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em-dash-press · 6 months

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6 NaNoWriMo Strategies Every Creative Writer Could Use

Are you joining the National Novel Writing Month competition this year? You’ll have a better experience if you start November with a plan in place. Use these NaNoWriMo strategies to understand what you want from your upcoming month of writing.

1. Set Your Word Count Early

We’ve all been there. We sit down to write and no matter how much we get done, it doesn’t feel like enough. It’s a shared frustration in the creative writing community and it can really hold you back from your NaNoWriMo potential.

Decide on your word count before the month begins. You’ll know what goal to aim for while you’re writing and when you can feel good about your progress. (All progress is good progress, but the 50,000-word NaNoWriMo goal is more manageable with small goal posts.)

These are examples of some word counts you might enjoy. You can always reset them as November continues if you feel like they’re unsustainable or less than you can accomplish:

To reach 50,000 words by November 30: 12,500 words per week or 1,667 per day

To reach 25,000 words by November 30: 6,250 words per week or 834 per day

To reach 10,000 words by November 30: 2,500 words per week or 334 per day

Tip: Find your word count with these formulas: [Total Word Count] divided by [# of weeks or # of days in November] Optional formulas: [Total Word Count] divided by [# of days you’ll have time to write] [Total Word Count] divided by [# of hours you’ll have time to write]

2. Outline Your Month With Writing Goals

Imagine that you need to buy a car. The car of your dreams is worth $30,000, but your desire to buy it won’t make $30,000 appear in your bank account. You have to work and set aside portions of your paycheck each time you get them.

Incremental progress leads to big goals, as long as you stick with them.

They’re also easier to accomplish if they’re specific.

Take some inspiration from SMART goals. They’re Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. You can make one of your own for NaNoWriMo to make it easier.

Here’s an example:

Not a SMART Goal: I’m going to write a novel in November.

A SMART Goal: I’m going to write 50,000 words by the end of November by writing 1,667 words each day.

A SMARTer Goal: I’m going to write 50,000 words by the end of November by writing 1,667 words each day. To do that, I’ll write for at least 2 hours every evening from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

A specific goal outlines exactly when you’ll write, how much you’ll write, and when you know you’re done writing. It paves the way to your success, especially under a short time frame like NaNoWriMo.

3. Schedule Your Writing Time

Take control of your time this November by scheduling your writing time. Get a calendar if you don’t already use one and write down everything you need to do that month that isn’t about creative writing. Your calendar will probably look like this:

Class periods

Work hours

Extracurricular commitments

Time saved for friends

Time spent sleeping

Time reserved for holiday plans (if you have any)

When your calendar has everything that would happen during November without NaNoWriMo, see what time slots are left for your creative writing.

It may seem a bit over-the-top to schedule a creative session down to the minute, but it’s more helpful than winging your progress. You’ll know exactly what’s the best time to write each day, which likely won’t be the same for all 30 days in November.

Your calendar will also make it easier to make plans. If you know you’re free from 6-7:30 p.m. on a Saturday and your writing time starts at 8:00 p.m., you can feel free to make plans with friends during that time. You won’t spend NaNoWriMo feeling like you have to push your regular life away just to participate in the novel writing event.

4. Save Time for Self-Care

Even the most well-planned and scheduled writing goals will zap your mental energy. You’ll keep up with your goals more easily if self-care habits restore your body and mind.

Consider activities like these make you feel relaxed and refreshed:

Walking

Baking

Coloring

Reading

Knitting

Journaling

The best activity will be something that’s low-energy, within your budget, easy within your available time frame, and aligned with your individual interests. If you don’t have any self-care ideas in mind, explore a few before November starts. A new hobby or even sitting in a warm bath may help boost your mental health so you’re ready to get back to writing the next day.

5. Give Yourself Grace

When you feel ready to go with NaNoWriMo tips and a schedule, take a deep breath. If you meet your goals, great! If not, that’s great too.

NaNoWriMo isn’t about finishing a novel. It’s about learning how you write best and boosting your confidence.

