My New Marathon

Back in the spring, in a fit of overzealous-ness, Jess and I decided we should train for a marathon.

For a while, we did. But then life got in the way, getting complicated and busy, and was too much fun to find time to run for hours a day (and much too hot). So we realized the insanity of that decision, chalked our $80 fee up to a hard-learned lesson and moved on.

Now, however, we're about to start a new marathon. And we're pulling people down - oops, I mean, convincing them to take the journey - with us. (Jim, you're such a good sport. Ashley, are you in?)

NaNoWriMo begins on Thursday. Our goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Each of us. At the end of November, there will be at least three more novels in the world. The idea is simply that aspiring authors may never actually write an entire novel if they can't do the hard part in 30 days. They're probably right.

And, because I think we're all starting to realize the insanity of this new "marathon," I went to the Winston-Salem Writers program on how to survive NaNoWriMo tonight.

So, here are the tips. (Sorry, I took lots of notes.)

1. Trick your internal censors - write faster!
2. Accept that your novel will be crap - now. Move on.
3. Stick to your deadline. Set mini deadlines. Reward yourself for meeting them.
4. Don't procrastinate. Make your deadline three weeks instead of four.
5. Brag. Tell everyone you know you're doing NaNoWriMo. Just don't tell the people at your office - unless they'd be ok with you writing at work. This will help keep you accountable - and hopefully, on track.
6. Write a contract with yourself and sign it. Make the penalty significant. (Suggestion: pick the one organization you really hate and write a significant donation check to them. If you don't meet your goal, send it.)
7. Get a writing buddy.
8. Take bets that you'll actually accomplish this goal. Make them good. $5, $10, $50 that you will finish the novel. No dishes for the next six months. Or lawn mowing. Or taking out the trash. Or cleaning toilets. Remember those bets when you seem to have writer's block or you find yourself procrastinating. Definitely remember those bets when you finish your novel and go to collect. You'll deserve it.
9. Create a "good space" in which to write. Clean it before 11/1. Remove all non-novel related distractions. Include your list of Novel Sins (the stuff you hate in books) and Novel Virtues (the stuff you can't get enough of in books). Have snacks and/or coffee nearby. Don't make yourself go to the kitchen to nosh.
10. Find a writing totem. It can be a hat, scarf, gloves, mask - anything. Not only does this help to prepare your mind to write your 1,667 words everyday, it can be an outward sign to others in your family that they're not to bother you.
11. Play music, if it helps. Wear headphones to block out other noises. If you can find music appropriate to your theme, even better.
12. Keep a notebook or recorder with you at all times. You never know when your next plot point will arrive and you don't want to forget it.
13. Get a magical pen. Get two. Bless them, knowing they've got all the characters, plot, settings, etc. inside of them. Use the second when the first runs out of ink (or magic).
14. Ditch the reference books. Italicize/bold/highlight that which needs help and do it later. You don't have time to edit and/or rewrite during NaNoWriMo. If you do, you don't have a life. You can rewrite for the next 11 months of the year, until NaNoWriMo 2008. Let it go.
15. Develop your characters (slightly) now, if you have a chance. If not, it's no big deal. Just don't spend too much time planning when you should be writing later.
16. Don't worry about plot. It will take care of itself.
17. Keep your locations familiar, or, if you must set a scene in an unfamiliar place, don't spend a lot of time on the research of the place. You just don't have that luxury.
18. Create tension. Twist the plot. Include conflict.
19. Don't use the second-person point-of-view. Write from the first person if you must, but you'll get bored somewhere through the novel if you do. If you can write in third person, do. This allows you to "move around" and add perspective to your novel.
20. Everyday, after hitting your 1,667 goal, stop at an exciting point. Don't finish the thought/graph. Give yourself the gift of starting excited every day.

Anyone want to join us? You just have to come up with 50,000 words by the end of November, starting this Thursday. And, I'd say wish us luck, but luck has nothing to do with it.