I almost can’t believe that it’s already October. This year, despite the insanity that has come with it, is absolutely flying past. But, nonetheless, October means a few very specific things to me. Colorful leaves falling, hot apple cider, pumpkin carving, spooky stories, and, last but not least, preparing for NaNoWriMo.
For the miraculously uninitiated, NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an annual event in which people around the world write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days during the month of November. It’s a bold goal, and the support structure and sense of camaraderie is a fantastic piece of the event. Writers helping writers, seasoned veterans and published voices in the trenches right along with people choosing to call themselves writers for the first time, and everyone in between.
Given the size of the goal, going into the event without spending some time ahead preparing is… inadvisable. Enter the glorious concept of PrepTober!
Previous Years
In years past, I’ve gone into NaNoWriMo with fairly minimal preparation. A broad-stroke concept blurb, a thin outline, and a can-do attitude. I’ve also historically gone into the process with a totally new project, nothing but blank white pages begging for words. Last year I did a bit better on preparation with a stronger outline than usual. But it was still a fairly loose preparation for something as involved as a novel.
This year, I’m going a bit rogue.
I’m approaching the challenge not with a fresh concept, but by bringing fresh eyes to a story that has been rattling between my ears for a very long time. I’ve drafted elements of this story before, laid it aside and picked it back up again more times than I can remember. Methinks that that is as concrete a sign as any that this story needs to be properly told.
My 2021 NaNoWriMo goal is to take all of that old material and bring it into something that is 50,000 words closer to a marketable book. A solid second-draft/rewrite with a tighter story, better pace, and a more immersive world. In a way, it feels more ambitious than starting from scratch.
How I’m Preparing for NaNoWriMo 2021
I’m preparing by getting myself organized, pulling all of my old notes and material together, and taking stock of what I have versus what I need.
So far, this means a fairly deep dive into archetypal story structure, and looking for places where the main plot veers off course to its detriment. The archetypal plot research is also feeding into meatier side plots for supporting characters and better development for their own parts of the main journey.
Plot stability is another concern; I’m running what I have through the conceptual grinder, digging for plot holes and things that don’t make sense, working out as many of the kinks as I can now so that all I have to do come 11/1 is write it down.
Tools
There are a small handful of tools that I rely on no matter what season of writing that I’m in.
Scrivener
While Microsoft Word is plenty robust for most of my short story needs, I do my noveling in Scrivener. Especially for longer and more complex stories, and for projects like this one, a deep second-world fantasy with a ton of worldbuilding and notetaking and self-generated references… Scrivener is the best tool I’ve found yet for getting the job done.
I’m organizing my project first by acts. My manuscript is divided into three acts, and each of those contains a folder for the particular segment of plot contained in it. Inside those act segment folders are individual scene text pieces. Eventually, these scenes will get bundled into sensible chapters.
Paper and Pen
I keep paper and a pen with me at almost all times. If inspiration strikes at an inopportune moment, I have a way to record it to come back to later. Pretty simple.
Evernote
For the times when I don’t have my notebook or planner, it’s pretty rare for me to not have my phone with me. I use Evernote to capture snippets of notes and research and brainwaves. When November sets in and the wordcount goal is getting real, I’ll even write in this app when I find dead space in the day. Later, back at my laptop, I’ll copy-paste the work into my real working document. Evernote isn’t the only option out there for this, and I’m not getting any kudos for mentioning them. There are other programs and apps out there, and your phone probably has a preloaded notepad app that will work just fine. But I do like the ease of opening the same note later on my laptop for easy copy-pasting.
Other Necessities
A few other random things that I tend to keep on hand. The weather is getting cooler here, so a warm drink and cozy socks are a must when I’m nested up at the keyboard. I’m also liking my blue light glasses. On top of filtering screen light, there’s something about popping them on that triggers my brain into “writer mode.” And, since I currently share my writing space with other people doing their own things, my headphones come in very handy for creating my own little focus bubble.
Get Preparing!
Are you planning to take up the NaNoWriMo challenge this year? What will your project be? How are you preparing for NaNoWriMo? Are you working out all of the plot points in advance? Or will you be starting on November 1st with a blank page and a beaming idea alone? What are your favorite tools for noveling?
Share your thoughts in the comments, or send a message on Twitter, Instagram, or regular old email! I’d love to hear your thoughts and perspective on the genre and why you keep coming back for more! And for monthly musings on the writing life and updates on my journey, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, Writing On Spec!
Until next time, may the vision in your head meet you in reality! Write on!
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