National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a challenge where writers have to write a 50,000 word or 150-page manuscript in 30 days. It’s billed as writing in its most basic form with the focus on productivity instead of creativity. Participants can’t have written a word before November 1.

Planning Is Key To NaNoWriMo Success

Participants can plan their novels beforehand, planning is indeed key to surviving the adventure. Authors should be thinking about their characters, plot, and genre long before beginning the challenge. If writers have a detailed outline, the writing goes smoothly, and before they know it they will have a manuscript to show for their efforts.

Some participants instead just have a ghost of an idea, and sit down to write. This often can lead to writer’s block where authors don’t know what to do next in their plots. There are resources for this, in the form of message boards. NaNoWriMo’s official site has message boards dealing with all sorts of writing problems including one called: Plot Doctoring. Writers having problems with their manuscripts, post them there, inviting other writers to comment, and offer solutions.

Fellow Writer Critique Key To NaNoWriMo

Writing is an interactive medium, and often critiques from other writers are key to improving a manuscript. NaNoWriMo is no exception, and houses a thread for this very thing where writers can critique synopsis as well as excerpts from others manuscripts. It’s not easy for authors to put their works out there for criticism, but often adapting a comment from another writer on a main character, or a setting can make a major difference when considering whether to publish.

Let The Creativity Flow During NaNoWriMo

One of the best things about writing a novel is the creativity involved. Writers can make up whole universes, and mythologies surrounding their characters; and create whole physical worlds. It’s up to them, as long as they write in 30 days.

The great thing about writing it so quickly is authors have no time to think things through. And with no time, the creativity comes through. Some authors find it liberating not constantly having to edit what they’ve written. They can just focus on creating something, and at the end have something of which they can be truly proud.

Writing a 50 thousand word manuscript can be daunting to say the least. But if authors take into account the tips offered above, they could be well on their way to writing a winning, and publishable manuscript. And have fun with it!