A Guide To NaNoWriMo

Have you ever done National Novel Writing Month? (affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo by those who know it and do it (note, I didn’t say love it). Essentially, it’s a motivation tool - something to get you writing every day for 30 days in November, so that by the end of it you have 50,000 words, a good start and a large chunk of a story (novel). That’s not to say you have to finish your novel in 50,000 words. You just have to reach that goal.

NaNoWriMo is great because you can add ‘buddies’ people that can encourage you along the way - and you see how far along they’re getting with their words, so that can keep motivating you - “if only I can write more than Jane today, I’m doing good!”

I first started NaNoWriMo back in 2010, and I did it for 5 years in a row but wrote 6 novels (because I participated in one Camp NaNoWriMo in July one year). I won every year, and finished a rough, very rough draft, of around 80,000 words most years. 80k seems to be my sweet spot.

So if you’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo, I thought I’d give you a little peek into how the process works (for me, and I'm sure for millions of others who undertake this mammoth feat every November).

My main secret is saying sayonara to my very understanding husband the day after our anniversary on October 31st and essentially locking myself away with my laptop for the next month (outside of work, that is. I still go to work).

So here’s a month in the life of NaNoWriMo:

October 1st

OMG, NaNo is a month away! This is so exciting! I have to get planning. I need to spend the next month creating colour-coded spreadsheets of plot points, snowflake diagrams of characters, lists of titles, breakdowns of different genres. I have to make sure I have all the elements I need - notebook and pen for when out and about and I want to make notes or do some writing while waiting for the bus. My phone to jot the odd random sentence that comes to me and I’m not next to my computer. I need to run an update of my laptop and make sure the security features are all functioning optimally.

At least that’s what those who are called ‘Plotters’ do.

On the other hand, there’s Pantsers - they fly by the seat of their pants. Outlines? Who needs them. Plot charts? Character background writeups? Nah, that’ll just stifle my creativity. Titles? That’s not important, you just need to write. You can figure out the title later. And who needs genres? My story will just flow organically from my mind to the page! Ha! I’m a writing superhero, and superheroes don’t need to plan things, they just do.

October 31st

OMG, NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! I’m so excited. But also nervous and I feel a bit sick and queasy. Is that normal? 50,000 words. That’s a lot! No, no, don’t think of that. Just write.

November 1st

Okay here goes. Laptop? Check. Coffee? Check. Do I have snacks? Am I comfortable enough? Do I have enough light? Is my laptop plugged in and does it have full battery? Okay, good. Let’s DO this! I have to write 1666 words a day to reach my goal. That doesn’t seem too bad at all.

This is great. I’m writing. Words are happening and coming together. My main character is awesome. They’re so charismatic and fun. I wish I was my main character.

Ugh, I have to take the dog out. That’s okay, I have 800 words already, I can take a break.

Oh, my best friend called and wants to come over. That’s fine. This is day one. And I made it 1300 words. That’s cool. What difference do another 367 words make?

November 2nd

Back at it! DAY 2 BABY! Now, where was I? Oh yeah, my main character did something unexpected. Cool, cool, cool. Roll with the punches, man. Oh, but then how do I get to my next major plot point? Hmm, I can’t go back and change stuff now. You have to save the editing for later. I’ll just have to forget that point and go forward.

November 3rd

Dammit, I wish I’d really not got rid of that first plot point because now I’m somehow in a jungle? How am I in a jungle when my MC (oh, see, I’m already starting to use the slang for main character, awesome! I’m really getting into this who NaNo thing!), is supposed to be uncovering some drug smuggling ring in Chicago?

November 4th

My buddy Jane has overtaken me by 1000 words today. I need to beat her! Besides, I’m kinda falling a bit behind. Only by like, 100 words. 100 words are easy to come up with. No biggie.

November 5th

I’m starting to hate Jane. Somehow she’s written 3000 words today. What? How is that possible? Hmmm, maybe she doesn’t work full time like I do. Yeah, that’s probably it.

November 6th

I finally got out of the jungle and I’m back in Chicago! Whoo! But somehow I’m bringing some robot man along with me? I think he’s my sidekick...I’m not sure, to be honest. And I’m kind of confused because I thought my story took place in the 1920s during Prohibition? And I don’t think they have robots back then. Crap. I think my hard-boiled detective story is now going to have to be some sci-fi thing? Maybe alternate history? I don’t know anything about history, which is why I wanted to write detective stuff. Mind you I don’t know much about detecting either...

November 7th

My robot sidekick was named Joe. But then partway through I realized Joe was a stupid name so I’ve changed it to Mr. Roboto. That’ll be funny. Right? People will like that. Humour is always good. Isn’t it? Or is it….?

November 8th

Somehow my main character, Detective Joe. That’s who I’m naming Joe now. Joe seems like a Detective-y name. Somehow Joe has brought back a weird virus from the jungles of ...whatever South American place he was. I haven’t totally figured that out yet so I’ve just put question marks in as placeholders for that.

