It’s November, and aspiring novelists all over the world are starting National Novel Writing Month!
For the newbies, that means writing 50,000 words, enough for a short novel, in 30 days. It’s a lot, but thankfully lots of writers, including bestselling novelists like Susan Dennard, have done it before and are willing to share their experience.
So whether you’re already NaNo-ing or you’re just starting now, check out our roundup of NaNo advice from Witchlands series mastermind Susan Dennard!
Make a Plan
“Having a solid idea of what you’re going to write when you sit down helps keep your word count high and writing focused. If you outline, then you’re already golden for this. But, if you’re a pantser like me, then using this headlight method–planning just as far ahead as the ‘headlights’ reach—can be amazingly helpful.”
Find a Writing Partner
“If you’re finding you need a bit more motivation in your life, I challenge you to find another writer who’ll hold you accountable and send you lots of smiley faces when you need ‘em.”
Write What You Want to Write
“If it was a scene that I didn’t enjoy writing than the reader wouldn’t enjoy reading it…You don’t need that filler. There’s always a solution, a way to get straight ahead to the stuff you want to write and you don’t have to write any of the stuff in between.”
Make a Writing Playlist
“A playlist can really 1)help get you in the mood to write, 2) help you imagine the scene you’re about to write, and 3) continue to stay ‘in’ the scene as you type away. Plus, it can be great for blocking out outside distractions.”
Find Your Perfect Writing Space
“Be it a coffee shop, your bed, or your best friend’s couch, if you can try to find time working at the best place for your creativity, you’ll really see your word count skyrocket.”
If you’re looking for more tips, try these helpful resources from Susan!
Simple Tricks to Unstick Your Story
Maintaining Passion for a Story
