It’s November, which for many of us means it’s
… National Novel Writing Month.
Exactly what is
National Novel Writing Month? “It’s a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel
writing. Participants begin writing at the start of November with the goal of
writing a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, Nov. 30.” That’s roughly 1,
667 words daily, about 6 to 7 pages a day.
Writing that many
words is challenging, even exhilarating, but, at the same time, for people like
me, daunting.
There are lots of
reasons not to attempt National Novel Writing Month. I play them in my head
even as I type my manuscript, but I also have solutions.
Maybe you’re of the same mind and that little
voice of doubt nags in your head. With some helpful advice from Chris Baty’s
book No Plot, No Problem let’s
tackle those concerns.
Chris, incidentally,
is the founder of National Novel Writing Month.
1. I
don’t know how to begin. I don’t have it all planned out. That’s OK. Sit down at the keyboard
and type. "It’s fine just to start.” Footnote: “Making it up as you go
along does NOT require you to be a gifted novelist.”
2. I
don’t know what I need to start. “What you need to write a novel, of
course, is a deadline.”
3. How
will a deadline help? “In
the artistic realms, deadlines do much more than just get projects finished.
They serve as creative midwives, as enthusiastic shepherds adept at plucking
the timid inspirations that lurk in the wings of our imaginations and flinging
them bodily into the bright light of day.”
4. Is
the arduous journey worth the time and effort? "In the 30 or 31 days you spend
under (the deadline’s “taskmastering” thumb, “you’ll discover wild, wonderful
parts of yourself and tap into exciting realms of aptitude and achievement you didn't know existed.”
5. How
will people react? “You’ll
fly and soar and laugh and sing, and [yes] the people who love you will likely
worry you've gone crazy.”
6. Oh,
no! “Well,
actually, that’s OK. The insanity only lasts a month, just long enough to get
‘Write a Novel’ checked off your to-do list.”
7. But
I’m not sure I can write all that well, especially when I’m just getting my
ideas down. “There
is no pressure on you to write a brilliant first draft. No one ever writes a
brilliant first draft.”
8. What
are the special perils? “The
first law of exuberant imperfection is essentially this: The quickest, easiest
way to produce something beautiful and lasting is to risk making something
horribly crappy.”
9. One
reason NOT to try National Novel Writing Month is I’m busy and writing a novel
takes a lot of time. It
does, but what I’m planning is to discover what 1-2 hours a day for a month
[can produce]. If I look at my daily routine, I probably can find activities I
can forego for a while. And Chris Baty adds, “When I’m writing a novel, I stop
Internet surfing entirely, limit my leisure reading, and spend much less
weeknight time with (non-noveling) friends. Other writers use the opportunity
to pare back conversations with their in-laws and stop doing yard work.” The
point: These suggestions should work for you, too.
10. But
what about the people I live with? Will they be able to do without me
while I’m off creating this masterpiece? “It’s not so much that you’ll be
totally absent for one month as it is that you’ll be exceptionally present for
the other 11.”
11. But
I like to be around others and I want to have some fun even if I’m working on a
novel. Answer: If
you’re feeling alone, try writing with buddies. “Writing with a partner (or
three or four) helps all parties tap into the pool of competitive energy that
forms when several people are working toward the same goal.”
12. Does
the ‘team approach’ really work? Yes, indeed. “When ‘noveling’ with
someone else, you have a pacer, a motivator and a sympathetic ear for sharing
the triumphs and tragedies of your novel. It’s more productive and a lot more
fun.”
13. But
what if I don’t have a plot for my novel? “If you spend enough time with your
characters, plot simply happens. This makes your novel writing, in essence, a
literary trapeze act, one where you have to blindly trust that your imagination
and intuition will catch you and fling you onward at each stage of your
high-flying journey.”
Chris’ advice helps me
keep turning out pages. It has me thinking about all the others who are taking
the 50K challenge. How about you? What thoughts inspire you to keep writing,
blogging or taking part in National Novel Writing Month? Please share with us.
Sources
http://nanowrimo.org/