#by nano guest

Worldbuilding can be one of the most daunting tasks that a writer can embark on, but fear not! Siera Schubach, an awarding-winning author, is here to save the day and give you a great guide to building your fantasy world without knowing every detail.

Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy story but felt overwhelmed by the concept of worldbuilding?

As a fantasy writer myself, I’m going to tell you a little secret: Worldbuilding isn’t as complicated as it is made out to be. 

Here are a few steps you can take to build a strong, layered, and interesting fantasy world without any prep. 

The Plot is the Point

Do you know every single language on Earth? Do you know the customs and cultures of every person on the planet? I expect the answer is “no” (unless you’re an all knowing oracle in which case, I have some questions). We don’t know every detail of the world we live in now, and you don’t need to know all the details of the world you are creating either. 

There are over seven different species (that I know of) in my fantasy world, but the only ones I know much about are those that factor heavily into the story. You don’t need to know the vast history of a character who is only mentioned in passing.

Listen to Your Characters

When I started my fantasy novel I had no idea where the story was going or any of the details of the world I walked into. Everything I learned about my new world was through my characters. 

When a new character comes into your story, whether you knew they were coming or they showed up unannounced, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:

• What does their appearance reveal about their background? 
• Do they speak the same language as your main character?
• What does their body language show about their culture? 
• Is there any tension with other characters?

You don’t have to share everything you learn with the reader (remember, focus on what enhances the plot). But knowing these details can help you develop your own understanding of your fantasy world. 

You Don’t Have To Be a Linguist

Not every human on Earth speaks the same language. The same should be true of your fantasy world. But this doesn’t mean you need to become J.R.R. Tolkien.

A great way to show language diversity without creating a whole new language is by describing what the language sounds like, not necessarily what is being said. 

• “He spoke to her in a tongue she did not understand. It was rough and guttural, as though he were pulling the words from the depth of his throat.”
• “Her words were soft and lilted. Janine did not understand their meaning, but felt comforted nonetheless.” 

Think of this as a play on the old “show don’t tell” rule. You can show how your language sounds and interacts in your fantasy world without telling any of the words. 

Skip the Exposition

When we meet new people, we don’t spill our entire life story. We share it little by little over time. This should be true for your characters. When introducing a new being or species, don’t overload the reader with details all at once. Let them discover the culture of this character as they get to know them. This can look something like:

• Everyone sits down for a meal but character A doesn’t eat anything because they are vegetarian. 
• It’s a hot day and everyone takes off their outer layers except for character B because they cannot show the skin of their arms.

Don’t Box Yourself In

If you spend ages on worldbuilding you run the risk of stifling your creativity and bending your story to fit into the box you created. Whether you are a pantser or a planner, creating a new fantasy world can be daunting. But it should also be fun.

Once you get over the fear of creating a new world beneath your fingertips, you will come to realize that you already have all the tools you need to start building.

Siera Schubach is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and random fact collector. She is currently in the depths of editing her latest fantasy novel, and working on a nonfiction book that will be published by Bloomsbury in 2024. 

Photo by Cederic VandenbergheonUnsplash   

The best way to power through any writing challenge or project, like NaNo, is to have a group of friends that can support you and cheer you on. R.L. Merrill, a long-time NaNo Participant, writes this article in honor of her writing friends, and encourages you to find them in little pockets of the world.

I’m Ro, I live in the East Bay, and I’m a People Collector. That’s right, I collect rad folks with special gifts and talents who make this world a better place. It’s not nearly as creepy as it sounds, I promise, although I do write horror stories from time-to-time when I’m not working on a romance to make you swoon or shiver. 

Let’s back up to June 2014 when I first attended a meeting of the San Francisco Area RWA chapter. I was greeted by two vivacious women who invited me to sit with them, which up until that point had been a rare occurrence in my life before joining the writing community known as Romancelandia. See, I was an educator for twenty-seven years, but I was always the one who tried to radicalize the staff to better meet the needs of the students. I’m usually that one weird mom at the PTA meetings who the others are nice to as long as I bring the right cupcakes to the party. 

Okay, I’m exaggerating slightly, but before I found the incredible folks at the SFARWA (now the Bay Area Romance Writers group) I never truly fit anywhere. Finding other writers was sort of like meeting the goth kids the first month of high school—or “mods” as we called them—and feeling like I’d found a safe group to hang out with when my fellow cheerleaders were sick of my straight hair and lack of makeup (I went to high school in the latter half of the 1980s). Writers are a diverse group by nature, and they are always willing to take up the shield when another is in peril (don’t believe me? Check out Twitter).

But back to SFARWA, I knew I’d found my place when I met Shannon. At one of the meetings in the early fall, she started talking about an intriguing enterprise known as “NaNo.” I had to ask her what it was all about. 

“Oh, sit with me and let me enlighten you.” I was told of this magical community online who support each other through the month of November as they attempt to complete a 50k novel in 30 days. I love a good challenge, so I followed the link she gave me to the NaNoWriMo site and beheld the beauty that is this community. 

During all of the Camps and NaNos I’ve participated in (16 and counting), l was supported by the many folks I’ve collected along the way. There’s Rachael and Sophie, the two SFARWA members who greeted me at my first meeting, Shannon, Karysa who coerced/coaxed me to join the board for our local chapter, Annabeth’s Rainbow Cabin members, the Bay Area Sexy S’mores, and members of the Inclusive Romance Project to name a few.  

Just as I collected these folks, they embraced me with all of my tattoos, pink hair, and heavy-metal-loving ways. Together we whined and “wahooed” each other and then celebrated completing our projects. My “collection” of people is vast. I’ve taken classes from some, invited some to share their experiences on my blog or on my Clubhouse chat with Amy Z. Chan on Friday mornings at 9 PDT (Yep, Amy is another friend I collected). I even have a “crew” of folks I chat with on Tuesday nights on Zoom to discuss the latest news in Romancelandia, the newest marketing/promotional strategies, and the bonkers plot bunnies that happen when I’m challenged…I love a good challenge. I love pushing myself to be a better writer, better friend, and better cheerleader. One of the things I always recommend to the newbie writers I work with is to check out the NaNo site. Whether it’s prompts you need, or some accountability, or maybe it’s knowing someone else is out there sitting behind a blank screen desperately wishing for those words to come, all of those things can be found through the NaNo community.  

Who are the people you’ve “collected” along your journey to becoming a writer? Have you told them how much they mean to you? This post is my way of honoring my people, and a reminder that there are people I’ve lost track of who could use a check-in. We need our people more than ever, and we need to let them know how much they mean to us. So find your people and get to NaNo-ing!

R.L. Merrill writes contemporary, paranormal, and supernatural tales to make you swoon and/or shiver. You can find her on social media, advocating for America’s youth, writing music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned…

As Camp NaNoWriMo is drawing to an end, author and NaNoWriMo winner, MenteMelan, reflects upon her first NaNo experience, and gives some tips to people who might not have joined this time, but plan to in the future. 

Excitement. Joy. Fear. Apprehension.

These are some of the numerous emotions I experienced a few days before the 2021 NaNoWriMo began. After weeks of prewriting, seminars, and strategizing, I eagerly sharpened my pencils and cleared my workspace as I awaited the beginning of the 50,000-word challenge.

I first heard about NaNoWriMo during the pandemic in 2020. Before then, I had participated in several writing challenges, written a few short stories, and produced the first draft of a novel. I was psyched by the challenge the NaNoWriMo proposed. 

Since I stumbled upon the creative writing challenge several days after it began, I decided to bid my time and participate in 2021. However, I never anticipated any of the things that occurred in the months preceding the NaNoWriMo.

As the lockdown restrictions gradually eased last year, the world slowly tried to heal from the turbulence which occurred in 2020. Like many others, I struggled to adjust for several months and was forced to come to terms with the fact that the world could never be the same. 

I have never been a big fan of change, so as you can imagine, I battled with so many emotions, never finding the right avenue to vent everything I’d been feeling. For me, the 2021 NaNoWriMo was highly therapeutic. I can still remember how I picked up my laptop on the first day and poured out all the pent-up emotions I had experienced during the year into the different characters I had crafted. 

By the end of the first day, I’d written about 3000 words, albeit with several typos and sentences that eventually needed fine tuning. However, none of that mattered. For the first time in months, I felt relieved. The moment I updated my profile and earned my first badge, it felt like I’d just won a million bucks!

Each day came with a different challenge and every second of it was fantastic. The goal wasn’t to create the perfect novel in 30 days but was to create an undiluted first draft, knowing I would still refine it all at the end. As I unlock each badge, I felt fulfilled and excited, waiting to see how long it would take to finally hit my goal. 

On the last day of the NaNoWriMo, I finally hit 50K words and unlocked my winner’s badge. I can honestly say no words can describe how amazing I felt that day.

Experiencing the joy that comes with being able to meet a challenge head-on is something I believe everyone deserves to feel during their lifetime. Although, there will be moments where the thrill of the chase might fade, and your characters might not speak to you as frequently as they used to. 

To overcome this, my advice would be to surround yourself with fellow writers who share the same goal and vision. If you can’t think of anyone who might be interested in the journey, then you’re welcome to join any of the NaNo regions. You’d receive a lot of support and encouragement from fellow writers and get chances to vet your work.

Finally, always remember you can edit it later. It’s your first draft, so it’s not meant to be perfect. It’s pretty easy to edit the first draft but impossible to edit what you’ve never written.

Enjoy every second of the challenge and take pride in what you’re doing. By deciding to participate in the NaNo, you’re already a winner. So, my fellow writers, sharpen your pencils, raise your pens, clean your typewriters, charge your laptops, and let the creative juices flow!

MenteMelan is a diverse award-winning African writer who believes in communicating her views and perspectives of the world through her books. It helps her foster connections with people across the world, create communities with kindred souls, and spread awareness about mental health.

Link to books:

Imprisoned by Secrets: https://www.wattpad.com/story/236039980

The Prophecy of The Black Day: https://www.wattpad.com/story/247485109

The Last Supper: https://www.wattpad.com/story/245502550

Social Media:

Instagram: @mentemelan

Wattpad: @MenteMelan

Photo by Ilya PavlovonUnsplash 

Exam season is coming up, which means that writing often takes a backseat. However, Liv Will, university student and writer, has some advice to make the best of both!

Spring! The weather gets warmer, the flowers bloom - and of course, Camp NaNoWriMo begins. But for many people at school or university, the spring season is also a time of exams. Just taking part can seem daunting. Fitting writing in is hard at the best of times, but committing to a new challenge alongside studying can sound impossible. 

Last November I completed NaNoWriMo alongside a grueling schedule of law school exams - and yes, my Mum did disapprove. While it was a huge learning curve, I definitely learned what worked (and what didn’t). 

Block off time

Have a study plan and stick to it. When I was revising, I kept to office hours, and refused to work before 9:00 am, or after 6:00 pm. Having a set amount of time made me far more efficient with my studying, and helped preserve my sanity. Don’t beat yourself up for taking care of yourself; it is absolutely not healthy to study 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When I came to writing after a long day of revising, I could think of it as a time for my mind to relax and be creative.

Create separate habits 

Everyday I tried to write for 20 minutes in the morning, and 1-2 hours in the evening. To make this as painless as possible, I created really strong routines to signal to my mind that we were being creative now, not studying. For my morning sessions, I sat down at my kitchen table at 8:30 every morning, with a cup of tea, put my headphones on and put on my writing playlist. In the evening, I would write sitting in the same place, with the same music, and a cup of herbal tea. Crucially, I never wrote at my desk - that was for studying, only. Creating separation is so important in exam time, to avoid feeling like work is taking over your life. Keep your studying, writing and sleeping as separate as possible, to avoid cross-contamination.  Having a routine will make docusing 100% easier; as the month went by, I found it got easier and easier to ‘get in the zone’. As soon as I put on my headphones and sipped my tea, I was ready. 

Just do it

Being time-poor can work to your advantage, because you don’t have time to overthink, start re-reading, or get distracted. My 20 minute morning writing session was a revelation in efficiency. I would set a timer up on my phone, and prop it up out of reach, somewhere I could see it. And because I knew that I had only this time and I couldn’t mess around, I would just start typing, and not stop until the timer went off. By the end of the month I was often writing 500 words in these 20 minutes. It can be hard to force yourself through when you feel like everything you write is garbage. Adding some time pressure will cut through your agonizing thoughts. 

Take set-backs in your stride 

One week I did hardly any writing, because of an exam I was incredibly worried about (Solicitor’s Accounts, if you’re interested). The exam went alright, but afterwards I was still upset, thinking it wouldn’t be possible to finish NaNoWriMo anymore. My sister advised me to start writing again, and just try to finish the month. ‘Even if you don’t make 50k, you’ll still have written a lot’, she said. ‘And that’s the whole point, isn’t it?’ She was right. I started writing again, quickly got back in the swing of things, and ended up making up for the time I’d lost. 

Don’t beat yourself up. What you’re doing is hard! Just make sure you get back on the horse!

Finally, take care of yourself! 

Don’t let exams be an excuse to neglect everything else! Try to eat healthily, get enough sleep, get outside, drink lots of water, and give yourself time to unwind. If you’re stressed out and exhausted, nothing you write - whether in an exam, or your WIP - will be any good. 

And don’t panic - you can do this!

Liv Will is a law student by day and writer of historical fantasy by night. She lives in London and spends most of her time trying to write, and blogging about pop culture, books and history at https://www.commontoad.org/

Photo by Green ChameleononUnsplash 

You might still be stumped on what to write for your new project, whether for Camp NaNo or something else. Lucy Gould, a young writer, is here to offer 3 ways to get inspired.

Starting a new novel can be daunting, especially if you don’t know what to write about. Fortunately, inspiration can be found almost anywhere. Here are my top three ways to get inspired to write!

Go for a walk. 

A 2014 Stanford study proved that walking boosts creative inspiration by 60%! Being surrounded by nature is a great way to inspire story elements like elaborate fantasy settings, peaceful nature scenes, or even developing a character personality. In fact, I came up with my favorite WIP by taking a walk. 

If the weather doesn’t allow for walking outdoors, try going for a drive. If you can’t do that, walk around your house while keeping an eye out for your surroundings, whether that be a misplaced shoe or a crooked painting. 

Try some writing prompts. 

This tactic is fantastic for writers who struggle starting their novel. Writing prompts not only give you a plot outline, but it also gives you a starting point. You can find these on Pinterest, Instagram, Google, and plenty of other sites. Remember that your response to the prompts can be long or short, there is no word count! An alternative to writing prompts if you really don’t like them is to take a line from a book you like, or even just a line that interests you, and give it a completely different plot.

Narrate your life or the life of someone around you. 

The less accurate you are the better. Walking down a hallway? No, now you are “slowly creeping down the hallway of a long forgotten castle, following the haunting calling from the past.” Not only does this method cure any boredom you might have, but it also activates mental descriptors and can give you some great novel material.

