EEEEEk! I am so excited for this years Nanowrimo I can barely contain myself and it's because A: this will be my first time attempting this very daunting but oh so exciting exercise and B: It is exactly the boost I need to start writing the novel that's been scratching at the insides of my brain all these years just waiting for my lazy butt to eventually release it from it's cage. Graphic, I know and I'm sorry but I'm just so pumped!
In the past I've seen all of these random Nanowrimo hash tags around every social media platform and by the time I finally found out what it was all about it had been the end of November already... but not this year! This year I spotted those hash tags 10 days in advance which is not a lot of time considering that I am in the middle of my November exams and attempting Nanowrimo would mean that I have to plan a freaking novel in 10 days while studying. So obviously doing it the traditional way simply won't do.I decided to do it, but I'm doing it my way which means I might be 8 to 9 days behind everyone else because my exams are only ending on the 7th of November. Honestly, I don't think it's that bad I'm just glad that I'll be able to do it this year:)
For those of you who, like me, have been in the dark about what the hell Nanowrimo is up until now don't worry I will give you a little description! So basically Nanowrimo which is short for National Novel Writing Month is a competition that is open to anyone who has internet access. For this competition you have to write 50 000 thousand words in a MONTH! Which is insane but do-able for some, it won't be for me because I simply do not have the time but It might be for some of you so don't let that number scare you away!If 310,095 people have been able to pull it off then so can you! The competition starts on the 1st of November and ends on the 30 of November at 11:59, all manuscripts should be uploaded onto the NanoWrimo website by this time.
Are you feeling pumped yet? You better be because I have a summary of the best advice that has been given through out the course of Nanowrimo in terms of starting one's novel wrapped up in a neat little bow just for you guys!:) Actually for me too because I am definitely going to be using these tips to help me keep my cool while plunging head first into uncharted waters..
5 Tips for staring your Nanowrimo novel
1. Think of an idea you love enough to neglect everything else you enjoy in life.
You’re choosing an idea that will render your bathing habits irregular and your sanity patchy. So it can’t be an idea you merely like. Liking an idea will get you to page fifty before you inevitably lose interest, your attention wanders, and you find yourself with an unfinished novel that you feel vaguely embarrassed about.
Open yourself up to the world so that the right plot hook or character will flow into you. Prime yourself for inspiration.
2. Flesh out that idea
Entire plots do not spring forth fully formed from our brains for us to breezily channel into words.
More likely, you’ll have a vague idea that might be the merest embryo of a novel. A tiny shard. A little novel sapling that needs to be lovingly coaxed not just into a tree but into an entire forest.
Don’t just jump in. Take some time to figure out what matters to your characters and put some big obstacles in their way.
3. Figure out how you are going to back up your work
Email your manuscript to yourself all the time. Use a storage site like Dropbox or write in Google Docs. Make sure that if you lose your computer and your home backup drive, you won’t lose your novel.
4. Don't chase trends
Don’t worry about the fads and don’t follow the trends. Be original. Write what you love. It’s better to start a trend than to chase one.
5.Just do it!
Focus on voice and plot, world building will happen while you write. Start writing. It’s time. You’re ready. You have nothing to lose and a whole new world waiting for you.
Get to know your different characters in 46 questions
the single best way to make a three dimensional character:
- Name:
- Age:
- Height:
- Eye color:
- Physical appearance:
- Strange or unique physical attributes:
- Favorite clothing style/outfit:
- Where does he or she live? What is it like there?
- Defining gestures/movements (i.e., curling his or her lip when he or she speaks, always keeping his or her eyes on the ground, etc.):
- Things about his or her appearance he or she would most like to change:
- Speaking style (fast, talkative, monotone, etc.):
- Pet peeves:
- Fondest memory:
- Hobbies/interests:
- Special skills/abilities:
- Insecurities:
- Quirks/eccentricities:
- Temperament (easygoing, easily angered, etc.):
- Negative traits:
- Things that upset him or her:
- Things that embarrass him or her:
- This character is highly opinionated about:
- Any phobias?