Sometimes, we learn about ourselves through failure. You might not meet your writing goal every day. You may not even finish your overall goal. If that happens, reflect on what kept you from reaching that finish line.

You might spot a tendency to procrastinate that you can work on. Maybe you set an overly ambitious goal and need to practice setting realistic goals for yourself.

The things you learn from your upcoming NaNoWriMo experience will help your creative life and your personal life, but only if you give yourself the grace to learn from them.

Try being flexible if you don’t hit your word counts. The day you aren’t able to write 500 words could come the day or week before you write 1,000.

Never forget to reflect on why something happened. Introspective work is challenging, but it’s the best way to grow. Let yourself flourish next month as a person and a writer.

6. Celebrate Your Wins

Every win is worth celebrating. Maybe you want to write 10,000 words in November and only write 1,000. That’s 1,000 words you thought about, felt, and put on paper. Incredible!

If you don’t meet a single goal, you still got to practice setting them! And you’re going to learn from your mistakes, which is one of the best life skills to have.

Daydream about what celebrating means to you and plan a few ideas throughout the month. Don’t wait until November 30 to pat yourself on the back. Celebrate by doing whatever makes you happy, like:

Going out for an ice cream cone

Getting a new incense stick for your next writing session

Picking up a new book from the library

Sleeping in an extra half hour on Saturday

Walking through a home goods store just to marvel at things

Singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs in the shower

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Keep these NanoWriMo tips in mind while you prepare to join the competition this year. You’ll have a much better time when you understand how to use each hour to your advantage while caring for your mental health.

If you like what you see, please consider using the tip feature on my posts! I run this site for free, but will always appreciate the financial support. 💙

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queenlovesbooks · 6 months

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feel like a real author. I have a big plan for Nanowrimo and now I have a commissioned cover for my book coming. Anyone else want to be writing buddies?

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo tips #nanowrimo 2023 #writing community #writeblr #writing help

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the-ninnas-writes · 8 months

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A tip for writing truly immersive environments and locations — building your very own Snapshot library.

How it started:

In real life I like to think I'm an observant person who notices the tiniest things around me, but when I sit down to describe, I don't know a forest — 🤯 poof, I'm blank. Can't remember a thing about my own town even.

The events of my current novel are happening in August. Writing any kind of non-plot related narratives throughout the year was very difficult, especially describing nature, and I kept waiting for actual August to happen in my city so that I can write in the moment.

When August came, I was jotting down everything about this time of the month. The weather patterns, what was flying through the air, what the people around me were behaving like and so forth. I was even able to divide those into subcategories like 'conversations I overheard' or 'internal character monologues while going from point a to point b'.

I called it a Snapshot of August.

So, how do I use these 'Snapshots'?

They're like a recipe cards for all kinds of situations — or at least the ones you've been. So you wrote a Snapshot about a coffee shop. You add more and more snippets every time you sit in a coffee shop. If my characters are in a coffee shop I pull up the appropriate Snapshot and start picking and choosing elements in order to build the environment. I'll take that description of couple these to highlight MC's low esteem, a pinch of cinnamon smell in the air, a dash of how square my butt felt against the uncomfortable wooden chairs...

Sure, I can just take a picture things then I'll have a stupor as to how to describe the picture later. Sure, I could try to write from memory and get two lines in, or you could be that mysterious individual at the corner of a bar peeking at people from under your glasses and scribbling away every curious individual you see every mannerism and the ways the light hits their beer glasses.

The difference is that I wrote those snapshots WHILE I was in those situations and locations, so I can describe in utmost detail the August frustration of constantly wiping my sprinkled windowsill from the winged seeds of catkins hanging from the branches of a silver birch outside my house.

I forget these things! Snapshots are both for little details and large, descriptive scenes where you can plug your character into.

This is especially crucial when you're in a unique place you can't easily access again, like when you're on vacation! And it's a powerful ally for never slowing down on things like narrative descriptions during a NaNoWriMo sprint.

