One of my fabulous blog readers posted a great question today!
First off— they just got an awesome idea for their book! *Cheers and applause*– that’s awesome, you’re still one step ahead of me! 😉
They mentioned that they will be away for the first two days of November, and will have to start on a deficit!
I started a couple of days late the first year that I tried NaNoWriMo, which made it pretty difficult for me to catch up (especially because I had no idea how intensive it would really be). But this isn’t impossible to remedy, especially if you want to participate in this creative month of insanity. We kind of have to expect that there will be a couple days out of the month where it will be hard to write (and therefore we need to catch up).
I have a couple of ideas for my friend.
1. Make an outline:
If I knew that I would have to start a day or two late, I would probably create a detailed outline for my first couple of chapters (even if I was a pantser) so that when I went to actually write, I could follow the outline and it would flow. Hopefully I would be able to catch up within a couple of days by following the outline and then go from there.
2. Keep a notebook with you
Or a document open on your laptop (if you are in a place where you can use it). You never know when you will get 15 minutes or a half- hour to write! It could be in the car, on the train, during lunch, or even if you get a quiet minute here or there. This is a great time to jot down ideas that come up that will help you catch up with your writing later on, but it can also let you get a paragraph or two, or even a scene written when you have time.
3. Write an extra couple of hundred words a day
When you do get the chance to finally sit down and write your awesome novel! This can seem daunting, but if you do a couple of word sprints I love @NaNoWordSprints on Twitter— or do word wars with a friend, it can be easier to get those extra couple hundred words out. Before you know it, you will be caught up!
This is my first ten trying NaNo, but I will starting in a deficit too. The day after Halloween is Yates Apple Orchard day, so I can’t miss that with the fam. Still, I should get so e writing done. I ‘m approaching NaNo with a “how much CAN I write” attitude. I’ve never tracked word count, so this should be interesting.
That’s a great attitude to have when starting NaNo! It’s fun to see your word count each day and to set/meet goals for yourself.
Good luck! I hope you have fun 🙂
Reblogged this on Sleepy Book Dragon and commented:
In the past, if I’ve known I have the potential getting nothing or just a little written, I would write myself a buffer, up to two days ahead, so I will still be on track and not have to worry too much about falling behind.
What a great idea. It’s nice to have that buffer, but I’ve found that if I even go one or two days without writing, sometimes it’s hard to get back into the groove of things.
Thanks again for the reblog! You’re fabulous <3
Thank you!
Thanks for the advice! What’s word wars? I may have to do it with a friend or two.
You’re welcome I hope it helps. Word Wars (which I will probably write a more in-depth post about) are timed word sprints, where you and some friends see who can write the most within the allotted time (15/20/30 minutes are usually good). You’re supposed to just go with it and type whatever comes out (try not to stop writing). You can also get two groups of friends to do this and add each groups word counts together at the end of the time. It’s fun, encouraging, and great to see that word count soar!
I’m so playing that!