Three Things to Help You if You’re Staggering Along with NaNoWriMo.
I’m behind, but I’m writing. Trying to every day unless something comes up (like last week’s headache). Here are a few somethings that might help you as you try to keep writing this crazy number of words. All this brainstorming can be counted in your words for the day.
- We’ve done this exercise before. It’s a good one. Set your timer for, say, thirty minutes. In that time, write EVERYTHING that could happen to your character. EVERYTHING. He blows up. He dies. He changes into an alligator. He fights his best friend. His best friend wins the fight. He kisses his best friend’s girlfriend. He kisses his best friend. As you’re writing anything and everything, think about what’s happened so far in the book. What crazy things could go along with that? Write out of that box of This Must Be and go for things you didn’t expect. Think of moving the story forward with plot or dialog.
- Write a list of all the scenes that you know must come still. Add these things two things to your notes–sense of place and emotion. You don’t need to go in depth, but how do you feel as you’re writing? What emotions are stirred up? Put those on the page. Who will be in these scenes? Write their names down. Write these ideas a little more slowly and, if you feel like it, complete the scene. Scenes will make your novel.
- Skip one hour of TV, of using your phone, of being online–whatever. Give that up every day for just one hour and write as fast as you can during those moments. What’s your word count now? Was it worth missing Grey’s Anatomy? Of course! You’re closer to that 50,000 words! Woot!
Throwing Up Words 