I will update this post in the future with some snapshot examples.

#writing tips #writing notes #writers on tumblr #writer's community #writers of wattpad #writeblr #novel writing #fiction writing #nanowrimo tips #preptober #nanowrimo 2023

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mauvelvr · 6 months

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nanowrimo 2023 tips

from the first two days!

don't start writing until you've finished everything else for the day, because once you start, it's impossible to get out of the headspace of your story.

slow and steady wins the race! don't even think about the 50k - think about things one week or day at a time. break it all down into small chunks and reward yourself for these chunks!

i've found that i've been rushing what im writing and then getting distracted by how... rushed... the words are so i've switched to handwriting to force myself to slow down and i've found that it really helps!

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo2023 #preptober #writing #writers #writers of tumblr #writing tips #nanowrimo tips #writblr #writeblr #writerscommunity

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theimpalatales · 6 months

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NaNoWriMo has many fantastic resources, including this archive of writing pep talks from a myriad of authors. Have a browse through them if you're in need of some inspiration, a pick-me-up, or guidance.

I've listed some of my favs below:

Gene Luen Yang on Writing Life and Community

V. E. Schwab on Potential and Perfection

Patrick Rothfuss on Breaking the Rules (Breaking the rules is my favourite writing rule, and should always be number 1 in my opinion)

N. K. Jemisin on the Chasm of Doubt

Janet Fitch on Making Writing Decisions

Grant Faulkner on the Muddy Middle

Meg Cabot on Consistency

Brandon Sanderson on Writing Tools and Habits

Brandon Sanderson on Not Giving Up

Lemony Snicket on Giving Up

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2023 #nanowrimo tips #writerblr #writing #writing advice #writing motivation #tbe

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dark-academia-quotes · 1 year

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NaNoWriMo survival tips

NaNoWriMo has officially started! I am sooo excited to start writing, and as a special celebration post, I will be sharing my top 10 survival tips for participating writers! If you're scrolling through this on Instagram, this will be part 1/2, so stay tuned for the remaining tips that are to come!

1.F*ck the traditional word count (if you want)

Yeah, you heard me right. You should totally not strive for 50k if that doesn't serve you! Set your own word count goal according to what is realistic to YOU. That could be 15k, 30k, or 100k! An ideal word count should push you to your limits without completely overstraining you. Should it be a challenge? Absolutely! That much of a challenge that you have burnout and writer's block for the next 2 months? Probably not.

2. Don't edit during NaNo

Seriously, just don't. It will slow you down, you will get frustrated and it will take your focus off of what should matter most this month: writing! If you want to, you can look at it from a scientific angle: Writing is done by the right side of the brain, which is responsible for creative processes, whilst editing is done by the left side of the brain, which is responsible for rational thinking. You can't write well while in editing mode, which is why you should totally keep those two processes separate, and save the editing for the months to come.

3. Stock up on snacks

Don't walk, RUN to the nearest supermarket if you haven't stocked up on your favourite snacks yet. For me, that is chocolate, tea, bread, and whatever salty thing I can get my hands on. Because you know what is stressful? Writing 50k words in a month. But you know what is even more stressful (and honestly downright impossible)? Doing so without SNACKS!

4. Create a space that inspires you

Inspiration is always important, but even more during NaNoWriMo, because that is one of the times where writing can feel like actual hard work, and doing hard work without some sort of inspiration or motivation will most likely lead to failure. Some ways that you can create that space are:

digital:

build a pinterest board for your WIP or your characters

create a YouTube playlist with author's interviews or dark academia videos

find some good writing/dark academia atmosphere on Ambient Mixer

browse through Social Media to find posts related to writing (like this one) to inspire you. Just make sure that doesn't become your main activity.

watch NaNoWriMo content on YouTube

make a Spotify playlist for your WIP

analogue:

light some candles

put on fairy lights

go for a walk regularly

decorate your room in a way that reminds you of writing (I have a looot of sticky notes on my wall)

5. Tidy up your space

To be fair, this is more of a Preptober thing, but if you haven't already, you should totally tidy up and organise your writing space in a way that is efficient to you. This way you can avoid disrupting your flow while writing, as you won't need to search for your stuff. This may include sorting already existing documents, going through your notebook drawer to eliminate the chaos in there or just giving your desk a deep clean.

