30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 21

#NaNoWriMo Day 21

Are you stuck in your plot? Does it feel boring? Does it feel soft and mushy like a banana your toddler got hold of in the grocery cart? Yeah, that's normal. Just write through it. Sometimes, that's all you can do on a first draft. Remember, the mission is to get it DONE, not get it perfect. You can edit the snot out of it later. Just keep writing.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 20

#NaNoWriMo Day 20

Are you stressing over your word count? DON'T. As long as you're making progress every day, that's all that matters. Just keep writing!

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 19

#NaNoWriMo Day 19

Don't give up. Writers write. Even if you think it's utter shite that you're writing, KEEP writing. Don't give up. Pick a different spot in the book and try writing that scene. Anything. Forward momentum. Keep. Writing.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 18

#NaNoWriMo Day 18

Turn off Twitter, Facebook, and the Internet in general. Set the timer on your phone for 15 minutes and WRITE. You'll be surprised how much you can get done in a 15-minute sprint!

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 17

#NaNoWriMo Day 17

Some editing time later can be saved if you keep this tip in mind: think vividly. Instead of writing, "He came into the room," substitute something else for that weak word came. Walked, strolled, ran, snuck -- words that will more accurately portray what you mean. Also, watch out for sneaky little words. "He stood up. She sat down." Instead, "He stood. She sat." The direction is obvious. It tightens your writing.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 16

#NaNoWriMo Day 16

Don't worry about what you think you "should" do in your book, follow where the characters take you. Too many "stuck" plots are due to the writer ignoring their characters. On the flip side of that, don't be so worried about "breaking the mold" that you write a hot mess, either. There's a reason the three-act, rising action-climax-falling action pattern works and has worked for literally a thousand years. Instead of worrying about your own expectations, simply listen to the characters, to the story, and follow them.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 15

#NaNoWriMo Day 15

Guess what? You're HALFWAY THERE! Keep up the good work! Even if you don't meet your word count, remember this is more about forming a writing habit to help you meet your long-term goals. If all you do is sit down and write a couple of sentences a day, that's still more than any person who says they want to write a book "some day" and never do it. Good job, you!

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 14

#NaNoWriMo Day 14

Don't worry if your story isn't "perfect." There is no such thing. It's one of the lies your subconscious tries to tell you to sabotage your progress. If you have serious doubts about something, just insert a marker--I use a [[ because I'll NEVER organically use that within a book--to flag it. Later, after NaNo is done, you can do a "find" search on it and go back to it and figure it out. Don't let it derail your progress because you're obsessing about it.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 13

#NaNoWriMo Day 13

If you're writing a mystery or a suspense book, or any other kind of story where the plot has some sort of central mystery/problem/issue to solve/resolve, start with THAT. Even if it's only to sketch out the problem in outline form. Know what caused it/who did it, what fixes/resolves/solves it. Summarize it. (Heck, you can even count it as part of your NaNo word count. I won't tell anyone, I promise.) If you don't know how the issue works itself out, you'll get stuck and write yourself into a hole every time, or waste countless hours trying to figure out how to resolve it. Once you know who/how/what takes care of the problem, you can work backward, at least mentally, to try to resolve it. Don't argue with me about you can't write out of order. I'm not telling you to do that. I'm telling you to make sure this big THING is worked out in your plot before you get to that point. Otherwise, you'll find yourself sitting there and scratching your head. (Which is now completely bald because you ripped your hair out.) Play the story forward in your mind like a movie or TV show. "Watch" it happening. Once you've worked the massive plot THING out, you'll find your writing goes a LOT easier. Although, if you're like me and can write out of order, write your ending/problem/mystery resolution and work backward.

30 Days of #NaNoWriMo - Day 12

#NaNoWriMo Day 12

Does a scene appear weak or missing something to you? Change which character's POV you write it from. Even if it's a first-person book that only happens from one POV. You don't have to keep it later, but it might give you valuable insight to what's going on that you can use to rework things for your "final" version.