Skip to main content

It’s Almost Time for NaNoWriMo!


Is it that time already? I cannot believe that in one month, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) will be here again! I have attempted NaNo two times and never finished my NaNo novel. Nevertheless, I am hoping for the first time I will do just that! I cannot think of a better way to get this novel swimming around in my head and only outlined on paper finally written. Can you?

For those you do not know what NaNo is here is a brief synopsis:
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.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

To learn more visit http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano
 
For those who need some prep help, like me, a great place to do just that is though an activity at http://writing.com. It really helps to go into November knowing the storyline and having a feel for who your characters are. Trust me. I know this is why I never finished my other two novels during NaNo. I just didn’t know my characters, setting or fantasy world enough to finish. So try having an outline or your characters fleshed out. In the end, you manuscript will probably need less revision, too. This year's prep has helped introduce me back into writing. Even though I have been busy with Stories for Children (SFC) and other things, I have not really spent much time on my own personal writing for two years. Now with SFC up and running full swing . . . my life has become very crazy. However, I want to start writing my own stuff again. Not that I don’t mind being an editor, but I miss the creating and writing part of it.

So how will I do it? I don't know yet. However, I will be sharing the experience with you and I hope you will do the same.

Comments

  1. I've thought about doing this before, but never followed through. Output is not my strength. But, you never know until you try. You got me thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just got my account setup. Just need to add my bio. Hope you join us.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

      Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children.                What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?       The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope ...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem.  Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

Interview Friday with author Rie McGaha

Rie McGaha was born and raised in northern California along the shores of Humboldt County where her grandmother often took her to dig for clams and watch the whales migrate. Being raised with the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, gave Rie a deep love for nature. She has resided in the Kiamichi Mountains of SE Oklahoma for more than ten years with her husband, Nathan, where they rescue animals, nurses them back to health and tries to find homes for them. She is the mother of 12 and Nana of 33. VS: Rie, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. As you know, being a parent is hard work and when you throw writing into the mix . . . well it seems almost impossible to get everything done. I find myself asking if I giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. Now you didn’t really start writing until your children were grown, however, you have your grandchildren running around from time to time, so to start here is the first qu...