Dear O'Abby: How do I get unstuck?

 Dear O'Abby,

I'm doing NaNo and I started really strongly.  I flew through those first 10,000 words!  Then this week, I've hit a wall.  I know where the story needs to go, but I can't seem to get there.  Nothing seems to get my characters to the next place they need to be.  

Do you have any advice for me?  

Kind regards,

Stuck

Dear Stuck,

I think we've all had periods like that, where you just can't figure out how to transition from one part of the story to another.

When I'm writing and find myself in a place like that, I just skip that bit.  Especially when the pressure is on like it is when you're doing NaNo.  You can come back to it later.  Just move on and write the next part of the book, the part you are trying to get to.  Often I find that by writing the next scenes, I find whatever it is I need to make the transition smooth.

And sometimes you realise that the issue isn't with the transition at all, but with whatever happened beforehand.  

All of this can be fixed later, when you revise.  Always keep in mind that perfection is not the goal during NaNo.  You're never going to come out on December 1 with a perfect manuscript.  This is a draft and a very rough one at that. NaNo isn't about perfection.  It's about getting that story in your head on the page.  That's it.

Perfection can come later.

So skip the transition that's holding you back and write the rest of the book.  You'll probably find you come up against this same problem again somewhere else in the story, but don't let it be the reason you quit.  Just move on and fill in the holes later.

Best of luck with the next 21 days!  I'm rooting for you.

X O'Abby

Suzanna's Writing and Reading Goals for 2023

(Image source)

It is that time of year where I make some new goals. Hooray! I absolutely love making writing goals.

While I did not quite finish unpacking all of the boxes from my move, I did make significant progress. I am hopeful that in the next two-ish months, I will not have a single box in sight because they will comfortably reside in the closet or the recycling center. I found a lot of surprising things (two booklets of stamps!) and stuff that I am embarrassed to share on the internet. Cough. Needless to say, not everything survived and might be in the landfill or recycling center.

Here are my writing goals for 2023:

1. Write 100,000 words in 30 days as part of a NaNo project (Camp in April, Camp in July, or NaNo in November)
2. Write at least one children's book in each category (board book, concept book, early reader, wordless, transition books, narrative nonfiction, etc.)  
3. Write at least one new short story.
4. Edit at least one short story from my undergrad days.
5. Write at least one new poem each week.
6. Put together a poetry collection.
7. Work on the draft for writing a nonfiction book about the day job.
8. Work on the draft of the graphic novel.

Of course as a writer, I also need to read.

1. Read at least 10 children's books in each category (board book, concept book, early reader, wordless, transition books, narrative nonfiction, etc.) and focus on one category each month and then rotate. 
2. Read at least one book of short stories each month. 
3. Read at least one book of poetry each month. 
4. Read at least one literary magazine each month. 
5. Read at least one nonfiction book regarding the day job each month.
6. Read at least one graphic novel each month. 
7. Read a total of 150 books in 2023. 
8. Participate in every Kindle Reading Challenge this year and get at least 90% of the badges. (The hardest one for me is the perfect month where you read every day in the month.)

What are some of your writing and reading goals for 2023?

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 5 of NaNo 2022

  

(Image source)

Welcome to week 5 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! The focus for today is celebration. The goal for today is 1,667 words for the day with a total of 48,343 words. For Reverse NaNo folks, the goal is 116 words for the day with a total of 49,999 words.

Completing NaNo always feels like graduation to me. Congratulations!! Throw your mortar board and tassel in the air!!

With less than 48 hours left, what are you going to do to celebrate once you hit the win button? 

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 4 of NaNo 2022

  

(Image source)

Welcome to week 4 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Today I will focus on what to do when something comes up and you're not currently making your goals. The goal for today is 1,667 words for the day with a total of 36,674, words. For Reverse NaNo folks, the daily goal is 1,840 words for the day with a total of 46,774 words.

I'm kinda bummed that my grand plans for doing 100K in 30 days will not occur this month.

• Getting sick. 
• Traveling for work. 
• Changing work schedule. 
• Finding beetle larvae in the kitchen. 

Regardless of the circumstances that hindered me from writing my double Reverse NaNo goals, I have been able to keep up with the minimum 1,667 words per day. 

