Write a Novel This November! NaNoWriMo 2015: What Is It, and How Do I Do It? By Victoria Bongiorno

​Write a Novel This November! NaNoWriMo 2015: What Is It, and How Do I Do It?
 
You probably want to write a novel. Most people do. For some people, it’s something to check off the bucket list. For others, it’s a life-long dream. Some people aspire to be a published novelist, while others simply want to write a book, even if it’s just for themselves. Regardless of what your specific dream entails, writing a novel is an incredibly daunting task. Fortunately, Chris Baty founded NaNoWriMo in 1999, thereby turning this impossible fantasy into an achievable task.
 
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an annual, month-long event that takes place every November, and it is the catalyst that generates full-length novels from both new and experienced authors each year. The goal is to write 50,000 words in November. You open your blank document and begin on November 1, and on the thirtieth by 11:59pm, you are a novelist. To participate, all you have to do is set up a free account at nanowrimo.org, and then announce your new novel! NaNo prep is already happening on the website: pep talks, forums, advice, etc. The NaNo community is preparing for the upcoming month-long writing extravaganza. To win NaNoWriMo, all you have to do is write 50,000 words. Everyone who does this is declared a winner, and you get a fancy virtual badge!
 
Think you can’t possibly write 50,000 words in thirty days? Don’t worry! Several tools exist to help you conquer this seemingly impossible-to-climb mountain. The first is the website itself. It has a handy tracker that tells you where your word count should be each day in order to stay on track. You enter your current word count, and you get to see the graph reflect the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made, which is extremely encouraging and satisfying. There are forums on the website in which you can talk with other writers and inspire each other and cheer each other on. Need help figuring out the perfect surname for your protagonist? Feeling overwhelmed? Need help with some research? Running out of steam? The people on the forums are happy to help with all of this and more. It’s an extremely supportive and motivating community of writers, and it’s an invaluable source for your NaNo experience.
 
If 50,000 words still seems out of reach to you, keep in mind that it translates to only 1,667 words a day. That is totally manageable! You can do that, I promise! Here are some sources that can get you pumping out those words:

1. Write or Die. This was free when I first participated in NaNoWriMo in 2009, but you have to buy it now. Still, it’s extremely useful. You set how many words you want to write in a designated amount of time, and you face consequences if you don’t reach your goal. It could be an obnoxious sound or a gross image. In kamikaze mode, it will start unwriting your words until you start writing again. It’s pretty intense, but it gets results!
2. Written? Kitten! Do you work better with positive reinforcement? Then you absolutely need to check out this tool. It’s free, and it’s fantastic. I used it all the time during NaNoWriMo 2012. You start writing on the website, and every time you write a certain number of words (which you set), you are presented with a picture of an adorable kitten. That’s the kind of motivation I need to be productive.
3. NaNoWordSprints. This is a Twitter account connected with NaNoWriMo that organizes word sprints for writers. Word sprints vary in length. Some are ten minutes, some are forty-five minutes, and you can participate in them whenever you want. There is always someone online to moderate the sprint during NaNoWriMo, so if you miss one, you can definitely catch the next one! At the end of the sprint, you can share how many words you managed, your favorite excerpt, etc. It’s a great way to pump out words super quickly.
4. If you have a Mac, download SelfControl. If you have Windows, download Cold Turkey. I have SelfControl, but I’m told Cold Turkey does essentially the same thing for Windows. It will block you from certain websites for a length of time. You set which websites you want it to block you from and for how long, and in that space of time, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish. I have used this tool to win NaNoWriMo, and I’ve also used it to help me get work done in school. My technique is to set it for an hour to an hour and a half, write like crazy (frequently using Written? Kitten!), and then take a fifteen minute break to get my social media fix before setting it for another round.

 
I have participated in NaNoWriMo three times, and I won each time. Here is the best piece of advice I can give: don’t think; just write. NaNoWriMo is not about producing a polished and perfect work of literature. It’s about writing the damn book. The goal is to get the first draft done, and the first draft is the hardest part. As Terry Pratchett said, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” You don’t have a story until you write it. Now is your chance to write it. Do not waste time trying to make it as beautiful and perfect as possible. You should not do a single revision during this month. Do not go back to the words you’ve already written at all. Only move forward. If you do this, you’ll have a first draft of your book by the end of the month, and a first draft is a physical thing with which you can work. After November, you can begin your revisions. At this point, you’ll have achieved an amazing accomplishment, and you’ll be well on your way to completed manuscript.
 
Good luck, and happy writing!