November 1st marks the start of National Novel Writing Month, or best known as NaNoWriMo. Thousands of writers are given the challenge to draft 50,000 words of a novel. Sounds crazy? Perhaps it is, but you can't deny it is an exciting writing challenge! If you ever wanted to tell your story or have a particular one in mind, this task will force you to simply sit down, turn off your inner editor, and write.
The practice of writing so much so fast can really improve your craft (even if it doesn't always feel that way). If you need help writing your story, consider hiring a writing coach. I often tell my clients, "An idea is not a story until it is written." So, get on with it!
To discover how you can write a book in 30 days, check out this brief guide.
Start by planning and outlining before you start to write.
This will develop your idea and help you lay down the foundation: your plot, your characters, and who you're writing for. Write a scene-by-scene outline, describing the action and characters in each scene.
Find a story you love.
Write the book you love. If you’re creating something you aren’t head-over-heels in love with, you’ll peter out before page 50. Make something you'll be proud of for a lifetime!
Understand your audience.
That said, if you're hoping to eventually publish your novel, you'll still want to incorporate elements that appeal to your target audience. Study the market. Go to the bookstore and read on your genre. If you want to write a Young Adult novel, make sure you read YA novels. Then, start outlining your story idea.
Come up with strong characters
Whatever you do, know your characters intimately. Know them better than you know your best friend. And the way to do this is by creating a character arc. A character arc is simply an questionnaire of your character. Imagine that you are interviewing your character, asking him the what, where, when, why, and how of his life.
Do this for every character in your story. Then, do a diagram connecting how each one is related to the other. What do they want? Who's opposing that? And as you fill in the "what, when, where, and why," you'll have the plot of the story, with setting [place and time].
Getting to know your characters will naturally make them much stronger—and the more familiar you are with their personalities and motivations, the more quickly and easily you'll be able to write about them.
Finally, let your characters determine your story. Well-developed characters are key to a strong story—and if you're struggling to outline, they may just be the solution. “When you outline a character’s motivations, you'll uncover what situations would cause them the most conflict,” says ghostwriter Hannah Sandoval.
“You’ll learn how they react to situations and interact with each other. This can help you turn a general plot idea into a complex web of biting conflicts, high stakes, and exciting, realistic dialogue. And if ever you get stuck along your plot trajectory, you can use character maps to fuel a new idea!”
Schedule your writing time
Writing 1,667 words per day is a serious challenge, to say the least. But you need to find the time to do it. Set aside a certain amount of time each day, whether half an hour or two hours, to write—and then sit down and write! Scheduling this time is the only way you'll get through the month, and finish your story.
Need help writing your story? Contact me at maritza@maritzacosano.com.
Happy writing!