NaNoWriMo Tips From a Professional Book Editor
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If you’ve clicked on this article, you’re most likely a writer embarking on NaNoWriMo this year. First things first, I’m wishing you a fantastic month full of productivity and inspiration! I hope you’re getting started on the right foot, especially with a challenge as difficult as this one.
But, if you haven’t gotten your words in for the day, don’t worry! This journey isn’t about perfection. It’s about getting your story finally on the page. I’m going to give you some NaNoWriMo tips to help you get there.
For those who aren’t participating in NaNoWriMo and are simply curious, the name stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's a writing challenge that takes place every year in November, which is the titular national month of novel writing. While the organizers give a loose guideline of writing a minimum of 50,000 words, the overall challenge is to get an entire novel written.
As a book editor, I’ve always regarded NaNoWriMo as an amazing accomplishment. Every year, I'm excited to see tons of writers participate and engage in the deep level of dedication and focus it takes to embark on this journey. So I’m excited to provide some actionable tips for writers heading into this month of intense writing.
I am not a writer by trade, but I am trained in how to help writers strengthen their novels. So, in this article I'm going to give you the book editor's perspective on NaNoWriMo tips and tricks. Hopefully this will be helpful to you if you're looking to edit and then eventually pursue any type of publication after you complete this draft.
Don’t Sweat the Small Things
My first NaNoWriMo tip is to not sweat the small things. If you're getting hung up on trying to decide if your protagonist's name is Aaron or Andrew, stop! Just pick one for now and move on. You can always come back and make your final decision at a later point in time. Most word processing applications offer a function where you can replace all instances of a word with just a couple clicks, so it's easy to change later.
Similarly, don't worry too much about formatting. It doesn't matter right now if you have chapter breaks or line breaks between your scenes. That's another thing you can edit down the line if you change your mind.
If you find yourself getting hung up on some element of your novel, step back and ask yourself: does this element affect the overall story? In the case of something small, such as a character’s name or a chapter heading, the answer is no.
I find that writers getting caught up in small details like these can fall into a rut. In which case, it might do some good to take a step back from your project and get your mind on other creative things. Whether that includes revisiting any works that inspired your novel or pursuing another creative project, taking a break from your novel might help refresh your mind and spur new story ideas.
Balance Character Development with Plot Development
My second tip is to make sure you balance character development with plot development. When you're completing an intense writing challenge like NaNoWriMo, it can be tempting to get every plot development down on the page as quickly as possible. Some of you may even be working from an outline, where you know exactly what events are going to happen chronologically.
But the best written novels will balance consistent and steady plot development with strong character development that builds over the course of the novel. So don't forget to invest time and energy into those quieter scenes, where you're showcasing your characters and their motivations, desires, and fears.
I personally am a reader who gets extremely invested in characters. If a novel has an intriguing and fast-paced plot, but doesn't pay much attention to the characters, I don’t find myself particularly interested in it. Some readers may disagree, but you’ll find that many readers are character-driven.
So, take a day to write a conflict scene where the major twist is revealed. But then use the next day to write a more introspective scene where your characters are grappling with the ramifications of that twist. Don't just move on to the next plot development or event. Spend some time getting into the heads of your characters and showing the reader what they're thinking and feeling at each pivotal moment. This is just as important as getting every turn in the plot on the page.
Don’t Waste Time Self-Editing
My third NaNoWriMo tip relates to how much self editing you should be doing as you write. My opinion is that you should read back over your existing work as you continue to build your manuscript if that's a part of your process. But you should not waste valuable time and energy doing a complete proofread at this point.
If you're a perfectionist like me, this might be hard for you. As an editor, my eyes are trained to catch each tiny typo or misplaced comma. But, when it comes to NaNoWriMo, time is everything and yours is limited. You have to think critically about where that time should be best spent.
And the fact is, there is going to be plenty of time to go back through your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb after you finish it. You may even employ a professional editor to help you polish your draft. Making sure every sentence is impeccably and grammatically correct shouldn't be your priority at this point.
Instead, use this time to get your words on the page and make sure you have a fully fleshed out narrative that reflects the story that's been living in your head. Let it be messy for now if it has to be. If you keep trying to perfect what you have as you go, you’ll never reach the finish line.
Try Not to Go Off the Rails
If you aren't working from an outline, that's a completely valid process. But this approach makes it more likely that your plot is going to go off the rails, particularly as you approach the second half of the manuscript.
It's something I frequently see when I'm evaluating early drafts of novel manuscripts. The first half of the novel will be completely cohesive and develop at a smooth and steady rate. But then, halfway through, everything changes. A new main character is introduced, or a huge plot twist unfolds with little foreshadowing.
This can create a structural issue with your manuscript, which can certainly be fixed during the editing process down the line. But, it'll frankly take a lot of work to fix. So my NaNoWriMo tip here is to avoid throwing these plot curveballs altogether.
If you feel like your plot is going in a different direction than you originally had in mind, maybe it's time to take a step back and rethink how you want to shape the narrative. In some cases, it makes sense to go back to earlier sections you've already written and adjust them so they match the direction your narrative is now headed.
For example, if you realize halfway through your novel that you want to incorporate a new character, you can plant a couple of scenes earlier in the manuscript where that character shows up, so the reader is already introduced to them. This will help make sure that your novel feels more cohesive in the first draft.
Don’t Worry About Publishability
Don't worry too much about publishing, if that's a goal for you, during NaNoWriMo. Publishing can be an intimidating journey, particularly if you're looking to go the traditional route via a Big Five publisher. You will have to query literary agents in the hopes that they will accept you as a client, and then they will present your novel to publishing houses.
One of my greatest passions is helping writers navigate the traditional publishing process. I share a lot of advice and insight on the industry to make it less intimidating and mysterious, and to show that truly anyone can get published.
However, during NaNoWriMo, I recommend not thinking about publishing at all. Don't worry about how your novel is going to fit into the current book market, or question if it is strong enough to attract an agent or a publisher. These are details you can visit after your full draft is written. They should not stress you out or hold you back from getting your words on the page.
Publishing can certainly be a motivating factor that pushes you through NaNoWriMo’s rigorous pace. Many writers take on NaNoWriMo with the serious intent to publish, after all. But, if the thought of publishing makes you feel anxious or deteriorates your motivation and your self-confidence, that is when you need to stop worrying about it altogether.
Try to get your mind back to the joy of writing itself and the satisfaction that you'll enjoy from getting your story written. I hate to see writers becoming creatively stifled because they are too worried about getting published. These kinds of concerns suck the excitement and fun out of the novel writing process and prevent you from writing at your full potential.
So do what you can to keep your eyes set on completing the manuscript. After all, you can't even begin publishing without first having a completed draft of your novel.
These are my tips for writers taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge this year. I hope it was helpful to hear a book editor’s perspective on this awesome initiative.
I am truly wishing you the best on this month-long journey and hope you are able to tell the story that you’ve been dreaming up.
Even if this November doesn’t go exactly according to plan, you should still see the undergoing of this challenge as a huge achievement. The fact that you care enough about your writing to undergo this process, to dedicate this amount of time and work to it, is extremely admirable. You should be proud of yourself, as a writer, just for that.
Thanks so much for reading, best of luck with NaNoWriMo, and happy writing!