I feel a little bit like a hypocrite because as I write this I am terribly behind on my Nano due to this cold or whatever it is that I just can not shake. That being said, I thought I would share how I Nanowrimo. (Or now I would be doing it if I didn’t feel like a warm pile of poop currently)
My approach to nano is extremely simple but it took me a while to work it out for myself so I thought I’d share just in case it might be interesting to anyone else.
The key to how I work on Nano is to always write what I feel like writing. That’s it. That means if I feel like starting with the ending I start with the ending, if I have a funny scene in mind and I have no idea where it will go I write it. Sometimes I just have a conversation in my head so I end up just writing a bunch of dialogue like it’s a play. Whatever I’m feeling when I sit down to write, that’s what I write.
Now of course this has its downside, namely when you have to piece it together. I have a system for that as well, I usually open a new document and copy paste putting an indication where I need to add something. This is by no means a perfect solution but it keeps me motivated which I find is my biggest struggle with stories. If I’m always writing what I think the next bit needs to be sometimes I feel like I’m just slogging through. If I’m writing whatever I’m excited about at the time then that’s exactly what I am, always excited all of the time.
Now I am by no means an expert but it works for me! It certainly won’t be for everyone, I’m sure jumping around in time might freak some people out, but if you’re having trouble, but give it a try!
What’s your tip to keep chugging along?
