National Novel Writing Month has come and gone.
But this year November was a little extra special to me. It was the first time I ever attempted NaNoWriMo and here are the top 12 lessons I learned after attempting NaNoWriMo for the first time.
Lesson 1: You don’t have to hit 50,000 words
I’ll say it again just to emphasize this point. You don’t have to hit 50,000 words. Yes, a novel roughly comprises 50,000 words. And yes, many many writers strive to hit that goal during NaNo. But I believe that NaNoWriMo can be so much more than just a word count. It’s why I finally tried it. Not so much to hit the 50,000 words (I didn’t), but to challenge myself as a writer who has never written a novel. It was definitely a challenge, but I actually enjoyed the journey, wrote more fiction in 30 days than I’ve written in the past several months combined. I think it’s safe to say I grew as a writer. If you tried NaNo this year, I’m sure you did too. Besides, why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the journey?
Lesson 2: Transition time can be extremely useful
Transition time? What’s that? I’m glad you asked. What I call “transition time” is simply a solid break or meditation that I do right before I start my writing session for the day. I shut my door, set a timer for 15 minutes on my phone, turn off the lights, turn on my fan, and crawl into bed. From there, I just breathe slowly and focus on feeling my body. Every breath. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Yours doesn’t have to look like this, but something similar would work just as well. As long as you set aside some time to relax and separate yourself from all stresses of the day. That’s what matters. I’m not a morning writer, but if you write first thing in the morning, that’s probably even better.
Lesson 3: Being flexible with your writing time can go a long way
I always love to keep my writing time sacred. And mostly, do a pretty good job of it. But… life does and usually will happen. It happened several times during NaNo and I had no issues getting up and taking care of anything that life wanted to throw my way during my writing time. Being flexible can also help you enjoy the journey too.
Lesson 4: It’s ok to take rest days
Writing can often feel like a workout. Both mentally and physically… well, maybe not overly physical, but it still can feel like it. Remember, it’s ok to take rest days. It’s ok to call it a day when you’re feeling stuck.
There’ll be days where you just aren’t feeling up to do some writing and you might not know why. You know you should be writing. You know you want to write. But for some strange reason, the universe decided it’s best for you to take a rest day. Listen to it. Your creative work will thank you for it.
Lesson 5: Writing out of order and in story fragments can help you write faster (unless you’re a hardcore outliner/plotter/architect)
Have you ever tried giving your characters complete and utter freedom over the story’s direction? I can tell you right now that it can do wonders for you as a writer and for your story. I know it did mine. (Then again, I am a discovery writer.)
What exactly does it mean to write out of order and what’s a story fragment?
Writing out-of-order means you can shift from writing one part of the story to a completely separate and seemingly unrelated part (for example, jumping from a scene in the middle of the story to a scene near the end, then going back to the beginning).
And a story fragment is essentially a mental download. A tiny piece of the story (it could be a few sentences to an entire scene or chapter) that you receive by listening to your characters closely. This might sound a “bit different” I know, but if you see yourself as an intuitive writer, then it might just be worth a try.
Lesson 6: You will grow as a writer
This lesson goes without saying. Regardless of what type of writer you are, fast or slow, outliner or discovery writer, or a hybrid, challenging yourself creatively is key to growing as a writer. NaNoWriMo is just one challenge I took on this year that helped me not only to put words on the page, but put my listening skills to the test.
I listened intently to my characters and let them tell their own stories. I genuinely believe letting characters take over the story can help in more ways than one. (Especially if you’re an intuitive type of writer like me). 🙂
Lesson 7: Learn to listen to your characters
My characters were pretty quiet at first, but the more I pictured them as real people, the more they spoke to me. And when your characters speak, they will have more to say than you’d expect.
This lesson applies regardless of whether or not you use an outline. If you want to get to the heart of your story, listen to your characters. Listen to everything they have to say and write it all down. Write everything down from their happiest moments to their deepest, darkest secrets.
Emotions make for a better story.
Lesson 8: Writing fiction is hard and it can be even harder for some writers
There’s no way around it. Writing fiction can be pretty hard. Non-fiction? It’s usually easier to write since often you’re simply writing like you speak. With fiction, however, you need to learn how your characters speak. A whole other individual. Sometimes an entire epic fantasy’s worth of individuals. That can be a challenge, but with time and consistent practice, you can get better at it (like with most things in life).
Lesson 9: Music Your Muse
If you’ve never tried writing while listening to music, you are missing out. Whether you listen to death metal or soft instrumental music or anything in between, try putting on some headphones and let your body take over. I did this during NaNo and surprised myself with just how much writing I could get done. Time. Will. Fly.
Lesson 10: Do something else to engage your creativity if you’re feeling stuck
There were moments during NaNo where I felt empty. Like my characters wanted to tell me the next piece of the story puzzle, but I just wasn’t feeling it. What did I do? Simple. I got out of my chair, walked over to my piano, sat down, and played. I did it even though the clock was running during my writing time. And believe it or not, it actually helped. It got my creative juices flowing again. Afterwards, I sat back down at my desk to write. And write I did.
Lesson 11: Use the writing tools that work for you
Before NaNo, I actually enjoyed using an outline. I didn’t love it, but I found some kind of satisfaction from it. Sadly, during this year’s NaNo, I scrapped it completely. At least for my current W.I.P. (Work In Progress). Will I ever use an outline again? Probably. But probably not before the writing.
If anything, I’ll end up creating an outline after I’ve written the story just to make things less messy. It’ll make the editing go much smoother, especially for someone like myself who likes to discover the characters and story. But when it comes time to do some creating, nothing beats a strong sense of discovery (sorry outliners, lol). 🙂
And last, but definitely not least…
Lesson 12: Have fun
If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know that the “F” word (f.u.n.) is something I am a huge believer in (is it really that hard to believe?). I say it often and if you follow my work, you’ll probably get sick of me saying it, but it’s important to remember to have fun.
Life is short.
Do yourself a favor and have fun with your writing. If you are fortunate enough to have air in your lungs, please write if it’s something you know you truly love. Write what feels right.
Write and have fun doing it.
NaNoWriMo. It can be a challenge. It can be fun. And it can definitely help you grow as a fiction writer if you’ve never done it before. Even if you rarely write fiction. Consider it a fun side-challenge 😉
I learned so much during my first ever NaNoWriMo. I’m glad I went through with it. But will I do it again next year? Only time (or my characters) will tell.
Jeff Aybar is a writer, writing & creativity coach, Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd, INFJ, veteran, and all-around creative. You can get a free copy of his guide for writers and artists on starting the creative journey by signing up to his newsletter HERE.