Write Now: Go with flow in week two of NaNoWriMo

By Albie Nicol

Welcome to week two of NaNoWriMo, Wrimos! Since you’ll be reading this article close to the end of week two, I thought a checklist would be appropriate before I provide you with some more tips for the process.

Checklist:

Check your wordcount. Is it at or above 23,000 words? On day 14 you should be at or above that word count to finish on time.

Do you have any writing buddies? If so, motivate them. Tell them how great it will feel when the month is over. If they are stuck, send them a prompt to get them started.

Do you have a title for your novel? If not, try brainstorming a few and bouncing them off your buddies.

Have you attended any regional events? If not, there’s a “Write-In” at the Cedar Falls Public Library on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 1-4 p.m. in the meeting room upstairs.

Now, for tips and tricks to get you through the week. Your hopes and dreams are probably fleeting as you realize how hard it can be to pump out so many words a day, so here’re some tips to help you keep marching through the week and the month.

Don’t listen to your inner editor. You’ll want to edit the words you write. You’ll want to question your character continuity, but there’s no time for that. Just put the words on paper as they come. Also, a lot of Wrimos use December as an editing month for their novels, if that’s something you’re considering.

Go with the flow. For instance, you may be writing a scene about playing tennis, when suddenly you start wanting to write about shopping for boots. Write about the shopping trip. It might be a clue, a nudge from your subconscious that you need to be steering the story in a different direction.

Print your pages as you finish them — not to read right then, but as your stack of your novel gets larger and larger, you’ll realize what a dent you’re making each day as you work on it, and it’s a great way to stir motivation.

Keep going strong, Wrimos! I’ll be back next week with installment #3 of the Wrimo column. In the meantime, keep writing.