All in all, be aware of what is going on around you. But it is super important to not force inspiration. If you force yourself to write about the first thing that comes to mind, you won’t end up enjoying it. I hope this was helpful and happy writing!

Lucy G. is a teen writer whose debut novel is set to be published in Fall ‘22. She has a passion for all things bookish and loves connecting with fellow readers and writers. Lucy can be found in Eastern Massachusetts with her parents and her adorable cat, Lily, either curled up with a good book and a blanket or drinking her Starbucks and avoiding editing her book.

PINTEREST:https://www.pinterest.com/booksandfandomsgalore 

INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/booksandfandomsgalore/ 

Photo by Cindy LiuonUnsplash   

Due to the onset of the internet and online support programs, young writers are emerging into the writing scene and setting goals to finish novels. However, this can be ambitious, so Smrithi Senthilnathan is offering her advice on how to achieve your goals as a young writer.

I’ve only done NaNoWriMo once before, but I absolutely loved the experience! Not only did I manage to write a full 50k novel, but I also gained a lot of friends and knowledge about the craft of writing. Now I want to pass it on to you, by telling you how you can fulfill your Camp NaNoWriMo goals as a young writer.

Achieve your goals as to set a goal that suits your writing style and life. 

Camp NaNoWriMo is an event where you set your own writing goals. This means that you do not have to set a goal that you think will be too hard for you. If you’re tied up with school work and can only manage to write around 500 words or less per day, you can always set a goal for 10k words. This event is all about making sure you reach your goals. That being said, if you think that April will be a light month for you in terms of other workloads, feel free to set a goal for 100k words or even more. Go crazy, go wild but remember: make sure your goal is doable but don’t make it too easy; it has to be something a little out of your comfort zone, something you’ll need to push yourself to complete. Hence, take some time to evaluate your current situation and what you think will be most apt for you, and then choose your goal accordingly.

Plan ahead of time. 

At heart I am a plotter and I do not even start writing a story without having a completed outline, a couple of character sketches and a good idea of my world (I mostly write fantasy). While I know that a lot of people are pantsers and write stories from scratch, personally I would not advise that, especially if you’re still in the beginning stages of your writing. The NaNoWriMo website has a lot of helpful resources under the NaNo prep section, and I highly suggest you at least use some of them to plot out your novel. Trust me, it really helps. Since NaNo is all about writing quickly without worrying about editing, you won’t be able to write quickly unless you know what’s going to happen in the story. Although the fun of writing is creating as you go, having a basic outline will help make sure you don’t get stuck in the middle.

Find some helpful writing buddies.

I cannot stress the importance of writing to friends. They motivate you when you’re down, hype you up when you’re excited, and help you work through all those plot holes you can’t seem to fix. Try to find writing buddies of your own age and frequency, so that you’re able to interact with them better. 

Create a good writing routine that is easy to keep up even on the bad days. 

Even if you don’t write for the same amount of time, if you write at the same time every day it’ll become a habit. Even on your bad days you’ll still show up to write at that time, thus keeping up the habit.

Focus only on writing.

Don’t stop to think about editing, even for a minute. If you get sucked into the editing hellhole, you’ll never be able to find your way out. NaNo is all about just getting that first draft out there, and so only focus on that. 

Recognize and celebrate the small achievements. 

Every chapter you finish, every word you write is a step closer to your goal. Keep recognizing your achievements, no matter how small, so that you always have something to look back at and smile at.

And that’s about it! Each writer works differently and I can’t say that these will work for you, but if you’re a young writer like me and you’re new to NaNo, you might want to try some of these out to help achieve your goals. But also remember that it’s completely okay not to achieve your goals. You’re doing this only for you and no matter whether you meet your goals or not, you’ve still added words to your project, and you’re still a valid writer. So keep writing, and don’t stop no matter what. 

Smrithi Senthilnathan is a 16 year old writer from India. From a very young age she’s nurtured a passion for reading books and writing stories. Recently, she started to channel that passion into working on longer projects, like novels. Some of her stories have been published in online literary magazines. When she’s not writing maniacally, you can find her playing the piano or reading with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in her hand. 

Instagram: @thereaderspoint101

Blog:https://theunwrittenstories101.wordpress.com

Photo by Amelia BartlettonUnsplash 

What happens after you write a novel? You can pursue traditional publishing or indie self-publishing. Camille Collins, a resident NaNo participant and indie published author, offers her advice on how to indie publish your novel.

Writing a book in hopes of becoming a best-selling author is only half the journey. You have to publish your novel first!

For those with completed manuscripts, congratulations! You’re halfway to your goal of becoming an author. One way to skip the stress and time consuming process of querying required by traditional publishing is to independently publish your book by yourself. 

This can be done through websites such as IngramSparks, CreateSpace, Wattpad, and of course the largest book selling website on the internet, Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Your choices are not limited by any means, but for the best results, Amazon is the way to go for first time publishers.

Once you have your final manuscript, you can easily format it through Amazon’s free software called Kindle Create, or by downloading your book as an epub file from your preferred writing software. Once formatted, you can open KDP and begin the publishing process. After clicking on the “create new title” button, there are 3 pages of information you need to enter before your book goes live.

1. Book Details: This section will ask basic information about your book, such as the author’s name, the book’s title, and the blurb, as well as keywords and categories. It is important to do SEO research beforehand to know exactly what keywords and genre best fit your book. Your book’s subtitle and blurb are the places to squeeze in that information.
2. Book Content: To ISBN or not to ISBN? That is the question a lot of writers don’t want to think about when it comes to book expenses. Fortunately, Kindle offers free ISBN numbers for ebooks. If you plan to publish one or two ebooks, claim your free ISBN and forget about the hefty price of purchasing your own codes; however, for the serial author with a long list of future titles and big plans for marketing, purchasing ISBN codes from Bowker is essential for printing paperbacks on Kindle, as well as publishing on other platforms. I paid about $275 for a 10 pack of ISBN codes, so start saving up!
3. Book Rights & Pricing: How do you choose a price for your book after all the time you spent laboring over it? The answer is $0.99 or $2.99. To keep things simple, these are the most common prices for indie ebooks on Amazon, and having your first novel be affordable means you have a higher chance of making a sale. Debut novels and the first book of series do better with lower prices. 

After passing through the hurdles of KDP’s publishing process, all you have left to do is wait for your book to be approved and go live. Once again, congratulations! Writing is not easy, and most indie novels never reach print. Taking the time and effort to put your novel out there sets you apart…

Now all that’s left is to master the art of marketing!

Camille Collins is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University who has participated in NaNoWriMo since 2014 after her first win. Her first WIP, The Krown’s Curse Trilogy, is a fantasy romance featuring a siren and werewolf on opposing sides of a war. Camille loves the trope of found family and writes novels for people struggling with genuine connection. She has published 4 books in the last 2 years and has plans for many more.

Check out her books: www.amazon.com/Camille-Collins/e/B07ZBLJDG3 

Photo by Stephen Phillips - Hostreviews.co.ukonUnsplash 

With Camp NaNo starting up this Friday, so many of our young writers are going to be balancing ambitious projects with school work, so Jaydon Taylor, a young writer, has some tips and advice to navigate the chaos of school and writing.

Let me be real with you all: School can be a bummer sometimes.

Every day, I try to utilize my imagination and jog down several notes so I can start penning my next big adventure. But I feel like whenever I’m mapping out a plot or beginning the first draft of a great idea I have, schoolwork becomes my biggest hurdle.

That’s why I want to tell you all that there are different ways to balance a chaotic load of schoolwork and take part in something like NaNoWriMo. 

