an editor’s approach to NaNoWriMo
By Lauren Thurman | November 17, 2022
We have officially entered the second half of November, which means that somewhere in the world, a writer is having a meltdown.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated), is an annual event that encourages writers to crank out 50,000 words during the month of November. Novelists and aspiring novelists participate globally, slogging through their projects, commiserating online, and procrastinating with abandon.
I have participated in NaNoWriMo several times. I’ve never “won” (the official term for reaching the 50K goal by November 30), but every attempt is a little more successful than the previous year. In the past, I have set and met slightly more manageable goals, but for 2022 I am striving for the big kahuna. Fifty Gs. The great MMA Championship victory against my own mind.
I’m a little behind, sure, but I’m not having a meltdown yet. Here are a few strategies and reminders that have kept me on a steady limp toward the finish line.
manage your inner editor
As both a writer and a professional editor, I know how difficult it can be to follow the advice of so many novelists and “turn off the inner editor” so that we can focus on the immediate task: getting words on the page and finishing a first draft. But for some—myself included—the inner editor is too powerful to be switched off. So instead of trying (and failing) to ignore this part of my brain, I manage it instead.
When I can tell a scene is not working out in the way I hoped, rather than start over, I write myself a note in the margins. “Let’s set it somewhere else in the second draft.” “Remove this character from the scene in the next revision.” These notes satisfy my inner editor’s desire to fix, fiddle, and fret, while giving her something to look forward to. Once this draft is finished and we can return to those notes, my inner editor is going to have some fun.
outline, outline, outline
People like to say that writers fall into two categories: “architects,” those who carefully plan the story before they start building it, and “gardeners,” those who plant an idea and see what it grows into. In theory, both types of people can successfully write and publish a novel. In practice, I have my doubts.
Planning and outlining are not necessary parts of writing a novel, but they are exceptionally useful tools. I’ve resisted the outline for a long time, believing that if I Have What It Takes, I should be able to come to my desk with a really cool idea and turn it into a story through some combination of willpower, bardic inspiration, and whisky. But that is simply not how it works! By starting with an outline, I can break the novel down into parts and create a discrete goal for each chapter and scene. This makes the project much less intimidating every time I sit down to write; little by little, I check off smaller goals, and a manuscript starts to emerge. (Whisky is still involved.)
use what motivates you
Fill in the blank: “My toxic trait is ____.”
For me, that’s “reckless and unnecessary competitiveness.” In everyday life, it detracts from my relationships and overall happiness, but during NaNoWriMo, it’s a motivator. A few friends and I will track our progress in a spreadsheet, and seeing their numbers tick up and up and up fills me with an insatiable need to see my numbers also go up. I cannot endorse this as a healthy motivation tool, but it works.
Find what motivates you, virtuous or otherwise, and see how you can apply it to your writing practice during NaNoWriMo. If you need validation, find a buddy to swap scenes with. If you’re hooked on Instagram, give your friend or partner your cell phone and make them withhold it until you’ve hit your target for the day. There is no one right way to push yourself; there is only what moves you forward.