It's October. How are you prepping for NaNo?

This year has gone by incredibly quickly and somewhat successfully for me. I have had poems published, I had a short story published (and I got paid for it!), I have been writing articles for an online news website and a friend and I started our own website. And as the year is beginning to end, it is only getting busier for me.

Next month I will participate in NaNoWriMo for the 5th time. I have previously won each time and also finished editing two of the four novels I wrote during the month so I am looking forward to working on another novel this year.

I know November is still a month away, but in-between my other writing projects, I try to do a little preparation for NaNo so I can start writing on November 1st and not battle writer's block.

So for this post I thought I'd share some of the resources I use to prepare for NaNo in case any readers are interested in participating in NaNo or are looking for inspiration:

1. A NaNo Handbook
One place to start would be with the novel written by the founder of NaNoWriMo's. No Plot? No Problem! was written to help writers embarking on the NaNo journey. You can buy it on Amazon or check your local library.

2. Looking to Adopt
Once you have decided to participate in NaNo, there are plenty of helpful forums on the website including an Adoption Society forum where other writers leave ideas that need homes. You can take one from there and if you're kind enough, leave one of your ideas that you've had but haven't gotten around to writing.

3. Catch up on Current Events
Reading newspapers or watching the news could help spark an idea.

4. Play "What if...?"

5. Talk to your friends.
Sometimes even random conversations can lead to an idea that could lead to a novel.

6. Visit writing webites
Websites like Writer's Digest offer prompts (among other resources) and other websites are dedicated to only offering prompts like this one.

So now that you may (or may not) have an idea, what else can you do during October?

Last year I found this website that offers a whole month's worth of preparation for NaNo. It specifies things you can do each day until NaNo begins.

Until next time, happy writing!

Preparing for November

As I mentioned in my last posting, November is a busy writing month for me. In case anyone reading this is interested in participating in either NaNoWriMo or the PAD challenge (or both), I thought I'd share my pre-November "routines."

I don't actually much of a routine for the PAD challenge; it's very similar to what I did for NaPoWriMo (see earlier blog about that), but I do go through my booklet of poem forms to make sure it's up to date with any new forms that Robert Lee Brewer has posted on his website.

But I do have more of a routine for NaNo:
1) I usually come up with an idea for my novel around the summer. After I finish editing my novel from the previous NaNo, I begin to write down any small thought for a story on index cards and file them away. During June or July I pick one that I feel the most urgency to write and begin to do any research required for the novel (setting, technology, etc.).
2) In September, I take a break. I focus on other things like poetry or another story that needs to be edited or any of my other hobbies. This way I'm not over-thinking the upcoming novel and I can let my subconscious play around with the story.
3) October is preparation month. Yesterday was the first annual NaNoPrep Day and you can see what other writers do on Twitter by looking for #nanoprep. I usually begin cleaning up my office, outlining the story, writing character sketches and setting up my music playlist to write to. There are many resources online to help you with any of these. For example, this year I've been using this resource.

This is just what I've done for the past couple novels and it's worked so far. My first NaNo I didn't prepare at all and I still won. I think it's just a matter of finding what works best for you.