NaNo: Pre-November Preparations

November is only a few days away and that means it's almost NaNoWriMo time! I might be insane but I'm going to really go for it this year. My name on the site is Horserider if anyone would like to add me. I'll also be blogging my progress and NaNo tips every Monday from now until the end of November.

To kick off the posts, here are some tips on things to get done before November 1st rolls around.

1. Figure out the idea 
There's nothing worse than scrambling for an idea on November 1st. Figure out what you're going to write about and get a rough plot worked out in your head at least. Last year I started with a sweet contemporary love story that morphed into urban fantasy 5k in because I decided that it "wasn't exciting enough." This is the same NaNo when I didn't even hit 5k. That's why this year I have the basic plot already worked out.

2. Prepare the documents
Open a document on your computer and do any preparations required so you won't have to wait a second when it's time to start writing.

3. Do any outlining/character bios/playlists/picture hunts/etc 
Do anything that you need to do to prepare to write. Write up character bios for all your major characters. Write a rough outline to keep yourself on track. Make playlists to listen to while you write. Find pictures to represent your characters to help with description. Whatever works best for you, do it. This is also the time to do any research that might get in the way of your writing.

4. Get caught up on homework/housework/etc
This is a big one for me. I have a lot going on over the next month, so my goal is to get all caught up on my homework and make sure my room is clean before NaNo starts. Get all caught up and you won't have to worry about it while you're trying to focus on writing.

5. Look into write-ins
One of the best parts of NaNo is the awesome community feeling and what better way to experience that than to go to a local write-in? You can (hopefully) get a lot of writing done and meet people who are writers just like you. I didn't go to any last year so I'm really hoping to get to one this year. 

Comments

Jaime Morrow said…
I think the biggest prep thing from your list for me is the 'Get caught up on homework/housework/etc. thing. For me that means getting my final revisions on my current WIP done so I can start querying it. The clock is ticking, though, and I'm not sure if I'll make it. I'll be doing NaNo regardless. :) Good luck with all of your planning and prepping!
October 29, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Jessica L. said…
Cool post. I just added you. I'm ChibiJeshka :)

I second Jamie. I'm going to be doing NaNo as well as editing my NaNo novel from 2010.

I think another tip would be to plan your days. Make sure you allocate a set amount of time to writing each day, even if it means missing out on tv, or something. So many times, I've found myself with no time to write, because I've failed miserably at organising my time.
October 30, 2012 at 8:02 AM
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