So, I made the decision to keep writing this month and finish out NaNo with 50K. Perhaps with December rolling around, I can attempt my 100K then with the handy dandy goal tracker on the NaNo site.

The most important thing though is to not be hard on yourself. It was rather pressing to clean my kitchen and do what I can to remove beetle larvae so I can actually eat. They say self-care a lot these days. 

Tips for when you're not meeting your goals:

1. State your goal.
2. What progress have you made?
1. Spend time on this step.
2. How have you celebrated your success?
3. Remind yourself of why this is your goal in the first place.
3. What barriers have you encountered?
1. Is there a pattern with any barriers?
2. How can you address the barriers right now?
3. How can you address barriers next time?
4. Celebrate the progress you have made!
5. Adapt your new goal, and/or create a new goal.

What are you planning to do this week to work toward your NaNo goal?

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 3 of NaNo 2022

(Image source)

Welcome to week 3 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

The goal for today is 1,667 words for the day with a total of 25,005 words. For Reverse NaNo folks, the goal is 1,724 words for the day with a total of 37,923 words.

Congratulations on making it to the halfway point! Congratulations on every word that you have written, especially if it is less than your goal and especially if it is more than your goal. Every word counts!

Pause. Take a breath.

How is NaNo really going so far? Are you where you would like to be on Day 15?

• Yes, I am ahead of my goals: 
• Keep it up! Don't forget to take some breaks. You are making wonderful progress!
• Yes, I am halfway through my goals:
• Excellent! Great work making it to the halfway point. Take a break. Keep it up!
• No, I'm Behind: 
• That's ok! There are 15 days left to write more words. Can you write for an extra 10 minutes every day? Make a new small goal if you'd like to get back on your daily word count goals for the month. Take a break. Take a breath. You can do this! Keep writing!
• No, it's not going to happen this month: 
• That's perfectly acceptable and totally okay. Sometimes Life happens. Take care of yourself and do what you have to do this month. Your project will be ready when you are. Good luck!

What are your writing goals for the next week?

 

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 2 of NaNo 2022

   

(Image source)

Welcome to week 2 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Today we will focus on reward systems. The goal for today is 1,667 words for the day with a total of 13,336 words. For Reverse NaNo folks, the goal is 2,527 words for the day with a total of 23,447 words.

Congratulations on making it to the quarter point! Eight days down, 22 days to go. Every word is a winner in this amazing goal of yours!

Now, week 2 may not be the best time to talk about rewards, but bear with me. This week tends to be my historic worst in my (yikes!) 14 years of NaNo participation due to the week 1 energy wearing off. I usually encounter at least one (if not several) issues that pop up with my story. I didn't do enough research. I didn't do enough planning. I don't like the story anymore. I don't like so and so character. In general, I encounter problems and my motivation tends to wane. Or I didn't make my word count goal for the day and I'm bummed.

Enter Rewards on Stage Right.

I have experimented the last couple of years with making a reward box for a friend who prepared a reward box for me. We exchange the reward boxes and then either take pictures and send to each other or we open the cards/presents on video chat or in person. I usually combine cards and small gifts for milestones (5k, 10k, 20k, 25k, 35k, 45k, and 50k). This year my friend and I are going to the dollar store and buying 30 gifts that are each $1 and then we will have something to open each day. 

I like to start with candy and then move up to higher level rewards for the higher word counts, depending on the person's preferences. I am very happy with lemon drops, Reeses, some new markers or colored pencils. You get the idea.

Regardless if I have a reward exchange with a friend, I always buy myself a little something (usually a book I really want) and celebrate when NaNo is over with a nice meal at one of my favorite restaurants.

I have also noticed that I work harder when I get the reward first. Then I have to earn it. But this varies, and sometimes it is exciting to work for the reward and then get it. Feel free to experiment!

How are you motivated? What rewards have you earned so far? What rewards are you going to earn for reaching your goals?

#NaNoWriMo to Novel

The road is long for those doing NaNoWriMo with the intention to publish a novel one day. First, while 50k is a great start, most novels are twice as long for fantasy or sci-fi, and at least another third for many other genres. Then there's editing. Plus pitches, query letters, synopsis, or all the work that comes with indie publishing. There are several great debut author groups out there to get support during that first publication year. 

