Tag: Chris Baty

  • What Does NaNoWriMo Look Like Now?

    What Does NaNoWriMo Look Like Now?

    Never fear, the spirit of NaNoWriMo lives on, even if the website is gone. The challenge is to now find your own community to write with, whether that is online or in-person. And of course, you can write by yourself. Whatever your goals have been for the November challenge of writing 50k words, you have…

  • Is It Preptober?

    Is It Preptober?

    Next month will be the first November in decades that the official NaNoWriMo website will not exist. Does this mean no National Novel Writing Month? Will there be a NaNoWriMo community? Should I do NaNoWriMo? I can only speak for myself, but I plan to do NaNoWriMo. Which means this is Preptober. Preptober: It’s a…

  • Friday’s Findings: Ask Why

    Friday’s Findings: Ask Why

    Why Writers Should Ask “Why” Before Writing a Novel Before a writer sketches an outline, builds a character profile, or writes the first sentence, there’s a question worth pausing to ask: Why am I writing this novel? Most of the time, I write for fun. I never think about the why. But I keep coming…

  • My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Final Daze

    My 50k Novel in 30 Days: Final Daze

    During my last three days of doing this unofficial NaNoWriMo, I wondered about my writing craft process for the future… Day 28 It is a sad day for me. The website for NaNoWriMo has vanished. Ironic it happened while I’m in the last week of one of the best 50k words in 30 days I’ve ever done.…

  • Friday’s Findings: My 50K Novel Week 2

    Friday’s Findings: My 50K Novel Week 2

    As an alternate to NaNoWriMo, I’m doing a 50K word rough draft of a novel in 30 days. Here’s how the second week went: Day 8: My city has the best coffee shops. I’m sitting in one before I go to work and I’m going to outline some unfinished scenes. I swore I wouldn’t do…

  • Friday’s Findings: Will I do NaNoWriMo This Year?

    Friday’s Findings: Will I do NaNoWriMo This Year?

    That photo of the guy contemplating NaNoWriMo may be a bit melodramatic, but it’s a feeling many of us can relate to. Since 2008, NaNoWriMo has been a journey of self-discovery for me. It’s shown me the strength I possess as a writer, pushing my brain, body, and sanity to the limit. It’s proven that…

  • NaNoWriMo Day 20: A 6,000-Word Day. Not.

    NaNoWriMo Day 20: A 6,000-Word Day. Not.

    In his book No Plot? No Problem!, NaNoWriMo founder, Chris Baty, suggests getting ahead in your word count by “harnessing the power of 6,000-word days.” I tried it. I got to 4,000 words for Saturday and I decided I was far enough ahead and to stop for the day. It just wasn’t fun anymore. I…

  • Friday’s Findings: Writers Retreat

    Friday’s Findings: Writers Retreat

    This weekend, I’m  having a writer’s retreat. I’m the only one attending. Two of my friends are going on their 2nd honeymoon and asked me if I’d like to watch their cat and their awesome house. How is it awesome? First of all, it’s gorgeous. Secondly, it’s in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest…