How to Write a "Novel" in 30 Days

How to Write a "Novel" in 30 Days

Why "novel"? A novel is typically more than 50,000 words. Also, even when November is over, there is a good chance you will continue to finish your writing after the 30 days are up. Use the 30 days to get a start on your novel.

1. WRITE! To be a writer one must write. With NaNoWriMo you have to write everyday to reach your goal. Write, write, write. Write until your finger bleed and your head bursts! Just fucking write!

2. During the event, DO NOT EDIT! This is the one time when run on sentences, misspelled words, and forgot punctuation is accepted. 

3. Some say December is for editing, I say hold of until January. Sometimes, in order to better edit yourself, you need to take so time away from your story. I mean, you did just spend 30 straight days with it.

4. DO NOT send your draft to an agent immediately. Agents and editors tend to hate NaNoWriMo because they receive so many half-assed novels in the months following. Please, edit your piece thoroughly, look over it ten million times, and only send it in when you are ready to fight for it.

5. Break the rules. NaNoWriMo's website has a list of rules. Its supposed to be fiction and nothing you have worked on before. I say do what you want. If you want to write ten short stories, do it. If you have been working on the story already, finish it. As with every rule of writing, break them all!!

6. November sucks. It is only 30 days and it begins the winter holidays. It is the hardest month in which to get shit done. But, if you can survive it, writing may just be what you were meant to do.

7. If you do reach your goal, please celebrate loudly and happily! Just remember, you will still have work to do and that it isn't really over until you finish that novel.

8. If you don't reach your goal, please celebrate loudly and happily. Why? Because you wrote something. You don't have to stop just because November is over. You didn't 50,000 words, so what? November is a hard month. You did something amazing.

9. Discipline. You have to want it. You have to need it. You have to sit your ass down and write every fucking day. Even if it's just a sentence, do it. Again, write, write, write!

I hope these tips help a little. There will be more, I promise. 

My next post will showcase some authors who participated it NaNoWriMo and published their novel!