A Comprehensive Guide to NaNoWriMo

NaNoWrio official promo graphics ©NaNoWriMo

Hello, my lovelies!!

It’s almost November!! It is for those of us who are gearing up for NaNoWriMo, anyway (though, if you’re like me, you’ve been geared up for this since December 1st of last year).

Or there’s a good chance you’re scratching your head right now wondering why on earth I’m jumping up and down excited for what looks like some weird jumble of letters that make no sense.

What is NaNoWriMo?

According to the official website: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

In order to participate, all you need to do is create an account, fill out the information about your novel, and then when November 1st comes you sit down and start writing. Then over the course of the month you keep writing and writing and writing until you write 50,000 words that month.

Crazy, I know.

Why 50,000?

Any work that is 50,000 words or over is officially considered a novel. Anything under 50,000 words falls either into the novella or the short story category depending on the word count. So it’s 50,000 words because it’s National Novel Writing Month, not National Short Story Month or National Novella Month.

Why Do It?

In the end you write about 1,666 words a day. Which is a lot of words. And writing an entire novel in a month isn’t anything to sneeze at. So why do it?

There are a lot of reasons actually, each person who participates most likely has a slightly different reason. But some common reasons are that people find the deadline appealing- it pushes you to keep writing and keeps you from over-editing as you write- and the competition- while anyone who reaches 50,000 is a winner there is still that same feeling of competition any challenge has, even if that competition is really only with yourself in this case.

It’s also just really nice to know there are so many people around the world writing at the same time as you and trying to accomplish the same goal.

So Is It Right For Me?

I don’t know. I know a lot of people who love it- I’m one of those people- and I know a lot of people who will never, ever do it again or who flat-out refuse to even try it in the first place. It’s not a one-size-fits-all sort of a deal and there are a lot of things to consider before you just jump in.

If you want to determine if it’s right for you or not, ask yourself these questions:

Do You Write Well Under Pressure?

I like deadlines and write better when I have a goal that is forcing me to sit down and write a certain amount of words per day. If I don’t have a set word count I end up writing about a hundred words and then calling it a day because I’m tired or I have something else to do or I just don’t feel like it.

NaNoWriMo makes me focus and forces me to write. It also helps me to recognize what are actual priorities and what are nothing but excuses not to write.

Other writers find that the pressure of NaNoWriMo doesn’t fit their writing style. Some writers work better writing slowly, editing as they go. Some have a limited amount of time and don’t like to be told how many words they need to write in that small window. Some find the word count makes them focus too hard on quantity rather than quality to the point of making the story almost ineditable.

Do You Struggle with Over-Editing While You Write?

Do you tend to get hung up on editing as you write to the point that it keeps you from moving forward? Do you find your “inner editor” brings crippling self-doubt that causes you to get discouraged and give up?

NaNoWriMo forces you to keep the “just keep writing” mentality. You don’t have time to edit and you don’t have time to ask too many questions about your story. So what if that one line isn’t perfect? So what is that scene isn’t quite right? So what if that one part of your plot might need tweaking? Just. Keep. Writing. You can always edit it later.

And a lot of times I end up finding that the things I hated while I was writing them aren’t so bad when I read them over again a month or two later. Sometimes all you need is to keep writing and edit later and NaNoWriMo forces you to do that.

Other writers find they work better writing a polished first draft, editing as they go. So something that is forcing them to write fast and edit later just doesn’t work. For NaNoWriMo there is a daily word count to meet each day and if you don’t meet your word count the count for the next day just goes up in order for you to stay on track. When you write better polishing as you write, having the pressure of doing that while also meeting a high word count each day can be the death of your novel and your creativity.

Do You Like to Explore as You Write or Outline Every Last Detail?

Part of what I love about writing is exploring as I write. I like solving problems on the fly and figuring out where I need to go in the moment. Since I have a word count to meet each day, NaNoWriMo forces me to make decisions in my story or just keep writing through the plot holes. This keeps me from overanalyzing the story as I write and questioning every single action.

Without a push to keep writing I would give up stories because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do or I would put off actually taking the time to work through the problems. This way I have a deadline and I don’t have an excuse to keep from fixing what needs fixed right now.

Similarly, NaNoWriMo also works well for people who outline extensively in advance and need a push to actually sit down and get the words on the page. If you have a plan you’re confident in but just want an added push to help you execute it, this might be the thing for you. The story is all planned out from start to finish, you just need to actually sit down and write it. NaNoWriMo can help you do that.

NaNoWriMo doesn’t tend to work for those who like to explore as they write but also do well with taking their time in solving problems. Some writers might work on their stories daily, but only do actual writing every few days or so. In between they might be outlining what’s to come, polishing what came before, and figuring out their characters and the direction their story is taking.

So Is It Right For Me?

Only you can decide that. You know yourself and what works for you and what doesn’t. Only you know if NaNoWriMo will help your writing or harm it.

But my advice would be that if you work better at your own pace and thrive by making your own schedule, then I would suggest skipping this. Better to stick with what works for you than risk hurting your novel. Because most people I know who have done NaNoWriMo and discovered it wasn’t right for them, they tend to wind up trashing the novel they wrote that month because they feel that it was ruined.

But if the intensive pressure and competition sound like something that might be good for you and your writing, I would highly recommend giving it a try.

How?

First, create an account on the NaNoWriMo website. From there you’ll be given instructions on how to do things like create your novel (tell the world what you’ll be writing), join the forums (connect with writers from all over the world), and join a local region (connect with writers in your area). I haven’t interacted on the forums before but I attended a couple of local things last year and would highly recommend them.

What Do I Do Before November?

Anything but write.

The weeks leading up to November are great for planning as much as you want. I usually make a Pinterest board to use for inspiration when I get stuck, a playlist to listen to while I write or to keep my creative juices flowing when I’m not writing, and do whatever research I know I’m going to need to do for this story.

You can also use these months for character sketches, any outlining you might want to do, those sorts of things. If you are a planner, get planning now.

These weeks are also really good to take things off your schedule that you might be able to ahead of time- for instance, I’m trying to use them to get some blog posts written ahead of time so I have more time to devote to novel writing. Obviously you can’t put your life on hold for a novel but if there are things you can take care of now instead of later, these next few weeks are the time to do that.

And What Do I Do In November?

Write.

Sit down at your computer or pull out your notebook and pen/pencil and write. And just keep writing until you hit 50,000 words. Then if there’s more story left to do, keep on writing that. Write until the book is done.

So What Do I Do After November?

We’ll talk about that when November is over ;)

Conclusion:

NaNoWriMo isn’t for everyone. But if the fast-paced frenzy of the month sounds like something you’d be interested in, be sure to check out the official NaNoWriMo website for more information.

I’m excited to be participating this year and I hope you’ll be joining me. Or, I hope you’re wise enough to recognize that this isn’t for you and you find another way to boost your creativity. Whatever the case, I hope November is a productive month for you.

If you have any further questions about NaNoWriMo be sure to drop them in the comments and I would be happy to answer them!

I’ll be back on Friday with yet another book in the Princess Tales. Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3

~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess

P.S. Let’s Chat! Who else is excited for NaNoWriMo? What story are you planning to work on?