First off, I’ve always set goals for myself when working on a novel or script. But usually, the amount of pages I want to complete isn’t what pushes me forward. It’s how I’m able to complete my assignments and manage my time on those before I start working on my personal writing. 

Don’t Let Your Word Count Intimidate You

When I took part in NaNoWriMo in 2021, I nearly didn’t reach my word count goal. I started to feel stressed because both my schoolwork and mental health were in a rocky state at this point. But somehow, I managed to reach the finish line, and why? I ignored the word count and just shot for the ending during the last two days. With this mindset, I was able to complete the novel and reach a word count that I was satisfied with.

So believe me when I say you shouldn’t let a daily or monthly goal intimidate you. It’s okay if it doesn’t get fulfilled within a day or a week or a month. Put school and mental health as your top priorities before setting a writing goal for yourself.

Writing and School Connect in Everyday Life!

Another thing you can remember is that writing and school connect in your everyday life! Whether you realize it or not, you’re writing every day to complete your daily tasks for your teachers, even if it’s just a quick bell ringer. 

Applying your skills from creative writing to how you complete assignments for your teachers might seem like a better option than you think. Just don’t get too carried away in having fun with it or it’s missing the point!

You Can Always Find Time to Write Something

Lastly, I want to share an anecdote to emphasize my final point. When I was finished with my first draft of Dawn, I realized that my main problem with my writing habits was that they distracted me when I was already worried about my schoolwork. I started to feel worried and pressured more than joyous and fulfilled from it.

After I finished Dawn, I began to write at home and spent a few hours after school, working on longer stories. This worked to my benefit and my grades continued to soar. So just remember, you can always find the time to write something. As a wise Pixar movie once told me, “You can’t rush art.”

I hope I was able to emphasize the importance of balancing education and storytelling. There are many of us who want to do successful and get well-deserved careers through the hard work that is creative writing. But remember, good grades can make a big difference too.

Jaydon Taylor, or Inkwright as he prefers to be called, is a freshman who enjoys writing novels that are driven by the characters. Dawn is his first fully realized novel after a year of painstaking editing, which he dreams of getting published soon and made into an animated feature eventually. 

With Camp NaNoWriMo coming up, it’s important to make some great writing friends that keep you accountable and motivated. How do you do that? Roni Vayre, who’s been participating (and winning) NaNoWriMo since 2019, has some advice. She’s drafted 3 different novels through NaNo, and it’s all because her friend introduced it to her.

In 2019, I had been mulling over the idea of writing a novel, when a friend texted me about a writing challenge that happened every November. I hadn’t heard of National Novel Writing Month before, but intrigued and motivated by my friend, I signed up immediately. That first year, I won NaNoWriMo with a few days to spare! 

All of my writing efforts and accomplishments over the past few years are thanks to that friend, who kindly invited me to be a part of a writing challenge. I don’t think she realized how impactful that invitation was, but participating in NaNo has helped me grow into a more confident writer. It’s given me motivation to write and the momentum to keep writing. Something compelled her to share the organization with me and I’m forever grateful she did. 

Here are some tips to getting your friends to do NaNo and keep each other accountable!

Invite a friend

If you’re a NaNo fan, having friends to write with is so helpful! Writing with friends will help you stay accountable to your word count goal, give you motivation to keep going, and give you someone to moan and groan with when writing is hard. But best of all, it gives you someone to celebrate with when you reach your final word count! 

Send a text to a friend you think might be interested or post on a social channel to invite anyone to join in our beloved writing challenge. You can also use the forums and regional groups in the NaNo dashboard to connect with people who are already planning to write and want to find new writing buddies!

Plan Write-Ins and Word Sprints

Once you’ve recruited your people, plan daily or weekly write-ins together. These can be in-person or virtual! Write-ins are great for keeping everyone accountable to their writing for a specified amount of time. Say your hellos, then set a timer, and get writing. Even if you get stuck after 10 minutes, writing with others will help you keep trying until the time is up! And if you’re writing with someone who you trust with your creative ideas, you have someone to brainstorm with at the end. 

A fun way to write with others is to head over to Twitter for @nanowordsprints and challenge each other to a couple sprints each day! Word sprints with friends are great if you don’t have a lot of time for writing and you enjoy some friendly competition. 

Humans are social creatures (even us introverts!) and we thrive on interaction with others, so invite a friend or two to write with you for Camp NaNoWriMo this year! They may discover they love the challenge and will be hooked on NaNo for years to come!

Roni Vayre is a not-yet-published author, freelance writer, and Marketing Director. When she’s not writing, copy-editing, or making episodes of The Plan to Eat Podcast, she can be found in the mountains with her husband and their English Mastiff, Animas. You can connect with her online through her website: www.ronivayre.com or Instagram: @ronivayre

Photo by Dylan GillisonUnsplash 

Camp NaNoWriMo is quickly approaching, but fear not! Seasoned author, editor, and NaNoWriMo editor, Lewis Jorstad, has 3 tips on making more time to write…without having to wake up at 4 a.m.

If you’re setting out to write a novel—whether for National Novel Writing Month,Camp NaNo, or otherwise—you’re going to need time. For many, this is the hardest part of writing. Carving out extra time in our already busy schedules isn’t always easy, and without that dedicated space, your writing can quickly fall by the wayside.

Luckily, there are ways to hit that coveted 50k, even with a packed schedule—and no, I’m not going to tell you to wake up at 4:00AM! So, let me walk you through my three top tips for making more time to write.

1. Write in smaller chunks throughout the day.

Even with a busy schedule, you probably have more time than you think.

Writers often believe they need at least an hour to make meaningful progress on their novels, but this isn’t always true. If you’re struggling to block out large chunks of time, you could instead write for ten minutes on your lunch break, fifteen minutes before bed, or even twenty minutes (via dictation) on your drive to work. While these smaller writing sessions might not look like much on the surface, they add up throughout the week, and can easily net you thousands of words in a month.

Of course, not everyone can adjust to such small writing sessions—myself included. In these cases, don’t be afraid to ignore your novel on your busiest days, and then go all in the rest of the time. Personally, I often write for eight hours straight on my free days, and then set my story aside until later in the week. If you’re the type to prefer a marathon rather than a sprint, this could be a better option.

2. Get your priorities in order.

With that said, you should also be prepared to make some sacrifices.

This is the news few people want to hear, but it’s true. Writing a novel is a major undertaking, and writing one in a month is even harder. Still, if you want to take this seriously, you need to consider your priorities:

• Could you give up your nightly TV time in order to write a few hundred words each day?
• Perhaps you can enlist the help of a babysitter to free up your Saturdays?
• Maybe you could go without your weekend art classes for just this month?
• Basically, what are you willing to give up in exchange for writing time?

The good news is that, whatever you do give up, you only have to do so for one month. As annoying as it may be—and trust me, I love my nightly shows—it is only temporary, and the final reward will be so worth it.

3. Experiment with new writing tools.

Finally, a quick and easy way to supercharge your writing is to invest in some writing tools. These tools can help you stay organized and focused, among many other things. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Dictation software for writing during long commutes
• Writing programs like Scrivener for organizing your draft
• A Pomodoro timer for scheduling writing sprints

You could also experiment with new writing techniques like skeleton drafts or character interviews. Whatever you try, the goal is to make writing easier. These tools should help you find your creative zone, work more efficiently, and enjoy each writing session to the fullest.

Your novel is worth it!

At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that your story is worth it. While writing a novel will require a lot of hard work, that work pales in comparison to the final result. Getting to hold your finished novel in your hands is an amazing feeling, and even better is the moment you finally share that story with the world.

