As I mentioned on Monday I'm joining in National Novel Writing Month this year, so my November will be devoted to writing a book in thirty days. During that month here at the blog I'll also put up some motivational posts, progress updates, helpful links and anything I find that may be of interest to other NaNo'ers. They haven't updated the official website yet for 2014, but when they do I'll share whatever I think is notable (and please, Lord, let them design a better logo for this year. 2013 was pitiful.)
You may be thinking of diving in the madness as well, and I encourage you to go crazy and do it. For one thing, NaNoWriMo is the most work you will ever love and the most fun you will ever have in a single month. It's terrific to hammer out those 50,000 words and win, too, but it's not about that, not really. It's about you, and your writing, and living the writing life. For thirty days you get to experience what a writer's life is like; the nuts and bolts of what it is to be a writer (versus daydreaming/talking/wishing about it.)
For NaNoWriMo last year I found a bunch of November novel links in the PBW archives, and to get a jump on 2014 I thought I'd repost the list. Here they are:
ABCharacter -- a quick and easy way to outline a character.
Endweek NaNoPost -- making cover art for your NaNonovel along with some resource links.
Hiveword -- my review of Mike Fleming's terrific online novel organizer.
NaNo Now What? -- my suggestions on how to edit your NaNonovel once you're finished.
Midweek NaNoPost -- if you're a late starter, stuck in a rut, or you like to beat yourself up over anything writing-related, join the No Expectations Club via this pep talk.
NaNoFun -- Scroll down past the old 2010 badges to find some links to fun, free NaNoWriMo-friendly widgets.
NaNoNotebook -- how making up a notebook for your NaNonovel can help, with links to helpful freeware.
NaNoStuff Ten -- a list of freeware for NaNoWriMo'ers.
NaNoTen -- ten things to try when writing your NaNoWriMo book.
NaNoWriMo Wednesday -- some thoughts on planning your November novel, along with some links on outlining resources.
NaNoWriMojo Ten -- ten things to try when you're feeling blocked, it's no more fun, the magic has gone caput, etc.
Old Rides, New Roads -- my suggestions on how to evaluate an old story idea and its potential to serve as inspiration for your November novel.
Prep Talks -- The Mountain, Stand Out Characters, Food and Fire and Glass Wisdom.
Ready, Set, NaNoWriMo -- ideas and resources for November 1st.
Red Notebook -- my review on this interesting, helpful virtual calendar/notebook freeware.
You Are My Fire -- my storyteller's take on why we write, and for whom.
Writing Your Dragons -- how to handle writing something you hate to write.
So who else is in? Are you already making plans? What are you looking forward to this year? Let us know in comments.
I'm in. I had an idea hit me like a brick upside the head in July, but I was busy with everything, so I set it aside and promised myself I would let it back out in November. ;o)
ReplyDeleteExcellent -- and aren't those brick-to-the-head ideas great? I shall add you to my list of writers to whine to in November. :)
DeleteI moved last year from NC to MT and signed up as a Municipal Liaison for Helena, MT. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool of you, Judy -- I know the writers who volunteer for NaNoWriMo do a lot of great work bringing people together, motivating them and keeping them from head-desking too much. :)
DeleteStill waffling...I can't decide. I love doing NaNo on one hand...and wonder what the heck I was thinking on the other! More thought required...
ReplyDeleteWe've still got almost a month and a half before the madness begins, so you've plenty of time left to over-think it and drive yourself crazy. :)
DeleteAnd the logo is beautiful...vintage looking....
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the old 2013 NaNo logo? I didn't get it until my daughter explained it to me as something only the video gamers would appreciate. :)
DeleteI'm waffling as well. I can give you a definite maybe!
ReplyDeleteMaybes are good. I'll take your maybe and raise you some kindly but relentless nagging, once we get into October.
DeleteI will participate this year as long as I can finish the projects I am working on now in time. This is very unlikely, but I will make it my goal anyway. I'm an overachiever when it comes to writing sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI've done the same in years past whenever I've had works in progress when NaNoWriMo rolled around. Although one year I did do both, and oy, what a headache that was.
DeleteI'll be done novel 4, so the next pair of novel/novellas will be up for work. I might have to consider smashing out the third novella in the series then. :D
ReplyDeleteCould be fun. You'll have me cheering you on as I write, you know. :)
DeleteWell, hopefully, I'll be unpacked enough that I can sit for a bit every evening to write. We'll see. I've done NaNo a few times, finished twice, I'd love to again, but I don't know with the crazy in my life right now. Either way though, I'll be here every day. :)
ReplyDeleteYou do have enough crazy in your life right now, so if you want a note excusing you I will write one.
DeleteI'm in as well! This will be my fifth Nanowrimo since 2006. "Won" in 06, 08 and 13. The first two years were I completely pantsed it. Last year I had an outline to work from, essentially covering major events in the story, but I wound up writing much of the book "organically" and running into problems as a result.This time around I'm coming up with a much more detailed outline, and will also sketch each scene (brief write-up of what I want to happen in the scene) before writing it. Yesterday's brainstorming session with my writers group gave me a lot of material to build the outline from :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it's good to prep early, too, Dale. I'll probably start working on a rough outline the first week of October, and then refine it into a synopsis by Nov. 1st. Even if I take a different direction with the work, I still like having a map of where I wanted to go, writing-wise.
DeleteWow, people are already planning for NaNoWriMo 2014? I haven't even thought about it yet. I guess I need to get started.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, hello! I'm a new reader to your blog. I was just going through my writing craft files and found a little something called "The Novel Notebook". After realizing what an awesome resource it's going to be for the novel on which I'll soon start my second draft, I had to follow the link to find out who created it. Thanks for the resource, and I look forward to reading your blog.
Hi Adan, welcome to PBW. I think it's very neat that you found us via The Novel Notebook. :)
DeleteWe tend to plan early around here -- I'm an obsessive plotter/organizer, and everyone puts up with me jumping on things far in advance. Stayed tuned to the blog; I'm hoping to get in a new NaNoWriMo-related post once a week all the up to November 1st.
Good to have you back, Lynn, and I'm glad all went well. Frequent lurker here and do so enjoy your blog. I most likely will do Nano again and sure wish I would prepare properly.
ReplyDeleteThis will be my 9th Nano year. I've 'won' them all but never have edited to something I could actually share with others. Maybe this year will finally be different. Right. :-)
Ron B
You never know, Ron. From the 70's to the 90's I wrote 28 books, all of which were at some time or another rejected by every publisher I queried. I was about to give up and go back to a day job when a friend of mine dared me to write something just for fun (at the time she was trying to get me out of a pretty bad depression.) So I did, and that was StarDoc, which a few years later became my first published novel.
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