NaNoWriMo: Places & Spaces

In continuing with our fun segments on NaNoWriMo and some easy tips and tricks to conquering the 50k beast in a month, today we're talking about places and spaces. Again, I'll reference last week's post about planning ahead but with the caveat that I'm not saying you have to have everything planned. I get bored with that myself. What I do recommend is giving some key things thought. One of those things is the setting of your novel.

Setting as a Character
Um, Emilie, you may be thinking, I'm not writing a speculative novel. I don't want my walls talking! That's not exactly what I had in mind...though hey, if that's what you write, then by all means ;-)

What I mean by this is the fact that your setting is almost as important as your main characters. (tweet this) That's why I recommend you take some time to really think through where you'll be placing your novel. Setting will help direct the outer elements that affect your characters. It will lend a type of mood to your story. It will also place limitations on you. Once you decide what season(s) your book will be in, then the location during that season will have to be taken into account.

It's in the Details 
Consider your setting as an enhancement. This follows the idea of your setting as a type of character. If your novel is taking place on the white sands of Hawaii or in the dark forests of the Pacific Northwest (with or without sparkling vampires...) that will give a feeling to your writing. A novel in Hawaii will likely be enhanced by the scents of coconut, the feel of sand between your characters feet, and the warmth and comfort of sunshine on their shoulders. Conversely, a novel set in Washington State will likely involve the dampness of rain, the brilliance of deep green forests, and the continual need for you characters to drink coffee. No matter where you place your novel, make sure you can draw in details that will bring vibrancy to your writing. (tweet this)

Know Your Space
This goes to the minute details of your writing. Once you've chosen your place, you must know your space. (tweet this) Just as you are relying on a knowledge of a location, you should also have a good idea of your characters spaces like office, house, favorite restaurants--anywhere that they will (or may) go to.

Depicting details of the space your character is in will help your reader visualize the location, furniture, atmosphere etc. Bring your reader in with details like the ugly Tiffany lamp your characters aunt has had for years or the orange shag rug that hasn't been vacuumed since 1950. Plus, all these details take up glorious words (hehe).

Tips

• Use Pinterest to create a board for your novel. Pin things like decor, houses, locations, and city skylines to help you when you're needing inspiration.
• Print and post a few pics in front of your work station if necessary.
• Use Google maps and street view for a detailed visual of locations and to help you plot out specific details to ad
• Talk to someone from the location (if you're not familiar with it)
• Go to the town's website. Most have them and you can find helpful, touristy info there.
• Take time visualizing the interior spaces and get a feel for the house. Make sure you write this down - you wouldn't want your character to go to the left into the kitchen when two pages before they were going to the right side of the house. 

Check out these previous posts:
NaNoWriMo: Why We Write
NaNoWriMo: Brainstorming Tips 

Join our support group to make it through the ups and downs of NaNo:
2015 NaNoWriMo {Support Group} | Facebook

Check out this super fun Blab I was a part of yesterday with amazing authors Johnnie Alexander (a previous guest here on my blog), her daughter and non-fiction author Bethany Jett, and editor Anna Floit of The Peacock Quill. We chat about fun NaNoWriMo stuff and just had a blast!

NaNoWriMo Prep Blab

NaNoWriMo: Plan Ahead - 10 Brainstorming Tips

Including today, we have 22 days until NaNo starts!

No wait! Come back! It's okay - take a deep breath, everything will be all right. Don't freak out. Planning a novel is a big undertaking but, like most overwhelming things in life, taking it one step at a time and planning ahead usually alleviates some of that stress.

Today I'm going to share ten brainstorming tips for your NaNo novel. Even if you're a "pantzer" (think: someone who flies by the seat of their pants to write their novel) it can't hurt to write a few things down ahead of time...right?

10 Brainstorming Tips

1. Write, draw, or paint it out
Depending on what form of expression you prefer, this first tip is simple. Put your ideas out there. I use a white board and paper but it's really up to you.

I recommend having these things (though this isn't a complete list):

• Character names
• Character descriptions (this can be as simple or complex as you like)
• Goal, conflict, motivation for your characters
• Basic plot arc (see #9)
• Location details
• Minimal research you may need on hand
• Key ideas & themes

2. Talk to someone
Felling drained of great ideas? Talk with someone! No, this doesn't have to be a writer - literally anyone will do. Last week my community group and I started talking about my writing and they gave me some pretty interesting ideas for some plots - granted a lot of them were slightly far-fetched, but it was inspirational. Steal from your friends. If they aren't writers, chances are they won't mind a bit if you use their idea. Maybe ask to be sure though...

3. Think on it
For those of us with busy lives this is hard...but take time to think. Showers are my favorite time to brainstorm, but this will work anywhere/anytime. Be wary of thinking too much right before bed though...those pesky ideas will keep you awake.

4. Take a walk
Explore your neighborhood or local park/hiking trail. I find being outside to be extremely stimulating to my mind.

5. Listen to music 
This can be combined with the walk or separate, but music can be a fantastic inspiration. I've got a whole Spotify playlist devoted to my scifi/dystopian novel and all I need to do is listen to a few songs to get my thoughts flying in many  directions.

