NaNoWriMo: Tips and Tricks for Success

While many writers start new novels during this period, some writers (like myself) choose to use this as motivation to finish their WIP or work-in-progress. Whatever your fancy, the goal is still the same - to write! #NaNoWriMo #writingtips #blog

NaNoWriMo is upon us! And for those of you scratching your heads thinking that’s a super weird word, you’re not alone. NaNoWriMo is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month which takes place during the month of November. It’s where writers across the globe accept the challenge to write 50K words over the course of 30 days.

Image courtesy of NaNoWriMo

While many writers start new novels during…

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NaNoWriMo Kick Off! 

I love the banner this year.

 Hey there everyone! How are we doing today? I didn’t do my normal NaNoWriMo kick off day post yesterday because it was a little hectic. I do want to say that I did my normal FirstDay10k! I actually ended up getting 15,000! So I was pretty pleased with my progress. Honestly though, I just love NaNoWriMo. There’s something so fantastic about a huge group of people…

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Hey! We are a server called That Writing Place! We run sprints, crawls, crits, prompt nights, and we have monthly or bi-monthly contests that include fun prizes! We also have accountability rooms so that you can make sure you have a buddy helping you to keep on top of your words! We have an entire section for NaNoWriMo and Milwordy!

We also have fun side rooms like for gaming, book clubs, and fandoms!

We have a fanfiction section as well, and would love to see anyone who wants to grow, hang out, and generally enjoy other writers join up!

https://discord.gg/ZrXYYuE

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Editing Junk Words

There are words that (most of the time) are best to be left out of or changed in your draft. So CTRL+F your draft and get into the nitty gritty!*

*what you keep or change is up to you and your writing style. :)

Very

Would you rather someone say you’re very good or that you’re AMAZING. Changing “very ____” to one word usually hypes it up and gets the point across better. Check out my list of alternatives!

Just

Good to keep some in 1st Person especially, but it can saturate your writing very quickly. So be careful! 

Really

Can be replaced by alternatives of “very ___” in a lot of cases. More likely to appear and seem natural in 1st Person, but you do you.

Said

Not always the bad guy, but if you need something new, check out my alternatives for “said”!

In order

“In order to achieve this plot…” can be “To achieve this plot…” and perform the same effect, if not more effectively. 

That

A typically casual and informal filler word. If you don’t need it or don’t feel it fits, cut it!

Quite

Works best in dialogue, not really anywhere else.

Seemed

This is pretty boring and lacks intricacy IMO. Check out my alternatives for “seemed”!

Thing

Not always a junk word, but it can be. Use your discretion and focus on maintaining specificity in your work.

Utilize

“Utilize” is a more pretentious version of “use”. But if it’s put in a pretentious character’s dialogue/narration and the shoe fits… utilizeit.

Got

“She got bananas” is way less interesting than “she bought bananas” or “she stole bananas” or “she harvested bananas”. The word “got” cuts out an opportunity for details/characterization. Replacing it lessens repetition as well.

Went

Shares similarities with “seemed” and “got”. It kills a chance for more detail. Check out my alternatives for “went”!

Some

This is a very vague word that can lower the specificity of your writing.

Reblogging because I need this. 

1. Write a scene at a funeral.

2. A dog, a missing person’s flyer, and three shots of tequila

3. “But you were always mine.” “Was I?”

4. What happens when two exes find themselves at the same divorce lawyer office?

5. Write about everything that reminds you of balloons in one story. 

6. Write a scene inside a failing ice cream shop.

7. a bouquet of roses, several restraining orders, and a Lego set

8. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.” “I can tell.”

9. What happens when a bookstore owner befriends his mysterious customer?

10. Write about everything that reminds you of snow in one story.

11. Write a scene at a private beach.

12. a messy room, explosives, and one smart cat

13. “You are like gold to me. Expensive yet boring.”

