Here comes NaNoWriMo again. Another month devoted to writing until your fingertips ache.
Good luck to you if you're taking part -- enjoy the journey. :-)
Here are tools to help.
Firstly, a couple of counters. All Freelance Writing » Blog Archive » 2 Free Word Count Trackers for Writers reports:
"Our second word count tracker is a cool little tool that you can use for much more than tracking your word counts. For example, if you set an income goal as a freelance writer and you want to keep your blog readers updated on your progress (for the year, month, or however long you choose), you can choose to track a dollar amount by entering that into our custom field. Or you can use our preset options to track words, pages, or posts (such as a certain number of blog posts each month). Do you know what’s really great about the custom field though? You can use this to track anything, even if it’s not writing-related! Need a weight loss tracker? Here you go! Want to count down until a vacation or other event? You can do that too! You can track just about anything you want!"
Next, some ideas for preparation.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 1: Pick a genre
Think about what you'll write in November; start by picking a genre.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 2: Be a squirrel
Squirel away the stuff you'll need in November.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 3: Your characters' professions
Choose professions for your characters.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 4: Write a character journal
Choose one character, and write his or her journal.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 5: Interview your hero and heroine
Following on from #5, it's time to interview your primary characters.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 6: Gear up with story boards
Have you discovered story boards? They're a great help to keep track of your story.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 7: Get organized
When you're writing a novel, you need to get comfortable with creative chaos... and then get organized. :-)
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 8: List action scenes - fiction is not real life
In fiction, you leave out the boring bits. List your action scenes and write them.
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 9: Get your story into shape
Conquer the dreaded middle of your novel (that's what ACTION scenes are for.)
* NaNoWriMo QuickStart 10: Ready for takeoff?
Final tips to help you through November...
You've only got a couple of days until the big day -- make the most of them. :-)