6. Get your family on board

This is a very important thing for me this year, as I am staying with my family in Argentina, which means working under unideal conditions. I live with two children (7 and 11 years old), fights between them as well as between my cousin and her husband are common, I don't really have my own room and having a quiet space is rare due to the presence of five pets (thank god for the invention of noise cancelling headphones. They are cute though).

One way to make things easier, especially if you live in a familiar situation that is similar (or worse), is to get people on board. Tell them what you are about to do, put a sign on your door when you work, bribe your little brother with snacks to leave you alone when you write. I promise you it makes a difference. I realise not everyone has the option to do this, and if you are a writer (or any kind of artist really) that lives among people who aren't supportive of your dreams, know that I am with you and that I wish you all the best.

7. Reward yourself

I personally like to reward myself every 10k words I write during NaNo, and I make a list of the rewards I want to give myself beforehand. That way, when you're writing that one slow, complicated or just emotionally draining scene that just doesn't seem to end, you have other things to look forward to besides just winning. You can also give yourself small rewards every day you hit your word count - or do both!

8. Take care of your health

That obviously includes physical health: make sure to move your body every once in a while, don't use writing positions that could injure your back and make sure to eat full meals even when you are busy. That being sad, I want to put a special emphasis on mental health here. Don't stress yourself too much with your project, you aren't here to get a burnout. Be mindful and realistic about the goals you set. And remember, your mental health comes first. If you have to choose between maintaining it and finishing NaNo, your word count should never be the priority.

9. Have a reason

Now, that sounds pretty plain, but it can actually be pretty helpful once you start! Ideally, you should have a note/paper/document somewhere that lists exactly that: why you are doing NaNo, and why you are writing in general. Maybe you really have this story that you just have to tell to find your inner peace, maybe you want to choose writing as a career path, or maybe it just gives you joy to create stories. Maybe it is a coping mechanism. Whatever it is - write it down. That way you can come back to it when you feel like quitting.

10. Be kind to yourself

I know this kind of falls under 8., but I wanted to give this a special mention. Don't be harsh on yourself when you feel like you aren't going to hit your word count on the 15th. Keep writing. 30k/50k are better than quitting after 7k, and you will be glad you continued. You can get the rest of the words in in December.

If you get writer's block at some point, punching the Laptop and drowning yourself in negative thoughts are probably not going to make it better. Take a deep breath, acknowledge that the frustration is there, watch your favourite Disney movie, dedicate yourself to finding inspiration and then get back to writing. It is very likely that you will at some point be frustrated with this process, so having a frustration escape plan can really do wonders.

Anyway, that is it! If you enjoyed reading through this, kindly consider supporting me by commenting, liking, saving or sharing this post! And if you are interested in more writing and dark academia content, a follow is of course appreciated. That being said, have fun writing and make the best out of this year's NaNo!!

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stygianpen · 7 months

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NaNoWriMo 2023: Your Toolkit for Success

*This blog is adapted from a YouTube script. Check out the video version at the end!

It is officially Preptober – the month where we gear up for the biggest writing month of the year: NOVEMBER! As we prepare for National Novel Writing Month, I want to discuss the ultimate toolkit to supercharge your writing process. So let’s get into it and make sure you're armed with everything you need for a successful writing season.

Outlining and Planning

As we are in Preptober, let’s start out with tools for outlining and planning. Personally - I’ll let you know right now, I am super basic with everything. I’ve experimented with various options but in the end I always wind up using a physical notebook and Microsoft Word. But, that may not be for you. If you’re looking for some digital tools which will help with your outlining and preparation process, I’ll point you in the direction of Evernote, Notion, and Asana.