Fortunately, you can find time! Carve out small writing sessions where you can, make writing a priority, and grab some helpful writing tools if you need a boost. By the time you’re done, you’ll be well on your way to finishing your novel.

Lewis Jorstad is an author and developmental editor who helps up-and-coming writers hone their writing craft over at The Novel Smithy. When he isn’t working on the next book in his Writer’s Craft series, you can find him playing old Gameboy games and sailing somewhere around the eastern half of the US. You can also check out his free ebook, The NaNoWriMo Survival Guide, and grab a copy for yourself!

• https://twitter.com/thenovelsmithy
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Camp NaNoWriMo is almost here! It’s an exciting time, but it can feel a bit intimidating to tackle a new project head-on. Today, Camp NaNoWriMo Participant Shalom Goodrich offers some helpful hints on how to keep writing when you feel stuck:

Are you positively out of creative popsicles? No more new goggles to try? Well, here are ten tips on how to snap out of that catnap and start fighting for writing!

1. Take a walk. No matter how boring it may sound, it really will help. Just breathe deeply and take in the nature (or city sights) around you.

2. Read a chapter of a book. Some good ones I’ve found to inspire creativity are The Hunger Games,Under the Lilacs, or Insignificant Events In the life of a Cactus (one of my personal favorites).

3. Write about your day, good or bad, for at least ten minutes. Then make up a word and then write a story that includes the word. Then go back to your writing.

4. Play a board game with a friend. Boggle, Stratego, and any memory game are all good brain teasers.

5. Watch a video on how to make an origami bookmark. Then try making a bookmark or three!

6. Paint or draw a picture of a scene in your book. If you feel like it, keep drawing more! 

7. Do something else and let your brain rest.

8. Take a nap. If you are tired, that can really affect your writing (sometimes it can be good, more often than not it’s bad).

9. Listen to the Pirates of Penzance soundtrack on either Spotify or YouTube. It’s really funny and interesting, something to take your mind off writing and leave it refreshed. If you can, watch the movie.

10. Take a bike ride, go swimming, or run around the neighborhood. Similar to taking a walk, use up some energy and refresh your brain.

After finishing a large event in my writing, I’ve encountered writer’s block a lot when starting a novel or a new chapter. For me, it’s so hard to start, but the best way to cope with this is to start writing and don’t stop. You can always go back and edit it again. Drawing or painting a scene from whatever you are writing helps a lot, and it exercises your inner artistic self.

Shalom Goodrich lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the oldest child out of six and currently enjoys writing, baking all kinds of stuff, and going on pointe at ballet well as biking two and a half miles there and back. She self-published one novel, Jewelvaria, which is available at lulu.com

Photo by photo-nic.co.uk niconUnsplash

Ever thought of writing a story in one storytelling medium, then translating it into another? In today’s author interview, author Liz Keller Whitehurst talks about the process of creating her debut novel as both a podcast and a print book:

Author Liz Keller Whitehurst first released her debut novel, Messenger, as a riveting 16 episode podcast series in 2020, the timing perfect amid the pandemic that had many people searching for encouraging messages to hang on to.

Liz adapted her podcast into a novel, with the same pivotal themes of initiation, connection, relationship, and mystery. This book reminds us that we are all messengers for each other, and that empathy and connection can come from the most unexpected places. Liz has answered a few questions about the story, her writing process, and turning a podcast into a novel.

Q: What’s the story of Messenger, in a nutshell?

While searching for a new, intriguing story among the competitive media world of New York City, young journalist Alana Peterson finds Messenger, an old woman who gives life-changing messages to strangers all over the city. Alana thinks she’s found her big break with Messenger’s story, but soon realizes there is much more to Messenger than meets the eye. Through a series of mistakes, Alana bends the trajectory of the story to tragic results, only then realizing Messenger’s bigger plans.

Q: What’s one message you received that changed your life? 

A:On the morning before my birthday, April 2020, with the COVID-19 epidemic surging, I awoke with a clear and urgent message: Messenger’s time has come. Figure out a way to get Messenger’s story out. 

Q: When did you start putting together the story for Messenger?

A:The seeds of Messenger began in 2013, when, during a time of great need, I begged for a message, for the answer to an undiagnosable health challenge my college-aged daughter faced. I went to New York City, where she was a student, to help. Every day while she was in class, I walked the cold, gray streets, stared into the faces of the multitude of people I passed, and wondered if they were desperate for a message, too. To distract myself, I journaled descriptions of faces, interesting people, physical locations, sounds, smells. I had no idea I was working on a new book. 

Q: How would you describe your writing process? What made you choose to write multiple narrative forms?

A: I am definitely a pantser (write by the seat of my pants) versus a plotter (planner and outliner) and I “see” and “hear” scenes organically. I strive to get them down as best I can while having no idea how the puzzle parts fit together. I’m also quite influenced by my life and particularly by what I’m reading. Messenger’s multiple narrative forms were really inspired by, believe it or not, Moby Dick!  Of course I’m not comparing Messenger to Melville’s tour-de-force, but that’s where I got the idea to use multiple narratives, journals, and lists as a structure to tell the story The character of Messenger came first but I knew I needed another character to form a relationship with her and to create some action. Then I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the wildly successful and amazing non-fiction book by Rebecca Skloot. My character Alana, inspired by Rebecca, was born. 

Q: The book being released as a podcast first is such a fun, unique twist! What made you decide to release Messenger first as a podcast?

A: I finally finished Messenger mid-2019, it made the rounds of traditional publishers, thanks to my wonderful agent, April Eberhardt, got reads, but no traction. Then the holidays and 2020 came and everything changed with the pandemic. After I received the message to find a way to get Messenger out, my first idea was to create a website and release the book in episodes, as a serial novel. I queried some trusted friends, especially creative extraordinaire, Rachel Pater, and received another message from them: make Messenger a podcast. Thanks to our talented podcast team, we launched MESSENGER: A NOVEL IN 16 EPISODES in July, 2020. It’s still free and available on my website and at messengerthenovel.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Q: What would you like readers to take away from your book?

A: My hope is that Messenger readers will find light, comfort, hope, perspective, motivation and inspiration in its pages, will sense the underlying connection we all share, and will believe that a slight swerve can change everything. I also hope readers will wake up and watch for messages coming their way and look for opportunities to be messengers for others. 

Q: A writer always loves hearing from readers, but you asked your podcast listeners whether they’ve ever received a message from an unexpected source? What was the response?

A:We received so many messages from this request we created two bonus episodes of real-life messages from listeners. The messages people shared were diverse and intriguing, inspiring and mysterious. Though all very different, one aspect was key to all the messages—timing. Just like Messenger’s messages!

Q: You use the term clinamen in the novel and define it as a slight swerve that changes everything. What do you mean? What is its significance to the novel as a whole?

A: There are many definitions for the term clinamen but in this novel it refers to the underlying theme that a slight swerve—in a life, a city, the world—can change everything. Messenger teaches Alana that a mysterious underlying web connects everyone and everything. Because of this interconnectedness, what happens to any one life affects the whole. That’s how Messenger works.

Liz Keller Whitehurst is the author of the novel, Messenger, and author/creator of the serial podcast MESSENGER: A NOVEL IN 16 EPISODES, which she launched in 2020. Her short stories have appeared in many literary magazines and journals, including Gargoyle,The Portland Review,Five Fingers ReviewandNimrod International Journal. She was a finalist in Nimrod International Journal’s Short Story Competition. She earned an MA in English from The University of Virginia. In addition to fiction writing, Liz has spent her professional life writing and teaching.

