Do you dream of publishing a book someday? The first step is making it to “the end” of your first draft. It may feel like that’s a far-off goal, but what if you could draft your entire novel in ONE MONTH?
It’s possible, and it’s also an excellent way to outrun your inner critic. When we draft, we’re creating something that has never existed before, word by word. The kind of mindset we need to succeed looks like the wide-open, experimental, say-yes attitude that improv actors use when they make up scenes out of thin air. We need to be courageous, energetic, and willing to make mistakes.
Wait, so what’s NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo is an organization that we partner with because we love what they’re all about … namely, supporting writers and helping them to write their stories. You can read all about NaNoWriMo here. Every November, they issue a challenge to all writers everywhere to pick up their pencils (or flex their typing fingers) and draft like the wind. In addition to our Inklings tools which will support you in the NaNoWriMo challenge, you can also tap into the many tools they offer, such as awesome pep talks from authors you know and love. We have a special Inklings NaNoWriMo club space on their website, so if you’d like to take the NaNoWriMo challenge with Society of Young Inklings, you can do that by signing up below.
So, how do you write a novel in a month?
One way to do it is to join our Inklings community as we take on the NaNoWriMo challenge. In the month of November, our mentors and many of our youth writers are going to be outrunning their inner critics by drafting as fast as we can. You can set your own word count goal, but the idea is to write every single day in the month of November.
If you write 500 words a day, about two double-spaced pages, you’ll end up with 15,000 words.
If you write 1000 words a day, about four double-spaced pages, you’ll end up with 30,000 words.
If you write 1667 words a day, you’ll end up with 50,000 words.
What if you miss a day?
No problem! You can write a little more on another day if you need to. Or, you can plan out your word count from the beginning of the project based on three days a week. The point is to push yourself to write fast, and to keep going even on days when you might otherwise avoid your writing because you feel a little stuck.
But what if you hit a big, impossible writing block?
One thing that will motivate you to keep writing is all the other writers who are writing alongside you. If you get stuck, you can read stories of how others are overcoming blocks to get motivated again. All the energy and excitement from our community might be just what you need to roll your sleeves up and write your way past that block. We’ll also provide our Inklings with a variety of tools to spark your momentum for those more challenging of writing days. We’ve got your back!
How can you set yourself up for success?
You don’t have to draft into the foggy unknown. Set yourself up for success with our online Design a Novel experience. Step into your characters’ shoes, map the world of your story, and decide on a few key plot points ahead of time. Writing a novel involves making thousands of decisions. Our course walks you through the important ones step-by-step. Avoid writing blocks by solving problems ahead of time, and do it in a way that builds your energy and excitement about drafting.
Is Design a Novel for you?
