Monday, October 29, 2012

Nano No Nos

Quick announcement: Journey's of Wonder Volume one is being offered for FREE download October 29 and 30! 

 Okay, Halloween's in a few days - one of my favorite holidays of course. But you know what scares a lot of writers? NANOWRIMO! 

 If you don't know what it is, November is novel writing month where you pledge to write 50,000 words by the end of the month. Check out the link if you're interested and don't be afraid to friend me. 

 I love Nano! I revel in getting lost in that initial draft. To me that's the most exciting part of the process. Will I do it this year? I'm going to try, but with the baby it will be challenging. I like challenges. I work well under pressure. And besides, when it's all said and done, I'll have more than I would have if I hadn't attempted it. 

 So what are my tips?
  • Write whenever you can. Even it it's for ten minutes it will keep your mind working on the story. 
  • Don't be afraid to put down whatever comes to mind. No one sees it but you, so go back and fix stuff later. It's a computer that counts the words.
  • Don't believe you have a masterpiece. Ok - I mean a FINISHED masterpiece. What Nano leaves you with is a lovely first draft to have fun revising later. 
  • Challenge yourself. It's a great way to let loose without that internal editor getting in the way. JUST WRITE. You'd be surprised at the result. 
  • Make it a priority. Obviously some things come first like family and paychecks, but you know what I mean! 
Have you done Nano before? Planning to do it this year? Why or why not and what are some of your tips?
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12 comments:

  1. Natalie AguirreOctober 29, 2012 at 4:15 AM

    Thanks for the tips Lisa. No, I've never done NaNo. It doesn't work with all I have to do, including a full-time job. I am going to try to focus on writing more.

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  2. S.A. LarsenッOctober 29, 2012 at 4:17 AM

    Great tips, Lisa. Best of luck with NaNo! But don't be too hard on yourself. That's the reason I don't participate in NaNo. I'm way too hard on myself. I tried it three years ago and had some family issues pop up, preventing me from finishing. It took me forever to get over the disappointment of not finishing, and that novel is STILL not finished. I can't seem to push through that one. :)

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  3. Jemi FraserOctober 29, 2012 at 4:48 AM

    I love NaNo!! I did camp NaNo this summer thinking I'd skip it this year because it's such a busy time of year (report card season right now!) - but I think I'm jumping in again and letting those revisions sit for a bit :) See you there!

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  4. StinaOctober 29, 2012 at 5:21 AM

    I haven't participated in NaNo and this year is no exception. The timing never works for me. Instead of writing a first draft, I'll be planning my next project--after I finished the draft of my current WIP.

    Good luck with your NaNo project, Lisa.

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  5. Susan Kaye QuinnOctober 29, 2012 at 5:37 AM

    Doing NaNo this year, although I may be crazy for even contemplating it! :) But I'm keeping the focus on having it be fun, which helps take the stress out.

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  6. cleemckenzieOctober 29, 2012 at 8:01 AM

    NaNo seems to come as often as Christmas. Here's to your 50,000 words. As for me, NO NANO. Can't write that way. I'd be on the floor in a pile.

    Good luck.

    Glad to be back from vacation and visiting some of the sites I enjoy. :-)

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  7. Johanna GarthOctober 29, 2012 at 9:35 AM

    I write about 40k on an average month so I tend to skip Nano and just root for all the people who are doing it!

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  8. Vicki TremperOctober 29, 2012 at 5:12 PM

    I'm so excited to get started! This year will be more challenging for me, too, with a job in addition to my kids. But I can't wait. And thanks for the reminder that even if I don't "win," I'll at least have more words than if I hadn't tried. That will help. Good luck!

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  9. Julie MusilOctober 30, 2012 at 6:52 AM

    Excellent advice, Lisa. Especially the part about fixing stuff later!

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  10. Heather R. HoldenOctober 31, 2012 at 12:25 AM

    Great tips! I've participated in NaNo a couple times in the past, but won't be doing so this year. Good luck with it come November, despite all the challenges!

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  11. Rebecca T.October 31, 2012 at 9:44 AM

    I love NaNo! Don't know if I'll "win" this year with everything I have going on, but I managed it the last two years so here's hoping! I agree - write when you can. I also find it helpful to eliminate one thing from my regular activities and replace it with NaNo time. For me it's my down time of playing Facebook games. I don't normally spend much time, but replacing that time with NaNo is how I can usually get through :)

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  12. HeatherOctober 31, 2012 at 4:29 PM

    I'm working on signing up right now! It will be my first year.

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