Wednesday, October 18, 2017

7 Simple Ways to Stay Inspired for NaNoWriMo All November Long

Hello, humans!

Somehow, impossibly, we are 2 weeks away from NaNoWriMo! I don't know how we're halfway through October already, but here we are. I know a lot of the blogging community participates in National Novel Writing Month in November, but there can be a lot of stress involved in writing 50,000 words if you don't pace yourself. WE HAVE TO STAY CALM, PEOPLE. Here are 7 glorious ideas for staying inspired (and keeping your cool) all November long!

Make an Aesthetic Board


There is nothing harder than writing a book without visual inspiration! Pinterest is literally a lifesaver for these types of things - you can find all kinds of inspiring pictures of people, places or pithy quotes to capture the theme of your novel. This is the most recent board I made for my novel-to-be, Dreamland, and it is keeping me motivated. Bonus tip: Print out some of your favorite images and hang them on your bulletin board!

Create a Playlist

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How can you be moved to write scenes without music? I don't know about you, but listening to music before or during my writing helps bring out the emotional intensity of my words and ideas. Use Spotify or iTunes to loop albums or handpick songs in a playlist. Or go old school and make a mix CD! AND THEN SEND IT TO ME IN THE POST I WANT TO HEAR THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

Branch Out a Little
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Every now and then, find a new place to put down your pen. Sure, you can write at home or in the same old coffee shop as usual, but taking one day to visit a new writing spot can be inspiring! Treat yourself to a different kind of latte than you'd usually drink and try some place new. You never know who you might meet or what might inspire you!

Limit Your Social Media Time


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It's great to communicate, but with all the words you'll be writing in November, you might need to step back. From your blog, from Twitter, from all semblances of reality and the life you had before...ALL OF IT, GONE. Just kidding! But don't waste precious creative juices, people. You need time to recharge and social media can be draining.

Don't Compare Yourself

Remember, this is for fun! A lot of the joy of NaNoWriMo can be connecting with other writers and discussing the writing process, but WOWZA, don't stress because you're not as far along as someone else. This is your story and your journey. Enjoy the month! And enjoy life. 

People Watch



This is an actual quote I overheard in the library one day....OUR?!

People say the darndest things, yo. My Creative Writing professor said something in my freshman year of college that has always stuck with me: "Always have a little notebook on hand to write down ideas." You will be surprised at how little details and snatches of conversation can find their way into your novels! I have a bunch of mini notebooks that I rely on whenever I need a character name or pancreas-related line of dialogue.

SLEEP

I think this one speaks for itself.

What about you?

How do you stay inspired during NaNoWriMo? Have you ever participated before? Tell me all about the novels you are planning to write, friends!

21 comments:

  1. I tried once and failed beautifully. I have two really good ideas this year, though, so my first order of business is picking one. anyway, these are great tips and maybe they'll help me... not fail. 😂 xx nina

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    1. Oh girl, I am with you there! I failed TREMENDOUSLY. You should totally go for it! If one of the ideas doesn't work out, you can always pursue the other. Thank you so much for your kind words! :) You've got this!!

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  2. Love this! I'm not doing NaNo this year (saaaad) but these tips are wildly helpful! Esp the tip about taking your writing on the road ... halfway through the month, I was dead, but taking my computer with me to work one day so i could write on my breaks was SO helpful!

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    1. Aw thanks girl! :) That sounds like a blast! There's nothing like a new writing environment to mix things up. Writing on road trips is also a favorite of mine! Thanks for commenting! <3

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  3. I NEED MUSIC TO LIVE LET ALONE WRITE. I love finding a specific soundtrack to listen to, keep me in the mood of the story.

    I might need to take your advice and step back from Social Media come November. ;D

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    1. RIGHT?! I'm always listening to music, for most of the day! :) It's the best thing. I don't know how writers did it before recorded music was a thing. Or without a keyboard. I can't write by hand when I'm working on a novel!

      Yes girl do it! I need to as well. It's a huge distraction!

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  4. This post gave me some fresh motivation...I've been in a bit of a writing slump lately. :) Thanks!
    ~Kathryn

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    1. Glad it encouraged you! Thank you so much for commenting!! :)

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  5. This is such an inspiration for my novel to be finished finally!
    I will use your tips for sure.
    I have a question - how do you create these text clouds? I'd love to print some for my journals!

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    1. Aw, I'm glad you liked it! Thank you so much! :) I use this website to create the speech bubbles. They're super fun!

      http://wigflip.com/ds/

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  6. yes to all of these ideas! I used to never get the hype about pinterest boards for novels until I started and literally now I cannot stop. lol. I love having that visual aid. but I would say music is my number 1. I just immerse myself into my story via music, and keep the notes on my phone up; because so many ideas come to me.
    sometimes I just pace around my room and listen to music and plot. lol. Im sure I look crazy.

    great post! I cant wait for November :)

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    1. Right? Pinterest is seriously addictive! But there is no substitute for music. You would not be the first person to zone out and plot to an awesome album! It helps me capture the emotion of my characters so much quicker. So glad you liked this post! I am seriously getting so excited for NaNo! The whole blogging community seems to be on the edge of their seat. :)

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  7. These are all great ideas for NaNo! I love making playlists to listen to for my WIPs, though it ranges from stuff that reminds me of something about the story to songs that just make me feel more creative or more focused. People-watching is super inspiring too, and a fun way to think about character mannerisms and such. :)

    (Also: your blog is so pretty!)

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    1. Thank you so much! :) I love that! You know how music can become associated with a moment in time, a place or a person? I feel like it can also easily attach itself to moods, like one of creativity, like you mentioned. :) That's a perfect technique to get yourself in the creative zone! AND OMW YES TO PEOPLE WATCHING! People are so bafflingly beautiful to behold, especially if you go to the mall LOL

      Thank you so much for commenting and all your kind words! It means a lot!! :)

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  8. These are good ideas! I forgot about making a playlist this year for my novel. I should do that and finish outlining my plot ... I have the basics but not the little details. XD

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! :) Oooh you should totally make a playlist. It will inspire you later on! And it's always the little details that get me. But sometimes making things up on the fly can be fun, too!

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  9. EEEEP, YES AESTHETIC BOARDS FOR THE WIN. This post was very inspirational- thank you. <3

    xx Kenzie

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    1. Aesthetic boards are one of my absolute favorite things about creating a novel! Thank you so much!! :) Glad you liked it! <3

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  10. THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I'm plotting my novel over the weekend, so I really appreciate these tips. :)

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  11. No problem! :) So glad this helped you! Good luck on plotting. NaNo should be so much fun :D <3

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Go with grace.