Write, Eat, Sleep, Repeat... 30 Days, 50,000 Words. How to Win NaNoWriMo: Crafting Characters and Conflict

By Emma Bennet

Out of the half a million writers attempting to write 50,000 words in 30 days for National Novel Writing Month each November, only 10-15% of them succeed. However, these odds can be vastly improved by having the right strategies in place to break the challenge down throughout the month so you're putting yourself in the very best position to be a NaNoWriMo winner!

 

'Write, Eat, Sleep, Repeat…' aims to help you prepare for and take part in NaNoWriMo in the smartest way possible, and to provide you with the tools and methods you need to give you the best chance of success. 

 

With sections on preparing for NaNoWriMo, staying motivated and what to do if you get behind, as well as real-life anecdotes, motivation, and expert tips from seasoned NaNoWriMo champions, "Write, Eat, Sleep, Repeat" is your passport to NaNo victory.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emma Bennet
• Release date: Sep 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781913371142

Book preview

Write, Eat, Sleep, Repeat…

30 Days, 50,000 words. How to Win NaNoWriMo

Emma Bennet

First published in Great Britain in 2023 by Hector Paris Press

© Emma Bennet

The right of Emma Bennet to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.

E-book ISBN: 978-1-913371-14-2

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-913371-15-9

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Contents

NaNo-What Now?

Camp NaNoWriMo

But What If I Don’t Want To Be The Same As Everyone Else?

Why Would Anyone Want To Do This To Themselves?

My First NaNoWriMo

My First Camp NaNoWriMo

Preptober

Do I Have To Plan Out My Whole Story? I’m A Pantser!

Consider Story Beats…

How To Improve Your Word Count

Setting Up an Account on the NaNoWriMo Website

Getting Started

What Happens If I Start Late?

Keeping Motivated

The Week Three Slump

The Last Few Days

Tips For How To Catch Up If You’re Behind With Your Word Count

What if I Lose NaNoWriMo?

My Top 10 Tips for Success

Advice From Other NaNoWriMo Winners

Useful Resources

And Finally, Camp NaNo April 2023 Update

And Finally, Finally…

About The Author

Acknowledgements

NaNo-What Now?

For those not in the know, NaNoWriMo (or NaNo for short) stands for National Novel Writing Month and is a challenge which takes place every November.

During the thirty days of November, writers attempt to create a fifty thousand word first draft of a book. That’s right, 50k in 30 days, which equates to 1667 (to the nearest whole number) a day. It’s not for the faint-hearted!

National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 and there were 51,670 NaNo winners in 2022. Not everyone who attempts NaNoWriMo wins it by any means, in fact out of the half a million writers who attempt it each year, only 10-15% of them win! Why is this? Presumably, these entrants are setting out with good intentions and the majority with a plan of how they are going to achieve it…

Obviously, there will be times when things completely out of a writer’s control get in the way of their NaNo. You could get sick, have a family emergency, you could need to work on something else, or you might just do a few days of NaNo and realise it’s not for you. But 85-90% of people not reaching their goal? Surely some of this must come down to the enormity of the task and perhaps not having the strategies available to break the challenge down throughout the month so that you’re putting yourself in the very best position to be a NaNoWriMo winner!

The aim of this book is to help you prepare for and take part in NaNoWriMo in the smartest way possible, and to provide you with the tools and methods you need to give you the best chance of success. And it’s not just my advice you’ll be receiving, towards the back of this book there are tips, tricks and tales of overcoming adversity to win NaNo from several authors I’ve been honoured to do NaNoWriMo alongside!

Camp NaNoWriMo

As well as NaNo, there’s also Camp