WRITING
NaNoWriMo Season Looms
Getting ready to get ready to write a novel in a month
Oh my! Is it that time of the year again? I expected the articles to start flowing in October as Preptober ramps up, but I didn’t sign-up to get called out before September had even pulled to a close. But alas, called out I am.
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The month where around the world, a ridiculous number of us writers forget about past Novembers and commit to writing a novel in a month. I shouldn’t be so harsh, I’ve ‘won’ NaNo twice and only failed… ahhh… nevermind how many times. But first, Pretober — a month of preparation because writing a novel in a month can be daunting.
If you’ve never attempted NaNo before, or if you have but have never ‘won’ (ie. written 50k words in November), or even if you have done both because let’s face it, don’t we all love tips and tricks, I recommend reading this easy to follow article by Kristy Westaway. This article suggests starting with knowing What, Who, When, and Where. I’m going to answer these for my own NaNoWriMo intentions so if you want more of an explanation of what each means, read the full article here:
Ok, lets’ play.
WHAT am I writing?
Ah crap, I don’t know. You had to go straight for the jugular, didn’t you, Kristy? I have a few options I’m weighing up. I may have to roll a D4 (I’ll ignore one side?) and see what happens.
Option 1: Streamlined — Book three in my Personal Best series. The story of Ash, a gay trans man finding himself and love. LGBTQ+ MM contemporary sports romance.
Option 2: Rainbow Circus — Book one. An LGBT2SQIA+ Circus with a side of AO kink circus nights. LGBTQ+ MM romance.
Option 3: Blood and Bone — Book one. Anton and Weylan’s physical relationship is the worst kept secret in the space academy, but no one knows how deep the feels go. Paranormal sci-fi LGBTQ+ romance.
WHO are my characters?
Well, that depends. Let’s see…
Streamlined: The main character is Ash. He returns to school after the break having finally gotten ‘something off his chest’. His bestie is Bree. She’s bubbly and… intense, but she has been his rock. His brother is Baz. Baz is not the smartest but when it comes to swimming, there is no one Ash would listen to more. The fact that Baz and Bree have been dating is weird but also, kind of right. Then there is C. C is, amazing. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, and Ash can no longer blame the feelings he has on his testosterone injections alone.
Rainbow Circus: The first book plays with the relationship between Jack and Mario (whose name keeps changing — it’s a thing). Jack is a Jack-of-all-Trades with a varied background who’s looking to fulfill his childhood dream of joining the circus. Mario is the Italian fire dancer with a secret who catches Jack’s eye… and other body parts?
Blood and Bone: Anton is a vampire. He’s rarely too far from his twin, Anastasia, both of whom are cadets of the Natural Unhuman Space Academy. Weylan is a wolf who is used to raising others up to the detriment of himself. The attraction is instant but so is the hatred for Weylan thinks Anton is a condescending ass and Anton thinks Weylan is a stupid little pup. Their physical relationship is filled with anger but behind it, something else builds.
Ok, that really didn’t help. I got a little more clarity of each of them but still, no one story is screaming at me demanding to BE THE ONE.
WHEN will I write?
Finally, an easy one. I do my best writing in the morning before my brain has had a chance to get in the way and completely derail me. If I wait too long, I’ve turned to mush and have no chance.
The target word count to hit the NaNoWriMo word count of 50k is 1667 words per day for the 30 days. I know how long it takes me to write that many words. For me, I can write that in one writing sprint of 25 minutes. Wait, wait, let me explain what that depends on.
If I have outlined my book including chapter outlines and have dot pointed out my chapters, I can turn on my voice recorder and voice to text the story. That’s the part that takes 25 minutes. But, that’s why Preptober is important for me. During October, I’ll be working on the outline and dot pointing my chapters so that I can voice to text in 25 minutes a day.
WHERE will I write?
Another easy one — wherever I am. As a house and pet sitter, I’m used to finding a place to write. I travel around to wherever I’m needed and if I’m not needed (thanks Covid), I stay in hotels or crash at my friends’ houses. Yes, I am technically homeless in that I have no permanent address but I always have a roof over my head. I’m lucky — but that’s a story for another time.
The point is, I’m used to my surroundings changing and having to find new places to write. I know what I need. A desk or table (and I can work on the lounge if that’s not available), my laptop, and power. If I have those things, I can write anywhere. Oh, and coffee. MUST HAVE COFFEE!
Preptober
I’m no closer to deciding on my project, yet. But at least I know when that decision has been made that I know what I need to do to be ready for November and NaNoWriMo.
What is your What, Who, When, What of NaNoWriMo?
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