Do you use music to inspire your writing? Have you ever thought about trying different genres to see whether that affects your story? Today, writerA.S. Axeman shares how exploring YouTube videos helped inspire their novel:

For NaNoWriMo 2021, I chose synthwave and ambient genres as my writing music. While most of us write to music, some of us may have a rough time writing with singing in the background. I’m also an 80s kid so when I think of action or hard science fiction, synth music is in my head. 

The fantasy and space opera movies of the 80s were voiced by a massive orchestras and produced great music to write to. Growing up I used to listen to the Blade Runner soundtrack and all John Carpenter music just as much as the John Williams scores. As I have aged, most of the time I write with big movie scores playing in the background due to the sheer volume of them available. This year, though, I ignored the sweeping epic scores and shifted solely to synthwave. YouTube is full of synthwave and its sub genres chillwave, darkwave, horrorwave, and retrowave. Springboarding off those, I also added ambient videos with great visuals to my general play list.

The first few days were easy writing, but around 10k words I was really stretching my imagination. I was stalling with my initial idea and I had to give my characters a kick in the pants. I was flipping through synthwave tiles to find just the right one when I saw a silhouetted traveler looking at the expansive skyline of a futuristic city. I though “put Axe and his crew right where that guy is standing”. Suddenly I different problem set for my amnesia-plagued team to deal with.

I typed a few paragraphs then looked at the image again for another dose of inspiration. 700 words later and halfway through that video, I was hunting for another video that seemed like it could connect. I found it among the hundred or so titles of just one content creator.

When I paid attention to the screen images for each synthwave or ambient video, I began stitching together a very different narrative than my intended course. Instead of Axe, Mac, and Quartermas dealing with gritty rough problems, they were on a trippy, cosmic journey.

Music lights up my brain (probably yours too) and images can be worth hundreds to thousands of words. Why not use them as your force multiplier? Think of the time you’ve slogged your way through a dull but awesome looking movie. I’ve sat through many boring but visually stunning and beautiful sounding movies. Choosing instrumental music videos with majestic animations as your writing companion can push you and your words in different directions that you weren’t prepared to go but might actually like better.

A.S Axeman is the pseudonym of a professional rabbit-holer and over thinker who enjoys general woodworking, guitar foot pedals, holiday baking, dark beers, and being retired from the Air Force.

Photo by Don DaskaloonUnsplash 

Ready to pitch your novel to the pros? Here’s a message from The Book Doctors to tell you how!

You wrote your 50,000 words (or close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in. Join us for our twelfth annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to learn how to catch the attention of publishers and readers. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during alive webinar on April 2, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group. The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for their manuscript.

We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consultation with us (worth $250). On April 3, 2022, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on April 25, 2022. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 26, 2021.

Here’s how to enter:

• BeginningFebruary 15, 2022, you can email your pitch to [email protected]. 
• Do not attach your pitch, just embed it in the email.
• You get up to 250 words to pitch your book.
• Includeyour title and your name at the top of your pitch. These don’t count toward your 250 words.
• All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on March 15, 2022.

Where are they now? NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza Success Stories

It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners: 

In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She’s been capturing attention ever since. In 2019, it was a “heated six-publisher auction” that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her novel The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark WoodmeetsMean Girls.The Hunting Wives launched in May 2021 with buzz from The Skimm, Cosmopolitan, SheReads, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, E! Online, Crime Reads, Book Riot, Bustle, and more. In September 2021, May announced another two-book deal with Berkley. First up, My Summer Darlings hits bookstores in May 2022: three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder.

Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her award-winning books have been featured on the “Best of” lists of Seventeen, Bustle, Barnes & Nobles, PopSugar, Paste Magazine, and more. American Panda received four starred trade reviews, was on the Amelia Bloomer list, and was a Junior Library Guild Selection, Indie Next Pick, and YALSA Teens’ Top 10 Pick. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 

But that’s not all. Fools in Love, an anthology released December 7, 2021 (Running Press Kids/Hachette), features Gloria and fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular themes in the romance genre that are sure to steal your heart. Gloria’s work graces Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between that released last month from Viking/Penguin. And coming from Viking Penguin in Fall 2022 is When You Wish Upon a Lantern, a YA romance that sold in a heated auction! In Spring 2023, look for Freshman Orientation, a YA anthology of linked stories set on the first day at a small college, from the perspective of teens moving into their dorms, making new friends, avoiding old ones, and trying to fit in (Candlewick).

Gloria is giving back to aspiring authors by being a 2022 We Need Diverse Books YA mentor. 

Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-eight books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a DogmeetsBrewster’s Millions. She also published three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31). And Little, Brown recently won at auction rights to publish her debut nonfiction middle grade Save the People! Halting Human Extinction, a look at our potential demise with a side of humor and a powerful remedy: scientific knowledge. In April 2022, look for Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth, and in August, Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink. 

“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”

–Gloria Chao

Important NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza Dates

• Tuesday, February 15, 2022 — Pitch submission opens
• Tuesday, March 15, 2022 — Final day to submit pitches
• Saturday, April 2, 2022— NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube
• Sunday, April 3, 2022 — Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com 
• Monday, April 25, 2022 — Final day to vote for Fan Favorite
• Tuesday, April 26, 2022 — Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com 

NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza FAQs

Q: May I submit more than one pitch? 

A:Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.

Q: How are the 20 pitches selected? 

A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.

Q: Are the choices for Fan Favorite also randomly selected? 

A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.

Q: Will a recording be available? 

A:Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at www.thebookdoctors.comandon YouTube. 

Q: Does my novel have to be finished?

A:No, you may pitch a work in progress.

Q: May I submit a pitch for a self-published novel?

A:Yes.

Q: Will the writers of the randomly selected pitches be notified ahead of the webcast?

A: The writers of the selected pitches will not be notified ahead of the event.

Q:Where can I learn more about writing my pitch? 

A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”,  last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here. 

Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch?  We’ve got you covered. 

10 Tips for Pitching Your Novel

1. A great pitch is like a poem.  Every word counts.
2. Make us fall in love with your hero.  Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
3. Make us hate your villain.  Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.
4. Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. Make sure to include only relevant information in your pitch.
5. If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
6. Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.
7. Don’t make your pitch a book report.  Make it sing and soar and amaze.
8. A pitch is like a movie trailer.  You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
9. Leave us with a cliffhanger.  The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”
10. Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and also why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.

Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry have appeared everywhere from NPR’s Morning Edition to The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal to USA Today. They have taught everywhere from Stanford University to the Miami Book Festival to the granddaddy of American bookstores, Strand Books in New York City.

Their book, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, is the go-to book on the subject, and contains all the information you’ll ever need, taking you through the entire process of conceiving, writing, selling, marketing and promoting your book.

It takes many different forms, but every writer faces the monster of self-doubt at some point. Today, writer Ellie Joy shares her encounter with the dreaded beast, and shares some encouragement for facing and moving past that doubt:

“Me? A writer? I’m not experienced enough, old enough, creative enough.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve thought these same lines too many times. The end of my sentence differs, but the result of the words are still the same. Have you ever heard the saying that you are your own worst enemy? It’s so true.

As an aspiring author, I want to write something worth remembering. Ever since that fateful day when I sat down to write my first story, I knew this was my dream. Never mind that I wasn’t even eight. For that year, I was convinced I practically was an author.

But as I got older, things began to change. My stories no longer seemed impressive to me, and uncertainty began to cloud the dreams of what I aimed my future toward. A wisp of doubt took hold at the back of my mind.

Okay, I’ll share a little more backstory and get more personal. The biggest doubts didn’t just appear overnight.

It was the year 2020, already a year of change (whether we asked for it or not!) and I had decided to undertake my biggest challenge yet—NaNoWriMo. Starting in November, I poured my heart onto the pages and gradually saw the characters, which once only existed in my imagination, come to life on the pages.

