NaNoWriMo

Six Days Until NaNoWriMo–Time to Gear Up!

Published on by Kristi Holl

NaNoWriMo (the shortened name for National Novel Writing Month) begins November 1st. I wasn’t planning to join this year, but I realized this week that (for several reasons), I had lost momentum on my novel since coming home from England.

So what better way to get back in the writing habit pronto than joining NaNoWriMo again? It’s worked for me in the past, and it’s free!

Instead of explaining what NaNoWriMo involves and how to prepare for it, I will point you to a previous post that should answer many questions. Exploring the NaNoWriMo website will answer the rest. If you need a shot in your writing arm, or a kick in the pants, there’s hardly a better way to get you writing a lot than NaNoWriMo.

Is NaNoWriMo For Me?

Here’s a good overview of the November event, including all the “extras” you get when you sign up (pep talks by famous writers, an archive of pep talks dating back to 2007, three free writing-focused classes with handouts to help you prepare for November, and much more!)

However, PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT running a challenge group this year. The challenge mentioned in the older article was just for that year. Even though I’m not running a challenge or accountability group this year, I may team up with one other person to hold me accountable. Sharing the struggle and the victory is always sweeter with a writing friend.

Climbing Out of a Writing Hole

Published on by Kristi Holl

“How does a project get a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” ~~Fred Brooks (IBM computer software developer)

While I’m not behind a whole year on my current writing project, this question has been ricocheting around in my mind lately. I have writing deadlines stacked up for many months, for which I am truly grateful.

But I am sorely behind where I had hoped to be at this point. Some things happened which I could not have foreseen–like happens to everyone. That’s life. There’s probably a lesson there on building more “what if something happens?” time into my schedule.

Right now, I don’t really have the time to do some big analysis of how this happened. I just need to get dug out of this hole and back on schedule. But how?

Faster, More, Hurry!

Our tendency is to look at how behind we have gotten with our writing projections (including you ambitious writers who are doing NaNoWriMo this year) and determine to buckle down and write 10,000 words every day till we are caught up. Then by Day 3 we feel rotten from no sleep or exercise, by Day 6 we are sick, and Day 7 we throw up our hands in despair and take necessary time off.

That has been my usual “catch up” method in the past. And it doesn’t work. It has never worked! And yet that is my inner urge, even as I write this. Stress, stress, stress!

Another Way

But this time I have decided to do it another way. And the minute I made the decision, I noticed my stomach settled down, I stopped hunching over the laptop, and I began breathing deeply again instead of hyperventilating. I will be climbing out of this hole differently.

What will I do? Use my writing GPS system and “recalculate.” Pretend that today is my starting point and I am right on schedule today, then figure out how much I need to do daily to make my deadline. I am relieved to see that it’s not 10,000 words either. It’s not nearly as bad as I was figuring, in fact. That’s often the way it is.

One Day at a Time

The quote at the top of the page shows how we all get behind in our writing projects: one day at a time. But the answer to the problem is also in that quote. We climb out of the hole one day at a time.

And if I concentrate just on the amount I need to do today–and each day after this–then I’ll make the deadline. And I should stay healthy as well. Then I can go out and celebrate when I turn in the book!

NaNoWriMo Accountability Challenge: Sign Up Now!

Published on by Kristi Holl

Last week I posted some links and information about the National Novel Writing Month (November). I mentioned that I would do a November accountability challenge if enough interest was shown.

I heard from plenty of you to have a good-sized group!

Modified Children’s Writers NaNoWriMo

As many of you know, NaNoWriMo has its own website with its own competition and qualifications. To be considered a NaNoWriMo winner, you must write 50,000 new words in the month of November.  There have been many years that I wanted to participate, but I was working on smaller projects than that. Other times, like last year, I had a deadline that demanded a lengthy book revision during November.

So, to accommodate children’s writers who would like to be part of a November “writing frenzy,” but they don’t plan to write a 50,000-word novel, I am going to run a challenge in November through email. This will be for a modified NaNoWriMo experience. [Sign-up instructions are at the end. Even if you have already expressed a desire to be part of this challenge, I need to have you sign up officially now.]

Can You Do Both?

You can certainly sign up to participate at the NaNoWriMo website, plus participate in this email daily check-in with the group. That’s up to you. (I will probably do that myself this year.) But to participate in my email challenge group, you only need to sign up below.

Think about what BIG project you want to work on for NaNoWriMo. What project during November would you dearly love to accomplish? Maybe it’s something you’ve dreamed about writing for years. Maybe it’s a novel you actually outlined at some point, but never got any further. Whatever you choose, it should be a big challenge for you. (Keep in mind that what is “big” for one writer isn’t going to be big for someone else. It’s personal to you and your current circumstances.)

Remember: because it is Nation Novel Writing Month, your project needs to be fiction. Novels, multiple picture books or short stories, a poetry collection: some fiction project that is challenging for you. [We will NOT be posting manuscripts to prove how much you wrote. I will take your word for it.]

