My Top Five Writing Methods

In case you haven't heard about it, National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, is a month long event in which writers try to complete the insanely difficult task of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It occurs chiefly in November, but there are also other events during the year.

I will be participating in the April session of NaNoWriMo this year to work on my new novel, which I'll probably talk more about when I have more of the details worked out. If you have a story idea or a story in progress, I encourage you to participate sometime during the year. It really is a lot of fun, and writing is a great skill to build.

In case you're thinking you can't possibly write 50,000 words in a month, consider a few things:

• It doesn't have to be a huge planned out idea. Maybe you just have a character. Or one scene. Or a setting. Or nothing but willpower. That's fine. Just plant the seed, nurture it, and it'll grow. 
• You can make your word count goal whatever you want it to be; you don't have to write 50,000 words. I do encourage you to challenge yourself; however, you should also be realistic for your schedule. 
• You now have my 5 suggestion to help you along! 

Of course, this is a matter of what works best for each individual, and what works for me may not work for you. I'm not calling them "tips" for that very reason. But if you don't already know what works for you, this is a good starting point. So here we go!

1. Planning. I personally, am a planner. I like to know everything about my story before I begin. Outlines are my best friend during NaNoWriMo, and I really love the free story-boarding program Storybook. You may be what's known as a pantser—you like to jump right in and figure it out as you go. Even if this is you, I encourage you to flesh out your characters and at least have an idea of the climax of your plot, so you have some idea of the momentum of the story.
2. Editing. Don't edit as you go. It can be really hard not to, but remember: first drafts are supposed to suck. No one is perfect on a first draft, and you have plenty of time to edit later. Unless you're making a major change and really need to edit, don't. When I try to edit as I go, I never get anything done. 
3. Music. I love listening to music when I write, and what I listen to varies from Celtic folk songs to Taylor Swift to Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks to Classical. I pick music that fits the setting, characters, era, and tone of my novel to help keep myself in the right mindset, but it's really what works for you. 
4. Technology vs. Paper. I know people who hand-write their novels. There are those of us who use a computer. And then there's those who use typewriters. This one is also entirely up to you. I am more productive at a computer for several reasons: I can type faster and more comfortably than I can write, it's easier to edit later, I never lose pages, it's easier to track your word count, and it's easier to research and share your novel. Personally, I use Google Docs to write because it auto-saves and can be accessed anywhere with internet, so it's safe if your computer crashes. 
5. Time. It is surprisingly hard to fit time for writing 50,000 words into a month, since most of us have school and/or jobs, homework, housework, family, etc. etc. etc. The best solution is to actually schedule it out and make time for writing. I work best between the hours of 9 PM and midnight, because my brain tends to think more creatively right before bed, and it's after I'm done with homework and band and everything else I need to do. Find the time that works best for you, but don't forget to take a break every now and then!

If you haven't already figured out what works best for you, then I encourage you to take some time this year and participate in NaNoWriMo. It'll give you plenty of experience! If you have any questions about the program, you can ask me in comments or check out the website. 

If you have figured out what works for you, comment and tell me about it! 

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo at any point this year, comment and let me know! I'd love to hear about your ideas and chat with you on the website!