November 9th

Hey, I’ve caught up again and I’m back on track! Party time! I’m gonna go out with my fellow writer friends to celebrate.

November 10th

I should not have celebrated. Woke up at 2 pm, felt like a sack of poop and tried and failed to write a single sentence.

November 11th

Joe’s virus he brought back from the jungles of wherever has now turned into some kind of pandemic that’s killing everyone. Including my antagonists. Huh. Well, that’s kinda an easy way out. A cop-out (HA HA. Cop out, get it? Okay, I think I need more coffee, my writer’s brain is turning to mush).

November 12th

Okay, I had to make the virus not kill everyone, otherwise, my story would only be about 20,000. That’s just short story length, not novel! Mr. Roboto found a cure. Being a robot from the future and all.

November 13th

Wait a minute, Mr. Roboto is from the future? What’s happening? Now my story is turning into a time travel thing?!?!?!

November 14th

Okay, I was getting sick of Mr. Roboto. He was getting annoying, so I ended up sending him back to the future through a wormhole. I think that’s what those things are called? I don’t know. I don’t really do sci-fi. I’m hoping that’s right. So somehow Detective Joe opened a wormhole up in the fabric of reality and it was bye-bye, Mr. Roboto!

November 15th

Ugh. Now Joe is getting annoying. His default is to get into arguments with everyone. I mean, okay, yes, I guess it creates a bit of tension, but the Mr. Grumpy act is getting tiring. Will people like an asshole-y main character?

November 16th

Wow. Okay, this was unexpected. Detective angry Joe is now in anger management meetings. He can’t do much main-charactering from in rehab...so now I have to come up with a new main character. Dammit, why did I get rid of Mr. Roboto?!

November 17th

Somehow my new main character is a 10-year-old girl. And she’s now overthrowing this drug smuggling ring? I’m so confused.

November 18th

Oh, it turns out the girl is Joe’s daughter that he didn’t know about, from some one-night stand with a lady when he was in Japan. When was he in Japan? Wait. Did people travel to places like that in the 1920s? Oh well, I'll worry about that later.

November 19th

Okay, Joe’s daughter is AWESOME! She’s some little samurai warrior who’s been trained since she was basically a baby in martial arts. SO COOL.

November 20th

Oh, I just realized that somehow I’m behind again. By...oh god. How am I behind by 3,000 words? That’s like...2 days’ worth!

*looks at my buddies progress*

And how on earth has Jane finished ALREADY?! She’s already hit 50k and it’s only the 20th!

November 21st

I can’t write. I’m too pissed off at Jane. How can she be done? That’s insane. Like, doesn’t she eat or sleep or anything? Maybe she doesn’t work and she lives by herself with just a cat.

Oh, that’s sad. I feel bad for her now.

November 22nd

Okay, catch up time. Little Samurai Sally (I like alliteration, okay?!), has managed to defeat the head drug lord big boss guy that Detective Joe has been trying to do for the last...well, I think it’s been years? GO SALLY!

November 23rd

Oh fuck. Sally is dead. How did that happen?! That wasn’t planned!!! Well, to be fair, Sally wasn’t planned herself.

November 24th

Hey I wrote 2000 words just on Sally’s death and the funeral and Joe is back in the picture! He attended Sally’s funeral, being her dad and all. And then… uh oh. Crap. He’s back in rehab again, this time for drink after Sally’s tragic passing.

November 25th

And now I’m writing about AA meetings. Great. Soooo exciting. This isn't one of those types of stories!

November 26th

*Checks plot outline* Oh. Joe was supposed to be the head of Chicago PD by now and getting a commendation for basically saving the entire city. Oops.

November 27th

I’m supposed to be at 44,982 words today. I’m at 40,000. Not bad. Not impossible. I can do this. I just need to buckle down and get writing. I’ll put a giant DO NOT DISTURB sign on my door for people to leave me alone.

November 28th

WTF?! CAN’T PEOPLE READ?! Okay, yes, our neighbour’s dog ran away and we had to go help look for it. What? I’m not a total monster! Only managed 600 words today. That’s better than nothing.

November 29th

FUUUUUU!!! Somehow my computer died! What the hell! I made sure it was all good!! Thank god I have my trusty notepad and pen. Screw technology! See how that lets you down?

November 30th

1, 2, 3,....20...25… crap. I have to start again. I miss my computer. How am I supposed to manually count all my words? 1, 2, 3, 4….

Okay, I’ve written 6,872 words today and yesterday….add that to what was on my laptop (thank you for existing Google Docs!) and…OH MY GOD! By Jove, I think I've done it! Just. If my calculations are correct, I’ve written 50, 142 words! WHOO!!! I’ve done it!!

A few days later…

FINALLY, my computer is restored! And I’ve added all my handwritten words now to my document...And oh for fuck’s sake. HOW?! HOW am I at 49,894 words?!

*Throws laptop across the room*

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