If I had succeeded in my goal, this story would be pointless, but I didn’t come close to succeeding. I celebrated my accomplishments but soon thoughts started nagging me. The monster of self-doubt began to prowl. I had begun to realize just how far away I was from the goal and I didn’t like it. At all.

Fast forward a year: I’d written a lot, but just when November rolled around, I quit the novel I’d been working on. Perhaps it was the failed novel, or perhaps it was just hormones, but suddenly the monster that had become more apparent over the year growled lies that spread like a hot ember in a dry forest. Fast. Overpowering.

Until the monster roared, I had been looking forward to trying NaNoWriMo again. But then? I wasn’t sure.

After lots of encouragement from my personal cheerleaders, I reluctantly started the challenge with a hastily planned novel.

At first, just getting to start on a new story was exhilarating, and was to me what coffee is to a lot of people—energy giving. For about a week, the monster was silenced, locked in a cage.

The the middle of the month came and the early mornings and hurried writing started to seem like chores. What had I been thinking, signing myself up for these tiresome days? Suddenly, the goal seemed too far away, my mind too tired, and my fingers not fast enough. Quitting seemed the best option.

“I just can’t do it,” I remember telling my mom after an especially bad writing session. The words in my head were different from the ones that came out of my mouth, though. I’m just not enough. Suddenly, my worth came from my word count that had started to go downhill.

“You should fight against selling yourself short as a writer.“

Somehow, I persevered. The word counts piled up and on the last day, I typed my 50,000th word. I cannot express my shock after tallying up the words. I was beyond surprised and so happy. The biggest grin was stuck on my face the rest of the week.

But I’m still human. I still struggle through things, so even though it pains me to admit it…. Conquering that challenge may have shut the monster’s jaws but they soon became unhinged again.

Ironic as it is, as I’m sitting here, staring at this glowing screen, I’m dissing myself. Thoughts keep repeating in my head like the chorus to a bad song: You’re not qualified to write this! Quit before you embarrass yourself.

Which is completely ironic because the topic of this whole post, simply put, is about why you should fight against selling yourself short as a writer.

Isn’t it so hard though? You get in that mindset and it’s hard to take yourself out of it. I personally know how depressing it can be. When I fail at something, I call myself a failure. When I’m really bad at something, suddenly it defines me. Am I the only one? Nope!

Although I can’t tell you exactly how to rid yourself of the monster—I’m still learning myself—I beg you to try to get rid of it. It is worth the effort!

I’ve already missed out on too much because I let the lies define me. NaNoWriMo, my greatest accomplishment? Never would have happened if I had admitted defeat (and if my people hadn’t encouraged me as much as they did). So I implore you, try. Don’t listen to the lies that the monster feeds you about your value—they’re just slippery words. So what if your book has been turned down by publisher after publisher? So what if you’re old enough to get the senior discount at the coffee shop and you still haven’t published? Don’t believe the lies!!!!

You got this. If writing is something you love to do, don’t put it down just because you think that it isn’t good enough! If you get nothing else from this post, please get this; your words matter. You matter. Shut up that monster…

And step into a life with more self-love, because you are worth it.

Ellie Joy is an aspiring author who asks for notebooks as presents and has pencil stains on her pillow from late night story inspirations. As a self-proclaimed nerd, she loves devouring book series and hanging out with friends. After her first NaNoWriMo win, she has begun to fully embrace her writing and continues working on what has been her goal since she started: to publish her first novel.

Top photo by Vlad ZaytsevonUnsplash.

Fanfiction is an often under-rated genre. Tons of authors have honed their writing skills with fanfiction, not to mention the millions of writers and readers who love exploring familiar stories and characters! Today, NaNoWriMo participant Ville V. Kokko has a few tips for making fanfiction writing shine:

Fanfiction is a popular form of writing and one of the recognized genres for novels on NaNoWriMo. Yet, it’s also stereotyped as an inferior—some might call it silly—form of writing. While denigrating any genre as a whole is never a good idea, there are some common patterns in fanfiction that may contribute to this stereotype.

Of course, one of the popular stereotypes is that fanfiction is full of “Mary Sues”: overpowered, supposedly awesome self-insertion wish-fulfillment characters. I’ll skip that familiar topic and dive a little deeper into what’s behind it and what other fanfiction tropes can appear for similar reasons.

1. Give your characters some depth.

Fanfiction is almost by definition created by people who were touched by the original work enough to want to build something more out of its foundation. This can be a great fount for good story ideas: what if, what next, what about this character’s unexplored story, etc.

However, the writer’s personal love/hatred/whatever for the original story and characters can also lead to stories that are rather subjective. If you’re motivated by your strong feelings about a particular character, say, it may affect your writing them and others as fully rounded characters. A disliked character might be shown as one-dimensionally negative, a loved character as so loved by others that it’s not logical.

None of this is automatically bad by definition. Palpatine in Star Wars is one-dimensionally evil with style, leaving the hidden nuance and backstory for Darth Vader. Hilarious humorous stories may be built around characters reacting to another unrealistically.

However, it’s a good starting point to write your characters realistically. A story that doesn’t do that, and hasn’t carefully considered why not, may feel off to most readers.

2. Include elements that make your story’s plot interesting. 

There’s a more general phenomenon behind this that may turn people off to a lot of fanfiction. The writer is so often writing what they want to happen—maybe because of how they feel about the characters or some other aspect of the story, but not necessarily because it will make a compelling story. This is why wish-fulfillment, while not inherently bad, can be seen as something to be avoided: it may sacrifice other aspects of the story. It’s the opposite of being ready to “kill your darlings.”

3. Try something new!

Another consequence of this is that fanfiction writers may write a lot of the same kind of story—which others might get bored with sooner rather than later. Fanfiction communities may also collectively prefer kinds of stories and tropes that seem repetitive from an outside perspective.

4. Write what makes you happy. 

All of that said… it’s fine to do whatever you like.

There’s absolutely no rule saying you can’t do this or that, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you’d enjoy writing a total wish-fulfillment story, go for it. Even if it’s got a Mary Sue. The reward that you (and maybe a bunch of other fans, too) will like it is reason enough.

I would be hypocritical of me to offer any other kind of advice, anyway. In 2021, I wrote fanfiction for NaNoWriMo for the first time. And it was based on a work where one of the central themes is that anything that makes someone happy is valuable. I was even working on a sequel that makes the ending happier for the characters, even though I think the original ending was just right for the story.

It all depends on what you’re doing. You’re allowed to write for yourself or a particular community. Even if you want to aim for something bigger later, it’s all practice. The only thing is to know what you’re doing. So maybe if you actually want to focus on good characterization, you’ll be careful of some fanfiction tropes that might hinder it. Although, again, nothing automatically does.

Ville V. Kokko is a Ph.D. student and aspiring writer of both fiction and nonfiction living in Turku, Finland. He keeps getting short stuff published in smaller outlets all the time, but is working to make it bigger and publish whole books. He started participating in NaNoWriMo in 2010 and has, separately from that, written a few hundred thousand words of fanfiction. His Goodreads author page can be found here and his general blog here.

Top photo by Erik McleanonUnsplash.

Some people love writing dialogue, and others find it tricky. What’s the best way to show who’s talking? Where does the punctuation go? Luckily, today, author Annelise Driscoll has some tips for formatting your dialogue:

It’s no secret that formatting dialogue can be a tricky business. From tags to trail-offs to interruptions, there are so many things to consider when you start throwing quotation marks into your stories. But fear not! Formatting your dialogue is easier than it seems. 