So do not sign up for this particular challenge if you plan to write a nonfiction e-book or thirty blog entries, for example. Yes, that is definitely writing, but it’s not for this fiction-writing challenge.

How to Sign Up

I will collect all the email addresses that come to me with the correct subject line. Email it to me at kristi.holl@gmail.com.

Subject line: NaNoWriMo Challenge

Body of email: Tell me what kind of fiction you plan to write. And specify your goal, so will know if you achieve it. (e.g. write MG rough draft novel about 25,000 words; write a poetry collection about the holidays, at least a dozen three-stanza poems; write two easy reader mysteries, about 10,000 words each)

That’s all! I will collect your emails, and then you will hear from me again on November 1 for the first check-in.

November Challenge: Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

Published on by Kristi Holl

Around half a million writers are expected to register for National Novel Writing Month in November.

What is this challenge, more often known as NaNoWriMo? It’s a wild and fun (free) writers’ support group online where you sign up to write through the 30 days of November to reach 50,000 words.

They’ve made a number of changes to their website, so even if you’ve participated in years past, you might want to check it out.

Pep Talks to Challenge You

One of my favorite things during NaNoWriMo is having a pep talk delivered to my inbox regularly. To see what I’m talking about, check out their archives of the last six years of pep talks! Instant support at the moment you need it.

There is also a NaNoWriMo blog to help you prepare for a successful 2013 NaNoWriMo experience.

NaNo Prep: Getting Ready

Right now, while you have plenty of time before November 1, do yourself a favor and read Story First, Writing Second – Especially Come November. It’s a fairly long article, but one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Following this advice will help you end up with a strong novel on December 1 that you can actually revise. If you’re going to do NaNoWriMo, read this article first! And soon!

You may also want to do NaNoWriMo with your child or students! See the Young Writers’ Program workbooks. Download free PDFs (that you can write in and save.) Or you can buy a physical book. These are great planning guides for any young writer. (There are three workbook levels: elementary, middle school, and high school). As the page says:

We created these workbooks to spark your imagination and guide you in your noveling journey. The activities inside will help you create characters, build settings, and hatch plots, plus keep you motivated throughout the month. And, all PDFs are customizable so you can type and save your ideas!

A Personal NaNoWriMo Challenge

Several writers in my October accountability challenge have expressed interest in having a NaNoWriMo accountability challenge email group for the month of November. We may adjust the rules a bit, as children’s books are generally shorter than 50,000 words. 

This is something you could do independently of the official NaNoWriMo challenge, or in conjunction with it for a personal “check-in” accountability feature. Leave me a comment if something like that would interest you, or email me at kristi.holl@gmail.com and let me know. I’ll decide based upon how much interest is shown.

Either way, accountability groups and challenges can be a lot of fun while they help you meet your writing goals!

Procrastination Tip: Jump In!

Published on by Kristi Holl

People often tell me that I’m very productive, so it was a shock recently to take a procrastination test and come out in the top 10% of procrastinators!

It said I scored 80 out of 100 possible points and “when it comes to putting things off, you often do so even though you know you shouldn’t… Though you are likely incredibly productive just before a deadline, you might not get all your work done and there is a lot of unwanted stress.”

Procrastination: Who, Me?

I wanted to mutter “stupid test,” but I was aware that certain bad writing habits (dare I call it procrastination?) were affecting the quality of my work. Oh, I got the writing done, but too often lately the quality was less than it could be because I delayed starting. I was submitting writing that was less than my best because it was hurried.

I think I had deluded myself into thinking there was no problem because I was busy all the time. I am never late with the educational writing, and usually early. I am never late for my M-W-F blogs or paid critiques. I don’t even procrastinate on writing nonfiction books. Just fiction. Just the “pulling words out of thin air and making up people and whole worlds” kind of writing.

Check Yourself Out

Why is getting started so hard? In a magazine article on procrastination  in Children’s Writer, the following quote struck me as true–of me, anyway:

“In many cases, we procrastinate because we are anxious about the work at hand. It seems too difficult or onerous. ‘The hardest part of any task is the first five minutes. It’s like cold water. It’s just getting in that’s the hard part. Once you’re in, the water feels great,’ says Steel [a university professor who studies procrastination]. ‘Usually after procrastinating, once people finally get around to the task, they say, ‘I don’t know why I thought this would be so much worse than it was.'”

That struck me as true, so this week I’ve been starting my NaNoWriMo writing by setting a timer for just five minutes. Then I write furiously for five minutes, with permission to quit if I hate it at the end of five minutes. Have I stopped yet when the timer went off? No. I’m on a roll by then, and it wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d made it in my mind.

Why do we do this to ourselves over and over? It feels silly to have to “trick” my muse with a kitchen timer. But hey, it works, so I’ll probably keep doing it until I find something that works better!

What about you? What tricks do YOU use to get started?