NaNoWriMo Tips: Production Schedule

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us.

I like to keep a daily output in mind as I work through November. So here are the numbers to shoot for.

Even though my Word program gives me the WC on each document, I still like to think in terms of page lengths. Here’s how I do it:

Keep each page to 250 words/page. Use Courier New 12, double space your lines, indent your paragraphs. For NaNo, we need to average 1,667 words/day x 30 days = 50K WC.

In pages, that’s ~200 total, about 6.5 daily, set up as indicated above. Enjoy!

Denise Barker, author + blogger + copy editor

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NaNoMo Tips

Two wonderful blog posts, both courtesy of Alexandra Sokoloff, will prep you for NaNoMo.  Cut and paste the links below into your browser:

1.  http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2008/10/story-structure-101-index-card-method.html

2.  http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2011/10/nanowrimo-prep-index-card-method.html

Otherwise click on each using my "Favorite Links" found in my right-hand sidebar.

The first (from October 2, 2008) utilizes index cards to write down short snippets of what scenes you envision now, whether sixty or one-hundred-and-sixty, for your proposed NaNoMo 2011 project.  Others will come as you type these up during November.

The second (from October 5, 2011) consists of a homework assignment that involves watching your ten favorite movies, the ones closest to the novel idea you have in mind to draft over November.  This exercise helps you map out your story structure, hitting the inciting incident, (at least) three try/fail sequences, the black moment, the climax, the resolution--or whatever you have been taught to call the high-impact moments of your tale.

Alexandra also supports my theory that screenwriting formulas can assist us in our novel writing.

Enjoy!