There is really only one rule for NaNoWriMo: write 50,000 words in 30 days.
The rest is sort of nebulous, like a floating blob of guidelines that only loosely apply on a novel by novel basis. I mean, you’re not supposed to write anything before November 1. You’re not supposed to write anything you’ve had in the hopper for a while, and you’re not supposed finish anything you started a while back, and you’re not supposed to drink beer in the morning.
But these are all just suggestions really. Chris Baty isn’t going to come to your house and beat you over the head with a bag full of gerunds if you break any of the “rules.” It’s your month of writing, so I say: do whatever the hell you feel like doing.
Sure, it’s National Novel Writing Month, but if you want to write nonfiction – go for it! You want to write short stories instead of a novel? You better believe I endorse that idea. You want to finish a novel you started in college? By all means. Hell you can even just write one, 50,000 word long sentence if that’s what does it for you.
NaNo is a catalyst, a reason, a scripted event, that has one ultimate goal for us as writers: get words down on the page.
That’s it. No other secret, subtext, or hidden message for us to decipher. Just a thing that makes us write, and write a lot.
So, if you were being sheepish about NaNo because you thought you’d have to flout the rules and ruin the entire spirit of the thing, don’t sweat it. If you want to write, write. Use NaNo as a booster shot to your literary immune system.
I, for example, have been feverishly planning. If I’m going to spend 30 days writing my hands off, I feel like I should put that energy to good use.
I’ve got a traditional outline, but I also did something I’ve never done before, which turned out to be a shit load of fun.
I made a map of the world of my novel.
This isn’t complete, but it’s getting there.
What are you doing to prepare for NaNo, as per the rules, or not?
Tagged: do whatever the hell you want to do because it's your life, maps, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2012, right?, rules, writing
Literature and Libation 
I use the month of October as my Month of Plotting and Planning. I used to be a complete pantser in the early days of Nanowrimo- turn up on the day and just go for it. But now, I enjoy putting some ideas down first, getting a grip on what I want to do and where I want to go.
I sometimes draw a map. It helps, but sometimes I include ‘something cool’ and then the map needs updating.
I bullet point the story, to get main ideas I want to happen. If I think of ‘something cool’ I make sure it is in the bullet points somewhere so I visit it during the month.
I find images of people and characters. I cannot draw, but I love to have a visual reference, and flicking through amazing images done by other people is such fun.
Some people over plan, put more work into preparing. Me, I just put enough so that I still have holes to fill, so it is a discovery for me too. And then I wait, and wait, and then WRITE!
Here is a question- which beer style do you think best suits a novellist? I was thinking a stout, maybe…
You and I are akin; I plan but don’t overplan. Half of the fun of writing so much so quickly is the discovery and adventure as the novel gains sentience.
As for the beer of a novelist? Stout would work well; it’s heavy, dark, and fulfilling.
I’m an ale man myself (india pale ale, if we’re getting into the weeds) but I think it’s all a matter of personal taste. I’ll be drinking Fall seasonals throughout NaNo; I’ll try to keep everyone up to date of my drinking habits as well as my writing habits 🙂
I love the seasonal beers. I think it was in New Zealand, Monteith? Where i first discovered them. The Fall and Summer Ales were particularly nice.
I cannot drink and write at the same time, normally. If I do it has to be a spirit, strangely enough. I find that one or two beers and I can feel my brain switch off slightly, get lazy? But, as the full-stop to my writing day, oh yeah.
I will watch for your libation recommendation, and then check my local to see if they sell it.
Summer seasonals, as a blanket, unsupported statement, are my favorite over all. Winters are probably my least favorite, only because they tend to be sweet and heavy, which isn’t what I’m looking for in a beer.
Drinking and writing should be done responsibly. I find there is a weird level right between tipsy-but-not-quite-drunk and laughing-at-your-own-jokes-in-your-head that is the money spot for creative output. Hard to get (and stay) there, but I think it an ally more than an enemy.
Don’t be shocked if my suggestions aren’t always beer. My inner pirate loves me some rum.
Aside from filling my head with ’80s music, I don’t do much planning, if at all.
I’ve got a basic premise in my head along with a general idea of a couple of major events and how I want it to end and a Moleskine full of character notes, but that’s about it. And there’s no guarantee I’ll follow through with those ideas come November.
I have tried to plan out my novels, using IndexCard on iOS, but I usually wind up with barely-touched stubs by this time each year.
I don’t blame you; most of my outline never becomes anything of note.
But, I also get way, way off topic if I don’t at least have an outline to refer to between major scenes. I’m just playing around with other devices (like the map) to see what helps. Hopefully in a few years I’ll have some sort of method chiseled into the stone of my brain.
I will admit that I often listen to Styx and Toto when I’m writing. I know they’re more late 70s, but I also love most 80’s pop 🙂
Using NaNo as a booster. I think that’s the best advice/description I’ve come across of it. ANd I admit that’s how I use it – as a tool to make me write stuff that I would usually faff about over,
Good map too, Very manly with Conflict’s Cradle and Maniac Beach. I do wnat to know who Darwin is though – and why his tom is important enough to mention.
I’m glad you’re going forward, despite the rules. It’s definitely good motivation to write, well, pretty much anything.
Thanks 🙂 I made a lot of the stuff up on the spot based on loose ideas I had in my head. This may change somewhat dramatically, but who knows?
Love the map! What did you use to make it?
Believe it or not: Google Earth and Photoshop. Would love a more sophisticated piece of software, but I my cursory searches didn’t find much.
Wow, I’m impressed. I REALLY like the look of it. I remember doing a cursory search for mapmaking tools at one point, but never really finding anything either.
“NaNo is a catalyst, a reason, a scripted event, that has one ultimate goal for us as writers: get words down on the page.”
Totally.
I’ve been doing an entire year of NaNo-style noveling, and the only thing I know of to prepare is get enough laundry done and food stocked up that being a smelly, hungry writer is less likely to happen. That, and warning everyone to leave me alone, but after nine months of this, I’m getting the hang of fitting writing in everywhere.
I hate to plan, though. The novels I plan ahead of time never come out as fast or as smoothly plotted as the novels I “pants”.
I think it’s awesome that you can “pants” with success. I can do that for short form stuff; anything under ~5000 words and I’m golden. Hell, most of these blog posts are under (or un) planned.
What’s your secret to keeping on track? My novel length pants attempts always seem rambling and lack cohesion.
It’s interesting to read the above comments on how people prepare for NaNoWriMo. Being my first time, I am deciding which story line I’ve jotted down over the past few months warrants a whole month of frenzied writing. But then I need to hatch out my characters and plot line in more depth. Starting from scratch and it’s a little intimidating. Best of luck.
Since it’s your first attempt, my only advice is to write, write, write and then write some more.
I think figuring out what works for you (planning wise) is something that evolves as you write. Had you asked me 5 years ago how to write something long form, I’d have told you it couldn’t be done unless you were a magic voodoo witch doctor (aka author). Now, I know it’s not just magic, but finding what weird specific quirks work for your weird specific quirks.
On the topic of Maps, I cant use photoshop 😦 But I can bash around a bit with Campaign Cartographer. Still getting my brain around a few things, but it does the job for me just fine.
But then, I like to pencil draw maps, just scribble there, and then something there, . But yours does look good, indeed 🙂
Can’t because you don’t have a copy, or can’t because you haven’t learned how to use PS yet? I’ll check out Campaign Cartographer. I have a weird obsession with maps.
I’m also terrible at free-hand drawing. Most of my pencil maps look like a hungover frat boy’s macro economics notes.