Here's the hard truth. Many writers will drop out of NaNoWriMo, give up, in the first few days. Some will quit at the editing stage. Many will throw in the towel during the query stage. 

Then there's the small group who will give up at the "finish line." For one reason or another, the book stops just before release. The author doesn't debut. It's rare, but it happens. 

I hope you'll beat all those odds, dear Operation Awesome reader. I hope you'll get your book out there, and contact me for your debut interview. 

Today's scheduled author is in the small group. Thus, there is no spotlight this week. 

I'm working on my NaNoWriMo project. If you are too, and would like to be buddies, here's my link.

https://nanowrimo.org/participants/j-lenni-dorner

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 1 of NaNo 2022

  

(Image source)

Welcome to week 1 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Today we will focus on writing sprints. The goal for today is 1,667 words for the day with a total of 1,667 words. For Reverse NaNo folks, the goal is 3,346 words for the day with a total of 3,346 words.

Congratulations on starting your NaNo project! I am so excited to see where your project takes you.

Week 1 energy is amazing. I highly recommend attending a write-in virtually (or in person this year, from NaNo HQ) and meeting fellow Wrimos. Find people in your region, or who live in your area, by going to Community and selecting Find a Region. When you find a region and make it your home, you will be able to see where the region congregates on the web on the NaNo forums and elsewhere online (Discord, Facebook, etc.).

Go to a write in, virtually or in person. Participate in a word sprint, where the goal is to write as many words as you can in a specific time frame. My favorite (and current goal) is to consistently write 1,000 words in 15 minutes. I did it once last year, and whew, it was hard and it was great to know it was possible for me! I can't wait to do it again.

As for length, I do sprints as small as 5 minutes and as long as 45 or 50 minutes. I tend to favor the 15, 20, or 25 minutes with a break, and then divide these into an hour with breaks in between. I find it is easier to focus for the sprint length if I know that a break is coming in the near future.

Sarra Cannon regularly shares documents to track your writing progress for the month. I highly recommend watching her YouTube channel for writing tips and advice, especially for the planners out there. I enjoy tracking my sprint times and word counts to try and beat my record. You can also create your own tracking system by hand, or my favorite, playing in Excel or a spreadsheet program of your choice.

What are some of your sprinting goals? Do you find a certain length of time works for you?

Deniz Bevan answers #13Questions in OA's Debut Author Spotlight

13 Questions shine Operation Awesome's Spotlight
on this
2022 Debut Author

Druid's Moon by Deniz Bevan

1- Summer Fire was a 54-page erotic romance published in Dec 2017. Druid’s Moon is a 192-page paranormal romance coming in Sept 2022.
What prompted you to pick a slightly different genre and publish a book nearly four times as long?

I was impressed that I could write a full-length novel, ha ha!
I’ve been doing National Novel Writing Month for a few years now, and sometimes it feels difficult to reach 50k, even though I know that later, during the editing process, I’ll be adding many more words (so many scenes start out as dialogue-only in drafts!).
Anytime I have a story idea outside NaNo, it turns out to be a novella.
Druid’s Moon ended up somewhere in between – it was an idea that came from a scene in a dream, and it somehow could not be wrapped up at novella length.
Someday I’ll write the extra epilogue, which features a grand party to which many of my characters are invited!


2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Write every day, even if it’s just story ideas and meanderings; inspiration comes from momentum!

3- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I’m always excited by the moment when the two characters in love finally admit their feelings and come together – I hope readers will be, too!

4- Is the "Baron of Lansladron" based on a real rank of nobility, and what country would that represent?

It is! It’s an ancient title from Cornwall. There was a Sir Serlo de Lansladron, of Lansladron in Cornwall, who was summoned to parliament as a baron by King Edward I (1272–1307), “but never afterwards, and of whom nothing further is known” (The Historic Peerage of England by Harris Nicolas and revised by William Courthope).

Of course, I know a little bit more about what happened to the family...

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book in a special setting?

Digital view of the book on a hazy day with the Alps across the lake.

6- How do you support your fellow debut authors and have any of them supported you?

