Next month is NaNoWriMo - or, National Novel Writing Month. Confusingly, this is a very international event. If you’re not familiar, it’s a challenge to write 50,000 words in one month.
It’s an opportunity to put the perfectionism to one side and just go for it. Doesn’t matter if you don’t hit the 50k, or go flying past it - the idea is that the community motivation will mean you have more words at the end of the month than you would have otherwise.
I did NaNoWriMo back in 2009 and it set me on the path towards being the novelist I’d always wanted to be. Especially if you’re struggling to get going, I highly recommend giving it a try. And if you’ve done it before - share your top tips below!
I did it in 2021 when my wife (aka Sugar Momma) told me I could take a year off and just write. The event served as a catalyst to build a daily writing habit. So, if you're struggling with consistency, consider it as an experiment.
I'm a novellist (two L's; I write novellas), so I worked on three projects during the month and ended with about 70k words that I then edited and published in 2022 as three books.
It can be successful. But also rough if you're the kind of person who is hard on him-/herself. So, be forgiving. Experiment. Make mistakes. Shift course or gears. Make friends. Have fun. And write! ✍️
I wrote my first novel in November 2021 without actually signing up for NaNoWriMo. I audited. 😂 I guess I was worried I wouldn't be able to accomplish the task of writing 50K words in a month. I ended up writing 70K (a complete novel) in 21 days! I officially participated last year and knocked out another book, this one a tad shorter, but still complete. I didn't do much of the community interaction stuff they offer, but I did like tracking my word count and earning the little badges along the way.
As for this year - I will NOT be doing NaNoWriMo. I have written too many novels already - FIVE - and I need to spend some time tending to the act of polishing at least one of those before I attempt a new long form story. Maybe I'll turn NaNoWriMo into my own challenge NoNoWriMo. I will challenge myself NOT to write another novel this November. 😂
Best of luck to anyone dipping their toe in this year!
I did it last year. It was fantastic. One thing I learned-- have your outline prepared, or if you’re a pantster know your story. Otherwise, you may be doing one huge writing exercise-- which isn’t so terrible.
While I’m not doing it this year, when I have done it I like to plan what days I’m going to write and math out the word count I need to hit on those days in order to reach that 50k minimum at the end of the month. So if you plan to write every day, that’s 1,667 words a day. It breaks the goal out into easier to chew bites. I’ve done nano twice and won both times doing this. I don’t do any other planning, writing or otherwise for it.
Simon! Between your “What is Substack” series, which I’m sharing with all my subscribers who have never heard of it, and posts like this, you are a wealth of valuable information. Thank you, Jack
I wrote this list of Top Eleven Things learned from NANOWRIMO in 2012. Holy buckets that is a long time ago. Most of these suggestions are still applicable, I think. I have joined the fray three times, won twice. I have written two books and have almost completed a third book since that time.
1. The number of words you must write per day to reach 50,000 words in thirty days is 1,667, but you might want to set your sites on writing at least 2,000. You need a cushion to get you through the days when life, family, work or illness demand that you leave the computer and get other things done.
2. Recognize the things that are writing aids, and which things are distractions; e.g., TV = distraction; music = aid.
3. Being a good typist is a great asset to have at your disposal. I‘m a terrible typist. (Speech recognition software anyone?)
4. Find a comfortable place to write. This was a challenge. Never knew it was so hard to type with a computer on your lap. Couldn’t get used to my legs going numb after an hour of sitting cross legged.
5. If at all possible, prepare an outline for the novel (fair according to the NaNoWriMo rules) It is too time consuming to formulate an outline and write a story at the same time.
6. Do not try to learn how to use Scrivener (a word-processing program designed for writers) and write 1667 words a day at the same time.
7. Being able to check your progress on a website that has your personal total word count, a bar graph, and lots of other stats is fun... mostly.
8. It is possible to write 3,000 words in 6 hours; also possible to type in a semi-sleeping state.
9. It is incredibly difficult to lock your internal editor in a room in your brain and not allow her out for a month. Couldn’t stand to listen to her screaming and pounding on the door. I let her out.
10. Yes, you can sit down and write even when inspiration has ghosted you.
11. You might want to take the last two days of November off work so that you can write for 48 hours straight because, well, Thanksgiving.
I've done it most years for 5 or 6 years, but I don't think I will this year. The reason is, I still haven't finished editing and publishing the ones I've already done, so having another half-done doesn't seem like a smart move. But I am doing kind of the same thing with the serialized novella I'm writing here on Substack this month.
