Here to Create

Once I decided to do NaNoWriMo, I realized I had to make a plan. I knew that if I didn’t set daily goals and milestones I’d write a little here and a little there, then panic over Thanksgiving and probably give up. To prevent that, I’ve come up with a plan for working around my other obligations and keeping myself focused. Because this is my first time participating in NaNo, I suspect I may be over-planning. I’ll see what works and adjust for next year.

Defining my Obligations
First, I realized I need to be aware of the other things that will demand my attention in November. I’ve drawn up a schedule that will let me work ahead one full month in one of my classes before November 1. I also started writing posts for Here to Create as a backup plan for when I’m too exhausted to write another word.

Research
I never do anything without researching it first. I started reading everything I could about the NaNo experience, including No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. Here’s my review of No Plot? No Problem!, and here’s my list of other NaNo resources.

Set Goals
In order to write 50,000 words in 30 days, I need to write an average of 1,667 words per day. My goal is to write 2,000 words every weekday and 5,000 words on weekend days. This gives me a buffer for days I can only write a few hundred words or days I just need to take off.

I anticipate having a hard time keeping track of just how many words I’m getting done each day, so I’m also setting word count goals by date so I can regularly check my progress without having to remember to record the word count before and after each writing session. Here’s my rough plan:

November 5 – 10,000 words
November 10 – 20,000 words
November 15 – 30,000 words
November 20 – 40,000 words
November 25 – 50,000 words

Again, I’m allowing myself some leeway by planning to finish early. I won’t panic if I don’t hit my target word count by the days I’ve set; it’s just a way for me to know if I’m getting behind.

Strategize
On a daily basis, I’m going to try not to obsess over how many words I’ve written, though I will be posting my daily word count in the sidebar above the NaNo Participant logo. Instead, I’m going to shoot for two hours of writing every day and see where that gets me. On weekend days, I’m going to try for two or three two-hour writing sessions with breaks in between.

Over the past month, I’ve established a reasonably consistent habit of getting up every morning by 5 or 6. With luck, I’ll be able to get my two hours of writing in every day before work. One method that’s worked well for me on other projects is doing a little longhand writing before I go to bed. In the morning, I can just start typing from my notes without getting bogged down in re-reading the previous day’s work.

Another strategy is to find allies. I have one writing date set up with a friend who is also doing NaNoWriMo. My fiance may be participating as well. I might also connect with a local NaNo group that writes at a coffee shop.

Come up with a story
The story really shouldn’t be the last item on my list, but I think coming up with a storyline won’t be that hard. The hard part will be actually writing it, every day, until it’s finished. I’ve never had a problem coming up with ideas, but I’ve not yet finished a novel. I’m looking forward to my first completed novel at the end of November.

I’m going to do it. I think. At least, I’m going to try.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, an annual event that attracts thousands of writers. The goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words (about 175 pages) between November 1 and November 30. Last year, 79,000 people signed up to participate, and 13,000 of them “won,” completing their novels by the deadline.

I’ve thought about doing NaNo for years but have always made excuses. When I’m in school, I always have so many assignments due in November. When I haven’t written steadily in ages, I feel like I can’t possibly leap into something as intense as a novel, much less one I have to finish in a month. I often feel like I don’t have any good ideas. This year, I’m also working nearly full time hours, but I’m going to do it anyway.

Part of the reason for my increase in novel-writing bravery is the workout my writing muscles have received by posting regularly on Here to Create. I’m more confident, but also more aware of the rigors of writing every day. On the one hand, I spend a lot of time working on posts for this site. On the other hand, my NaNo novel only has to be a rough draft. On a day to day basis, I expect to spend roughly the same amount of time noveling as I do writing and polishing a blog post. Of course, it will be twice the work since I intend to keep blogging at the same time. Luckily, I’ve noticed that the more often I write, the faster my writing gets. I’d like to continue this trend by stretching my limits even further.

Another reason to write a novel in a month is to gain more control over my inner editor, the one who is horrified by my grammar and spelling and thinks my ideas stink. If I’m going to write a novel in a month, I will have to burn through my uncertainty and use the flames to feed my enthusiasm. I will have to quit starting every novel writing session by editing my previous chapters until I get sick of the story. I know that’s killed my last few attempts to write a novel. I’m hoping that the time pressure, combined with the expectation of a very rough draft, will help me tell the inner editor to shove it. I think all my writing will improve if I can learn this trick.

But mostly, I just want to prove to myself that I can do it. If I can make it to 50,000 words, this will be the biggest writing project I’ve ever finished. I think having a definite deadline will help me make a priority of writing. Any other time I’ve started writing a novel, it has slowly worked its way to the bottom of my to-do list. For November, at least, writing will be at the top of my list.

All I need now is a story. All my abandoned novels have begun with pages and pages of character background, plot points, world details, lists of names and dates, and maybe a map, all roughly organized into a chapter outline. I’m tempted to just dive in this time with only a faint idea of where I want to go. But I’m afraid that without an outline to guide me, I’ll stop the first time my mind goes blank. With an outline, I can skip that blank space and write the scene that comes after. I’m still undecided whether I should try an entirely new method of writing or just hope the old standby works a little better this time. Luckily, I do have several ideas I can flesh out before November 1.

Especially as a first-time participant, I’d love to hear from anyone else out there who is participating in NaNoWriMo. What are your plans to cope with the stress of November? Tomorrow I’ll be talking about the writing goals I’m setting for myself and what I’m doing to prepare for National Novel Writing Month.