On October 28, 2023, Kasie and Rex continued prep for National Novel Writing Month. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp: Ducks. Rows. Got it.

Agenda

• Four days from now …
• What should you be doing?
• How can you track progress?
• Is NaNoWriMo a waste of time or a good excuse to allocate time?

NaNoWriMo

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What should you be doing now?

Well, last week we talked about outlining so I outlined the rewrite of Blue’s novel and I’ll share that with ya’ll. This is a planner effort. It wasn’t easy but I’m going to give it a try.

My last project was Son of a Vampire, which exists in this same vampire world and it’s not a total disaster but it probably won’t be very useful right away. I’ll need to work into tha story since it takes place a good while after this one.

In any case, let’s talk outline strategy, tools, etc. Where do outlines come from? What do you include?

There are the detailed “beat sheet” outlines that give you an annotated list of each and every scene and then there’s the bare bones Turning Point outline that just hits the novel highlights letting you create the scenes in between. Rex did a Chapter-by-Chapter outline for the werewolf novel.

Something else you can be doing now: Character profiles. If this is too hard (and it might be) then consider you might not be ready.

OR consider pantsing your way into some of this. Meaning, you can pre-write by just putting fingers to keyboard and letting the words flow. Use this prompt sheet. 

We’re four days from the “Go!” date but you can start writing now. What will your schedule be? When will you be writing? How will you organize your space? Do you need to put it on your calendar (Kasie) to make sure you do it? Will it be the same time every day? Why or why not?

How can you track progress?

You should have a daily word count goal and (as a NaNo veteran) I recommend using their site to update your word count daily. Not just because you’ll earn badges and stuff, but because it’s part of the ritual and helps you feel like you’re part of something.

So, daily: sit down to write, get the word in, then go to NaNoWriMo.org and log in, update your word count. You’ll feel the daily progress and that momentary accomplishment. It’s a feeling that helps move the project forward.

You can also set weekly goals and check in at the end of the week (or the beginning). You might consider using a social media channel to update followers on your progress. This helps bring your community around to rally you – even if it’s not other writers – when people see you’re working on something they’ll respond. Likes and comments are support.

Join a group. We have our every-other-week meetings for SCWA but any group will do and the ColaWriMos are glad to invite you in. Getting feedback at this stage is NOT a good idea, you’re drafting, remember, but being in a group now can help you form relationships that will be available when it’s time to revise.

Is NaNoWriMo worth it?

I think so. I loved logging in and seeing all the projects I’ve done. The excuse to write every day. The camaraderie and sense of accomplishment. All those things. I’m in.
Did you decide to NaNo? Let us know about it. Email us kasiewhitener@gmail.com and tell us about why you decided to do it and what you hope to accomplish.