My only advice is that if you have an inkling of what you what to write about and it's any sort of a period piece, spend October doing the research. Last time I attempted, my book idea was a Downton Abby fan fiction novel. I spent October reading up on the upper and aristocratic classes of the Edwardian and Victorian eras. And binged watched DA a couple of times, taking notes. In some ways the research was more fun.
I plan to use November as an opportunity to write a novella or novel, but I do not plan on officially joining a local group or participating in NaNoWriMo activities. It's sort of on the downlow. My problem is that the stories I want to tell are either too grand or are better suited as a short story. I'm trying to get into the mindset to find something with the right middle ground. I outline, and so I need chapters planned in order for it to be a true success, but I'm presently drawing a blank.
I'm going to do it this year! I've been meaning to do it for years, but always got distracted by my day job and couldn't keep up. I had to quit my job due to health reasons and am hoping to make progress on my writing while I'm housebound.
I first did NaNoWriMo in '09 as well! I've done it once or twice since, and then life events intervened and I haven't really done it properly since. The first time I did it I had a small but active in-person writing group, although that no longer exists now.
I might try to complete the draft of a novel I'm working on now. I'd hoped to get it done by end of year, and had been figuring my daily word count based on that, but November might be good as well. Having a daily word count goal helps a lot for me.
I might use NaNoWriMo as a way to get more writing in that isn't on my set substack schedule. I've felt almost trapped by my serial in a way, don't want to stop, but I've got a lot of things I'd like to write.
I am undecided. If I do, I will probably just shoot for getting words down every day, rather than 50K, and I probably won't fill out a profile. I'm currently doing an X-Men themed Inktober challenge, so if I manage to complete that, then I think I will be more motivated to complete another challenge in November!
My tip would be to write every day and to experiment with different writing times and locations to maximize your output.
Our friend Eric W. and I did NaNo together last year, and both came away feeling great about it. We left notes for each other almost daily about how it was going. I didn't reach 50k, but that was fine. It was enough to aim for 1500 words on a daily basis, no matter what happened in the end.
This year I'm going to use the occasion to first write a short story that I have a deadline for, and then I might write a new version of the novel I wrote for it last year.
I’m leaning towards it, but I have a month long set of gruelling schoolwork/physical labour unlike any I’ve ever done before, will have to deal with stress, helping my gf with her visa at that time. But I think it is times such as those that Nanowrimo is most needed.
Already have a novel in mind. Going to work on it in Nov.
I might return to NaNo this year as a means to finish an incomplete scifi novel, a first person space opera fusing the French Revolution, Ancient Greek warfare, and Warhammer 40K. I need to finish the second PoV for book 1 of 3 and 50'000 words is close to what's left to write.
I started writing with NaNo back in 2013 when a flatmate at uni asked if I wanted to join her in doing it. I failed to reach 50k and at the end of the month didn't write again until the following NaNo. Repeated that cycle for four years until I missed a NaNo during my Masters only to start writing December 2017 and have been writing almost every day since.
If you struggle to put pen to paper and get caught up in world building or editing as you go then NaNo is a good way to let go of that trepidation. If you want to write something different and off the wall to your usual stuff then go for it. Or if you just fancy a month to focus on your hobby of writing NaNo is a good excuse. Writing, like football, cycling, boardgames, or whatever can be purely for fun and not tied to the aim of 'going pro'.
Oh my Lord, I’m on my first ‘novel’ (think it’s more of a novella) and only just hit 30,000 words in, like, 3 months! Hats off to all of you who get anywhere near 50k, and to those who try! 🙌
I'll be using the month to edit - yep, I'm a Nano Rebel. Have been pretty much from the start when i started following the Nano movement about 20 years ago. :)
I've done NaNoWriMo three times, and hit 50K words three times. But the drafts were all so horribly written, so poorly thought out, that I couldn't do anything with them. So it hasn't worked for me, but I can see why it'd work for others.
I plotted OTTS during NaNoWriMo in 2018 and ended up writing the book in a single month because I had such a solid plan for it! Love National Novel Writing Month. This year I’d like to spend November plotting the sequel. 😁
Well that's a tricky question. I just finished the outline for the second book in an urban fantasy duology and will be starting to write it in the next couple of weeks - which means I'll definitely be writing it in November too and hoping to finish it by the end of the year (or sooner!)... so I guess I'm doing it and not doing it?
I completed my first NaNoWriMo in 2006. It was my second attempt. I completed it again in 2007. Been sitting on them both since. Thinking about publishing one on my Substack as a serial novel.
I want to do it this year for the first time. 🤞
I did it in 2021 when my wife (aka Sugar Momma) told me I could take a year off and just write. The event served as a catalyst to build a daily writing habit. So, if you're struggling with consistency, consider it as an experiment.
