As a part of the continuing series on guest bloggers for NaNo (see here and here), I got an entry from Linda, unexpectedly, and it's an awesome peak into what it takes to prep for NaNo. I look forward to hearing more about how her journey goes!
If I am going to write 50,000 words for the month of November why not start now in October? That is what I thought last year, 2019, and I started on my wip early and continued through the month of November. This year I started even earlier in October. It is never too soon to build good habits.
My goal is 2000 words a day on a specific story idea. I was successful in writing that much last year, but it was sometimes like pulling teeth to get the words out. My mind just goes down a certain path and comes to a dead end.
When that happens I usually starting writing what if's: “Just supposing I did have something to write about what would it be?”
“Well, it would be a fantastic idea with lots of action.” Or something along those lines is what I reply. All I needed was a jumping-off point to start talking about the ideas in my head. I talk to myself constantly, as many people do, and so I really can simply write for minutes on end. More than 20 minutes at a stretch wears me out and I need to take a minute or two breather.
But “what if” questions help me get over that internal editor who says I have to write something deep, something exciting, or worse of all “Something Original.”
No, you just have to write and all those other things happen in the rewrite. Once I agreed to give myself permission to write badly, on the theory that bad writing is better than no writing at all, I began to produce quantity. Did quality eventually come from that? I'm not sure I have made that goal yet, but at least I am on the path. I have written something. I have started NaNoWriMo in October.
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