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| Photo credit: rachel a. k. on Flickr |
So without further ado, I present to you the infallible keys to becoming a NaNoWriMo champ.
Ten Foolproof Secrets to Winning NaNoWriMo*
*Like the rest of my How (Not) to posts, these "tips" are not meant to be taken seriously. If you do the opposite of most of these things, I'm sure you'll do just fine during NaNo. Good luck!
Now it's your turn: what so-called "tips" would you add to the list?
Ten Foolproof Secrets to Winning NaNoWriMo*
- Don't come up with your new WIP idea until November 1st. Where's the fun in knowing what you're going to write about beforehand?
- Don't think about daily word count goals. Those are for amateurs who strangle themselves with over planning and actually try to write every day (I mean really, who writes every day? Yeesh).
- Write only when you feel inspired. You don't want to waste your precious time writing uninspired (and thus, uninspiring) junk, do you? I didn't think so. You writing should be beautiful and life-changing, but that kind of genius only comes when you're inspired.
- Listen to inspiring music like Pavarotti and Gangnam Style all month long. Preferably on a constant loop.
- If you don't like it—rewrite it. It doesn't matter if you have to rewrite it a hundred times before you move on to the next chapter, just make sure it's perfect the first time around. Otherwise you'll have to edit later, and you're too talented for editing.
- Live off of Starbucks and/or Red Bull. And nothing else. This is the food of the gods. Don't corrupt your body with non-writerly foods like fruits and—*shudder*—vegetables.
- Ignore the other writers. It's National Novel Writing Month not National Make Friends With Everyone Who is Writing a Novel Month.
- Choose every word carefully. Remember, while everyone else is pounding out 50,000 words that they'll have to rewrite later, you're writing a masterpiece.
- Polish, polish, polish. It has to be PERFECT. The essence of perfection, these words.
- When you realize your writing is terrible—start over. Don't settle for anything less than writing deserving of the Nobel Prize. If that means starting from scratch, so be it. Everyone else may have 50,000 words at the end of the month, but you'll have the beginnings of the book that's going to make you a millionaire.
*Like the rest of my How (Not) to posts, these "tips" are not meant to be taken seriously. If you do the opposite of most of these things, I'm sure you'll do just fine during NaNo. Good luck!
Now it's your turn: what so-called "tips" would you add to the list?
33 comments:
I actually did #1 the first year I participated. But, that's because I didn't even hear about it until a few days into November. And, yeah, didn't win that year. The next year(which was last year), I had it all planned out in October and won, with a few days to spare, I believe. :)
I think one good rule is to do TWO novels at the same time... set up two NaNo accounts and try to see if you can write 100,000 words in a month.
Actually, I know someone who tried that. Really. And gave up on both by the 10th.
It stinks, but I won't be doing it this year. I have a book deal that takes precedence, and I need to be thick into the researching part of it, not writing so much.
I can definitely see how it might be a tad bit difficult to win if you attack a book idea you came up with that day...which is why it made the list. Yay for pre-planning!
Man, I've already blown #1. Looks like I'll have to wait until next year to enter. :)
You know, it's funny because I'd thought of mentioning something about writing more than one novel at the same time, but I forgot. Oops!
Anyway, that's a great addition. You're dooming yourself to a very difficult month with a lofty goal like two novels in a month.
Also, best of luck with your researching!
#1 seems to be a popular oops so far. :)
Wait. What do you mean, don't live off Starbucks?? :)
Love your (not) series! I wish I could NaNo this year - but I'll be in the throes of getting my next book out. But NaNo's taught me that you can write like a madwoman any time of year, so I'll be doing just that with a new book soon enough.
To be honest, living off of Starbucks sounds pretty delicious...
Thank you, Susan! The how (not) posts are always my favorite to write. I suppose I can't resist a nice, sarcastic ramble from time to time. :)
On another note, you're absolutely write about being able to write like crazy any time of the year. Best of luck with your book launch!
Starbucks really should have a Red Bull coffee. Or maybe an IV drip?
I'll be in Nano for sure. Actually, it may be a relief. I'm used to hitting quite a bit over 1667 a day for word count. Odd, last year I thought that was a lot for a day. Now it's just a bit over an hour. *shrug*
Great post, Ava. Love this series.
