I guess that's not entirely true. I have two character's voices clearly chatting it up in my head. I also have a hint of a plot floating around in there too. So I guess that counts for something. Not much, but something.
If you're new to NaNoWriMo, and especially if you have something annoying in your life like a job or a partner or children who demand your attention, there are a few things you can do to prepare for the inevitable battles for your time and energy - none of which you will have left by week three.
- Stock up on coffee, tea, soda, wine, chocolate, carrot sticks and any other mouth-goodies that make you happy or keep you sane when you are nervous.
- Buy treats for meeting predesignated word count goals (yes, like dog treats for obedience, it's ok, you'll get over the shame of it all later). November 1st means after Halloween discount candy sales.
- Find a crock pot. And recipes. Make a meal plan and shop for the month.
- Set your DVR or subscribe to your favorite shows for free on Hulu.com. You won't have time to watch them in November, and if you plan ahead they'll be waiting for you in December when everyone else is complaining about reruns.
Easy enough, right? Now for the actual writing preparation:
- Morning Pages - I haven't done these in ages, but they do clear my head and get all the junk out before a first draft. I don't write three pages, though. I usually write one page front and back, or until I have an idea or a focus for what I want to do or figure out during that day. They also bring me back to the habit of writing. My five minutes a day easily becomes ten, then fifteen, and pretty soon I'll be warmed up and ready for the 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day I need for next month.
- Alexandra Sokoloff's Story Elements Checklist - Instead of writing individual scene cards for a first draft, I put each of these elements on a separate index card (a different color for each act). Then I post only Act One cards on my bulletin board when I start writing, and I make notes on the cards as I go along or as new ideas come to me. When I'm done with Act One, those come down and Act Two cards go up on the board. I continue like that throughout the first draft, and I've found this really helps me stay focused on the key elements I want to include. Plus, when I'm stuck, I can just pick a card and jump ahead to a scene that deals with that element.
- Desktop Wallpaper - I have a folder full of the ones I liked. This way, when it starts to look like . . . well, wallpaper, or I need a boost or change of mood, I can switch to a new one easily. It was a nice time suck, too.
- Scrivener - Sorry, for now this is Mac only. BUT if you PC users "win" NaNoWriMo this year, you will receive 50% off the Windows version which should be available early next year. Rock on! I believe there is a beta version available for pc, but seriously, do you want that kind of stress during NaNo? I'd advise against the beta for now.
- Sam/C.J.'s Will Write For Wine charts - Spreadsheets give me the willies when I'm drafting. That said, these are great. I usually hold off on the spreadsheets until later, but there are some word docs that I use to figure out the goal, motivation, and conflict for my main characters and narrow down those central story questions. And if you haven't had the pleasure of listening to the podcasts, download a few for next month. They're a hoot, not to mention extremely helpful.
- Alternative reading - I can't read someone else's fiction when I'm drafting. I want to, but it mucks things up in my head. So instead I keep some philosophy (I have a book by the Dalai Lhama waiting for me at the moment), writing craft (just finished Bird by Bird, so I might reread King's On Writing), or educational/parenting books around for the month. Not that I have a whole lot of time to read, but I don't like to completely abandon the habit.
- Flash drives. 'Nuff said.
If you're interested in seeing prep lists from previous years, here they are:
NaNoWriMo Survival Kit 2009
NaNoWriMo 2008 Prep
Do you have the NaNo spreadsheet that someone created a few years ago? I find it very motivating to plug my daily numbers in and get all kinds of info about how I'm going. I can email you a copy of you want one.
ReplyDeleteBecky, I have that spreadsheet. Can't wait to start filling it in.
ReplyDeleteMe, I've got a stack of journals with notes/character breakdowns/scribbling in them waiting for me to go. I've also got many large boxes of Lemonheads. I think I'm ready.
BTW, I admire your organizational skills. If I live to be 108, I will never be that organized.
Thanks for the offer, Becky, I completely agree. That sucker really kept me on track too! I had an old spreadsheet, but I couldn't get it to open anymore once I upgraded either my OS or NeoOffice. I found a new one last year that plays nice with NeoOffice & my Mac, but for the life of me I can't find where I got it. If anyone needs a copy of it, let me know. OR if anyone know where it came from or if there's a new one for mac, let me know that too.
ReplyDeleteDelia, now I have a craving for lemonheads. Adding that to the shopping list. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't be too impressed by any hint of organization here. It's a survival skill. If I don't get organized properly, the plot bunnies WILL eat my brain. Plus, while I dont mind rewriting scenes or adding stuff, I detest replotting. You know, writing the whole darn thing over again. And again. Because my stuff just doesn't work. I lose interest and never finish. I'm learning I do much better if I get the skeleton right the first time, then the rewrites are much easier to swallow.
Great post! I am going to use all your suggestions. Good luck with Nano!
ReplyDeleteThanks, good luck to you too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't done squat yet and think I'm out this year. Just can't seem to get it together.
ReplyDeleteOn the scrivener front, there is a Beta version for Windows that is a free download right now. Pretty cool.
Are you using the scrivener beta, Paul? I was wondering if it was buggy, since it looks like it's the first beta version.
ReplyDeleteI owe you a longer email if the girl naps, but meanwhile...saw Spilling Ink at the library and picked it up for V, but I'm reading it first. Thought Ella might like parts of it? I'm too lazy to do the coding. Here's the wicked long link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Spilling-Ink-Young-Writers-Handbook/dp/1596435143/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288369233&sr=8-1
I just found it at my library. I put it on my list, so I'll check it out later. Thanks!
ReplyDelete