NaNoWriMo prep

I'm determined to take part in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November. I've always loved writing fiction and I'm always joking about writing a book, however I never seem to find time and am always putting it off. "I'll write a book one day" is something that you'll hear me joking about quite often.   Well, I'm pulling my socks up and making a pledge to try and write as much as I can next month. Like a lot of others, I've always doubted my ability to take part. (In fact, I tried to participate in NaNoWriMo Camp in June but failed miserably because of my own insecurities.)   But with just over two weeks to go - I'm forming a plan of attack! If you're anything like me, you'll love a good list so in preparation for November I'm going to do the following:  

Complete Ready Set Novel workbook

This book is incredible. I've been slowly making my way through it since July. It's full of helpful tasks and worksheets that encourage you to flesh out your characters, plot and setting. It's also a very fun read! Image Wreck this Journal but for authors.Complete Ready Set Novel! workbook

I also have a workbook packed full of situations and writing prompts that will also help me along the way for when I inevitably suffer from writers' blocks.


Re-visit my favourite books

I'm going to make a list of all of my favourite books and pinpoint exactly why I love them so much. What themes are prominent? What's the writing style like? How does the story create suspense and intrigue? I'll then use this to form the basis of my own writing.


Join a community

One of the great things about NaNoWriMo is the amount of different communities you can get involved with. The organisation is hugely active on social media and there's an endless amount of helpful forums on the website.

You can even tailor forums by region so you can find out exactly who's taking part near you. I've already been sent a couple of emails about write in events that are happening in Birmingham - so I might pop along to a few.


Don't put pressure on myself

This one is a biggie. To me, putting pressure on myself is a daily occurrence. I'm unashamed to say that I like to succeed and when I fall short I can get very frustrated with myself. However, I'm determined to not let that stop me this time.

I have no plans to try and publish my work. I'm doing this challenge simply because I love to write and I want to see if I can. Also, NaNoWriMo looks fun! That's what attracted me in the first place and if I'm beating myself up about not achieving a certain word count it's not going to be enjoyable.

Plus, I'm a big believer that writers who enjoy it and have fun produce the best work!

So, there you have it - I'm going to try and that's all that matters at the moment. I'd love to know if anyone else is planning to take part this year. Are there any other hints and tips you could offer me?

| follow me | tweet me | email me |