Oh wow, the blogging community is so supportive! I love hosting blog tours and guest posts whenever I can.
There’s also a great community on http://thelitforum.com

7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?

Here’s me: DenizBevan
I’d love to! Though it’s difficult to narrow it down to only three, so I’ve chosen three who are currently posting new projects, have books available, and/or provide editing services!

Jane Anne Decker: writerjaned
Claire G: AuthorClaireG
TL Watson: tlwatson_

8- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

I love to knit! Baking comes a close second.

Playing cards from Dancing Lemur Press

9- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?

I’m going to go historical for this question – one of my favourite authors from childhood is Jean Little. She writes about young characters going through difficult times (e.g. the death of a parent) and children with disabilities. I always appreciated how real both her characters and their environments were; no pulling punches!


10- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? #WriteGoal #BucketList #WriterBucketList

Right now, I’d really like it if my seven-book contemporary/suspense/romance/family saga could find a home with a publisher!

View from my balcony

11- What was the query process like for you?

Long. Sometimes there are sparks of hope (such as when you receive a request for a full). Otherwise, it feels endless. I like breaking it up by submitting to contests and writing journals and so on.

12- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

I have a fantasy world tour for myself based on trips my characters take and places they’ve lived: I’d go to Nova Scotia, Quebec, Yukon, Alaska, BC, Washington State, Oregon, California, New York, across to Switzerland, then up to the Highlands, then down to Spain, on a three-masted sailboat from there to France, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Constantinople, ending with a trip in Turkey along the Aegean Sea, then back home!
Where would your story-based fantasy tour take you?

13- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Also, a story headed to the moon!https://t.co/1y0e4jy7EP

— Deniz Bevan (@DenizBevan) May 22, 2022

I’ve got lots of story inspiration photos on my Pinterest board! https://pinterest.ca/denizb33/story-inspirations/


Druid's Moon by Deniz Bevan

June Update on 2022 Goals

  

(Image source)

I posted in December 2021 some of my 2022 writing goals.

Six months into 2022, let's check my progress.

1. Unpack from the move. 

    Hooray! I have some boxes left to unpack. I am still figuring out how to organize my studio, and I have made significant progress in unpacking several stacks of boxes. Any tips on organizing paper? Marie Kondo and Clea and Joanna have been helpful, so I have been working through their systems to get myself organized. Labeling shoe boxes of art supplies was more satisfying than I anticipated. 

2. Get my writing office set up.

    Not exactly what I want my final set up to be, because making rainbow pen holders has been on the list for a while. It is nice to see my fountain pens again and get back into writing letters. It has been much too long.

3. Schedule bi-weekly write-ins with my people.

    Well, I have scheduled some write-ins with my people, but I was definitely not consistent. With the office set up, and adjusting to my new job hours, I hope to have more write-ins in the next three months.

4. Show up to scheduled write-ins.

    I showed up to the ones I scheduled. I have not been able to attend others that my friends have scheduled due to work schedule changes.

5. Sit down and plan what project I will tackle in the new year.

    I am definitely focused on working on my graphic novel project and a Beauty and the Beast retelling at some point this year. I am combing through my old NaNo projects to see what projects I would like to start rewriting and editing. The plan is to work on the graphic novel project during July Camp and then outline the Beauty and the Beast retelling, probably for November NaNo.

6. Plan my next NaNo novel. 

    In the works. My plan is to see what happens in July Camp, and start planning for my November NaNo project. I want to try Save the Cat, StoryGrid, and The Hero's Journey for July Camp, and then make a decision from there of how I will plan my November NaNo project.

7. (Maybe do Camp in April and July).

    Ok, I am going to be doing July Camp NaNo. So I will be working on my graphic novel. I did not participate in April due to switching jobs in April. 

8. Make writing a daily routine. 

    Not quite there yet. It will be easier to dig into a writing routine once unpacking and studio organization is more polished. In the meantime, I will write during the bi-weekly write-ins. 

What are your tips for organizing your writing spaces? Any special ways that you organize/sort/display paper, like writing drafts and rounds of edits?

Celebrating 2021 and Preparing for 2022

 

(Image source)

Well, here we are, days away from saying goodbye to 2021 and saying hello to 2022.

