Long Writing Day Tips
I’m writing this blog on the heels of a monumental NaNoWriMo writing stretch. I’ve been writing for almost twelve hours straight. My eyes are crossed, my fingers throb, my wrists are aching… pretty much everything hurts. I just spelled “error” in my novel as heiror, and it took me a minute to figure out why it was underlined in red. That’s how exhausted I am. Why am I still writing and working on a blog now? I wanted to write it tonight before the pain wore off so the memories of my achievement are fresh.
I set a goal today to write 8,000 words to take me over the 25,000 word mark. Is she crazy? I’m sure that’s what you’re asking yourself. Perhaps I am, but I am also the proud writer of half of a NaNoWriMo novel, and the start of the sequel to my first book, in under six days. Six. Days. Now that is something I can be proud of.
I’m sure there are plenty of writers out there who can knock out 8,000 words in a day without breaking a sweat. My good friend is a nationally recognized distance runner. Going ten miles for her is a warmup. Ten yards for me is enough to warrant a trip in the ambulance. Today was a writing distance run for me. For those of you who are also not distance writers, here are a few tips I used to get me over the rough spots of my marathon when I wanted to curl up and cry.
1. Start with an outline.
There is absolutely no way I could have made this goal without a clear outline. Before I start writing, each chapter is broken down with all the important aspects I know my characters need to fulfill. I leave plenty of room for creative expansion, but there is a clear beginning, middle, and end to each chapter and bullet points for things I need to remember to include. While writing tonight I had two new characters emerge that I hadn’t even known existed. They just waltzed right into my book like they owned the place. I love one so much I’m pretty sure I have the protagonist of my next novel. Don’t feel like an outline is going to suck your creative juices. It’s not. It’s going to help you stay focused, so you can let your creative juices run free in the writing and not get tripped up trying to sort out plot holes. You’ll write faster this way. I promise.
2. Break it down
I love road trips. I love long drives, getting lost in my mind while the scenery flies by. I can put eighteen hours a day behind the wheel without batting an eye. The trip home is always a more tedious undertaking, each hour gets harder than the last. My last 24-hour straight-through drive home from Florida was the driving equivalent to pulling teeth. Today I treated my writing the same way I treated that drive. I broke it down. Just when I started to get overwhelmed on my drive with the eighteen hours left ahead of me, I stopped and said “It’s only eighteen hours. You’ve already gone six. Just do what you did three more times and you’re there. That’s not bad.” Then it was “It’s just like driving to Green Bay fifteen times. That’s really not a big deal.” Breaking it down made it much easier to process for me. Today I did the same in my writing. When the wordcount was looming, I took a breath and said, “You just wrote a thousand words. That wasn’t so bad, right? Just do that seven more times. Seven times is nothing.” When I finished tonight and saw the 25,000 word count sitting at the bottom of my screen I said, “You’re half done! That wasn’t so bad! All you need to do it do that one more time and you’ll have succeeded.” Break it down in your mind into smaller chunks. Each day if your word goal is 1,000 words just think that writing 250 words is a breeze. Just do that four times, or eight, or ten.
3. Plan ahead
I have been hitting an average of 3,000 words a night after my husband and my animals fall asleep. It’s quiet, there’s no one to bother me, and I can get lost in my story. Knowing I wanted to make a big push on my wordcount took planning. I prepped my work and got my projects done last night so there was nothing on my agenda today. I chose this day because my husband would be at work all day and had plans for the evening. I adore my husband and that makes it difficult to lock myself away and write when he’s home. Knowing he’s just on the other side of the door is torture so I generally give up and join him in playing video games. I saw today as the perfect opportunity where I could have twelve uninterrupted writing hours if I planned ahead. I precooked food, let everyone know I was going off the grid, and I sat down and wrote. Even if you can’t get a whole twelve-hour stretch I like I did today (I don’t have kids, this makes things much easier), you should still plan ahead and put aside uninterrupted time for your writing.
4. Grammar is not your friend
If you could see the number of adverbs in my novel right now you would be hitting me with your red pen. Instead of getting tripped up struggling to find the perfect word or the most beautiful way to describe his eyes, if it didn’t come out naturally I just popped in an ugly adverb and kept on trucking. There are places in my novel that have parts that say “He’s ugly. Describe him here.” It’s true. That’s an actual excerpt from my novel. Rather than getting stuck for twenty minutes on something I can fix later and doesn’t affect the story, I just kept on moving. The second draft is for editing and for making things beautiful.
So, there you have my four tips on how to make it through a NaNoWriMo marathon. This is my first year participating and I feel invigorated after achieving my goal today. I have no doubt that with a little effort, contracting carpal tunnel, and a few meltdowns rocking in a corner, I will achieve my 50,000 word goal. Now tell me, what are your tips for NaNoWriMo? I’m sure my high will wear off soon and I will need more inspiration.
In the Assassin's Arms
By Katherine Hastings
Series: Dagger of Desire
Fiery Seas Everlasting
2018
Historical Romance
John Douglas may be a well-trained political assassin, but he has met his match in the woman he once called a friend. When his childhood playmate reenters his life, she's not looking to rekindle their friendship...she's out for blood.
With a vendetta to settle, Charlotte Cornewalle isn't stopping until she finds the man who killed her father. All signs point to Robert Douglas, the leader of the opposing faction of assassins...and John's father. To get her revenge, no one will stand in her way...not even the boy she once adored.
Fate forces them together as they fight to prove their innocence and right the wrongs they have suffered. Sparks fly from more than just their swords, but will they be able to put the past behind them? Will they be able to find the truth before it destroys them both?
About the Author:
Katherine Hastings loves love. It’s why she writes romance novels. Getting lost writing a romantic adventure is one of her favorite past times. When she’s s not on an adventure in her mind with her characters, she can be found at her home in Wisconsin snuggling her husband, two Boston Terriers, and the world’s naughtiest cat. Two things make Katherine want to leave her happy home these days...going for rides on her dressage pony or floating at the beach in her big inflatable raft. Writing her novels while floating in the lake is one of her ultimate pleasures...that and Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds, of course.
Social Media:
