NaNoWriMo 2016: Plan & Resources

NaNoWriMo 2016 Tools & Resources

NaNoWriMo 2016 is well underway. Plotters have their stories outlined. Pantsers have hit the ground running. And aspiring and experienced novelists alike have that 50k word target in their sights.

Today let's talk about the NaNoWriMo writing process -- what we're working on, how we've scheduled our writing time during November, and what tools and resources we use to keep us on track.

NaNoWriMo 2016: Project & Plan

Let's start off with a quick look at my NaNoWriMo plans this year.


Update: I wasn't feeling in a great position to write something "light" like a rom-com this month. So even though I'd started making slow progress, I made a decision to (again) change focus.

Rather than trying to outline another new novel idea from scratch, I turned to my project files. I'd outlined a much grittier novel about 8 years ago scene-by-scene. The notes, character sketches, and such were probably the most thorough of any outline I'd done. So it was all set up and ready to go.

Given that I knocked out nearly 7000 words in the first writing session, I think it's pulling me in enough to still be doable even though I'm terribly behind. Info about the new novel is first below, but I'll leave the old plan up too (marked). I doubt at this point that I'll ever pursue the rom-com idea, but you never know.


About This Year's NaNoWriMo Novel (New Plan)

Here's the plan for the new NaNoWriMo project (the novel I'd outlined 8 years ago).

  • It's a horror novel.
  • More specifically it's in the vampire sub-genre (why I shelved the project when I originally plotted it; it's not my style to jump on an over-saturated trend, and it's clear that was picking up by the time I'd finished the outline -- around when the Twilight films began coming out).
  • This is a gritty urban (Brooklyn) story unlike any others I've tackled so far. It'll have quite a bit of violence and death and much more sex than most fiction I write (though neither gratuitous). It'll also have a bit of mystery and a cat-and-mouse aspect, and of course the supernatural elements. Yet, despite the violence, it's more psychological horror than a stereotypical "blood and guts" affair.
  • It's a very different spin on vampire mythology, though it ties back to certain elements in Slavic folklore (specifically from western Poland; chosen because of the heavy Polish influence in my hometown in Brooklyn which is the model for the fictional neighborhood, as well as my own family's ties to western Poland and my ability to put past research into the area and family stories to use).
  • The story revolves around a young woman who is an unusual type of vampire. It leaves her with a bit of an identity crisis. And while she kills, it's not for the reasons you would think or in the ways you would think.

And there you go. That's probably all I can say without giving away too much of the plot.

About This Year's NaNoWriMo Novel (Old Plan)

I don't like to share a lot of background about fiction projects that are in-progress, but here's a little bit about this year's NaNoWriMo novel:

  • It's a contemporary romance (again -- same as last year, though the projects aren't related).
  • It will most likely cross into romantic comedy territory.
  • This was a last-minute choice; I'd originally planned to write a drama (but wasn't really in the mood for one and wanted something a bit "lighter").
  • The idea stemmed from a conversation with another writer a couple of months back. She said something that made me joke about a writer living through her book's main character, and we fleshed the idea out a bit then. But there never seemed to be an end game to the concept. So it was shelved. It was when I reconsidered other angles for the planned drama that this idea came back to mind and a romance angle seemed to make the most sense for it. While romance isn't my typical fare (give me a devious little cozy mystery or a good haunting horror story any day), this is one I think I'll be able to get into and draft pretty quickly.
  • The general idea revolves around a successful novelist who gets so caught up living vicariously through her character(s) that she essentially stops living her life in the real world (at least when it comes to her love life).
  • Other characters include her agent, a fellow writer / critique partner, her editor, and her sister, along with several more minor characters.
  • The story largely focuses on her ability (or inability) to relate to these people -- in the context of not only a romantic storyline with one of them, but also her sister constantly trying to fix her up against her will, and her publisher pushing for the next book in her popular series (while she's torn between dragging it out to another book versus finally letting go of the characters she's latched onto by making this book her last in the series).

And that's the gist. It's outlined. Every scene is mapped out. And I'm finally ready to start writing. Better late than never!

My 2016 NaNoWriMo Writing Plan

I have to admit, my NaNoWriMo plan is a bit "off" this year. Normally I have a simple schedule: I take off Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the following weekend, and I take off all other Sundays during November. Then I schedule my writing time across the remaining days.

This year, I got a late start to NaNoWriMo because I missed the first four days of the month. So I had to adapt things a bit. I still plan to take off Thanksgiving and Black Friday. But I don't intend to take off every Sunday.

I haven't decided whether I'll take off the weekend after the holiday this year. I'm likely going to schedule them as "off" days (I'm still finalizing my word count schedule for when I start drafting later today). Then, if I fall behind, I'll use them for a couple of writing sprints if I need to.

Other than that, I'm taking my usual "top-down" approach. I plan for much heavier word count goals at the start of the month, and by the end of the month I only have to write a few hundred words per day.

This strategy knocks the bulk of the writing out when I have the most energy (though the site re-launch and anniversary month here this November have taken their toll in that area and I'm going to find out the hard way if I can pull off a miracle with a few big word count days once I get busy drafting later).

NaNoWriMo Resources & Tools

Now that you have the basic gist of what I'm writing and what my plan is for this year's NaNoWriMo, let's look at some of the tools and resources I'll be using.

Blog Word Count Tracker

While I haven't added a word count tracker to the sidebar here yet for this year's novel, I will later today when I finish my first day of writing for the month. (Update: You can now see my current word count progress at the top of the blog sidebar.) I generally use the one offered here in the All Freelance Writing Resource Collection.