6. Seek inspiration 
This may seem redundant, but sometimes inspiration doesn't just fall into your lap. Sometimes you have to search for it. Aside from what I've already listed, I've also found these things helpful: news articles, asking "what if" questions, starting with one idea and asking why, reading great books, looking at photos for inspiration...the list goes on.

7. Don't take your first idea
This is more on the technical side of things, but as you're brainstorming situations, don't just take the first thought that comes to mind. Allow your characters to fail (tweet this) and then show your readers how they find a new way--dare I say a better way?--around the issue.

8. Dig deeper
Remember those 22 days? Use them! Don't just let yourself dawdle up until the night of October 31st. Take the gift of time you have (even if that's 10 minute's a day) and plan. Explore motivations and dig deep into the minds and hearts of your characters. (tweet this) Chances are if you know them, they will tell you what happens.

9. Perfect form
There are a lot of ways to structure your novel and a lot of great books about these methods. You may not have time to read them all by Nov. 1st, but I would recommend taking a look at some of their ideas (whether that's through Google or Pinterest research or talking with your writing pals). I tend to use the Three-Act structure in its simplest form at the onset of my novel.

*Check out these awesome books about structure: Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell (fantastic read), How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson (I've heard great things about this), Story Trumps Structure by Steven James (on my list), Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke (own it and it's in my TBR pile!).

10. When all else fails...fake it
 This may completely discredit the rest of these 9 tips, but at the end of the day you may find yourself a dried up well just waiting for someone to toss in a penny of an idea. If that's the case, it's okay! You can still make it. Pick your character names and when November 1st hits, write. That truly is jumping in the deep end, but it's about the process not necessarily the product at this stage.

What do you think? Which of these is your favorite tip? Have you used them before? Got any to add? Put your suggestions in the comments below so we can all share in the learning experience.

NaNoWriMo: Why We Write

The first of November will bring an odd phenomenon. Thousands of people across the nation (and beyond?) will join together in a Herculean effort. They will attempt what may appear impossible...

Writing 50,000 words in 1 month. 

Take a moment for your brain to wrap around that number. 50,000 words. And yes, I can tell you what that is in pages... 125.6 pages single-spaced, 206.4 pages double-spaced, and roughly 142-166 pages in a published novel (though this varies a lot). Yep, that's quite the feat for 30 days.

Let me guess...your next question is WHY?

It's simple. If you are a writer you are likely to shrug at this and say, "Why wouldn't I want to do that?" If you're not a writer but think you might want to be, you may say, "I guess I could try..." and if you aren't a writer you're probably thinking, "That sounds like torture."

All of those are perfectly reasonable responses, but let me explain from my personal perspective. As someone who has participated in NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month for the newbie) for 7 years now and "won" 6 of those 7 years, I've been NaNo-ing for quite some time and have experienced the range of emotions that flow through those 4 weeks.

Excitement. Exuberance. Thrill. Determination. Apprehension. Tiredness. Commitment. Fear. Discernment. Terror. Exhaustion. Mania. Doubt. Success!

It goes something like that and yet every year I look forward to November like a child does to Christmas morning. It's my time. Not only is it during my favorite season of Fall, but it's centered around something I love: writing. Because of that love, I've decided to highlight 5 benefits to participating in NaNoWriMo on the blog today. 

The 5 Why's of NaNoWriMo

1. Because you have a novel to write.
If you're a writer, you have to write. It's not an option. If that's the case, then there's an idea in there waiting to be born. Why not use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to get it out?

2. Because you're already busy. 
I've heard it all before. But I'm busy. But there's this...that...or the other--going on. Sorry, but you'll always be busy so that's no excuse NOT to write a novel in a month. (See what I did there?)

3. Because everyone needs a little healthy competition.
I'm not typically competitive, but I have found that racing against a month-long clock with an impending word-quota per day has been excellent motivation to get my novel out--and I mean now. 

4. Because...November.
What better time to write a novel in a month? I mean, it's perfectly acceptable to lounge in sweats (or PJs) all day...to drink massive amounts of coffee/tea/apple cider...be wrapped in blankets...and to eat all things pumpkin. Talk about perfect conditions for novel-creation.

5. Because...Why not? 
At the end of the day, it doesn't harm anyone (except maybe the ultra-competitive) to start a novel and not finish the 50k in a month. I'm by no means encouraging slacking off, but there's no harm in trying it. Who knows? You may just find that success.

That's why we do it. We may be crazy, but we're writers. It comes with the territory. We spend hours a day arguing with non-existent people who talk back to us, but hey--that's how we work. We create and we like challenges. NaNo is the perfect challenge.

I'll be posting some tips and tricks for NaNo during this month, but they'll be helpful for all writers regardless or not if you are joining the insanity that is NaNoWriMo. I also promise to making them entertaining so you non-writers can still enjoy! Hey, maybe I'll convince YOU to write a novel? ;-)

Looking for like-minded writers to join in this fight with? Request to join my NaNoWriMo Support Group on Facebook. It's a lot of fun!

If you're interested in more NaNoWriMo tips check out my posts from last year:

7 Suggestions | NaNoWriMo Prep (Part 1)
The 7 Snacks of NaNo | NaNoWriMo Prep (Part 2)
What to do when you're not feeling the NaNo | NaNoWriMo (Part 3)
NaNoing to Success | NaNoWriMo (Part 4)