I'm a novellist (two L's; I write novellas), so I worked on three projects during the month and ended with about 70k words that I then edited and published in 2022 as three books.
It can be successful. But also rough if you're the kind of person who is hard on him-/herself. So, be forgiving. Experiment. Make mistakes. Shift course or gears. Make friends. Have fun. And write! ✍️
I wrote my first novel in November 2021 without actually signing up for NaNoWriMo. I audited. 😂 I guess I was worried I wouldn't be able to accomplish the task of writing 50K words in a month. I ended up writing 70K (a complete novel) in 21 days! I officially participated last year and knocked out another book, this one a tad shorter, but still complete. I didn't do much of the community interaction stuff they offer, but I did like tracking my word count and earning the little badges along the way.
As for this year - I will NOT be doing NaNoWriMo. I have written too many novels already - FIVE - and I need to spend some time tending to the act of polishing at least one of those before I attempt a new long form story. Maybe I'll turn NaNoWriMo into my own challenge NoNoWriMo. I will challenge myself NOT to write another novel this November. 😂
Best of luck to anyone dipping their toe in this year!
I did it last year. It was fantastic. One thing I learned-- have your outline prepared, or if you’re a pantster know your story. Otherwise, you may be doing one huge writing exercise-- which isn’t so terrible.
I have done it twice and exceeded my 50k both times. My tip ... just write and don't get too caught up on editing.
While I’m not doing it this year, when I have done it I like to plan what days I’m going to write and math out the word count I need to hit on those days in order to reach that 50k minimum at the end of the month. So if you plan to write every day, that’s 1,667 words a day. It breaks the goal out into easier to chew bites. I’ve done nano twice and won both times doing this. I don’t do any other planning, writing or otherwise for it.
I got turned down for a Virtual Residency I applied for which was in Nov, so yes, NaNoWriMo is on this year, my next sci-fi being the aim.
Simon! Between your “What is Substack” series, which I’m sharing with all my subscribers who have never heard of it, and posts like this, you are a wealth of valuable information. Thank you, Jack
I wrote this list of Top Eleven Things learned from NANOWRIMO in 2012. Holy buckets that is a long time ago. Most of these suggestions are still applicable, I think. I have joined the fray three times, won twice. I have written two books and have almost completed a third book since that time.
1. The number of words you must write per day to reach 50,000 words in thirty days is 1,667, but you might want to set your sites on writing at least 2,000. You need a cushion to get you through the days when life, family, work or illness demand that you leave the computer and get other things done.
2. Recognize the things that are writing aids, and which things are distractions; e.g., TV = distraction; music = aid.
3. Being a good typist is a great asset to have at your disposal. I‘m a terrible typist. (Speech recognition software anyone?)
4. Find a comfortable place to write. This was a challenge. Never knew it was so hard to type with a computer on your lap. Couldn’t get used to my legs going numb after an hour of sitting cross legged.
5. If at all possible, prepare an outline for the novel (fair according to the NaNoWriMo rules) It is too time consuming to formulate an outline and write a story at the same time.
6. Do not try to learn how to use Scrivener (a word-processing program designed for writers) and write 1667 words a day at the same time.
7. Being able to check your progress on a website that has your personal total word count, a bar graph, and lots of other stats is fun... mostly.
8. It is possible to write 3,000 words in 6 hours; also possible to type in a semi-sleeping state.
9. It is incredibly difficult to lock your internal editor in a room in your brain and not allow her out for a month. Couldn’t stand to listen to her screaming and pounding on the door. I let her out.
10. Yes, you can sit down and write even when inspiration has ghosted you.
11. You might want to take the last two days of November off work so that you can write for 48 hours straight because, well, Thanksgiving.
I’ll give it a go. I’m about 2 days worth of words (based on the 50k/month) that has taken me 5 months to write! Yikes! This is good motivation.
I've done it most years for 5 or 6 years, but I don't think I will this year. The reason is, I still haven't finished editing and publishing the ones I've already done, so having another half-done doesn't seem like a smart move. But I am doing kind of the same thing with the serialized novella I'm writing here on Substack this month.
My only advice is that if you have an inkling of what you what to write about and it's any sort of a period piece, spend October doing the research. Last time I attempted, my book idea was a Downton Abby fan fiction novel. I spent October reading up on the upper and aristocratic classes of the Edwardian and Victorian eras. And binged watched DA a couple of times, taking notes. In some ways the research was more fun.
I plan to use November as an opportunity to write a novella or novel, but I do not plan on officially joining a local group or participating in NaNoWriMo activities. It's sort of on the downlow. My problem is that the stories I want to tell are either too grand or are better suited as a short story. I'm trying to get into the mindset to find something with the right middle ground. I outline, and so I need chapters planned in order for it to be a true success, but I'm presently drawing a blank.
