NaNoWriMo Prep 2018

Hey all, Dani here.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts in just a few more days. Ahhh…I don’t know that I’m ready yet. This is probably the least prepared that I have been in all my years of NaNo. But I’ve just been so out of practice with creative writing. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to write consistently through November. It would be really nice.

I just keep seeing all of these BookTubers who also write, and they talk about finishing drafts, or finishing edits. One just got her first bound ARCs for her book, and I got so happy for her because that is a big deal, but also sad because I feel like I’m starting to fail even more on my own writing journey.

So what am I doing for planning/plotting/prepping for NaNo? Well, I had some basic chapter title ideas written down, and some very loose character names. But looking at the names, some of them just didn’t fit…so I’m combing through character name databases or baby name databases trying to find names that do work.

But then I feel like I want to get a rough synopsis written. So I’m trying to get a draft of that finished today as well. But then that makes me wonder if I should play with Photoshop a bit and make a mock-up of a cover for inspiration purposes.

I also know that I need to come up with a writing playlist for this book too. I like to have songs that will inspire me for the actual plot of the book I’m writing. So I need to find at least 10-12 songs that work.

What I’m I working on this year? Well, as if it isn’t enough of a challenge for myself that I’m trying to get back into creative writing again, but I’m also going to be tackling a genre I don’t typically write in…and by that I am talking about romance. Basically my book is going to be a nerdy contemporary romance.

I’ve been inspired by my real life romance, and while I have been seeing a little more geeky and nerdy YA contemporary romance books, I think we could still use more of them. And honestly I think my book will be probably more New Adult to adult in age range. The characters all feel like they are in their low to mid 20s or so. I mean, I just turned 30 this year and my fiance is 26. So the characters will probably be around that range as well.

But I’m still so nervous about this project. I want it to be a great story. This is a tale that is near and dear to my heart, because in many ways it is a story I wish I could have read several years ago, when I was feeling so alone and believing that I would never find my own nerdy fairy tail romance. In many ways I feel like perhaps I am putting too much pressure on myself for this story, and that is making it harder for me to actually sit down and write.

However, NaNoWriMo is almost here, so hopefully I can push aside my inner editor and just write. I want to get this story out into the world.

Oh, and if you have any song ideas that you think would fit a geeky couple contemporary romance story, then please suggest them to me in the comments. I would be glad for the help.

Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, are you ready to start writing in a few days?