How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

Almost everybody who has access to the Internet knows about NaNoWriMo. It is no secret that people all over the world set out to try to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. The spirit of NaNoWriMo is that not a single word of the story is written before 12:01am on November first and not a single word is written after 11:59pm on November 30. However, there are some things that can help people prepare for NaNoWriMo. Here are some tips.

Start thinking about your story now.

That's right. Do not start thinking about your story only during the very last days of October or immediately when November starts. Think about your story now. It does not matter how organized or unorganized it is. Just think about it.

Make an outline.

If you have an idea for a story, write a short outline of the events that happen. This is not cheating as it is not writing the story. Do not write the story, write simple short phrases that will remind you of what is going to happen.

Give your story a title.

Give your story a title. This will make it seem real. It will not just be "NaNoWriMo story" or "NaNoWriMo" project. The best part about this is that the title of the story can be changed at any time. It can be changed as many times as you would like it to be changed.

Write character bios of your main characters.

If you have ideas for your main characters, write character bios. They do not have to be much detail. Just mark out simple ideas. Write down things such as hair color, eye color, quirks, ages, heights, and professions. All of these can be written or just a few. Write what is needed to remember ideas for your characters.

Read.

Do not read a novel straight through. Pick up a few different novels and read different passages. Get a feel of the different ways different authors write. Find the ones that are enjoyable and read them some more.

Think about your story and characters when you go to bed.

By thinking about the story or characters when going to bed, this can cause dreams about the story or characters. This helps the creative process.

When November 1st comes around, then your mind will be full of ideas. You may also have books or scraps of paper with details and outlines. You will be surprised at how many words of a story these few things can produce.