I'm a big fan of using public word count trackers during NaNoWriMo for the accountability factor. I'm less likely to slack off for days when I know other people can see my progress, or lack thereof (except at the start of the month this year apparently).

 

26.85%

13427 / 50000 words

 

 

This is an example of what it would look like in its medium format (it comes in three default sizes). You can choose whether or not to show the percentage. And if you know how to style in code a bit, you can change the bar size, colors, and more manually to make it match your site's color scheme.

Monthly Word Count Planner (Calendar)

In addition to a word count tracker to help me monitor my progress, I use a word count planner in a calendar format. This is where I plan out my writing schedule ahead of time -- days off, how many words per day, etc.

If you split your month into equal word count goals each day, you might not need something like this. But if you follow a more varied approach like the top-down method I mentioned above, it can be quite helpful.

I use a customized calendar for this, but I created a simplified version for the monthly writing challenges in the writing forums. You can access it from  the Resources page, or preview and download it below.

Download

Scrivener

Scrivener Mystery Template Binder ViewWhile I love using Scrivener for blogging and even some freelance writing projects, it's predominantly my go-to software for long-form writing. That makes it perfect for NaNoWriMo.

I'm the first to admit there's a bit of a learning curve to Scrivener (OK, quite a bit of one). So if you aren't familiar with it before NaNoWriMo, it might be best to wait until next year. But if you have it, it's one of the best organizational tools you'll find for laying out your novel.

You can include all of your research, notes, outlines, chapters, scenes -- everything -- in a single project file, unlike with a traditional word processor.

To give you an idea of how you might map out a novel, look at the image to the left. This is the setup in my Scrivener murder mystery novel template (free download).

A murder mystery setup is going to be a bit more complicated than other novel types, including mine for this year. So your organizational structure in Scrivener won't necessarily have to be that complex. This is just to give you an idea of what you can do, all from within a single project / file.

What kind of novel are you working on for NaNoWriMo this year? Do you have any favorite tools or resources to make the process easier? Tell us about them in the comments.

Profile image for Jennifer Mattern

Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance business writer, consultant, and indie author. She runs numerous websites & blogs including All Freelance Writing, Freelance Writing Pros, NakedPR, and Kiss My Biz.

Jenn has 25 years' experience as a professional writer and editor and over 20 years' experience in marketing and PR (working heavily in digital PR, online marketing, social media, SEO, new media, and thought leadership publication). She also has 19 years' professional blogging and web publishing experience (including web development) and around 18 years of experience as an indie author / publisher.

Jenn also writes fiction under multiple pen names and is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association.

Subscribe to the All Freelance Writing newsletter to get freelance writing updates from Jenn in your inbox.

Get More Content Like This in Your Inbox

Did you enjoy this post? If so, please subscribe to the All Freelance Writing newsletter where you'll be notified of new blog articles and receive subscribers-only content.

Subscribe now.


7 thoughts on “NaNoWriMo 2016: Plan & Resources”

  1. Just starting today, too. Took a while to get the ideas for scenes and a sequence of events. I’m writing historical fiction with a paranormal twist! Need to find someone to give me a kick in the ass every once in a while lol

    Reply
    • Hi Rae. While I’m sorry you’re off a slow start too, I’m glad it’s not just me! I hope you had a productive first day. And if you ever need a kick in the ass, this is the right place. Feel free to comment here with updates or start a thread in the forum if you want a place all your own to talk about your NaNo project. 🙂

      Reply
  2. I was researching ‘The Rooster Song’ by Wayne Hsu and found this happy little blog! Thanks for the writing encouragement. I spend my time working on poems and haiku. If I have a novel in me, that would be fantastic. My brain is whirling with a mishmash of ideas. I am enjoying your music playlist. Cool stuff.

    Reply
    • Aww. Well that’s the first time it’s been called anything like that. 😉 Thank you Jennifer! I’m glad you enjoyed the music. I used to run an indie music publication, which is how I was put in touch with Wayne — he was one of the local artists we covered back in the day. I’ve always loved his style and wished he had released more. 🙂 I hope you stick around the community and find some resources to help you out if you decide to write a novel someday (or even check out the writer’s market link in the main menu bar above if you’re considering pitching your poetry to publications). 🙂

      Reply
  3. I could kiss you for the music links! I love indie artists, and I’m also happy to discover new ones to adore. You’ve given me a lot to like here!

    Not doing NaNo in the traditional sense this year. I’m working on a poetry manuscript, so the goal is to finish/revise one poem per day (that’s finish one, revise another). I want that sucker out by the end of the month. I’m 22 pages in, and I’m aiming for 50 pages.

    Reply
    • Well, if you like indies, I’ve got indies. I believe quite a few of these are local to us (or were at the time; some moved on to Nashville, NYC, etc., but know a few are still around Philly).

      Sounds like fun with the poetry manuscript. 🙂 Are you planning to pitch it as a collection, indie publish, or what with these ones? I know you’d had a bit of luck getting some of your poems published this year individually.

      Reply
    • Lori, I should note if you happen to like Obsession Day, you should look up Gary Pfaff. He was the lead singer, but also put out solo work. Loved him back in the day. Here’s one of my favorites of his called “Innocent.” Also a big fan of “Hey Love” from him. Both on the perkier side.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuAJTssHg50

      Reply

Leave a Comment