NaNoWriMo Prep Part Two: Writing Resources

Hey all, Dani here.

It is almost time for NaNoWriMo–that’s National Novel Writing Month, if you didn’t already know–to begin. Actually for some of you it probably already has begun. It runs from November 1-30, and the challenge is to write 50,000 words in just 30 days.

I’ve already detailed some of the writing apps and tools I have used to help me with reaching this lofty writing goal, but today I figured I would talk about other resources that can help you in your writing process.

Obviously the primary resource I’m going to start with is the official NaNoWriMo Web Site. There you can find your local region of writers and chat with them, find out about writing events throughout the month, get pep talks, earn badges, and more. In celebration of 20 years of NaNoWriMo, they gave the site a major revamp and upgrade, so some features are still acting a little wonky, but I’m sure they’ll get everything straightened up pretty soon.

Another great resource is your local library. I know that a few of them around me actually have spaces set up for those participating in this month of writing, and some even host write-ins, which is really great.

There are also a whole bunch of authors who regularly talk about NaNoWriMo, or writing in general. You can sign up for their newsletters and getting writing tips and tricks sent to your e-mail year-round. One of my absolute favorites is Susan Dennard. Her writing advice is wonderful, and I feel like she is very open and honest about giving us all a peek into the behind the scenes life as a writer, including being very honest about how much money she makes for her writing projects.

Obviously I find books on the writing craft to be immensely helpful, but if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, you just might not have the time to read a bunch of books while you’re trying to write one. If you do feel the need to pick up some books on writing, I’d say look at the table of contents and find which chapters or tips are relevant to what you’re working on and just focus on that for now. You can read the rest of the book after November is over.

Some books on writing I’ll recommend:

Oh, and of course, I can’t forget to mention the joy that is cafes, diners, and coffee shops. They are wonderful places to go, where you can get something to eat, something to drink, and spend a few hours working on your writing.

Okay, so I know this is a little bit of a shorter post, but that is all I have for you today. I need to get some sleep so I can be ready to start on my own NaNoWriMo project tomorrow. Happy writing everyone! I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.