First of all, it’s important to note that there’s more than one to write compelling dialogue—and whether you use tags, avoid tags, or constantly interrupt your speaker with actions or other characters, each choice you make has a simple formatting solution.

Dialogue Tags

When it comes to dialogue with tags, there’s only one hard-and-fast rule: Don’t use a period until the end of the sentence. And until you reach the end of the sentence, only capitalize the beginning of the dialogue and proper nouns. It’s also important to note that when it comes to dialogue, question marks and exclamation points often function as commas, so don’t let it throw you off! Only the period denotes the true end of the sentence.

Statements

Correct: “Look at that,” the cat said. 

Incorrect: “Look at that.” The cat said. 

Incorrect: “Look at that,” The cat said.  

Questions and Exclamations

Correct: “Look at that?” the cat asked.

Correct: “Look at that!” the cat cried.

Incorrect: “Look at that?” The cat asked.

Incorrect: “Look at that!” The cat cried.

Additionally, dialogue tags can be used at the beginning of a sentence … 

Correct: The cat said, “Look at that.” 

Incorrect: The cat said, “look at that.”  

… or in the middle of a sentence. 

Correct: “Look,” the cat said, “at that.”

Incorrect: “Look,” the cat said, “At that.” 

Incorrect: “Look,” The cat said, “at that.” 

Incorrect: “Look.” The cat said. “At that.” 

No Dialogue Tags

Of course, you might decide you’re sick of seeing “said” and that you would rather avoid tags altogether. If that’s the case, remember the period rule! The period goes at the end of the sentence, which in this case, is the end of the dialogue. 

Correct: “Look at that.” The cat peered up into the sky.

Incorrect: “Look at that.” the cat peered up into the sky. 

Incorrect: “Look at that,” the cat peered up into the sky.

Incorrect: “Look at that,” The cat peered up into the sky. 

Additionally, you may need to find alternative ways to make sure that the speaker is clear. Mostly, you can accomplish this by appropriately separating your paragraphs. In other words, only describe the speaker in the paragraph that contains their dialogue. And always start a new paragraph when a new character begins speaking. 

Correct: 

“Look at that.” The cat peered up into the sky. 

“At what?” The dog followed the cat’s gaze but saw nothing.

Incorrect: 

“Look at that.” The cat peered up into the sky. “At what?” 

The dog followed the cat’s gaze but saw nothing.

Finally, depending on the tone or length of a character’s dialogue, you may find that you want to split it up, and doing that without using tags requires a bit of finesse … and em dashes. 

Correct: “I don’t see”—the dog squinted at the clouds—“anything.”

Incorrect: “I don’t see” the dog squinted at the clouds, “anything.”  

Incorrect: “I don’t see.” The dog squinted at the clouds. “Anything.” 

Incorrect: “I don’t see”—the dog squinted at the clouds—“Anything.”

And speaking of em dashes, we have a bonus round!

Interrupted Dialogue and “Trail-Offs”

Sometimes, characters interrupt one another—or are interrupted by something—and when these sudden interruptions happen, we use em dashes. 

Correct:

“What do you mean?” the cat demanded. “It’s right there.” 

The dog growled, “I’m looking right where you—” 

“Not there.” The cat batted him with a paw. “There!” 

Incorrect: 

“What do you mean?” the cat demanded. “It’s right there.” 

The dog growled, “I’m looking right where you.” 

“Not there.” The cat batted him with a paw. “There!”   

Alternatively, if a character is not suddenly interrupted, but their speech trails off in awe or a lost train of thought, you’ll want to use an ellipsis. The standard format for an ellipsis varies for different publishers, but a space before each dot is generally a good rule of thumb.

Correct: 

“I looked where you said, and I just don’t …” 

The dog’s eyes widened as the object of interest finally soared into view: a flying pig. 

Incorrect: 

“I looked where you said, and I just don’t-”

The dog’s eyes widened as the object of interest finally soared into view: a flying pig. 

Incorrect: 

“I looked where you said, and I just don’t,” the dog’s eyes widened as the object of interest finally soared into view: a flying pig. 

In the end, formatting dialogue—while sometimes tricky—is often easier than it seems. And if one method doesn’t feel quite right, there are endless ways to tweak and tune your characters’ voices. For further discussions on dialogue, feel free to check out my 5 Easy Tricks for Writing Believable Dialogue.  

Author of the Color Code series, Annelise Driscoll is a graduate of Hamilton College with a degree in Creative Writing and French. She received her M.A.T. in English Education from the State University of New York at Cortland and currently resides in the Finger Lakes Region of New York with her husband. You can find her on Instagram: @annelisedriscollauthor and check out her website. You can also find her books on Amazon,Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bookstores, as well as some signed copies!

Top photo by Matheus FerreroonUnsplash 

We can’t assume that everyone knows the world we’re talking about, right? Luckily, author and previous Camp NaNoWriMo counselor Cass Morrishas a few suggestions to help us more deeply explore our worldbuilding:

One of the most powerful things we can do as writers is create a world. What we write holds a mirror up to reality, where we can examine and criticize our own world or try to build a better one. We get to play god with our characters, and in doing so, we exercise a great deal of power in what we choose to reflect, to magnify, to laud, and to condemn.

So how can we make interesting choices, rather than relying on stale tropes, biased perspectives, or common assumptions about “the way things are” or “the way things were”?

Here are five basic concepts I suggest you explore to develop a richly detailed and unique world:

1. Family

What is a family structure? Is marriage tied to finances, or is it a purely emotional bond? Do you live with your spouse? Do you raise kids together? Is sexual fidelity expected? How many people can be in a marriage? Does “legitimacy” mean anything to family bonds? To inheritance? Is adoption common? 

2.Gender & Sexuality

What sexualities are socially permissible? How does your world conceive of gender? Does it accept third genders, nonbinary people, gender fluidity? If your world has rigid gender roles, or if one gender has more power and privilege than the other, make sure that’s a choice you examine, not just something you presume.

3. Race

What do race relations and ideas of ethnicity look like in your world? A historical or invented world may conceive identity very differently than we do today. If you have aliens or fantasy races, like elves, dwarves, or goblins, examine them carefully to avoid perpetuating racist stereotypes or erasing real-world issues with a handwave. I recommend Writing the Other as an excellent resource to help you think through these ideas respectfully).

4. The Afterlife and Religion

What do your characters believe happens to them when they die? This can affect so much else in a society: how eager or reluctant they are for war, how they preserve assets for future generations, how they conceive of sin and virtue. So what’s your basis? Gods or no gods? Ancestor worship? Natural spirits? And how exclusionary is it? Can your various cults play nice together, or are they trying to wipe each other out?

5. Government 

Who has power, how do they get it, and how do they hold onto it? There are so many options beyond “ye olde feudalism” and our modern conception of representative republics. Figure out what your structure is, how it came to be that way, and what other beliefs and structures, like religion or the military, it might be tied to.

These basic concepts will touch many other elements of your characters’ lives, from architecture to economy to warfare. They can also help generate wonderful, inventive plot hooks; in making deliberate choices about your world, you may find new challenges and opportunities for your characters.

While worldbuilding is typically associated with fantasy and science fiction, it’s important to real-world genres as well. The world in your book, whether invented or a version of our own, should be as diverse and complex as the world your readers live in. In historical fiction, the challenge is often in distinguishing what “everyone knows” about a period from the lived reality of people during that time. In a modern romance or thriller or anything else, details as small as what someone thinks of as a “normal” lunch can communicate elements of that character’s personal history and the world they operate in.

Make interesting choices. Your readers will be grateful.