I'm counting on all the NaNo alumni to help me out here. What advice would you like to impart upon the new CT Wrimos of 2008?
And you! Yes, you new people! What do you want to know? What is freaking you out? Let us inspire you with our vast knowledge of how things work around here. :)
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1. You need to have the right attitude. Be completely insane when it comes to writing. I was just at the National Book Festival this past weekend and James McBride put it best. He said that one must just sit down and write, hoping to "puke up a jewel."
2. Time management. It's really all about finding time *every* day to write. Whether its in the morning before the house wakes up, or for 20 minutes before Jeopardy comes on. Some people, the smarties as I like to call them, sit down in October and figure out how long it takes them to write a thousand words. Then they double that time in November..and viola...they're ahead of their daily word quota.
3. Because this is so important, I'm going to repeat myself. Folks, for once, its about quantity, not quality. The quality will come in the coming months when you edit and re-write your story time after time after time. If you make a mistake, don’t erase it, just put stars around it like **this** so it will count toward your word count. Then, when it’s time for you to edit you can just do a find/replace for any stars in your document.
4. Events are important. Not only do you get fun little gadgets, but we generally get a lot of writing done. In the statistics I went over last year, writers that come to events are much more likely to finish NaNo with a novel in hand. That's just the way it generally works out.
5. Back up your work. Email yourself a copy of the novel everyday. Put it on a CD. Save it to a thumb drive. Whatever your choice of backing the novel up is - do it. When your computer crashes on day #26, you will thank me.
6. The internet is not alway your friend.
7. Ignore the green bars. On day one some people will claim to have written 10,000 words. It may be true, it may not be. The point is that you're not competing with them. You're going up against yourself.
There will be plenty of times during the month of November that you're going to want to give up. And that's okay. It's natural. I do want you to stick it out though. You HAVE to stick it out. Week two can be crazy hard, but week three gets better, trust me. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, like winning. It will make you want to hug the world.
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Lizzie, ML -- Connecticut::Shoreline
ctwrimos@gmail.com
0 / 50,000
sept. 29, 2008 - 07 58
Here's a tiny bit of advice that's not JUST for newbies, but anyone who started NaNo in 2005 or later: if you care at all about the presidential elections, November 4th is going to be VERY DISTRACTING, and this sucks especially because it means that Week One might turn harder than it's "supposed" to be, and occasionally feel more like the typical Week Two. It will be difficult to focus on your writing, especially if you typically write in the evenings. In 2004, I ended up trying to write on election day, but got next to nothing done because I kept flipping back to my web browser/the TV to check on election results. November 5th isn't necessarily going to be much easier, because it's very likely that you'll be either disappointed or jubilant over the results, and these are both distracting emotions. If at all possible, try to get ahead in your word count BEFORE the 4th, just in case you need it.
11,833 / 50,000
sept. 29, 2008 - 08 11
What absolutely STUPENDOUS advice!! Hadn't even considered that! Of course we all know there are a myriad of distractions lurking, but this is a true emotional roller coaster!! Thanks for the tip!!
Maybe a corollary to this is if things AREN'T getting off to a bang-up start in the first few days and you can't wrap your head/get excited about where things are headed, just jump into some part where you ARE engaged and let it flow!! That way you can get ahead in the word count and start off well vested in your writing, even if the political world is going to hell in a hand basket around you. Which, it won't of course-hopefully!! ;o))
Good writing to you all.
119,503 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2008 - 07 45
Maybe a corollary to this is if things AREN'T getting off to a bang-up start in the first few days and you can't wrap your head/get excited about where things are headed, just jump into some part where you ARE engaged and let it flow!! That way you can get ahead in the word count and start off well vested in your writing, even if the political world is going to hell in a hand basket around you. Which, it won't of course-hopefully!! ;o))
That is excellent advice! Write what you can and when you can. If the ending comes to you before the chapter two does - then write that.
Remember - you can always go back and put the pieces together later!
Another piece of advice from another writer last year was to get a thumb drive and wear it/keep it with you at all times. That way you will have a physical reminder of NaNo each and every day. The reminder will help for those times when you *can't* write. The person suggesting it mentioned how it would be a good insofar as it would force you to think about your novel more than you normally would, most likely helping up that word count.
34,926 / 50,000
oct. 6, 2008 - 02 31
I find it also helps to carry a notebook and a pen around religiously--if you don't already--because let's face it, we can't always be attached to our computers. I can't stress how much easier it's been for me to cover my daily word count by scribbling during my lunch break at work or between classes (or during classes) and then building off that when I really sit down to write later. Also, even if you get off to a slow first week, DON'T GIVE UP! We all have things to do and it can be really easy to fall behind, but it's not hard to catch back up. Don't stress about it, just write write write and you'll be back up to speed in no time.
71,421 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2008 - 10 05
You gotta want it. You have to be willing to give up other things to make time. Tivo your favorite shows, or wait for them to come out on DVD and watch the whole season, ad-free, in a week. Most years I finish my 50K by the 10th or 11th--because I am willing to do NOTHING else that isn't necessary until I've written my goal (which is 5K/day).
Backing up is helpful. Rename your file every day. Novel_nov1.doc novel_nov2.doc etc. Email yourself copies (get a new email address just to store them--google mail has unlimited storage). Definitely go to events when you can--the people are GREAT, and the energy is wonderful and usually the food is more than edible. (Except at Panera Bread, but I guess that's just me.)
Overwrite. Don't get to 1667 and stop. Because there will be days you can't write, no matter what (my dad died in November of last year and novel writing was the last thing I felt like doing for a few days), or that you can't reach your goal. If you've built in a cushion (a goal of 2k a day, for instance) you won't be freaking out about getting behind.
And don't edit. Don't erase. Use the strike-out option to get rid of what you don't want and write around it. All those words are precious and should be counted!