First Draft in 30 Days and No Plot? No Problem! are two books that help guide writers through the process of NaNoWriMo. Here is a simplified five step plan to use in reaching the goal of 50,000 words.
1. Sign Up Early and Explore the Site Before November 1
NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, is a phenomenon that has grown exponentially since it first began in 1999. In 2007, more than 101,000 writers attempted to meet the challenge of writing 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days.
To support them, Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, has developed an extensive website with features designed for the writer and procrastinator alike. Prior to beginning a NaNoWriMo project, it’s wise to take a full purview of the site and all its amenities.
2. Decide on a Plot, Setting, and Theme
It’s against the rules to write part of a story that has already been worked on. However, there is no rule against planning and outlining prior to the month of November. Deciding on plot, setting, and theme before the start of NaNoWriMo on November 1 will help the writing process go smoother. Having a goal of 50,000 words is admirable. It becomes attainable when one knows what the 50,000 words are to be about.
3. Choose Main Characters
Developing characters before writing a novel helps to define the plot. Many plots are character driven, and turns of events depend on what action a character might take. In addition to choosing and naming the characters, a full background of each of the main characters is desirable. Make a characterization sheet with information such as birth date and place, family information, likes and dislikes, occupation and hobbies. This is the time to decide on any quirks or unusual traits that will make a character unique and memorable.
4. Outline the Novel
Outlining can be done in many ways. Outlining by major plot points is a start. Outlining by chapters gives a clearer picture of the story. Each chapter may have several scenes, so outlining by scene is a thorough method that lays out all the important pieces before the actual writing begins. It’s a useful process to map out a novel this way. If a scene or even an entire chapter are not working with the story as it’s being written, throwing out scene notes is far less painful than throwing out 10,000 or more written words.
5. Ready, Set, Begin Writing!
It’s important to have some designated writing time, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a sitting. To reach the final word count goal, a daily goal of 1,667 words should be set. This may take some writers several hours, others only one or two. Yet the word count can be reached even writing in 15 minute chunks. Although writing will be the main activity for a participant’s life during November, it’s unrealistic to think that everything else can be put aside for an entire month. Everyone needs rest and a social life.
Last of all, plan to celebrate upon reaching the 50,000 word goal. Succeeding at NaNoWriMo is like finishing a marathon and is something to be proud of accomplishing.
Read a book review Karen Wiesner's complete system, First Draft in 30 Days.
Suzanne Pitner - Suzanne Pitner is a teacher and published writer. A member of RWA and YARWA, she writes fiction as Suzanne Lilly.
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