Love the list!
Every day is NaNoWriMo for me, since I'm under contract with Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books to write a polished 50K word book every 6 weeks for two trilogies, lol. It's possible, I've already done the first and am knee deep in book 2.
Since the second book is due Nov 15th, I'll actually be one of those crazy writers writing 2 books during November! I'm thinking I may have to bow out this year since I'd be breaking the rules... :( Although my 2010 NaNo book is one of the books S&S bought! (After extensive revisions and having my agent shop it for me).
Good luck with your NanoWrimo books, guys! :)
Tie your sense of self-worth into your word count and spend lots of time on the "Nano Ate My Soul" forums talking about how much you suck.
I've done it the last two years, but neither time did I manage to make the final word count. This year I'm determined that the trophy shall be mine. MINE, I TELL YOU! MINE!
I've won ever Nano the past four years and I do every single thing on this list...well, except coffee and red bull, because that stuff's nasty. :P
Starbucks/Red Bull. *pfffft*. I bring out my inner Hemingway by making Daiquiris. I recommend one of those USB blenders, that way you don't have to get up from your desk. Oh, might as well get an USB fridge as well. And a 1200W power supply for your laptop while you are at it.
Also, the number of character's who say "Ayyyyyyyyyyyy, sexy lady" might be more than one if I listen to Gangam Style on a loop.
Thank you, Gene! Red Bull coffee sounds pretty dangerous (or potent, I suppose, depending on your point of view).
I know what you mean about word count getting easier over time--it's pretty encouraging to see our word count goals getting higher over time as our skills improve.
Best of luck with NaNoWriMo!
You should probably spend more time on the "Nano Ate My Soul" forums than you should writing. You're going to need the therapy.
Good luck!
Gangnam Style is pretty irresistible, I must admit.
I see nothing wrong with characters who repeatedly say "Ayyyyyyyyy, sexy lady," particularly if they're pretending to ride a horse with floppy wrists while they're at it.
Ha! That's awesome. I especially like the bit about not watching everyone else and not overly stressing about daily word count. Mine tend to spike and ebb. I can crank out 5,000 one day and 450 the next depending on how much inspiration backlog I have.
I've never participated in NaNoWriMo ... but maybe this is the year to begin ... thanks for all the psuedo-advice :) so, is there really a prize (besides a draft of a new WIP)?
Yup, guilty of number one, sort of. Not much of a plotter, so I usually have an idea of what I'm going to write. Still haven't won either. Nor have I chosen a project for this year yet! I have been guilty of writing more than one project at a time a lot though lmfao. And you will pry my Starbucks from my cold, dead hands...which will be about December 1st. ;)
Glad you enjoyed the post, Anthony! I think while trying to meet a word count goal is important, the most important part (especially for events like NaNo) is that you write every day.
There really is a prize! I linked to the page in the post, but there are all sorts of offers like 50% off Scrivener for winners. :)
I have to admit, out of all of the psuedo-tips, the most painful one to write was the Starbucks one...I do love Starbucks...
Good luck this year! Hopefully you'll figure out what project you're going to work on soon. :)
Hey Gangnam style is genius...and ok maybe a little mindnumbing. BUT GENIUS
And addicting! Weirdly addicting...
Wayyyy late to comment on this again but if you haven't seen this already... it goes well with your post... http://bestofnanowrimo.tumblr.com/
Thanks for sharing, Peter! And never worry about commenting late. I certainly don't mind. :)
Yes... though I think this list is for two types of writers... those who select wisely their every word to produce a technically perfect masterpiece, and those who know their writing mastery is a God given talent, so they don't NEED to care about such petty little details like thinking if a word is perfect... I mean... if people like James Joyce had been thinking about such things, we would never have anything new. To those people I'd like to say - or for those people, because THEY know it already - "if your writing doesn't seem to be going anywhere, change subject, and write on. The reader won't notice."
Banananana daiquiris!
NaNo arrives every year... so perhaps it's commenting too early? :-D
Hmmm....well this whole list is sarcastic so it's more of a what not to do post. :)
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