How I did it: I attempted NaNoWriMo four times, and I completed it all of the last three. My secret to success was PLANNING.
The first time I attempted to write a NaNo novel, I did very little planning. I knew the number of chapters, what the overarching plot was going to be, and my characters' names. I very quickly learned that although I could potentially write a book like that, it wasn't a book that was going to be even remotely coherent, nor was it a book that was going to be written in a month. After 15K words and characters veering off in way too many different directions, I quit without finishing.
The second time I attempted to write a NaNo novel, I was infinitely more determined to finish, and I started off by planning out my novel and characters. I made up a rough outline of plot points/scenes, and I attacked a few each day, writing 2K words a day every day (just over the minimum necessary to finish)... and then getting so excited when I was within 10K of the finish line that I wrote the last 10K in a day.
The third and fourth time I attempted NaNo, I finished my novels with ease. I went well over the required count and generally finished with quite a few days to spare; I was done before Thanksgiving, I think. My third and fourth books used the same characters, and I knew them quite well before I began writing. Before starting NaNo, I looked up character surveys online, trying to figure out what information it would be important for me to know about my characters. I answered appropriate survey questions from their point of view and made sure to jot down important facts about them. Having become intimately familiar with what writing 2K words was like, I made up "scene cards" for both novels which contained a one sentence summary of what the scene was, a bullet point or two that stated plot points/character development the scene was intended for, and an approximate word count for the scene. Read how I did it… 4 months ago
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final word count : 50,049
I still want to edit my story and tweak a few things.
So i may actually end up with a higher final word count.
(i seriously doubt i will CUT anything and end up with a lower number)
I just have a few finishing touches….but since i hit 50,000 i consider myself DONE!
It’s awesome that i finished 10 days early, especially since i got a late start. I am very proud of myself. Even though i probably won’t publish this book
But I will set a few goal for myself: publish a book” lmao :D 6 months ago
I’ve signed up – and more importantly, i’ve told everyone about it, which should help me to keep going. Also written a scene by scene outline ready, though i’m still fleshing it out and getting to know my characters. 7 months ago
I managed to complete it on the very last day with about 1 hour to spare! I think it was worth it, for me, doing anything that increases my creativity is worth while but I definitely wouldn’t do it again. 11 months ago
I’ve attempted it before but failed… 11 months ago
SO… I didn’t get to do it this year! I had just started uni and had wayy too much on my plate. Next year, I will be ready. 17 months ago
Yay! On Saturday 26th November my wordcount reached 50,000, and I finsihed the month with a grand total of 53,840 words.
My novel is only half finished, so I will need to spend another month writing feverishly.
This is such an achievment, I have not sat down and written anything like this for years. And it is the first time I decided on a plan, and stuck with it. I did change little ideas as the story developed, but I didn’t achange my whole idea or start from scratch (which is what I have done with nearly every project in the last five years). So pleased! 18 months ago
a long time ago… Not sure if I am up to it again… 19 months ago
How I did it: I started at midnight and got ahead. I worked through any writing block and for the most part ignored my inter editor. I signed up Oct. 31 and came up with my idea in one day. Read how I did it… 22 months ago
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