If I seem a little sluggish this November, forgive me. I’m trying to write a novel -- in a month.
Tuesday marks the start of National Novel Writing Month, also known as Nanowrimo. Participants attempt to write a 50,000-word first draft of a novel in a month. Do the math and that equates to 1,667 words, or about three newspaper columns, every day.
I know what you’re thinking: Sara, you already write during your day job. Why on earth would you want to go home at the end of a long day of writing articles and write more? And 50,000 words in the month? That’s sounds like a suicide mission.
This will be my fifth year participating in Nanowrimo and hopefully, my third year of reaching the 50,000 word goal. It’s not an easy task and yes, I do get tired. But it’s also a fun chance to write something creative and different, as well as a good way to start a daily writing habit. You don’t win anything at the end, except perhaps a sense of accomplishment and the discovery that either you hate writing, or you like it enough to keep doing it day after day. Guess which group I fall into?
If this is your first year attempting Nanowrimo, here’s a couple tips:
Plan if you can: Some people jump straight into writing on November 1 without any planning and manage to finish with time to spare. I don’t recommend doing this. You might start off full of ideas and enthusiasm, but eventually you’ll reach a point (usually around the 10,000 word mark) where you don’t know what to write next and want to give up. An outline gives you something to refer to when you get lost or discouraged. Even if you don’t have time for a detailed plan, brainstorm a little before writing.
Write every day: It’s tempting to save all of your writing for the weekend -- like you did for every college term paper -- but remember, that’s nearly 12,000 words to write. You really don’t want to spend Saturdays chained to your desk, so try to write every day. That way, you won’t be stuck inside all weekend and you won’t lose track of your story during the week.
Don’t edit: This is just a first draft and no one is going to see it, so it doesn’t have to be perfect. Allowing yourself to make mistakes and veer off course is part of the fun and can sometimes make your story better. Make sure your story makes sense to you, but don’t agonize over every sentence. That’s what second drafts are for.
Don’t do it alone: Writing is usually a solitary activity, but Nanowrimo breaks that rule. The Nanowrimo website has forums where writers can chat about ideas and moan during the bad days. It’s also a good place to find out if there are other local people participating. After all, once you cross the 50,000 word finish line, you’ll want someone to celebrate with. Good luck.
--Contact Sara Pauff at 706-320-4469 or spauff@ledger-enquirer.com. For more commentary, read her 20-something blog.
