To write or not to write?- that is the question. For amateur writers, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an opportunity to showcase their writing prowess to other people. November, being the month designated for this kind of activity, allots 30 days for interested participants to finish a 50,000-word novel. NaNoWriMo is held annually and is open to anyone who wants to participate for as long as they register beforehand at http://www.nanowrimo.org/. This writing project is indeed a pursuit for the budding authors of today as it encourages thorough dedication and hard work. The key to finishing a novel is not really a secret after all. If you are eyeing the NaNoWriMo as your huge break for your literary prospects, then by means get signed up, think ahead and start sketching your plot and characters. The following tips might help you get through the 50, 000-word challenge:
Don’t Overthink! Write!
A problem which surfaces when you overthink is that things get too complicated. You wouldn’t want to complicate things at this point because writing a novel at NaNoWriMo should be a bump-free road with no traffic jams. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encounter any difficulties or bouts of writer’s block. We all have that “Ah, what now?” moment. But to overthink of your plot, characters and the nature of your story’s conflicts will just make it harder for you to get started or go ahead.
Time is Essential
We have heard it before. Time is of the essence. When you only have 30 days to think of 50, 000 words to cramp in a hasty novel, the most important thing you have to consider again and again is how much time you still have. You can make a specific timetable for you to be able to complete the task. And since most probably, you have a job to attend to five days in a week, you can’t compromise your job for anything else. But hey! You are already here and you are determined to finish what you are planning to get started, right? You can’t back down. You can set aside a couple of hours every day to sit down in front of your computer and start writing. You have to finish an approximate number of 1, 700 words each day to have you reaching your goal of 50k words. It takes 21 days to form a habit. However, you only have 30 days to finish everything so the key here is to be consistent!
Slowly But Surely Doesn’t Work Here
Joining this event means winning. But winning doesn’t mean being judged by the quality of your work or how well-versed and well-edited your whole novel is. It doesn’t work that way. NaNoWriMo promotes otherwise instead. Quantity will always be the criterion. It doesn’t really matter if your plot is scrawny or your story is left hanging over the edge. The most vital thing you have to keep in mind is to hit the word limit. Think 50, 000 and you’ll be hailed as a winner. You have the bragging rights of a winner!
Write On!
November is not the start and end of your writing career as a novel author. It may be the start, fine. But the end is not of any proximity. You have plenty of time during the following months to smoothen out your novel. This means editing, realigning the contents and thinking big can be done after November. Quitting isn’t an option if you know that you are destined to do greater things. You are a writer. Write on!
