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Questions tagged [nanowrimo]

For questions about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWiMo). An annual challenge where participant attempt to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November.

National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. Learn more.

This tag should be added to any questions related to this challenge. Including but not limited to, how to approach it, and issues encountered while completing it, general curiosity about the challenge.

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How do I overcome a lack of motivation to write at home?

Late October I decided to take the plunge and attempt NaNoWriMo. I haven't done much writing in some time and thought it would be a fun attempt to jump back into things. So far it's been pretty fun getting back into writing about something I hashed…
Tim
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I'm not a great pantser; what kind of preparation do I need for NaNoWriMo?

I'm very appreciative of NaNoWriMo's "your first step is writing a crappy first draft" credo, and I like the motivation that NaNoWriMo encourages. I'm precisely at the point where what I feel I need most is some serious butt-in-chair routine, with…
Standback
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How to juggle work and NaNoWriMo?

I love to participate in NaNoWriMo, but this year for the first time I'll have a full-time job during November. Is it feasible to write less on weekdays and "make up" for it on the weekend? Should I try to squish in extra time during my lunch break,…
Yamikuronue
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Restarting a Novel

In 2015 I wrote the first two thirds of a novel (as part of NaNoWriMo). I stopped at that point because I had written the 50,000 words required for the 'competition' but the story is not yet complete. I have an outline in my head of how it pans out…
robertcday
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What's gained from NaNoWriMo?

Generally, I understand NaNoWriMo to have the goal of writing a complete novel (at least a first draft) during the month of November. To reach "novel" word count, this requires writing approximately 2000 words per day, on average, for the entire…
Zeiss Ikon
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What is a good daily word count goal?

As a NaNoWriMo participant, I've been trying to meet a rather ambitious 1667 word/day goal. I've heard that professionals do a lot less, but the first two days of this month, I actually wrote 5000 words/day, so I know it's possible. Quantity over…
Johnny
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Am I too prepared to do NaNoWriMo?

I've been wanting to do NaNoWriMo for years and finally decided that this year will be the one. But I already have extensive notes and a plot outline, and I'm concerned that this might actually trip me up. I've been working very slowly on a…
Travis
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I have a weak motivation for a god character! How Do I Make It a Stronger Motivation?

Okay, so I have a weak motivation for a god character whose son (whom he tried to prevent his birth) seems like he is an apt tool to be used for a plot that will only be brought into fruition about ten thousand years in the future. The god is…
Dany Will
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Nanowrimo and typewriting

I am a happy user of an Underwood 5, an old typewriter from the beginning of the XX century. I use it to type letters, short stories, greeting cards, and labels. I am now planning to try and type the next Nanowrimo. On a computer I can blob out…
NofP
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Is an anthology a valid NaNoWriMo entry?

I'm considering taking my first run at NaNoWriMo. 50,000 connected words of beginning-to-end narrative is a little more than I'm used to, so I was considering writing a series of novella-length pieces and tying them together with a common theme (say…
lonstar
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Is pantsless writing practical for NaNoWriMo?

Those of you who like to just sit down and write what comes out, you all are known as pantsless writers. — KitFox We have a question on preparing for NaNoWriMo, but what if you start a NaNoWriMo manuscript without much of a plan, how do you…
Matt Ellen
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Is NaNoWriMo necessarily a good thing?

I'm well on my way to 50k but I feel like my story has not plot and is quite bad. I read somewhere that NaNo is awful for quality of writing. (How) can I improve the quality of writing during NaNoWriMo?
Lianne Caranthir
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How many hours a day will it take to complete NaNoWriMo?

Or more helpfully, how do I gauge for myself in a realistic setting, how many hours an evening it will take to write 1,666 words (assusming all planning is done and no editing is done during NaNoWriMo, as unrealistic as that may be). I suspect this…
ProseFerret
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How to show two characters are communicating mentally

I'm writing a story where my two main characters have been merged together so that they share a single body. They spend a lot of time discussing things and arguing on what actions to take. This has resulted in some very odd sections of dialogue to…
Gladiator Kittens
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