What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2011-2016 Tell us if you "won" or not, and what you learned from the experience Yes, every year. I love participating in Nano and it has really helped me to increase production and tighten up my novels. No more dithering around for months on end. Write up an outline, create a title and concept cover, and pound the keys! What specific advice do you have for someone attempting NaNoWriMo ? Give yourself permission to make writing a priority … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from P.D. Workman (Nano handle: pdw)
How to Use Deadlines to Accomplish Writing Goals By Nina Amir
Guest Post By Nina Amir Deadlines, self-imposed or otherwise, provide writers with great incentives to complete their work. Without deadlines, it’s easy to simply muddle along producing only a little bit of writing here and there but never finishing a project. Without a deadline, you also could continue writing, editing or generally fiddling with your project forever, never getting it to a point where you deem it “finished.” As a journalist, I have a love/hate relationship with deadlines. … [Read more...] about How to Use Deadlines to Accomplish Writing Goals By Nina Amir
NaNoWriMo Tips from Sharon A. Mitchell
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? Nov., 2011 and again in June, 2012 for Camp NaNo Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience I participated in the November NaNoWriMo, won and loved it so much that I also did Camp NaNo in June. I made the 50,000 words that time, too. My third attempt will be this November. NaNo sparked my writing. Prior to NaNoWriMo I had only written articles for magazines, online sites and scholarly assignments at university. I did … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Sharon A. Mitchell
To Scared to Try – Guest Post by Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell
As a school district consultant, I offered to assist a group of high school teachers who were introducing NaNoWriMo to their students. That sounded like fun, but as I listened to the kids setting their goals and taking their huge step, how could I not put myself out there as well? Drats. This was more than I'd signed on for. I’d heard about NaNo for years, but it all seemed too daunting. Write a novel in a month? Who are you kidding? With full-time jobs, a family, elder-care, plus teaching … [Read more...] about To Scared to Try – Guest Post by Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell
NaNoWriMo Tips from Robyn Leatherman
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience Yes, I won with a word count of 51,000+ and the title was Bound By Cotton. It was my first experience, so I did learn a LOT. First, if you plan to write a historical (as I did), or any other project - that requires research - do as much as possible before November 1st. Research eats up so much time! This will require an outline, which I did not make last year. Chapter by … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Robyn Leatherman
NaNoWriMo Tips from Jesse Pohlman
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2010, 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience In 2010 I really just sort of observed. In 2011 I set out to complete the 50,000 word challenge. I succeeded! I guess that means I won, after all; I beat myself and my own laziness. What did I learn? Ummmmm...Probably the first thing I learned was that the best way to force yourself to write is to write without solid structure. Plan when you can, but leave your … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Jesse Pohlman
NaNoWriMo Tips from Christina Li
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience I won. I wrote just over 50,000 words during the month of November. I highly recommend doing this if you want to write any sort of book. It's a great motivator. My teen-aged daughter and I both did it. We challenged and encouraged each other! She was able to write two 50,000 word books! What I learned was that with a little discipline, it is absolutely possible to … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Christina Li
NaNoWriMo Tips from Jeff Davis
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience I won. It was exciting and informative, not only about the craft of writing but about myself as well. I found that I could do it... I could write a novel! I had always been told to write, had always wanted to do more than ad copy and blog posts, but I needed a little push. I needed something to kick me over the line and NaNo was that kick for me. I just couldn't … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Jeff Davis
NaNoWriMo Tips from Joan Meijer
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2010 and 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience I won both times. I learned that it is very difficult to discipline yourself to write 50,000 words in a month but very doable... The best tool is writeordie.com it makes you write. It is better to go into the competition with a solid outline, solid characters and a real idea of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it....even if you are … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Joan Meijer
NaNoWriMo Tips from Ricardo das Neves
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2009, 2010, 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience Yes, I have won every single year that I've entered the contest. Interestingly, every year I'm over-confident going in, and write quite a lot on the first and second days. On day 10 I feel like I've used up my ideas. On day 15, I'm typically struggling and writing just to fill my daily word quota, all the while thinking, "Why did I undertake this?" or "This … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Ricardo das Neves
NaNoWriMo Tips from Cheryl Mahoney
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience I successfully reached the 50,000 word mark--and then did a sort of half-NaNo to write another 26,000 words in December, to have a completed first draft by the end of the year. I'd say I had two big take-away lessons. One, I CAN keep writing if I set my mind to it. I'd frequently hit a point in the day's writing when I felt like I had written "enough," i.e., I'd used … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Cheryl Mahoney
NaNoWriMo Tips from Ian Randall Wilson
What year(s) did you participate in NaNoWriMo? 2006-2011 Tell us if you won or not, and what you learned from the experience For the last 6 years I have run a class at the UCLA Extension called Write a Novel in a Month as Part of National Novel Writing Month. To date I've had some 200 participants and 84% of them have completed the draft of the novel. By way of comparison, the international completion rate for all the time NaNoWriMo has been in operation is around 16%, so we have done quite … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo Tips from Ian Randall Wilson
