Here are some tips I've come up with in my previous four years of insane noveling:
Fix it in the rewrite. It doesn't matter how bad your writing is. You can always fix it in the rewrite. Or, if you prefer, put it aside and never look at it again. The goal of NaNo is not to write something good; the goal is to write 50,000 words. If you have to sacrifice quality for quantity, so be it; quality is a goal for another time.
Wikipedia is your friend. If you have limited research time – and especially if you need to research something quickly when you're already behind on your wordcount – Wikipedia can be extremely useful. You can always do more research elsewhere after NaNo is over, to get more in-depth information and make sure what you got is accurate.
Obsession is your friend too. Write about what fascinates you. If that means writing about gay vampire space pirates, then that's what you should do. If you want to write 50,000 words of smut, do it. If you're fascinated by geology, make your main character a geologist. Don't worry about how silly or strange your idea is; you'll have a much better chance of succeeding if you write about your interests.
Some moron out there will think your idea is terrible. Don't listen. No matter what idea you have, somebody is going to hate it. It doesn't have anything to do with whether or not your idea is actually bad. For pretty much every published novel out there, there's at least one person who thinks it's the worst thing ever written. Taste is subjective. (Besides, the only bad idea in NaNo is one that you can't write 50,000 words of.)
Outline… or don't. If you're the type of person who likes to have things planned out ahead of time, you're probably more likely to do well with an outline. If you're the spontaneous type, you'll probably do better winging it. Don't pay much attention to the arguments about which method is better; it all depends on who you are.
Anyone else have any useful tips to offer? Post them here!
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Dark Fire - completed Nov. 9th - 94,375 words
Answer Me - completed Nov. 25th - 113,516 words
65,949 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 07 31
One of the things I find very helpful is to set up my novel in approximately 10 scenes.
50,327 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 09 33
I'm a big time procrastinator, so... although it pains me even say it... I work best on a set schedule, adhering to a plan. I know that I wouldn't have finished last year if I didn't actually schedule writing time for myself, as well as break that scary 50,000 word number down into smaller allotments that seemed easier to handle. I'm basically a homemaker, so I was thankfully able to schedule time every day. "Every day" meant writing at least 1667 words each session to stay on target, so that's what I did without exception... and I made it.
----------Visit My Website
5,065 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 09 54
I find word wars and sprints to be EXTREMELY helpful. It's not only a little friendly competition, but they basically force you into writing.
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50,063 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 10 17
Ditto on this, word wars are brilliant for getting you going and just forcing the ideas out. Especially if you're waring with people getting twice what you get. You just stop thinking and start to type. What comes out sometimes isn't bad!
----------2005 (NaNo)- Underground- Won!
2006 (NaNo)- Delusions- Won!
2007 (SF) - Dead Dandelions- Won! (But lost after HD crash.)
2007 (NaNo)- If Wishes Were Fishes- Won! (Nearly lost in HD crash)
21,898 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2007 - 20 30
I like that last tip. Part of me feels like I must must MUST write an outline, and if I don't, I'm just setting myself up for a disaster. But then I have to remember that I've never, ever been able to successfully utilize an outline. They drive me bonkers. So I think just winging it will be best for me.
----------NaNo '07 - Our Happy Ending (made of failcakes)
50,005 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2007 - 20 51
Here's what helps me: TRY to confine a chapter to a MAJOR event. Yes, plenty of little events will happen along the way, but "name" your chapters and decide on their big, plot-point event.
For example, my layout for the first five chapters of my novel, there are more, is:
The Wilding Home
The Guests Arrive
Dinner
Murder Has Been Committed
The Questioning of Gregory Wilding
etc.
Even though most of these aren't the titles I intend to use for the actual chapters, if I use titles instead of numbers, it lets me know what I need to be moving toward.