November - as most of you will know - is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo). As a result, November feels like a special time in the literary calendar with lots of encouragement around writing. Specifically, it's about just getting the words down. This is a sentiment I really appreciate. You’ve got to get through your “shitty first draft” and NaNoWriMo’s goal is to get you through it by asking participants to write about 1,600 words every day.
However, like Christmas, November can feel like an opportunity to “fail” at what should be a fun and festive season. Especially if you are a slow writer, a keen plotter or you’re just busy!
So here are my alternatives for enjoying the WriMo Season without the pressure of hitting that 50,000-word goal:
1. Start or join a writer's group
It is easier than ever to find a writer's group thanks to social media. I currently live in a relatively small city in Austria (and I don’t speak German!) but this time last year I reached out to a group on Facebook in search of fellow creative writers. Once I’d found a handful of willing participants we committed to meeting in a cafe every Sunday for coffee and a little quiet writing time. I love it.
2. Sign up to a writing course
Carving out time to write is much easier if you are obligated to do it. There are lots of writing courses in person or online. So if you crave a little writing push but self-discipline is your strong suit, sign up for a short writing course or workshop.
CityLit offers affordable in-person and online writing courses for all levels. Curtis Brown Creative courses are great fun if you have a bit more cash to spare.
3. Rather than setting a writing goal, set a reading goal.
A good reader makes for a better writer. Maybe November is just not the time to start up a new writing habit but perhaps you could commit to finishing reading a novel this month. Pick a book that has been looking at you from your to-read pile or calling out to you in the bookshop window and really lean into the cosy autumn atmosphere.
Books I’ve loved recently:
Joan
The Palace of the Drowned
All of You Every Single One
Astonish Me
Sorrow and Bliss
4. Change up the rules!
Make use of NaNoWriMo’s fun resources and webpage but set your own pace. You could lower the daily word count to 500 or 200 words. You might prefer to aim to write once a week not once a day. Or perhaps you could pick out 3 scenes you’d love to finish by the end of the month. Click to visit the NaNoWriMo page
5. Go on a writing date
If you have a studious buddy invite them to join you for a writing date. They don’t have to be a creative writer, just a good friend that has to get some work done. Having someone next to you will keep you at your laptop or notebook for longer than when you work alone.
6. Treat yourself to a book on creative writing and try out whichever exercises take your fancy.
A writing group or a whole writing course may be too much of a commitment. Instead, take a wander through the Writers on Writing section of the bookshop (or web). Pick out a volume on story craft. Make sure you take a notebook with you. Now find yourself a quiet spot to enjoy your new purchase and test out the advice you find in its pages.
The “Teach Yourself” books are good if you are looking for a bit of a workbook. Meanwhile, legends like Patricia Highsmith, Ray Bradbury and Philip Pullman have all written excellent books on their own writing process.
7. Go on a research trip
Visit a museum or location that is important to your work in progress. I rarely make the time to do this but when I do it invigorates my work. Think about your settings and characters. Are there any particular places that you could get to that would inform your work? Alternatively, is there a skill that your character has that you might benefit from knowing more about? Perhaps there is a museum or gallery that could add to your bank of knowledge on the subject. I know Kate Mosse is a huge advocate for visiting the sites of your stories and really getting to know the landscape and who am I to argue with her?
8. Try out plotting over pantsing
NaNoWriMo is all about “pantsing”. It’s not a phrase I love but the idea is that you write by the seat of your pants without judging your work until you hit your word count. This works wonders for many. However, it’s just not my style. If, like me, you love a plan why not commit to getting a detailed timeline of your novel or story down on paper by the end of the month? Personally, I love a spreadsheet and used Excel to plot out every scene of my novel before I started. Others favour flash cards or post-its or use special writing software to create elaborate diagrams of their plots. Maybe that's what you need before you start on the all-important shitty next draft. So crack out your highlighters and the pretty notebooks you have saved for a special occasion and get plotting!
Creative Writing Task
Let's keep things simple. Set your timer for half an hour and try to continue the story from one of the prompts below. Don’t overthink it. Just write until the alarm goes off:
1. A small orange light blinked on the console. I could hear the pips of my heart monitor. The countdown flashed up on the screen in front of me. 5, 4, 3, 2. Here we go…
2. Crime is a strong word. One you associate with murder or a diamond heist. Sam didn’t feel they had committed a crime per se. Not yet anyway.
3. The sky was the colour of an old bruise. Rain spilt into gutters and pooled in the streets. Up ahead an imposing figure swaggered forward.
I will start plotting tomorrow! Thank you for the new inspiration!
Wow - Always finding creative ways to encourage and support the writers community - love this