With NaNoWriMo just days away I thought some of you might appreciate a killer resource post to help you pound out that word count and pick up your winner certificates. Today's post is therefore dedicated to NaNo prep.
Undecided if the NaNoWriMo challenge is for you? Check out this post at http://www.aliventures.com/4-reasons-nanowrimo-or-not/ to help you make up your mind.
General NaNo Prep
The Official NaNoWriMo website is a huge resource, and I highly recommend jumping into the forums and joining in some of the discussions that take place there. On site you'll also find a whole section about NaNo prep at http://nanowrimo.org/nano-prep. Not only does it list live events like Tweet chats that you can join in, it also includes links to the whole NaNo Prep library.
Steve Shepard gives some great advice and ideas in this post at http://storyist.com/support/howto/get-ready-for-nanowrimo/.
This post at http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/nanowrimo-writing-tips-in-a-single-post/61045 offers links to 60 articles with NaNoWriMo Tips.
Need help to get you started? This post has some suggestions for finding ideas http://www.writersandauthors.info/2013/10/finding-ideas-for-nanowrimo.html
https://writeitsideways.com/nanowrimo-quick-preparation-tips-and-resources/ is another post packed with useful links about preparing for the challenge.
Whether you're a Plotter or Pantser this post at http://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-a-book-with-nanowrimo/ has some tips for you.
In this post past NaNoWriMo winners shared some of their tips for success http://www.writersandauthors.info/2016/10/nanowrimo-preparing-to-hit-50k.html
Surviving NaNoWriMo
Check out this post from last year with proven strategies on how to finish your NaNoWriMo novel, based on a research study by Stop Procastinating of 2000 NaNoWriMo writers http://www.writersandauthors.info/2015/10/nanowrimo-proven-strategies-on-how-to.html
This article http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/10/04/25-things-you-should-know-about-nanowrimo/ has some colourful language but it also does a good job of summarising the before, during, and after of what to expect when doing the NaNoWriMo challenge.
This post at http://mashable.com/2014/11/03/national-novel-writing-month-tips/#y.z5vYhNukqy has a collection of tweets from NaNoWriMo participants that cover everything from what writing apps to use to tips about food prep, and the importance of caffeine.
Take a look at some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them at http://writerunboxed.com/2012/10/11/four-reasons-to-rethink-nanowrimo/
Alison Wells gives some great survival tips in this post at https://alisonwells.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/how-to-do-nanowrimo-when-you-dont-have-the-time/
This article at https://www.bustle.com/articles/121310-6-tips-every-writer-trying-to-win-nanowrimo-needs-to-hear offers sound advice to help you keep going during the challenge.
You can find 10 tips for winning NaNoWriMo at http://www.whimsydark.com/blog/2014/10/30/10-tips-for-winning-nanowrimo
These 5 tips for reaching your NaNoWriMo goal make it sound easy http://thewritepractice.com/nanowrimo-goal/
Find a selection of hashtags for word sprints at http://www.writersandauthors.info/2015/11/word-sprints-writing-novel-10-minutes.html
Reading
Reading can be a great way to prepare for the challenge. Author, and past NaNoWriMo winner Ann Harrison (@annwrites75) suggests reading books in the genre you want to write to help spark inspiration.
There are plenty of books out there that offer great advice, and tips to help you keep your creative juices flowing. Here's a few you might want to consider:
- No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty (http://amzn.to/2emMOpV). Who better than the founder of the event to help you through it ;) I personally have a paper back copy of this book and it really is worth it.
- Author Kendra Temples (@kendra_temples) suggests Take Off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker for outlining http://amzn.to/2dsO2P3
- Author Danny Knestaut (@dknestaut) suggests Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by KM Weiland http://amzn.to/2eeqNd8
And don't forget...
5 minutes agoWhat genre are you planning to write in? Choose books in that genre to read for inspiration.