Evernote is your go-to for organized writing. When you sign up you can sync across devices, and explore notes, notebooks, tags, and shortcuts. Notebooks, are like virtual binders, and you can add tags within them for easy searches, making shortcuts for quick access. To get writing all you need to do is click "New Note," add a title, and get creative. But, this is not just a text app! You can enhance notes with media, and if you're stuck, templates are available too. Evernote's search function is very well put together, and you can share your notes with others easily too.

As a multifaceted workspace, Notion consolidates essential elements like character profiles, plot outlines, and research details, eliminating the chaos of multiple open tabs. With embedded integrations and plugins, it integrates seamlessly with tools like Google Drive and Miro, fostering a comprehensive writing environment. You can also capitalize on Notion's flexibility to set goals, develop characters, plot stories, organize research, and track progress. The platform's versatility extends to creating marketing plans, managing drafts, and even storing sudden bursts of inspiration. Utilizing Notion's array of templates enhances efficiency, offering a tailored solution for you to build your literary world.

Lastly, our darkhorse - Asana. Generally this is a project management tool used with coworking teams. But, it’s an amazing tool for writers too! Create a project dedicated to your novel, subdividing it into sections like characters, plot points, and scenes. Each character can be assigned a task, detailing their development arc and key traits. Tasks within the plot points section help outline major events, ensuring a coherent narrative flow. Asana's task dependencies feature aids in establishing the sequence of events. The comments section can then act as a virtual brainstorming hub for collaborative ideas. With due dates and progress tracking, Asana transforms will make your plotting and outlining a very visual process, supporting organization and productivity.

Research and Reference

Now this is definitely going to be different for everyone. For me, I create a lot of fantasy worlds so my research is all over the place. In Synterra, I research the cities my main characters are from before traveling to Synterra, so this involved a fair amount of travel guides and Google Maps. I also researched mythical creatures in those areas to see which may appear to them. No matter what you’re writing you’re likely to have some sort of research worked in there even if it’s just scrolling Pinterest for visuals.

So yes I would absolutely recommend Pinterest. On the official NaNoWriMo website you can even link a Pinterest board associated with your project along with a Spotify playlist, which I find to be a lot of fun!

But if you’re getting more serious with your writing and are really worried about accuracy, Google Scholar is your gateway to academia. I plan to explore this tool quite a bit as I get further into writing Eternity, a series which often features ancient Rome and Egypt.

Honing Your Craft

So ideally during NaNoWriMo, you’re going to be honing your craft. Sure, there is a lot of speed drafting involved but you are still going to be building your creative ability. You’d be surprised at the brilliant sentences that can appear when you’re trying to get that perfect paragraph out in a 15 minute sprint.

If you’d like to buff up on some skill building before November hits, I always recommend -as does the NaNoWriMo organization itself - “Save the Cat” by Blake Snyder. Save the Cat offers a concise and insightful approach to storytelling using methods like the "beat sheet," which provides a structured framework for crafting engaging narratives. Emphasizing character likability and clear story arcs, the book will help you create compelling protagonists and engaging plots. It is really accessible and practical which makes it a great read for any writer no matter what level they’re at.

If you’re looking for grammar assists to help you out as you speed through your 50,000 words Grammarly is of course a great option, acting as your personal editor, catching those pesky grammar and spelling errors. Another option, though one you might want to wait on until the editing phase, is The Hemingway Editor. This web and desktop app steps in to improve your writing's readability by highlighting complex sentences. So, in many cases you’re going to wind up with a smaller word count… which is just not quite the goal during November.

Doing the Thing

When it comes to doing the thing, actually drafting your novel, we should talk about hardware and software. A good laptop tends to be the writer’s primary companion these days, but I’ve had friends who have made an attempt at using a typewriter through November, or even their phone! I could never. But, y’know, different strokes and all that.

