Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Kidliterati's Ultimate Guide To Finishing Your NaNo Novel

If 300,000 of your friends wrote a novel, would you? What if I told you they were going to do it in only one month?

The idea of writing a novel in 30 days sounds crazy. But you should still do it and Kidliterati wants to help.
writing tips ©Applebyphoto
© applebyphoto

Fresh starts, peer pressure and deadlines are wonderful for getting things done. As luck would have it, NaNoWriMo offers all of these.

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is an online writing project open to anyone who would like to attempt writing 50,000 words on a new novel during the month of November.

NaNoWriMo Help from the Kidliterati Writers

We have said a lot of smart things over the years about how to get your writing done. (Just ignore any of the dumb stuff, because we say that, too...) Below are tips and a round-up of great posts to help you get started on NaNoWriMo and, most importantly, to help you finish.

DOING NANOWRIMO

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I could totally write a novel. In just one month”? Surprisingly, many have—that is what makes the goal of writing 50,000 words during November so popular.

TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET THROUGH NANO

Many start, few actually finish. It takes effort and dedication to commit to writing a novel, and maybe even some sacrifice. But when you try to cram it all into one month, it takes even more. 

kids using computer ©applebyphoto
©applebyphoto
ENACTMENT: *These kids are not really writing a novel*

KIDS AND NANO

Encouraging kids to write can take work. NaNoWriMo has a program designed for young writers that can provide help.
  • To keep yourself turning in the words when you're low on motivation, try a box chart. Divide your daily goal into smaller increments (like 100 words) and draw a box for each unit until you get to your total (like, 5 boxes for 500 words). Then, every time you hit that increment, you get to cross off a box! It's strangely rewarding to do something like this for yourself, whether it's boxes or star stickers. By the end of the week, you'll have a whole page of X-ed out boxes, and maybe even some extra ones on the sides!!!  -Melanie
  • Get involved. I always wrote more in NaNo if I did word sprints on Twitter, had buddies to check in with on the NaNo site, or even just read the NaNo forums (after finishing my daily word count, that is). The community is incredible and very supportive.  -Gail
  • Find those sneaky writing times you have throughout the day. A few minutes early for a meeting? Waiting for the pizza delivery guy to show up? Waiting for a red light to change? (Okay, maybe don't write while you're driving, but you get the idea.) Use every little bit of time you can get your hands on, though - it will add up! (And so will your word count.)   -Abby
  • Suppress your inner editor! Resist the urge to edit your work. Accept that you may not be producing the highest quality piece of writing but forge forward. Never ever stop to reread your previous words, just keep typing!  -Ella
  • If you can't resist the urge to edit while creating, write by hand. When you get stuck you can doodle until the lighting strikes.  -Karen
  • I've been very succesfull at drafting during NaNo the last few years. I think for me, it's a motivation thing. The motivation of having set goals on the website, tracking progress, and having others in the same boat motivates me to get words down. -Laurie

Are you planning to write a novel this November? Leave a note in the comments! Would you like to join in with our writers who are NaNo-ing? Join Karen, Gail, Laurie, Jo, Dana and me as we push to get words on the page. Feel free to nag, er, encourage and get some in return. Tweet to us or leave your Twitter handle in the comments! We like to use our Twitter hashtag #campbeta when we chat during Nano. I can be found on Twitter at @Bec_as



3 comments:

  1. Great post - am bookmarking to go back to several times in November! I love the community and inspiration of NaNoWriMo, and will need lots, as I'm trying to finish revising another novel during the same time frame! Count me in for the chats - @wendymacknight

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are writing a new one AND revising?? Wow, that will take a lot of focus this November! Feel free to tag us to talk or to use the hashtag to see if we are doing word sprints. That can be a fun way to write and not feel like you are "going it alone." Keep us posted!

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    Replies
    1. I've never done a word sprint Becky - it sounds really intriguing and almost track and field-ish, which is exciting for someone who spent high school with their nose in a book!

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