Prepping For NaNoWriMo- or Your Next Book Whenever You Write It

It's that time. First day of fall. Pumpkin spice you-name-it. Closing the pool. Back to school.

Photo courtesy of Marina Sirazetdino, Pexels.

NANOWRIMO 

If you're going to do #NaNoWriMo, or even if you're simply getting ready for your next novel, here are 5 easy steps to do BEFORE you start writing.

1. Have a solid concept of your story idea. Don't say, "Well, it's about this guy who goes into space and meets an alien and they become friends." That's not detailed enough. Ok, you introduce your main character, he flies in to space and meets the alien........and then.....What? You have to have several conflicts and setting changes. Does he get caught in the middle of a galactic war? Does he find something that he shouldn't have? Does he develop a super power because he went through a wormhole? Write several sentences summarizing your novel. (You don't have to stick with it, but it gives you a good starting point.) Some people like to write one sentence per chapter- those are the plotters. Pansters- (I used to be one) writing whatever comes into your mind- you're putting pressure on yourself to remember where you were going every time you stop/start. 
2. Do a character sketch. Make sure you know what your character looks like so in chapter one when you say her eyes are a stormy blue, you don't write in the third that she has emerald green eyes. You should know hair color, ethnicity (or species), physical characteristics, personal traits and idiosyncrasies, etc. If you know them well enough, like down to their favorite food, you can choose one for interesting development. Say your character hates green foods. Maybe she goes to someone's house and all they eat are green foods. It makes for interesting dinner conversation, social awkwardness, and opportunities for conflict. Write a character biography, complete with a picture, maybe based on a celebrity you imagine your character resembles. Download the pic and put it into the biography for quick reference. (It's a good idea to do this for all characters, even minor ones.)
3. Set a schedule. It's harder to grab free time to write than it is to stick to a schedule. Got crazy, busy days? Maybe schedule writing time while your son is at soccer practice, or you're with your parent at physical therapy, or you're sitting at the airport. Work around your schedule beforehand so you're not in panic or guilt mode later on. Also, whether in NaNo mode or setting your own personal goal, look to see where you can block out some time for extra writing to get ahead (because Thanksgiving is in there....) or to catch up (hey, life happens). You won't beat yourself up and give up because you know there is time to catch up.
4. Make notes when you get an idea. If you suddenly get a brilliant idea, don't wait to put it into your writing; make some notes immediately. It could be hours or another day before you go back to writing and by that time, the idea could be gone. You'll be so angry with yourself. I don't care if you have to write it down on your arm. Or the bottom of your shoe (I have). Put it in your phone. Or ask someone to shush for a moment. It could be the stroke of genius you need to blaze through to the end of your novel. 
5. Do. The. Research. Don't wait until you start your story to find out you need to know how dogs are trained to be therapy animals to write your book. Know what your settings look like. If it's a real place, do both Google maps and Google Earth. If it's a made-up place, draw your own map with landmarks, rivers, etc. Know the technology if it's a space story. If it's history, find out what they wore, how the spoke. Trying to write the story without a good chunk of basic research done only makes your story harder to write, and even harder to revise. Plus, during research, you will glean information and ideas that may take your story in a fresh direction. 

So there ya go. If you're doing #NaNoWriMo starting on the first of November, you have ample time to accomplish all five tasks above. If you're like me and doing the rebel NaNoWriMo in January because that month has nothing going on (not even the Super Bowl), then you have time for a few more pumpkin spice whatevers. 

Wishing you luck-

Char