I'm going to do it this year! I've been meaning to do it for years, but always got distracted by my day job and couldn't keep up. I had to quit my job due to health reasons and am hoping to make progress on my writing while I'm housebound.
I never plan on doing it but anytime someone mentions it to me in near enough proximity, I decide to give it a go.
If I remember on November 1st, I'll pick up one of these ideas I have lying around and run with it.
I first did NaNoWriMo in '09 as well! I've done it once or twice since, and then life events intervened and I haven't really done it properly since. The first time I did it I had a small but active in-person writing group, although that no longer exists now.
I might try to complete the draft of a novel I'm working on now. I'd hoped to get it done by end of year, and had been figuring my daily word count based on that, but November might be good as well. Having a daily word count goal helps a lot for me.
I might use NaNoWriMo as a way to get more writing in that isn't on my set substack schedule. I've felt almost trapped by my serial in a way, don't want to stop, but I've got a lot of things I'd like to write.
I am undecided. If I do, I will probably just shoot for getting words down every day, rather than 50K, and I probably won't fill out a profile. I'm currently doing an X-Men themed Inktober challenge, so if I manage to complete that, then I think I will be more motivated to complete another challenge in November!
My tip would be to write every day and to experiment with different writing times and locations to maximize your output.
Our friend Eric W. and I did NaNo together last year, and both came away feeling great about it. We left notes for each other almost daily about how it was going. I didn't reach 50k, but that was fine. It was enough to aim for 1500 words on a daily basis, no matter what happened in the end.
This year I'm going to use the occasion to first write a short story that I have a deadline for, and then I might write a new version of the novel I wrote for it last year.
I ❤️ Nano and I'm ready again this year. I'm going to draft the fourth book in my mystery series.
I’m leaning towards it, but I have a month long set of gruelling schoolwork/physical labour unlike any I’ve ever done before, will have to deal with stress, helping my gf with her visa at that time. But I think it is times such as those that Nanowrimo is most needed.
Already have a novel in mind. Going to work on it in Nov.
Why would you purposefully limit yourself to only writing 50K words in one month?
I joke, people, I joke! :P
Experiments like this can help free our perfectionism and get those creative juices flowing. Let the first draft suck!
It's not for me, though. Lone wolf and whatnot. Not a joiner by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't like outside pressure.
Good luck to those going for it!
Debating! I have two in the works.
I might return to NaNo this year as a means to finish an incomplete scifi novel, a first person space opera fusing the French Revolution, Ancient Greek warfare, and Warhammer 40K. I need to finish the second PoV for book 1 of 3 and 50'000 words is close to what's left to write.
I started writing with NaNo back in 2013 when a flatmate at uni asked if I wanted to join her in doing it. I failed to reach 50k and at the end of the month didn't write again until the following NaNo. Repeated that cycle for four years until I missed a NaNo during my Masters only to start writing December 2017 and have been writing almost every day since.
If you struggle to put pen to paper and get caught up in world building or editing as you go then NaNo is a good way to let go of that trepidation. If you want to write something different and off the wall to your usual stuff then go for it. Or if you just fancy a month to focus on your hobby of writing NaNo is a good excuse. Writing, like football, cycling, boardgames, or whatever can be purely for fun and not tied to the aim of 'going pro'.
Oh my Lord, I’m on my first ‘novel’ (think it’s more of a novella) and only just hit 30,000 words in, like, 3 months! Hats off to all of you who get anywhere near 50k, and to those who try! 🙌
I'll be using the month to edit - yep, I'm a Nano Rebel. Have been pretty much from the start when i started following the Nano movement about 20 years ago. :)
I've done NaNoWriMo three times, and hit 50K words three times. But the drafts were all so horribly written, so poorly thought out, that I couldn't do anything with them. So it hasn't worked for me, but I can see why it'd work for others.
I plotted OTTS during NaNoWriMo in 2018 and ended up writing the book in a single month because I had such a solid plan for it! Love National Novel Writing Month. This year I’d like to spend November plotting the sequel. 😁
Any advice?
No, no, and no - NO! Did I say 'NO'? Yes - NO!
Well that's a tricky question. I just finished the outline for the second book in an urban fantasy duology and will be starting to write it in the next couple of weeks - which means I'll definitely be writing it in November too and hoping to finish it by the end of the year (or sooner!)... so I guess I'm doing it and not doing it?
I completed my first NaNoWriMo in 2006. It was my second attempt. I completed it again in 2007. Been sitting on them both since. Thinking about publishing one on my Substack as a serial novel.