It's November and NaNo participants are in full swing already! The usual question that pops in everybody's mind is - how can one write a novel's first draft in just a month? that too a 50000 worded novel in just 30 days! But NaNo community already knew that it is possible and all of them strongly recommend to take part in it; not just to get you writing but also because it offers a great experience altogether. Here are a few things I learnt while participating in NaNo.
Clarity of thought
30 days' time is very short to finish your 50000-worded novel, I don't deny it. But by careful planning, anybody can crack it. While planning your novel, thinking it through well in advance before you actually sit down to write helps a lot. Not just the outline of your novel but down to the sentences that you are going to describe a scene of your story, keep thinking again and again until you settle down with the right words to portray your plot. As you refine your thoughts and only allow what should come down on your page, filling up with the story becomes easier every time you start to type in. When you think your story down to detail, its as if all the editing goes in your mind in the background.
Time management
If you have a daily target of 1667 words, each day and every day for the whole month of November, by the end you will be reaching 50000-word mark. But it might not work for everybody. There might be a number of reasons that can hinder reaching your daily target such as lower typing speed, not being able to write continuously to reach the mark, etc. NaNo is designed in such a way that people should find time no matter whatever work they have immersed themselves into. Setting up your computer comfortably so that you can work anytime whenever that spark strikes you helps. whether you spend one hour in the morning and evening to write or take little chunks of your time throughout the day to write, as long as you manage to write, its perfectly fine.
Participation matters
As you are already aware all are winners as long as they manage to finish 50000 words by the end of the month, but there is more to it - participation. I have seen many first time writers discovering their dormant writing potential just after participating in NaNo. Out of so many reasons, procrastinating your actual writing dominates the first place. NaNo helps to beat that enemy by giving you a short deadline to finish your novel. Writing along with the whole world of other writers makes it fun to participate in NaNo not to mention those forums where you can clarify your doubts, share your experiences and build an amazing circle of friends and writing enthusiasts who can guide you throughout your writing journey.
Determination
Let me remind this old saying once again - nothing is impossible! when you are determined to finish your novel, nothing can stop you from reaching it. NaNo is just a platform to kindle that writer spirit in you but its just your determination that leads you throughout the journey and makes you a winner, not just at 30th November but whatever you aspire to be. In the middle of the month or towards the end, many times you might feel its difficult to continue writing and a corner of your mind tells you to give up. Just remember you have come this far and then there is just a little more to go to achieve that dream of yours to become a writer!
Planning and execution
you will plan something and end up doing something else! Plan again! Plan what works with your style of doing things. Every day is different and so shall be your plan, so be flexible. You don't have to punish yourself for not going by your plan but just stick to your final goal, one way or the other. Have a chat with friends to know about what works for them, you can pick one or two what works with them. Having a tight schedule doesn't mean that you have to sit all day long in front of your computer. It just means to find time along with your other daily activities.
You can really taste success if you are determined to do so - strong-willed to finish your novel, to finish what you have started! If you plan accordingly and execute, you will thoroughly enjoy the whole month of November that by the end of the month you will long for those NaNo days to keep continuing! Good Luck, fellow writers!
Comments
Post a Comment