NaNoWriMo - Tips from our WEbook Authors
08:30National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it's more affectionately known, has become something of an institution among budding authors. We're sure that many of you will already have a plethora of ideas bubbling and brewing away, but sometimes it can be hard to keep the momentum going once you've put your initial ideas to paper...
To try and help combat the writing wane, we've asked our WEbook authors to give us their top tips for writing. This NaNoWriMo, get stuck right in to your blossoming novel and keep motivated with these brilliant tips - print them out, stick them up on your walls, chant them to yourself in a mantra-like way... whatever works for you, just keep writing!
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| Prepare, prepare, prepare! |
With only 30 days to complete your NaNoWriMo challenge, every author should also think about setting goals to be achieved by a certain date. We've created a WEbook NaNoWriMo calendar to help with your planning - why not share your goals on our Facebook and Twitter pages with other WEbook authors, and then you can see how they're getting on too (there's nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition!).
So, here are some brilliant writing tips from our WEbook authors to get you started...
Robert Lance, author of The Shadow Spy:
"Everything you write should be as intense as this challenge. The passion you have for the story you wish to tell, should be matched by the dedication and effort to put it into print. Do it. Finish it. Dabbling is not writing. Writing is a work ethic. Always keep in mind that a draft manuscript is the diamond in the crown, and everything falls into place in due course".
Kimberley Reeves, author of Broken:
"Don't force the story to go where you want it to go. It's good to have a specific place you'd like each chapter to be at the end, but let the story go where it wants to and don't worry if it changes directions. For me, part of the joy of writing is having my characters surprise me with their actions!"
Ryan Lowe, author of Camp 417:
"You don't have to write a whole book in November. Write every single night. We don't stop writing after November, and you shouldn't worry about finishing in the allotted time - just so long as you write every single night. And when December rolls around, keep it up..."
Alina Voyce, author of Lifelights:
"Don't forget to plan your plot - even if it's just a very rough 'guide'. By deciding where you want to take the story, ahead of starting the actual text, you'll be able to set yourself mini-targets, like 'today I want to get my MC to this place', or, 'today I'm going to introduce my MC to this character...'. It's surprising how structured, independent writing sessions quickly build up and slot together into a full-length MS".
Lanette Kauten, author of House of Thistles:
"Prepare. Do the research and immerse yourself in the world of your characters before writing that first word on November 1st".
Vanessa Morton, author of Moonfall: Tales from the Levant:
"It's about commitment. Many of us with jobs and family believe we don't have enough time to write; NaNoWriMo shows just how much you can produce if you push beyond your comfort zone. Stock up on frozen food, show the kids how to do their own laundry, put your headphones on, and get to work. There's a publisher waiting for you..."
Alec Sillifant, author of Chaos Unleashed:
"Start writing your novel the previous December and lie about how industrious you've been at the end of November..."
D.S. Loren, author of Dasvidaniya Rodina:
"Being a writer is a form of insanity requiring one to suspend reality and invest oneself in the fantasy that someone, somewhere, might actually want to read what you've written. It's delusional to invest years and thousands of hours that might otherwise be spent productive of something else. So, yeah, becoming unmotivated might just be the mind's attempt to awaken you to reality. I really do understand the occasional impulse toward being healthy and walking away from the nonsense. But, if you are to succeed, you must commit yourself to maintaining your illness".
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