planning kind of writer, then this advice won’t apply to you.)

However, if you’re like me and don’t like to waste writing time (or just don’t have time to waste), then get going now. Give yourself a couple weeks now to work out an idea–or rework an idea you’ve been toying with already. Then take October to do your pre-writing: character sketches, plot ideas, setting research, and a rough outline. Then, on November 1, you’ll be ready to hit the keyboard!

Secondly, for your weekend reading pleasure…

• We’ve talked often of being able to set boundaries so that we have time to write. Here’s an article that tells you how–including actual “scripts” for various situations. It’s called “Setting Boundaries & Saying No…Nicely.”
• “Writing for 365 Days in a Row” is one writer’s way of finding accountability for getting the writing done. For his explanation of why he’s doing this, see his “Day 1″ post. This is something you could do alone or with a friend, I would think.
• “The Art of Avoiding Burn Out” is full of good reminders about taking care of yourself so you survive the writing life in the long haul. There’s a lot of wisdom packed into her lengthy list of suggestions.
• “Ten Skills Every Writer Needs” has to do with surviving and thriving in the writing life. I imagine there are more than ten skills needed, but this is an excellent beginning!

Read and enjoy! And then start planning for NaNoWriMo!

5 Comments »

1. 

   Thanks for the post, Kristi. I’ve done Nanowrimo twice and completed my 50k each time. The first time, I just sat down and wrote with only a general idea of where I was going. My dystopian novel for YA was 50k, but it has yet to have a definitive ending, much to the chagrin of my kids who weren’t too happy to get to the end and find there wasn’t one.

   My second novel was based loosely (VERY loosely) on the childhood of my grandmother, who was adopted. We didn’t have much information, since it was a little painful for her as a memory, so I made up most of it other than a few locations. I did give it an ending (happier kids this time) and finished the 50k in time.

   This year, I plan to use Nanowrimo better. I am going to write a sequel to my current WIP, which should be finished in rough by then. In the mean time, since I’m not an outlining person, I am using James Scott Bell’s suggestion of 3×5 scene cards. Since these can be removed or added to the “stack,” I don’t feel so trapped as I do by a written outline.

   Happy Nanoing, and thanks for the encouraging post!

   Comment by Beth MacKinney — September 17, 2011 @ 8:23 am

2. 

   Are you referring to Bell’s PLOT & STRUCTURE book, Beth? I haven’t looked at that book in a while. I can’t remember how to do scene cards without having an outline first. But whatever works for you is what you should do! I have to say I really enjoyed writing the two novels I did without an outline, but they were both missing so many important things that required such substantial revisions that the whole process was a big pain in the end.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — September 18, 2011 @ 3:50 pm

3. 

   Hi Kristi,

   Yes, that’s the book by Bell I was talking about. If I remember right, he suggested that you read six books of the type that you write and then make scene cards for each book. He said these were like gold, because by the time you were done, it would put you years ahead in understanding structure.

   Then he suggested you could use the same system to write a book of your own, especially if you feel restricted by outlines. You just write out brief scenes (one card per scene) that you imagine in your head. It’s great while brainstorming since the cards don’t have to be in order. In fact, he suggests “shuffling” them and laying them out in different order because it stimulates more ideas.

   My family enjoys helping with the scene card process, and we are working out some of the larger bugs I would otherwise have been stuck with during Nanowrimo.

   All that in mind, however, it is as you say, that a writer has to do whatever works best for her.

   : )

   Comment by Beth MacKinney — September 21, 2011 @ 9:38 am

4. 

   My son is the successful NaNo winner in our house, and we’ve just started talking about what we will do this year. If your readers are looking for inspiration, here’s a link to 30 writing starters they might find useful. Even though my site is directed at teen writers, the links in the blogroll contain good writing advice for anyone, as well as, links to more writing starters and great writer resources. Good luck and thanks for the timely post.

   Comment by Heather Wright — September 22, 2011 @ 7:28 am

5. 

   Hi Kristi, I enjoy your blog so much, it was a delightful surprise to discover a link back to mine! Thanks very much for the shout-out. It’s an honor ~Cheryl

   Comment by Cheryl Reifsnyder — September 22, 2011 @ 2:57 pm

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