If you have trouble with writing on a device that has internet but don’t want to give up your modern keyboard, you can look into the AlphaSmart word processor, FreeWrite e-ink screen and keyboard, or Pomera. And honestly, it can be nice to do some of your writing by hand in a notebook. Personally I find that more emotional scenes that I want to craft with real care come out better when I’m channeling my thoughts through a plain old, basic pen. Though, it can be fun to spice that up with a fountain pen.

No matter what you do choose, the best device is going to be the one that helps you to complete your NaNoWriMo with the least amount of technical stress!

Moving on to software.

Scrivener is really the heavyweight champion of writing software. It's not just a word processor; it's your personal writing command center. This versatile writing software provides robust tools for organization, research, and composition. With it, you can outline, draft, and edit within a single platform, arranging content in a flexible structure. With features like split-screen editing, research file integration, and character as well as plot organization, Scrivener aids in managing complex projects. It also facilitates seamless manuscript formatting and export options, enhancing the overall writing and editing process for novelists, academics, and other content creators.

Heads up however, the license does cost $84.99 Canadian.

So - you can also go with Microsoft Word and Google Docs, which is what I do. These options are straightforward, widely used and can handle all your basic writing and editing needs.

Keeping Yourself Honest

Time is of the essence during NaNoWriMo. Writing 50,000 words in one month and ideally having those 50,000 words tell a complete story from beginning to end, is a big ask. So you’re going to need to keep yourself honest and on schedule if you’re going to get it down. To start off, the NaNoWriMo website itself is something I just love. There’s a section where you can put your word count each day and it updates as you go, letting you know how much you have left to do as well as calculating how many words you will need to write per day to reach your goal.

For when you’re actually in the weeds, Pomodone, a Pomodoro timer app, ensures your writing sprints are focused and productive.The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks. Longer breaks, typically 15 to 30 minutes, are taken after four consecutive work intervals.

Personally, I don’t really work this way unless I am doing sprints with other writers but I know many have found it quite useful to get themselves into work mode. And of course, if you’re looking for a community to sprint with you should join my Discord server where we’ll be sprinting Tuesday nights.

Writing buddies are will be your real secret weapon for motivation.

Protect Your Progress

I have been asked by more than one person what my backup method is. It seems many of us are out there trying to figure out THE ANSWER, but I don’t think there is really one solid answer. Certainly, Drive and Cloud are out there and they are the most obvious answers. Also, external hard drives. But in the end, personally, and from what I gather from others, it all is about your personal level of paranoia.

For me, I had a bad experience with drive once where I was saving the same file for months and then one day - poof - it was gone. I just don’t trust the cloud. And, though I know this is a form of the cloud as well, I do a lot of emailing of my work to myself. It’s a bit messy but somehow it’s comforting for me. Also, I work between a desktop as well as a laptop computer so I need to be able to access the same document on each and… prefer to email back and forth rather than having a cloud document.

Don’t Forget Self Care

Writing can be a solitary journey, but it doesn't have to be. Join the NaNoWriMo website for resources, forums, and writing buddies. Get into Reddit communities like r/writing and r/nanowrimo for advice and support. And don't forget the vibrant writing communities that exist on Discord. As I mentioned, there’s mine - but there are others as well. I’ve never come across one that was not super welcoming, it’s just really about finding the one that feels most like home for you.

Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Even though we sometimes do sprint. Keep the caffeine or tea flowing for those late-night sessions. Invest in ergonomic furniture for physical comfort during long writing stints. And don't forget to stretch—both your body and your imagination. Your health is just as important as your word count. By getting up and moving around for at least 5-10 minutes every hour, you can improve circulation, reduce muscle stiffness, and lower the risk of chronic health conditions. Try setting a timer on your phone to remember!

Last but not least, I always stress how important it is to celebrate, even small victories. While NaNoWriMo is a project with a very large goal which we all want to “win”, keep in mind that participating in any way is a win. If you can get yourself writing more than you were prior and start building a routine, you’re doing great even if you don’t reach those 50k words or finish the first draft of your novel. You have made a start and that’s important. Be sure to reward yourself and mark milestones. I like to vlog and check in with myself weekly to really acknowledge what I’ve done in the past 7 days and when I wrap up the month I always have a glass of champagne!