14.  What happens when several con artists fight over the same mark?

15. Write about everything that reminds you of cardboard boxes in one story.

Friendly reminder that African griots invented the Hero’s Journey a LONG time ago and deserve more credit in modern storytelling. 

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Volume 1 of many in my endless gratitude for everyone’s support!

They are Google Docs meant to be printed or copied (File > Make a Copy) and used for writing exercises. I hope you like them and please please please let me know if you use them and find them helpful! It’s what I live for.

Character Building Questions worksheet

Relationship Interview worksheet

Beta Questionnaire worksheet

(I also made them all by myself and worked really hard on them, so please don’t repost, just reblog this! Thank you!)

Along with the writing exercises I just posted, check out these worksheets I made for projects in development (WIPs)!!

Whether you want a challenge, a break, or to get back in the groove, here are some writing exercises to get started!

Word Writing Prompts

Write 250-500 words using all five of the words listed. Try timing yourself to see how fast you can bang out a short or flash piece. To add extra challenge, use the words in the same order they’re listed.

• peonies, hammer, pillow, hate, found
• callback, vase, actor, broken, money
• pink, dust, saturated, rust, bleak
• dragon, farmer, monster, love, friend
• Christmas, fight, jail, lemon, tiger

Write a Letter as Your Character

It can be a brand new character or a character you’re working on and they can be writing it to literally anyone. Use this to find their voice, opinions, personality, explore their life before the story, or just for fun. Below are some ideas of who they could write to.

• a parent
• their unrequited love
• Beyonce
• their past self
• their future self
• their best friend
• a childhood crush
• a priest
• John Mulaney

Write a Flash Fiction Piece

Flash fiction is characterized as being less structured than a short story and more focused on the detail of a moment or collection of moments. It’s much more condensed and tends to be packed with vivid imagery. Shoot for under 500 words. Here are some prompts:

• She had never seen a blade so big before.
• “Come on!” “I can’t do it!”
  
• A young chef has just realized she’s in the middle of a con.
• a chess piece, an unloaded gun, and an attempted murder
• A prince has just been stabbed on the battlefield
• “The flowers are so pretty this time of year.”
  

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Dialogue with Emotional Connotations: Part Deux

Use these as prompts, reference, or whatever else you’d like.

Part 1 here

Dialogue That is Like an Open Wound

• “How come she loves you?”
• “There are an endless number of things I wish to forget.”
• “I came so far. Only to end up here.”
• “I’m scared. Why am I so scared?”
• “He never came back. Even though he said he would.”
• “I wish I didn’t care about it.”
• “Pain is not an easy thing to ignore.”
• “Set me free.”
• “I made her cry. How could I do that?”
• “Please don’t make me say it.”
• “There’s only so many times I can mend this heart.”
• “How do I keep going?”
• “It’s gone. All of it.” 
• “He forgot me.”
• “This is the end.”
• “No, please. Wait. Please. Can’t we just talk? Please? Let me talk.”
• “Don’t say goodbye.”
• “It was always going to end like this. Wasn’t it?”

Dialogue That is Just a Bundle of Anxiety

• “I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I have to go back.”
• “You don’t understand. Please don’t make me do this.”
• “We have to go now or we’ll never make it in time.”
• “Let go of me! I have to find her!”
• “It has to come back. It has to!”
• “Did you feel that?”

Dialogue That is Mysterious

• “I feel my business should be saved for later, lest it ruin the moment.”
• “Not many people would willingly choose my company.”
• “Please do not ask my name.”
• “You do not forget someone like me.”
• “People do say I have a familiar face.”
• “The year does not matter, only the moments we have now.”
• “Forgive me. You’ll know why soon enough.”
• “I’m afraid there are things I cannot afford to divulge.”

