Guest Post: Heather Wardell

Heather Wardell has graciously offered to appear on Life is Short. Read Fast. with some amazing NanoWriMo and writing tips. 

Please check out my review of her book, Planning to Live here! 

Thanks again Heather for all of your insight and amazing suggestions for NanoWriMo! 

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As November approaches, the minds of many writers and

planning-to-be-writers turn to NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing

Month, in which people worldwide take on the challenge of writing

50,000 words in a month.

And make no mistake, it IS a challenge. I write faster than that now

when I'm doing a first draft (last week I finished a 68,000 word

manuscript that took me twenty-six work days) but I've spent five

years building up to that level. I did the very first draft of my

first novel, "Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo" in a personal

NaNoWriMo in May 2005, and while I finished (just) it wasn't easy.

Here are some tips to help you make it through and complete your

50,000 words.

1. Plan ahead.

Some writers are plotters, and some are "pantsers", flying by the seat

of their pants through their book. I started as a pantser but am now a

committed plotter because I have seen how much faster and easier the

first draft becomes. If you're not the plotting type, at least take

time before November 1st to think through the story so you won't get

stuck 10,000 words in on a huge complication you can't solve.

I use and hugely recommend the Snowflake Method for planning a novel,

which can be found at

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php and helps you

go from "it's something about a woman whose husband goes away for a

month" to a fully realized novel.

2. Be reasonable.

You will need to average about 1667 words a day (including weekends)

to reach your 50,000 words. If your schedule is so packed that you

have only an hour a day, then use that hour to the best of your

ability and be happy with however many words you get. Even reaching

25,000 in a month is an accomplishment and it'll help put you in a

writing habit that can continue into December and the months to come.

Related to this, clear everything unessential from your schedule for

November. Writing a novel is lots of fun but lots of work too, and

trying to squeeze it into five minute gaps here and there makes it

even harder. Nice big blocks of uninterrupted time let you get into

the flow of writing.

3. No getting ahead, no getting behind.

Getting behind is self-explanatory... the fewer words you write today,

the more you'll need tomorrow. Do everything in your power to stick to

your plan. However, if you're on fire today and write 3000 words, that

doesn't change tomorrow's plan. Write the same amount you would have,

and take the extra words from today as a bonus. It's better not to get

into a "I'm ahead so I can slack off" mindset.

4. No editing. YET.

Even with a detailed plan, I find my books change direction as I write

the first draft. I think it's just part of getting to know the

characters and understanding what they want and need. However, I leave

those changes of direction in the first draft. Move forward as if the

early stages are going in the right direction. Make notes on what

needs to be changed but don't go back and edit. Especially in

NaNoWriMo, you can't spare the time.

5. It's not done when November's done.

This is the other half of #4. Don't assume it's done because you

reached the 50,000 word goal. It WILL need editing. It may well need

another 30,000 words or so of explanation and subplots and character

development. That's fine. Just don't send it to a literary agent or

self-publish it on December 1st. You may have made great dough, but

it's not baked yet.

6. Props are good, but not if you can't write without them.

I listen to the same music every time I write. (The album is "Colour

Healing" by Llewellyn, great instrumental music.) Hearing the first

song instantly gets me into writing mode. However, I can write without

it. I've gone to Starbucks to write and forgotten my headphones, and

while I miss the music I can still work. A particular sweater, a

favorite pen, the same tea every time... anything that gets you in the

writing mood is fine but be careful not to be over-reliant (or to

spend hours setting up "the perfect environment").

7. Don't type garbage.

Some people recommend typing basically anything that crosses your mind

to keep your word count up. "This book stinks, but I can't do anything

better, and did I remember to turn off the coffee pot?" My problem

with this is that you'll know it's not real. Your word count may go

up, but inside you know it doesn't count.

What I DO recommend is letting your characters chat if you're stuck.

You don't want your final book to include unnecessary dialogue, but if

you're staring at the screen trying to get two people to reach a

particular point, why not type out everything they might be thinking

or wishing they could say to each other? You may well find an insight

you didn't know you needed.

8. If you're a joiner, join groups. If not, find ways to support yourself.

I am not much of a group joiner. Some people love it, though, love the

camaraderie and the chatting and the support of thousands of people.

If you love it, join. The NaNoWriMo site (www.nanowrimo.org) has

groups for various cities so you might even be able to hang out in

person.

As a non-joiner, you still need support. You just have to get it on

your own, through a friend or two or a supportive family member or

even through just remembering that you want to do this.

9. Don't let any ideas escape.

Keep something with you at all times to record ideas and thoughts. I

have a voice recorder by my bed and take other notes on my iPhone. You

may think you'll remember that great new plot twist, but from bitter

experience I can tell you that you might not and you'll feel horrible

about it. Record it, on paper or electronically or however you want,

and then you can't lose the one thing that might make your novel work.

10. Attitude is everything.

It's almost guaranteed that at some point you will think, "This book

stinks." I have just finished my ninth first draft (not all of these

books will see the light of day) and I have thought each of them

smelled like unwashed socks at multiple points. You've just got to

keep going. You can fix it in editing, and it may turn out it doesn't

NEED to be fixed. With a little distance everything is clearer. Don't

let a momentary feeling of frustration or unhappiness with the book

make you quit.

Also, believe that you'll reach the 50,000 word goal but don't beat

yourself up if you don't. Writing is its own reward if you let that

happen, so enjoy the time with your book and your characters. Do put

in the time, because it can't happen any other way, but if you don't

reach the goal because other things got in the way accept that and

plan to do better next time. (If you don't reach the goal because YOU

got in your own way, then I say start again December 1st, and January

1st, until you get to where you want to be.)

Before writing my "NaNo" book in May 2005, I read a book by the

founder of NaNoWriMo. Chris Baty's "No Plot? No Problem" is a great

guide to writing at speed and not letting the internal editor get in

the way. There's even a button printed in the book for you to push to

take away the internal editor. Yes, I pushed it. And it worked. :) I

recommend the book, especially if you're new to writing.

Have a great November and enjoy NaNoWriMo!

Bio: Heather Wardell has been writing full-time since 2005, after careers

in software development and elementary school teaching. In her spare time, she reads, runs, crochets, swims, and plays drums and clarinet. While it would be entertaining, she hasn't managed to do more than two of these things at once. She has four novels available now, including one for free download, which can be found at http://www.heatherwardell.com