Remember, this toolkit is a guide, not a rulebook. Tailor it to fit your unique writing style and needs. NaNoWriMo is all about dedication and discipline, so find the tools that work best for you and let your creativity flow. Happy writing, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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#creative writing #writing #writer #writing community #writing advice #writing tips #new author #writing help #writing resources #writing tips and tricks #nanowrimo ml #nanowrimo #nanowrimo tips #nanowrimo coach #preptober #Youtube

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indycinders · 7 months

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hi again~

so i made some things for myself that i want to share with my writer friends, and any writer!, as i'm prepping and working towards NaNoWriMo again this year!

just a quick disclaimer that i do not own either of these templates, i did not create them, i just copied them down into a format where everyone else can copy and paste into their own preferred word processors! (❁´◡`❁)

i've always struggled with just writing things that came to mind and working on piecing it together later, which resulted in a lot of frustration, getting bored with my characters, not knowing how to write them, and in general just a lot of negative feelings (towards myself) for feeling like a bad writer.

i've come to learn that it's a lot easier to write when you work on making fleshed out characters and making a basic outline for your story. which might be something everyone always does, but i've always just flown by the seat of my pants *ahem (￣▽￣)"*

the character template is really in depth and it can be a little intimidating to start working with, so my advice is to just fill in the things you definitely know about your character! as you start writing those, you might start thinking of how to fill in the other areas as well. or you can leave them blank like i do and come back to it later!

another tip, as a side-note, is that i use sims 4 to create characters to get a visual representation and screenshot them and add them to my character templates so it's like their own bio cards if that makes sense hahaha. it's just a placeholder until i feel like drawing again tbh.

i may share more writing tips and stuff as it gets closer to NaNoWriMo season, and i might also share snippets and tidbits of my work and my characters. my goal this season is to just write, write, write my little heart out and not care about the end result until i'm finished. because that's what NaNoWriMo really is at its core: making time to write, and writing anything and everything. editing and refining can come later.

anyway enough rambling. here's the links to my google docs where i made the templates. there shouldn't be any problems copying and pasting it over :>

Character Template

Story Outline Template

and here are the sources i made the templates from. they both have really good advice in general, so take a peek!

https://www.dabblewriter.com/articles/character-template

https://www.novel-software.com/novel-outline-template/

#nanowrimo 2023 #nanowrimo tips #writing tips #writing tricks #creative writing #writing prep #writing process #writers #novel writing #cinders writes

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ftxfagula · 1 year

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Here's your annual reminder that NaNoWriMo is unrealistic and encourages burn out! Write every day in November if you want but finishing a 50,00 word novel in a month is unrealistic! Novels take time and that's okay!

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo tips #rant

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todayontumblr · 6 months

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Wednesday, November 1.

NaNoWriMo.

As one door closes, another door opens. So if you are feeling a little glum, a little blue, a little crestfallen this morning, as you pack your coffins, drone-controlled ghouls, pumpkins, and Normal Human Man costumes into the attic for another year, fear not. Because the passing of October 31st can only mean the arrival of November 1st. And the arrival of this date will be exciting and daunting news for y'all in Tumblr's writing community—it's #nanowrimo.

Keyboards, touchscreens, typewriters, pens, and quills at the ready, folks. You've got 30 days to do 50,000 words. They are not going to write themselves.

Good luck x

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em-dash-press · 6 months

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Best Tools to Track Your NaNoWriMo Progress

The NaNoWriMo site allows anyone who signs up for a free account to set their word count through their dashboard. There are plenty of other resources to help you too, but if that’s not your style, these are other tools to track your NaNoWriMo progress. See if you like any before November begins to tackle your manuscript even faster.

Note: None of these are paid promotions or affiliate links. They’re just recommendations based on what I and other writers have found helpful in the past!

