How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo In November
Plan Ahead for National Novel Writing Month and Finish in Triumph
Oct 12, 2009
Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo a decade ago, advises participants that "Outlines and plot notes are very much encouraged, and can be started months ahead of the actual novel-writing adventure." In typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, he adds a rider: "Previously written prose, though, is punishable by death."
NaNoWriMo, the now famous "Write a Book in a Month" competition that runs every November, is a fast and furious dash to the finish line that involves late nights, adrenaline and lots of caffeine. Writers who enter soon realise that the aim is simply to get those 50,000 words on the page (or more accurately, for most people, into the computer) by November 30. As long as the requisite number of words have been uploaded by that date for the robot to check, the author will be counted amongst the winners.
Forget about editing.
Forget about polishing each scene as it comes off the assembly line.
Just get that book written!
This means, of course, that there is no time to indulge in writer's block: an average of 1,667 words must be completed every day. The best way to make sure that happens is, as Baty advises, to plan ahead.
Know the Book's Characters Intimately
This is the fun part. One of the most enjoyable aspects of planning a novel is assembling the cast of characters. For all characters, have a clear understanding of:
- what they want
- how they plan to get it
- what obstacles they are going to encounter
- what (if any) relationship they have to each other
- what exists in their past that will affect their actions as the story plays out
- how they perform under pressure
- their biggest weaknesses, and
- their greatest strengths.
Tip: conduct a series of character interviews to unearth unexpected and useful nuggets of information.
Know the Story's Direction
Some writers like to know the ending of the story before they start writing; others prefer to find out along the way. There are many 'WriMos' who cheerfully fly through the whole of November by the seat of their pants – but that leaves very little time to backtrack if they make a major error! Writers who sign up for NaNoWriMo will find the going easier if they have at least a general idea of their novel's plot. This could include:
- the plot's timeline (main events, significant turning points, where the main plot intersects with sub-plots)
- what is at stake for the main character at the beginning (why should the reader care about what happens to him/her?)
- how the stakes are raised as the story goes on (how do things get worse for the main character?)
- how the main character will achieve his/her goal
- how the major scenes will move the story forward (a checklist of scenes to be written is a handy aid for NaNoWriMo)
- how the antagonist will put problems in the way of the main character
- how all loose ends will be tied up, and
- how the events of the novel will result in character growth
Do Essential Research for the NaNoWriMo Book Before November
Finally, the writer should do any necessary research before the starting pistol sounds. The aim of NaNoWriMo is to keep the word count ticking over and polish later, but essential research should be done ahead of time, not pasted in later. Lack of understanding of some key information or background detail can send a novel careering in the wrong direction and take months to fix. It doesn't hurt to have a few 'quick fixes' up your sleeve, either, just in case the plot starts to slow down.
Follow the three easy steps outlined above to prepare for NaNoWriMo, and the whole crazy journey will be even more fun, with the draft of a publishable novel in hand at the end of the month. Admittedly one that will need a lot of editing – but it's easier to tweak a finished novel than to have it exist only in the imagination, waiting to be written. To leave Chris Baty, the "No Plot No Problem" guy, with the last word: "Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together... [and] mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work."
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