Sunday 1 November 2009

NaNoWriMo and writing tricks

Well, I've done it.  Joined NaNoWriMo, that is.  Not done any novel writing though, which doesn't bode well for completing in 50,000 words by the end of November.  It's strange: this will be my sixth novel but at this stage I can't believe that I'm really capable of writing 100,000+ words.  And looking up at the books doesn't help because once they're properly typeset and wrapped up in their covers they stop looking like mine.  

But, five novels down, I've learned a few tricks... 

1.  Little and often is best.  Even if there's only ten minutes available, grab it and write.
2. Anything you write can be made better, so it's worth writing rubbish.
3. If stuck, write description: what your character can see, hear, touch, feel, smell.  Where are they? What are they wearing?  How do they feel? What are they thinking?  It's usually good for a couple of hundred words.
4.  You often don't know what you're writing until you've written it.  The act of writing unleashes all sorts of imaginative ideas and connections. Don't think, write.

Which is, of course, what I ought to be doing instead of blogging.  

3 comments:

Susie Vereker said...

Good advice, Sarah. I always feel I must wait until there is loads of time, then time slips away or I'm interrupted.
Welcome to the blogworld, btw.

Unknown said...

Great advice as I'm doing NaNoMo too.
thanks
lx

Sarah Duncan said...

Thanks!