WRITING

NaNoWriMo Advice and Rainbow Circus Challenges

Day 24 Preptober writing prompt challenge

Day 24: What are 3 pieces of information for NaNoWriMo newbies? OR What are 3 challenges that you think you will face during NaNoWriMo?

Question from the Preptober 31 Day Challenge from the Character Collective.

Rainbow Circus — Knot That Hot

Here we are again with yet another daily Preptober challenge. Today’s question has two options and you know what? I’m going to answer both because overachiever much? Just a little. I’m an experienced NaNoWriMo’er, so I have an idea how I will answer the first part of this question; however, with every book comes new challenges and this year’s project, Knot That Hot (Book 1 Rainbow Circus), is no different. Let’s play!

What are 3 pieces of information for NaNoWriMo newbies?

1. Use Preptober to your advantage

Preptober is about preparing yourself to go into NaNoWriMo. It’s about planning out your story, getting to know your characters, building your world. It’s about preparing everything you need so that come November 1st, you can just sit down and write. If you haven’t already, go back to day 1 of these Pretober challenges and go through them because they have been incredible for me in developing my story and specifically, my characters.

Prepare everything you need so that come November 1st, you can just sit down and write.

2. Don’t be scared to try — you won’t ‘fail’

To NaNoWriMo newbies everywhere, please hear this one if you possibly can — there is no such thing as failure. Whether you ‘win’ NaNoWriMo or not, whether you even start NaNoWriMo or not, you’re going to learn something.

I’ve had plenty of times where I’ve intended to do NaNoWriMo and then just… haven’t. I even had one time I completely forgot I even submitted to join. But I’ve had other times where I’ve smashed my targets. In 2019, I ‘won’ NaNoWriMo (i.e./ reached 50,000 words) on November 12. Yes, I wrote a novel in 12 days. But it was all of those perceived ‘failures’ that were in fact, lessons, that prepared me to be able to do that because, in every one of those attempts (and non-attempts), I learned something new. I learned about what I like and what I don’t like, what I’m capable of, what distracts me, why I do things, and why I don’t. Every single ‘attempt’ was a lesson.

You’re going to learn something.

3. It’s not a competition

My final piece of information for NaNoWriMo newbies is that it is not a competition. Don’t let the word, challenge, get in the way. You’re not competing with anyone else and you’re not even competing with yourself. NaNoWriMo is an opportunity, an excuse if you need it, to do an incredible thing. To reach this remarkable goal and achieve something perhaps you’ve always wanted to. Having said that, if you are the kind of person that works well under pressure and needs to turn it into a competition, knock yourself out, but just remember that somebody else’s achievement is not your failure, nor is your achievement their failure.

Somebody else’s achievement is not your failure, nor is your achievement their failure.

In conclusion, my three pieces of information for NaNoWriMo newbies are:

1. Use Preptober to your advantage.

2. Don’t be scared to try — you won’t ‘fail’.

3. It’s not a competion.

What are 3 challenges that you think you will face during NaNoWriMo?

1. Consistency and project management

First, I need to get back into the consistency of writing fiction every day. I’ve slipped off that podium a little. Although I’ve been writing here on Medium, my current novel, Negative Split (Streamlined Book 2), kind of fell by the wayside. There are many reasons for that and a few of them are character-based, but it does create the problem that I now have a half-written book that I need to complete, either before I start NaNoWriMo, or that I’ll need to work on concurrently with Knot That Hot.

I need to get back into the consistency of writing fiction every day

2. Fluctuating character dynamic

The characters themselves are presenting me with a bit of challenge — their interactive dynamic keeps shifting! If you’ve been following along with my Preptober Challenge posts, you know what I mean. Jack (my Jack-of-all-trades including Shibari rope tier) and Mario (my fire performer and Italian adonis — his description), are a little confusing to me. I have much clarity around some aspects of their pasts, personalities, and relationship, but their dynamic seems to fluctuate. I’m not sure if that’s just how their relationship is and I haven’t yet been able to reconcile that, or if I’m missing something.

Jack and Mario, are a little confusing to me

3. My own emotional connection

The third challenge I’m very aware of is one that is quite personal and may or may not prove to be an issue. If you’ve been following me as a writer, not just my Preptober challenges, then you may be aware that I recently started a new medication to treat a hormonal deficiency. In the three weeks that I’ve been on my treatments, I haven’t written anything in any of my novels. I’ve written a little fiction on here, not much, but I haven’t gone into the depths of the emotional character connections. I’m not yet sure how my medication may affect my mental status around that.

Let me explain why this is a challenge. My medication has evened me out more than I expected. I’m not as quick to emote in any direction and I have a little more understanding and control of what’s happening in my head, which is new. When I write, I give myself over completely to the characters. Again, you may have experienced this already through some of the conversations with my characters throughout these Preptober challenges. I’m glad that I’ve been doing those because they’ve given me a little indication that it’s going to be okay, but I still have that slight concern that I may not have as deep an emotional connection with my characters and story and as I usually do. I dare say this is an unfounded concern but there’s only one way to be sure — start writing.

I’m not sure how my medication may affect my emotional connection with my characters and story.

In conclusion, my three challenges for NaNoWriMo are:

1. Consistency and project management

2. Fluctuating character dynamic

3. My own emotional connection

It’s good to verbalize these things because it’s only an awareness that you can move forward. At least now I know what to be aware of. I hope this has helped with your own project and if you are a NaNoWriMo newbie, remember:

NaNoWriMo is an opportunity! Make it fun, not painful.

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