I have never participated in NaNoWriMo for multiple reasons. One is that November is crazy busy for me as I try to wrap up the fall semester at the university where I teach, grade final papers, prepare for final exams, etc. Added to that are holiday shopping, my daughter's birthday, and the craziness of the season.
But I've always wondered if it's wise to rush a book and write it so quickly and if I could do it.
So, I decided to challenge myself and write Christmas Without You in one month.
The secret, I think, is in the pre-planning. I made the decision to write this book in late December. I started playing with ideas at that time, simply thinking of possible themes and plots that interested me in these types of Christmas stories.
Between January and March, I planned or outlined the story. I thought about it, ran scenes through my mind, and discarded many ideas. I took notes. I briefly created character profiles, and I do mean briefly. I wrote down a bit of their relevant history, where they lived, what their current jobs were, and what drew them apart the first time they were in love.
Then, in April, I was ready to begin writing. The goal was to finish by May. This would be a 60,000 word book, so I divided the words into 30 days and committed to writing approximately 2000 words (eight pages) per day. This was completely doable and I started to understand how writers who take on the NaNoWriMo challenge actually accomplish their goal.
About three days before the end of the month, I finished the rough draft of the book - shy of the 60K words, but that was perfectly fine because I am a minimalist writer, and I always have to go back and add sensory descriptions which tend to add to my word count.
I wrote early in the morning before work or at night after work.
The lessons here, for me and maybe for you too are:
Planning and briefly outlining a story is crucial.
Writing a book in a month is possible!
If I prioritize writing and make time for it, I will always have time to write.
Set writing goals and stick to them.
Have you ever written a book in a month?
