Tips & Tricks for the November Writing Thing (NWT)

[Tallyfire]

Here's the place to post tips and tricks for how to "win" the November Writing Thing and reach your word count goal. If you look up tips for the original National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), you'll find a lot of guides online.

For me, the most important thing is: don't edit. You have to keep forward momentum to reach a high word goal, especially 50K words. Going back to edit slows you down.

Here's a good summary of a lot of other things to consider:

10 Tips for Winning NaNoWriMo: A Guide to Getting Shit Done - Shortwave Publishing

Every November, this popular global writing challenge brings forth a season that writers everywhere simultaneously hold dear and dread. It is as much a time of creativity and perseverance as it is the worst fucking thing we do to ourselves each year...

shortwavepublishing.com

Some tips from Brandon Sanderson if you're into that kind of thing:

 

[Catrin Lewis]

I've entered and won twice, and one thing that's helped me is . . . don't hassle the research. Not until you've achieved your goal. When you come to a point where you feel the urge to hit up Google (aka the AI-Driven Thing, these days), resist. Instead, type in a blank line. Throw something in in brackets like "[look up speed of freight trains in 1930s]." Maybe color it red, so it's easy to find later.

Should those bracketed, red phrases go towards your word count? It'll get expanded later, after you know how fast that train goes, right? So sure, count them. Or if you'd rather not, insert a comment in the margin and set it to not count, if that's something your writing program allows.

 

[twiget]

don't hassle the research

I am guilty of this. One of my projects is pretty hard sci-fi, so it goes deep into how the tech works and I've spent many an hour on researching and figuring out how some widget should work. This is a big part of the reason I decided to work on a different project for NWT. It's much more seat of the pants and doesn't need as much world building. Hopefully it'll be easier to hit my 1k words/day goal without getting bogged down in the minutiae.

 

[Tallyfire]

I've entered and won twice, and one thing that's helped me is . . . don't hassle the research. Not until you've achieved your goal.

Somewhat related, I'm also wondering where to "leap" and leave things out on purpose. I want to have two stories that weave together. The advice I got for the first draft is to just write them separately and then find the points where they cross later. I'm curious to see how it goes.

And I've run into my first problem: in my notes and planning, my MC is all bright colour and loud dialogue, but in the story she's just grey and mediocre. I hit all the emotional beats wrong in the first scenes I wrote. I think I'll just make a brief note of all the things that need to be fixed and then continue writing as if they have been fixed, and hope that the MC comes out a bit more vibrant in the next scenes. Anyone have any tips on how to improve on that?

 

[Luxuria]

Anyone have any tips on how to improve on that?

I will be honest. If the MC is sad and grey, just let her be. Maybe she needs to re-claim her joy and color? Who knows. But I would just roll with it for this challenge. Because some characters need time to grow even when made to act a certain way.

Now, I have my own question: How do I just open my computer in the morning and write? Rather than open computer, watch hours of pointless videos and then maybe, just because I am on a schedule crunch then, write? Haha.

 

[Epic_Null]

Now, I have my own question: How do I just open my computer in the morning and write? Rather than open computer, watch hours of pointless videos and then maybe, just because I am on a schedule crunch then, write? Haha.

It would probably help to have a seperate "space" for writing than watching videos. Perhaps a seperate user on your computer?

 

[Tallyfire]

I will be honest. If the MC is sad and grey, just let her be. Maybe she needs to re-claim her joy and color? Who knows. But I would just roll with it for this challenge. Because some characters need time to grow even when made to act a certain way.

Yes, there will need to be character development, but at the moment she's been dropped into a situation that would enrage most people (especially her), and is sitting around chatting amicably.

This is not the energy I was aiming for.

Going into the second scene has improved it somewhat, though. I guess I just need a lot more run-up to find her voice.

Now, I have my own question: How do I just open my computer in the morning and write? Rather than open computer, watch hours of pointless videos and then maybe, just because I am on a schedule crunch then, write? Haha.

Epic_null made exactly the same suggestion I was going to make, haha. Make it difficult for yourself to access those things while writing, and make a plan. If you have a specific location/time/routine, it'll become easier to go back to writing for each session and settle right in. If you limit it (say, to 30 minutes) you also write with the knowledge that you can just go watch videos later. But it takes more time to break the habit (and even the muscle memory) of slipping into distractions.

 

[Luxuria]

It would probably help to have a seperate "space" for writing than watching videos. Perhaps a seperate user on your computer?

That makes sense. I think what might help is always keeping the internet OFF on my computer when I go to use it in the morning. I can still game and write, but can't get lost in internet gutterslush.

Epic_null made exactly the same suggestion I was going to make, haha. Make it difficult for yourself to access those things while writing, and make a plan. If you have a specific location/time/routine, it'll become easier to go back to writing for each session and settle right in. If you limit it (say, to 30 minutes) you also write with the knowledge that you can just go watch videos later. But it takes more time to break the habit (and even the muscle memory) of slipping into distractions.

I think this is the way to go about it. I like it and I also really want to use the NWT to get into a good writing habit. I think my life overall would be better without videos and stupid internet drama. So, the goal would be to cut it all out and back to the barebones. Anyway, another thing I wanted to discuss is how do you find peace when you stop writing? Once I get going, it's really hard to stop and shift to something else. Any advice?

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

Anyway, another thing I wanted to discuss is how do you find peace when you stop writing? Once I get going, it's really hard to stop and shift to something else. Any advice?

I often write on my lunch break at work, so I have an hour to scribble and then I come back to real life and sort of wander in a daze for about half an hour before I catch up to myself. I have struggled sometimes to come completely back if I worked on an intense scene. My best answer is to just let yourself bask a moment, but then redirect your thoughts to tasks you need to approach. Start with a smaller one first, so you get your brain shifted back to reality (ohp, there goes gravity). Does this always work? Nope. But on the days it does, what a time to be alive.

 

[Luxuria]

I often write on my lunch break at work, so I have an hour to scribble and then I come back to real life and sort of wander in a daze for about half an hour before I catch up to myself. I have struggled sometimes to come completely back if I worked on an intense scene. My best answer is to just let yourself bask a moment, but then redirect your thoughts to tasks you need to approach. Start with a smaller one first, so you get your brain shifted back to reality (ohp, there goes gravity). Does this always work? Nope. But on the days it does, what a time to be alive.

Honestly, that might work. The other problem for me is that writing is somewhat addicting. Donno why. But when I start writing, it's hard but once I get into it, I don't want to stop. Like yesterday, I was having trouble with the first 500 words. Then, I ended up writing close to 2.5K in one sitting. Because my brain wanted to write it ALL. So, the main problem I think is getting the ball rolling and then figuring out HOW to stop it. Haha.

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

then figuring out HOW to stop it. Haha.

Time limits is incredibly helpful for me. Of course, it might not work for everyone (which is why I never give like... "this is what you should do" advice). But if I know I have an hour to write, I can kind of redirect my brain a bit better.

 

[Luxuria]

Time limits is incredibly helpful for me. Of course, it might not work for everyone (which is why I never give like... "this is what you should do" advice). But if I know I have an hour to write, I can kind of redirect my brain a bit better.

Yeah, I might have to do that. I already study for college in 1 hour blocks. So, why not writing. Haha. I think I just need to try that for real.

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

You got this, friend! Onward and upwards. To the sky or past it, there are no limits except the oxygen levels. But they make stuff for that now, so.

 

[Luxuria]

You got this, friend! Onward and upwards. To the sky or past it, there are no limits except the oxygen levels. But they make stuff for that now, so.

OKAY! Thanks! *grabs oxygen tank and space suit*. I appreciate the support!