Dialogue That’s Angsty Infatuation

• “It was supposed to be you!”
• “You own my heart. For all of eternity.”
• “What I feel is far beyond love.”
• “I’d sooner die than deny my feelings for you.”
• “I belong with you.”
• “Just look at me.”
• “I wish I didn’t love you so much.”
• “Nothing in this entire jeweled city could compare to you.”
• “My resentment is beginning to outweigh my love.”
• “You’re not the only one.”
• “I want to spend every moment with you.”
• “You hurt me so well.”

• “Did the A/C just break?” “No. The dragon’s awake again.”
  
• “I’m cold-blooded, remember?”
  
• “Oh no! I left the gummy bears in the car!”
  

• “You’re sweaty.” “Yeah, well you caused the apocalypse.”
  
• “Finally, some wind.” “We’re inside, where is it coming from?”
  
• “Every time you say it’s hot, I put on another sweater.”

• “Is the ground… covered in ice?”
  
• “It’s not that hot.” “You’re right, this is only a six out of ten on the Dr. Phil scale.” “The what?”
  
• “My shoes are literally melting into the sidewalk.” “Who’s fault is that?” “Yours!”
  
• “Do you want to borrow my Disneyland handheld fan? It’s Star Wars.”

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How to Write When You’re Exhausted

Now is a very stressful time and I think we should all be lending more time to self care and listening to ourselves. It can be hard and downright heartbreaking when your writing suffers or makes you feel strained because of everything going on. So I’m here to help all I can.

Remind Yourself That Your Voice Matters

In this beautiful world, we are expanding the voices in literature constantly. Every new voice we gain is part of that expansion. It’s worthwhile to share your stories and nothing should be discouraging that. Even if you feel now isn’t the right time to share, you don’t have to. You can just write for now and share later. There’s no shame in sitting on a draft for a while.

Let Yourself Take a Break

We all need time now and again to recover or refill our creative well so that we can write our best. And it’s okay if you’re needing to take more breaks. They’re there to help you if you let them. You don’t have to be productive in these periods, you can simply be and get back to writing when it feels natural. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to produce right now. 

Motivate Yourself Using Incentives

Sometime you really have to get down and write, no excuses. Maybe you have a deadline or you finally find a burst of energy. To sustain yourself, make physical or mental incentives to reward yourself. Whether you’re measuring time allotted, word count, page count, or another goal, there are plenty of ways to motivate yourself. Use Dollar Store knickknacks, try a fancy food from the store, give yourself stickers. Find the fun in motivation and productivity. And remember that you are not a work horse. 

Remember: You are worth more than your productivity! 

_________________

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A lot of the writing advice I’ve heard either assumes you will only work on one project at a time or tells you that you should. However, I have never found this very doable. At any given time, I have three or more writing projects going. My brain just doesn’t let me focus on one for an extended period of time.

And you know what? It does take me longer to finish a project, but I prefer that with the chance to write everyday than going spans where I don’t have the motivation to work on one single project. 

So, I’d like to give some advice on how to juggle more than one WIP.

Stagger Them

If you can, stagger when you start them. Or, if you are starting with outlining one and pantsing the other, that works, too. The goal here is that you’re in different phases for each one. If you’re drafting three or outlining four or editing two at the same time, you might drain your creative well with the monotony. Having one in the editing phases, one in drafting, and one in outlining gives you room to bounce between activities. 

Diversify Your Mediums

This might not be everyone’s path, especially if you’re already settled on the mediums of your projects, but I like to mix up exactly how I’m formatting them. Full novels, short stories, scripts, poetry, flash fiction, and everything in between and otherwise can be tossed together like a WIP salad. And again, you may be married to working on three full length novels which is fine. But if not, maybe try to switch it up. 

Set Your Genre, Aesthetics, Motive, and Themes

My projects all come from different motives. They all have vastly different genres, themes, and aesthetics. You don’t need to have them ALL be WILDLY separate from each other, but it helps if you set their separate identities. When I find inspiration for sci-fi, I work on my sci-fi project. When I find inspiration for my family, I work on my project focused on family. When I watch a Coen Brothers movie, I work on my script that was motivated by their work. So on and so forth. This way, you can funnel the right inspiration and energy into the proper channels of your work. 