- Things that make him or her happy:
- Family (describe):
- Deepest, darkest secret:
- Reason he or she kept this secret for so long:
- Other people’s opinions of this character (What do people like about this character? What do they dislike about this character?):
- Favorite bands/songs/type of music:
- Favorite movies:
- Favorite TV shows:
- Favorite books:
- Favorite foods:
- Favorite sports/sports teams:
- Political views:
- Religion/philosophy of life:
- Physical health:
- Dream vacation:
- Description of his or her house:
- Description of his or her bedroom:
- Any pets?
- Best thing that has ever happened to this character:
- Worst thing that has ever happened to this character:
- Superstitions:
- Three words to describe this character:
- If a song played every time this character walked into the room, what song would it be?
Building a plot in 5 steps
1.Construct the Cannon.
You might have already answered the question “What does your main character want more than anything else?” This question is so important that you’ll be answering it for all of your characters, including your villain. This will give you enough subplots for a trilogy!
Whether it’s true love, sweet revenge, or a cupcake-filled swimming pool, a character’s greatest desire is the cannon that propels her toward her destiny.
2.Build the mountain
Create conflict, suspense, and heart-wrenching drama by stacking a mountain of setbacks (fears, weaknesses, villains, spider monkeys) in front of your protagonist. That way, when your protagonist finally does find the person, planet, or swimming pool of her dreams, it will be so much more satisfying!
3.Light the fuse.
Like you or me, your main character is a creature of habit. In order to start him on his quest, you’ll need to literally light a fire beneath him. This event ignites the fuse on your character’s cannon; it’s the phone call from an old lover, the tragic loss, the trip to Vegas. It’s what makes it impossible for your main character to continue in his old ways.
4.Plot the problems.
Conflict is the fuel that moves your plot forward. And we are not talking about just one big blowout at your climax. Exciting plots have characters encountering problems right from the get-go.
Think of the last comedy you saw. We bet our bottom dollar that the main character had to cleverly get himself out of one pickle after another until he had to wiggle his way out of the there’s-no-way-he’s-going-to-get-himself-out-of-this-pickle pickle at the climax of the film. The same should go for your book. Creating mini-problems to build up to the mega-problem is the best way to keep readers reading.
5.Meet him or her on the other side.
At the beginning, your protagonist may be a sad and reclusive computer nerd, but after saving the world from a nuclear holocaust she becomes a confident warrior. How your main character changes in your book might not be as simplistic as nerd to superhero, but it’s important that he or she does change and that your readers see the transformation unfold along the course of your novel.
How to start building your world
On the surface, this seems like a question oriented towards science fiction and fantasy novels. But, in fact, it’s applicable to any genre. Novel writing is, first and foremost, world building. You may be building a world ruled by the electric sheep from android dreams or you might be building a world that looks very similar to our own. Regardless, writing a novel is about creating a landscape, populating it, setting the rules, and telling the stories that bubble up to the surface.
Whatever your world may be, it has to be one that is uniquely yours. It should be one that you have created and (importantly) one that you will feel comfortable living in for the next few years.
Spend some time in your world before you start writing, give yourself the space to imagine who lives there, what the air smells like, how hard the sun beats down
. Build the world out in your mind before putting it down on the page. Because once you start writing, the demands of story start to take over.
And, if at all possible, try not to think about the market (whether people want to buy a book about talking hippopotamuses or a slightly noirish remake of Garfield).A world that’s unique to you will be more enjoyable to write about and, ultimately, it will produce a book that’s more enjoyable to read.
I know this was a really long post but I put in everything that I found really helpful and I'm hoping that you will too! If you want even more tips or more information for this competition go check out the Nanowrimo website HERE
Let me know in the comments down below whether this was helpful or not and tell me if you are as excited as I am! Hopefully I wont be doing this alone so let me know and we can be writing buddies!:)
