NaNoWriMo Week 2 Problems – Tips to Keep You Going

For some strange reason, many NaNoWriMo participants find week two to be a particularly difficult week to get through. According to Chris Baty in “No Plot? No Problem!” he believes it happens right as the novelty of National Novel Writing Month begins to wear off.

Whatever the reason happens to be, it has been challenging for me in the past as well. This year, (and I’m afraid I will jinx myself) all is still going well and the words still continue to flow each day. Of course, it helps a lot, that I am “writing what I know” this year and writing a book based on a real life situation. That has made a difference.

I have collected these useful tips to keep you going this week, and so that you don’t give up.

Don’t Start Over: For some reason, week two brings on lots of NaNo’ers that decide to scrap their original story idea, and try for a new plot that spontaneously seemed to have combusted inside their brains over the course of the past week while they were writing their original idea. Don’t do this. If you need to, make some notes about the new idea, or better yet, if its possible – try to incorporate it in some way with your new idea. Create a dream sequence, or have one of the characters telling a story, etc. Honestly, you will regret changing your story this week, and having not stuck with your original idea. Push on, and you will get over this hump.

Plot Problems? Keep Pushing. If you still have no idea how your plot is going to pan out, there is no need to panic. This is another situation that is common to many writers during this period, you are not alone. Keep pushing forward. Write as much as you can – keep your characters moving. Even if it doesn’t seem as if plot is happening. Eventually you will break out of this rut (next week) and all of a sudden, things you never saw coming will be happening and you will love it. Just keep up with your word counts, even through the struggle and you will come out on top. Promise.

Character Switch.If you find yourself getting stuck, or find yourself getting bored or annoyed with one of your main characters, try bringing on of your minor characters to the front for awhile. Sometimes it happens that the story we are trying to tell, is better told from a different point of view than what we first started with. Even if you switch back (which is done in lots of novels), it will help keep you going and get your writing flowing again.

Back It Up. No, this is not some fancy phrase for some great writing technique – well it is, but not for week 2 problems. Take the time now to back your novel up. You should already be doing that each time you write, but I cannot tell you how many times over the years I have heard of someone having to start several thousand words back, or even all over because they didn’t back up their novel and it just went poof. Be sure to back it up regularly and in more than one location.

Good luck guys!!

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Behind on Your Word Count?

We are officially a week into NaNoWriMo and it is at this point, that many participants begin to fall behind. Sometimes these are the same people who were massively ahead in the first few days.

So what do you do? Do you throw in the towel? Absolutely not.

Here are a few ideas that might help.

• Word Wars. Try participating in a word war with someone. Set a specific amount of time and write your heart out. Try not to stop and keep it focused on what you need to happen in your story. I’ve come out of many writer’s blocks by participating in word wars, and then I’ve also wound up with whole sections I needed to delete at the end, but for right now – they are still part of the story.
• Chapter Hop. Try writing ahead. Try writing a particular scene or situation that you know you want in your story. Even if you aren’t there yet, sometimes it will help you go back and fill in the gaps down the road. Last year I did this, and in one writing session I wound up with over 5000 words on one chapter that I was dying to write. I was able to then go back and it was much easier to fill in the gaps leading to that scene.
• Try a creative writing exercise. Find a word prompt or just write something creative from the viewpoint of your character. Who knows, perhaps at the end you can use it in your novel, and if not, you might feel more prepared to begin writing again.
• Take a break. Try watching a half hour of TV or reading a book. Don’t just sit and mindlessly stare at the TV. Think about the plot of whatever you are watching. Think about the characters. Think about what you would have changed or written differently, if you had been the writer of the show or author of the book.
• Try using Write or Die. If you’ve never used it before, many NaNo’ers swear by it. It keeps you writing non-stop and sometimes you can even come up with new material and your characters can take you in directions you didn’t see happening. And now there is a desktop version. You don’t even have to be connected to use it, keeping the distractions at a minimum.
• Plan a vacation for your characters. Take them somewhere new. In your story, have them go on a short vacation. Even if it doesn’t fit in the theme of the book, you can have them win a weekend getaway or something similar from a local radio station or library or something. Taking your characters on vacation could be just what the doctor ordered – for them AND for you.

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NaNoWriMo Day 2

Well, the second day of NaNoWriMo is coming to a close. I am a little over my targeted goal for today. Not as much as I’d like, but my goal is to write better this year, even if I never actually get to be ‘ahead’. While this is a rough draft, it is still something I would like to not have to make massive plot changes with.

How are you doing so far on NaNo? I had intended to put up a pep talk on Halloween, but Movie Maker won’t recognize the video format. Don’t ask, long story.
So then today, I got that all ironed out. Used a new digital video recorder and taped about 5 minutes worth of clips to put together for a day 2 pep talk, only to have the whole folder disappear. I have no idea where it went and I was too frustrated to keep looking for it.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I will work on a recorded pep talk with tips and maybe before November is over, I can actually PUBLISH it. LOL

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Happy Halloween and NaNoWriMo Eve

First, Happy Halloween. If you are going trick or treating tonight, have fun and be safe. Oh, and take lots of pictures so I can laugh at you so I can see how much fun you had!

I cannot believe that NaNoWriMo is seriously almost here – I’m just over 12 hours away from being able to start. It’s about time too, because I’ve been warding off my plot bunnies for many days now, and am still happily sticking to the second plot idea I came up with. I won’t let her in anymore, because she keeps trying to change my mind.

The Aussie’s have already started their NaNoWriMo. Funny, I wish I was them. I’m ready to get started (as I’m sure you couldn’t tell by my blog or if you follow me on twitter).

So here are a few things you can do today to pass the time and get you ready to write.

• Make sure your character is not a Mary Sue.
• Fill out a character worksheet to get to know your MC better.
• Practice your writing without stopping.
• Spend some time on the NaNo Forums.
• Keep your eye out for my video pep talk coming later this afternoon.

Have any advice for NaNoWriMo? Post it below

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