Still Allow Yourself to Relax and Take Breaks

More projects doesn’t and shouldn’t mean that you sacrifice free time. Your pace can remain the same as someone working on one project. And it probably should. You don’t want to strain yourself and lose interest in 4 projects all at once. It’s a marathon and you can take time to relax and wander.

And don’t be afraid or feel bad to pause on project for a while or indefinitely. Just like any other process, sometimes you realize a certain project isn’t meant for right now. 

Organize!

Whether you use Docs, paper and pen, or something else or a mix of everything, use your organizational skills! Google Docs, Word, and Pages will all allow you to save your documents to folders specific to a project. Physical folders and files do the same. This way, you can get started quickly and easily without digging through multiple projects-worth of documents or getting distracted by another project. 

Have any other tips for managing multiple projects? Drop them below!

Today we’re proud to welcome our newest staff member, Allison Celosia, Director of Community Fundraising. Fun fact: we posted this job opportunity looking for our first-ever Development Director. We met and loved Allison’s energy and vision. Even before their first day of work, Allison set the tone for NaNoWriMo’s fundraising journey ahead with this job title change. This is a department centered in community-centric fundraising. We’re going to mobilize resources TOGETHER in support of our Wrimo community, present, past, and future generations.

Hola Wrimos, Allison here.

Don’t tell anyone (then why are you blog-telling us this, Allison!), but I’m not a novelist… yet. (Tim’s got me writing this April in Camp, woohoo.) Primarily, I’ve been an essayist in the public sphere. I’m an op-ed writer, hard on the facts, hard on the opinions, and stubborn to boot.

That’s why my new role with NaNoWriMo is a welcome opportunity. I regard joining the team as my much-needed return to softness, to storytelling, to world-building! While I’m here, I’m hoping to tell the story of our donor community.

So many Wrimos – more than 8,000 of you, in fact – have made a small dollar donation to NaNoWriMo in the past year. When I asked the team “why is our donor community so badass?” they pointed me to the donor responses on our 2021 End-Of-Year Survey. Here, I found more than a hundred answers simply telling us “We trust you! You’re doing good work!” or “Keep inspiring us!” to explain why they donated.

The untold story, until this very moment, is the narrative of why Wrimos didn’t donate to our organization. And that’s where my heart swelled. I read through the survey responses, and I had FEELINGS. Yes, ALL CAP feelings. As is the case with any great novel, I, the reader, began to empathize with the folks in this story.

There were two recurring characters in the non-donor story: one who experienced pain due to financial hardship during the pandemic and the other who felt outrage at our organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I’m here to unpack those pendulum swing responses. We have a joyful narrative with those who give. With all my fundraising heart, I want to ease the emotional divide between NaNoWriMo donors and non-donors. Regardless of your capacity and privilege to donate, no one should feel disconnected from the mission and purpose of our writing community due to *whispers* money.

In any case, I’m only now starting to turn the pages on this donor community story. I hope you’ll tune in to read the next chapter. For now, feel free to spy on my LinkedIn to get to know me professionally or email me directly at NaNoWriMo HQ. My email address is [email protected].

Salamat kaayo (thank you very much in Bisaya), talk soon.

Happy NaNoWriMo! Looking for a mid-NaNo pick up and interested in a writing support system? Pencils to Paper is a year round writing group for young adults that participates in many writing activities and challenges together.

Pencils to Paper is a great place to get the motivation to keep writing your novel when you plummet in inspiration, or to get the extra boost you need to get started or figure out where to go next. The chat is always willing to give writing advice, opinions, or work to help you get through any writing problems you have! PtP is a welcoming group and offers each other support in all writing endeavors throughout the year.

Even if you aren’t participating in NaNo, feel free to check us out!