Every year, thousands of people from all over the world take part in a month-long quest to write 50,000 words in a month. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins in November—will you take part this year? Today, we’ll take a look at five steps to get you prepared for NaNoWriMo in November, and we’ll share NaNo’s workshop—Prep 101.
Four Steps to Prepare for NaNoWriMo
- Plan your details. Start with the basics—the who, what, where, when, how. If you are a visual learner, use Google to help you get an idea of characters, scenery, homes, and the like to help you get a visual on your story.
- Read your genre. If you’ve not read a book in a while, make the time before November’s writing begins to read a novel in the genre that matches your project. Pay attention to the nuances specific to your genre.
- Plan your November. Because NaNoWriMo’s goal is 50,000 words, plan on typing around 1,667 words per day. A standard industry page is 250 words per double-spaced page, so that would equate to 6–7 manuscript pages typed per day.
- Join NaNoWriMo and get involved. NaNoWriMo offers a a community section where writers can find one another through various categories. If you need a writing buddy, you’re sure to be able to find one. Check out their forums and their groups!
- Keep your story contents organized. Outlines, character sketches, and all notes should be organized in a place that is easily accessible. Some authors love bulletin boards and colorful Post-It notes; some like everything prepared and organized online; some like to make charts, graphs, and type notes, then print and place it all in a binder; and others prefer to write things in notebooks. No matter your preferred story-planning style, do what works for you and organize your work so it can easily be accessed.
What if my novel will likely be longer than 50,000 words?
If you have the time, go beyond 50k! While we’re talking about number goals, don’t beat yourself up if you work two jobs, have a family and/or other pressing responsibilities, and have trouble making that 50k mark. Find a goal that is appropriate for you and work toward that. You know what you are capable of, and you know what number goal is reasonable for you.
NaNo Prep 101 Workshop
NaNo Prep 101 Workshop (not to be confused with Camp NaNoWriMo that takes place in April and July) is a free writing workshop beginning mid-September(ish) lasting six weeks. NaNo Prep Workshop will lead you step by step in the preparation of your novel. You’ll determine a story idea, define your characters, prepare an outline or detailed plot, create a world, and organize your time for writing. There are banners and logos you can use on social media to show your friends that you’re preparing to write a novel. In addition, each stage of the workshop shares loads of exercises, and links for resources are available to help if you get stuck along the way.
NaNo Prep 101 Workshop Assignments
Here is a breakdown of the weekly assignments. Work at your own pace, and work ahead if you want! I’ll be doing a little mixing and matching with my assignments, due to some time restraints that I have.
- Week 1: Craft your story idea
- Week 2: Create detailed characters
- Week 3: Build your plot – Also, here’s an additional (fantastic!) article to help with outlining.
- Week 4: Construct your story’s world
- Week 5: Grow your writing community
- Week 6: Manage your time
Helpful Writing Resources
Here are a few books that I highly recommend for new and seasoned writers. Many of them can be found at your local library. Do you have the library apps Hoopla or Libby? Check those out, too, if your library doesn’t have a physical copy.
Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level by Donald Maass
The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman
Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels by Gwen Hayes
Create Story Conflict: How to increase tension in your writing & keep readers turning pages by Eileen Cook