1. FocusWriter

Writers often start exploring the world of creative writing tools by downloading FocusWriter. The free program hides everything on your screen except your document and shows a custom background instead, like the wooden background below.

Use the settings to customize each writing experience and keep track of your daily NaNoWriMo word count goals. It even spell checks for you, which speeds up your editing process.

2. NovProg

NovProg is a free writing resource that’s best for people who don’t want any hassle on their screens. If you’re into graphs, this might be the tool you love. The program makes graphs of your daily word count progress so you have more visual encouragement during your NaNoWriMo experience.

3. Scrivener

Scrivener is a popular software within the creative writing community. You can use the free trial to see if it’s your thing before Scrivener requires a $51 purchase for Mac users or $60 for PC users.

It’s expensive, but popular for a reason. The program has file organization options for planners and writers who don’t outline their work. Save character outlines, track your word count, save photos, and store links to inspirational Scrivener corkboards.

The software also lets writers research from within Scrivener. You won’t need to open a Google tab (and potentially whatever internet distractions await you) to double-check information or even transcribe an interview.

4. MyWriteClub

Name and update your word count goals automatically by writing alongside MyWriteClub. The simple progress bar even updates with encouragement from friends who use MyWriteClub. Their notes will pop up under your word count as you work on your NaNoWriMo projects together. It takes away the loneliness that can sometimes come with writing stories by yourself.

If you don’t have any in-person friends doing NaNoWriMo, there are global writing sprints available for MyWriteClub users. The 15-minute focus sessions connect writers as they work on their word count goal for the day. It might be the encouragement you need to stay on track, especially if you get bored writing by yourself.

5. Fighter’s Block

Merge your love of video games and creative writing with Fighter’s Block. After setting your word count goal within the website, you’ll become a character fighting a monster. The monster wants to destroy your words, but your word count progress keeps it at bay.

6. Write or Die

This is another infamous tool in the creative writing world. It’s what you might want to try when you need extreme help with knocking out your daily word count.

Input your word count goal and start writing. If you slow down or miss your goal, the program deletes random chunks of your work. You’ll get a few warnings, but the deletion often happens sooner than writers expect. It’s better to use this program when you know what you need to write, but need a push to stay with your manuscript until you’re done for the day.

Change the settings outlined in yellow below to match what you need from your writing experience. There’s also a setting to get encouragement instead of your work deleted, if you’d prefer that. Click the Ready button and your screen updates—you’ll have a blank space to work in the middle.

You can purchase this program for $10 for both Mac and PC, but the free version works for many writers who just want to do short writing sprints.

7. Coffitivity

Writing with background noises is one of my favorite things to do when I need to focus. It helps me stay away from anxious thoughts or external distractions. If you don’t want to use YouTube or another music app while you write, Coffitivity is here to help.

This program has a library of background noises that recreate ambient environments, like coffee shops. The low chattering and clinking of dishes could help you stay focused or defeat any writing anxiety associated with looming NaNoWriMo deadlines.

8. Pacemaker Planner

Remember how I mentioned that breaking your goals down makes NaNoWriMo easier? That might seem impossible if you’re not usually making lists and goals for yourself outside your writing routine.

Pacemaker Planner removes the guesswork. If you give it your overall word count, your final deadline (November 30), and how much time you estimate you’ll have for your writing each day, it’ll calculate your daily word count for you.

The graphing option also adds more flexibility to your goals. Let’s say you’ll be more free in the middle of November than the beginning or end. Select the Mountain Hike strategy. The program recalculates your daily goals according to your preferred writing strategy so you’ll get higher word counts when you’re actually free to write.

The free version is great for NaNoWriMo purposes, but there’s also a Premium version you can get to plan your full yearly calendar and daily schedule, if you enjoy the program.

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You don’t have to cross your fingers and hope to conquer NaNoWriMo this year. Try these tools while they’re still time to explore your options. Whether you want to plan the whole month or turn your word count into a game, you’ll have more success after seeing which tools are at your disposal.

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