How to Write 80,000 Words in Thirty Days - a NaNoWriMo Special

Every November for the past four years, as a part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I get all my creativity in gear and pound out 50,000 words in thirty days. Each year, I've reached my 50,000 word goal, and this year was no different. However, this year proved to be unlike other years. Instead of writing 50,000 words in thirty days, I wrote 80,000 words in thirty days. Sound like fun? Here's how you, yes you, can write 80,000 words in thirty days.

Have an Idea

In order to write something, you have to know what you want to write. Be it an idea of a character with blue skin from Planet Red, a snippet of dialogue about peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or your own theory of Earth's creation, an idea can take you from nothing to 80,000 words in no time.

Outline It...

Know, or at least have some general idea, of what you want to happen in your novel. Type it up on the computer, scribble it onto a few cocktail napkins, scrawl across reams of paper, or spend a few days plotting away in your own head. It doesn't have to be written and it doesn't have to be complete. Just take your idea, run around with it, and see what happens.

...But Not Too Much

Be extra cautious of the common mistake of over-plotting. Over-plotting can cause novel death if you're not careful! I have ruined countless novel ideas with obsessive outlining to the degree of detailing each aspect of every subplot and the exact methods of arriving at my novel's conclusion. Leave yourself a little room in your outline to let things happen on their own. Give your characters an idea, sit back, and see what they do with it.

Maximize Your Freetime

Are you saying you don't have the time to write 80,000 words in thirty days? Are you telling me that you'll be needing to write nearly 2,700 words each day to reach 80,000 words and you just don't have the time? Nonsense. Everybody has the time to write a novel in thirty days. You just don't know it yet. The secret to express noveling is to maximize your freetime. How many hours each night do you spend watching television? Do you spend oodles of time surfing the internet? Have a hobby other than writing? A month of less television, less internet surfing, and less hobby-doing won't kill you. In fact, I'd be willing to bet skipping the next few episodes of Lost (You can Tivo it if you must.), giving up Facebook, and spending less time building model boats will result in a novel at month's end.

Join a Writing Group

I swear by my writing group, The Dekalb Wrimos. During November, our regular write-ins, prizes, camaraderie, and taunting serve as extra fuel to my writing fire. Knowing I have people encouraging me to succeed (and playfully threatening me when I fall behind in my word count) is extra motivation to write, write, and write some more.

Write or Die!

Last, but not least, is the cake-topper of all my writing secrets. Write or Die is a website where you enter either a word count or a timed writing goal, and the site forces you to write until you reach your goal. What happens if you stop writing? It can be anything from terrible music playing to your words slowly disappearing! There's nothing like a friendly threat that gets me writing. In fact, just this morning, I churned out 2,200 words in four 10-minute sessions using Write or Die. It is a true life saver during the month of November.

Now that you know how to write 80,000 words in thirty days, go out and do it! You can't call yourself a novelist if you don't write.