I accomplished a lot of my career change goals, all the while dreaming of the good ol' days where I could write my morning pages daily, and then work on some poems, stories, novels, and graphic novels. With the major shifts in my life, 2021 did not see a lot of writing. I did complete NaNo successfully, which re-ignited my desire to figure out how to balance my career with my passion for writing.

First I need to unpack from the move. Get my writing office set up. Schedule bi-weekly write-ins with my people. Show up to scheduled write-ins. Sit down and plan what project I will tackle in the new year. Plan my next NaNo novel. Maybe even do Camp in April and July. But most importantly, make writing a daily routine again.

How was your 2021? What are you planning for 2022?

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 2 of NaNo 2021

(Image source)

Welcome to week 2 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

The goal for today is 1,667 words with a total of 16,670 words. How is your NaNo going so far?

I am on track for the traditional word count goal, but I am terribly behind on my double NaNo goal of a Reverse NaNo doubled word counts each day to reach 100,000 words in 30 days. I had a great first half of week one, then I had to do more for work than usual. Now I am playing catch up, just focusing on writing words and not letting the number of words I am behind drive me into panic mode.

Are you panicking? Is the outline not going to plan? Are characters are flat or uncooperative? Got dishes in the sink and no oomph to clean them? Such a typical week two.

Take a deep breath.

In. Hold. Out. Repeat.

Listen to a favorite song. 

You got this. Keep writing! Each word is one more than what you had before.

NaNo Tip of the Week--Week 1 of NaNo 2021

 

(Image source)

Welcome to week 1 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

The goal for today is 3,334 words for those working toward 1,667 words every day. For Reverse NaNo, the goal is 6,562 words today. 

(Image source)

How is NaNo going?

I had a good first day, and I was able to participate in several sprints on Discord with my region and attend a write in before work. 

The tip this week is to stop writing in the middle of a scene or even the middle of a sentence! 

This is helpful because when you return to write the next time, you can pick up and continue the scene or sentence. Otherwise, I tend to stare at my cursor for 5 minutes. It is easier to keep the baton moving to the next person instead of starting out cold. Think of this as a stretch and beginning the writing workout with a leg up.

How do you decide to stop writing for the day?

6 days...until NaNo Begins

(Image source)

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts in 6 days. Then the goal of writing 1,667 words a day for 30 days will begin.

I finally decided what I will work on this year, which is my 13th NaNo. I am a fan of Reverse NaNo, which is a different word goal from the 1,667 a day to have a larger word count goal for the first two weeks. This method works for me because when I begin to struggle in week 2, I have a word count cushion when I get stuck. 

But this year I decided to tackle one of my long term NaNo goals, writing a double NaNo. This year my goal is to write 100,000 words in 30 days. 

What? Why now?

Mostly because I need to work on a nonfiction work about my day job, and I still want to work on my usual type of NaNo project, a fantasy, sci-fi, or literary novel. This year will be a fantasy novel.

So I will work on my nonfiction project and and then work on the novel.

How is your plan for NaNo going? What will you work on in November? What are your goals this year?

 

83 days...until NaNo Begins

I can't believe it is 83 days until November 1, when National Novel Writing Month begins with writing 50,000 words in 30 days (or 1,667 words per day).

What is unusual is that I have not chosen what to write this year, and I usually choose a project by June.

I have always wanted to write a Dare novel, where you add scenes following Dares on the NaNo forums. Some Dare examples here.

And one day, probably not this year, I would like to do a double NaNo where the goal is to write 100,000 words in 30 days. 

I will have to ponder what story I want to tell this November.

Are you thinking about NaNo yet? If yes, what are you going to write in November? Do you have dreams and goals for future NaNo projects?

Week 4 of NaNo

Wow, it is day 24 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo)! And it is the last Tuesday in November. The word count total for today is 40,008 for the traditional 1,667 words a day.

I can't believe that NaNo is almost over. With Day 30 coming, I'm already beginning to think about my editing process and how I can improve this NaNo project.

But first, I'll take a break in December. Put the novel in a drawer, and let it sit. Maybe start planning a new project. But I will not think about the current project until I open that drawer and read it. Hopefully by then, I will forget that I wrote it and I can see the novel with fresh eyes.

While the length of time varies for me when I can forget that I wrote a novel from a few months to years, it is a necessary part of the writing process for me. If I can remember where I was when I wrote a scene, or how I reacted to a surprise twist or character reveal, then the novel needs to go back in the drawer. I need to approach reading the novel like I've never encountered it before.

There are still 6 days left in the challenge. Every word is one more than you had in October, each one a victory. 

Save your work and back it up. How are you doing with your NaNo goals? How long do you wait between writing "the end" and beginning to edit?

Happy writing!

Week 2 of NaNo 2020

(Image source)

Wow, it is day 10 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo)! The word count total for today is 16,667 for the traditional 1,667 words a day. The Reverse NaNo goal for day 10 is 2,298 and a total of 28,157.

While I am nowhere near the end of my story, I am pleased to have hit the point of the B Story, according to Blake Snyder's Save the Cat.

If you have not written your favorite scene or most anticipated scene, now might be a good time. With the week two blues setting in this week, I recommend reminding yourself why you are writing this story in the first place. What was your inspiration? I am doing a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to study one of my favorites and make the story my own.

To help with plot, I recommend looking at the hero's journey, Story Grid, and an exemplar story. An exemplar story is an example or model story that can inspire the plot or characters or theme of your novel. While I am writing a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I am finding that my story is similar to Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Look up the plot structures of your exemplar story, read a summary, watch the film. This is all part of self-care and a working break.

There are still 20 days left in the challenge. Every word is one more than you had in October, each one a victory. 

Save your work and back it up. How are you doing with your NaNo goals? What is the inspiration for your NaNo project and what is your exemplar story?

 

Happy writing!

Week 1 of NaNo 2020

 

(image source) (Corgi writing his novel)

Wow, it is day 3 of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo)! The word count total for today is 5,001 for the traditional 1,667 words a day. The Reverse NaNo goal for day 3 is 3,101 and a total of 9,663.

But do not stress the word count! Remember the goal is to write your story. There are still 27 days left in the challenge. However, I do recommend bulking your word count with some sprints, where there is a timer, and you write as much as you can. There will be days where it is harder to write and days where it is easier. Every word you write is a victory.

And if you need some help increasing your word count, check out some of the tips below:

1.      1. Write notes to yourself in () or @@ or ## so you can easily find these sections later and delete. But do not delete them until December 1! Every word written counts toward your goal, even if you know it will not make it to the next draft.

2.      2. Add adjectives. The typical order is quantity, opinion, size, age, color, shape, origin, material, and purpose, according to this source. I tend to not include description of everything in my first draft unless I am experiencing a brief writer’s block. Then I start describing everything!

3.      3. Do a word sprint for 5, 10, 15, 20, or however long. I like the shorter sprints because then I can focus on the story and typing as fast as I can. Then I can take justified breaks before going into the next sprint. Check out your local NaNo Region on the site and find people to do sprints with. I enjoy the bots on Discord who keep track of your word goals and counts for the day. You can earn raptors for your region!

a.       The Legend of Raptors: So, raptors are a throwback to the old IRC. Timmy is the bot over there and he is insane and spends a lot of time announcing raptor sightings. Over the years it evolved- eventually he started counting how many raptors were in each region, then the raptors would attack other regions, then they started running away and or running to your region to rehome. Then Utoxin introduced pet raptors, where you could adopt a raptor, name it, and it would track your word war totals through the month & go steal plot bunnies from other regions. It was a delightful and silly way to be reminded other places in the world were doing nano, too, and often inspired people to hop over to other regional channels and make friends. ~~ StephanieRidiculous

4.      4. The usual adding “and,” breaking down contractions, and naming characters with multiple names can also help. Watch out for hyphenated words. They may have a different count for validation near the end of the month. Do not worry about that now, of course! 

5.      5. Stop spellchecking. This is a difficult habit for me since I check it whenever I see those squiggle lines. Keep adding words instead! I am always amused by which words are my most misspelled. It changes every NaNo, and I still cannot spell “restaurant” or “apocalypse” without spellcheck. My favorite is “Yoda” instead of “yoga.”

 

Do not forgot to save your work and back it up. Comment below how you are adding words to your story this year. Feel free to tell us the genre too!

 

Happy writing!