National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2020 starts tomorrow! I can’t believe it’s here already.
My NaNoWriMo Goal
So, what am I doing for NaNoWriMo?
Well, I’m writing the first book in my paranormal cosy mystery series. The idea for this book comes from a novelette I wrote in 2014. And I’ve been looking forward to writing something lighter because I have spent the past two months writing a supernatural horror.
I plan to do NaNo properly this year, so I will be aiming to write 50,000 words of my novel. However, I do want to finish my book in November, so my final word count would ideally be higher — I am aiming for this novel to be between 50,000 and 70,000 words.
My paranormal cosy mystery mock cover
The Preparation for NaNoWriMo
To help me plan my story, I have been using the Save the Cat! Writes a Novel book — I love this story structure. It clearly explains what beats you need for your story, and you have examples from published books to see how the beat sheet works in action. I do recommend this book to plotters and plantsers.
I’m also using Sarra Cannon’s (from Heart Breathings) Preptober and Plan and Write Your Series workbooks. Sarra’s Heart Breathings YouTube channel gives useful writing advice. And if you sign to her newsletter, you get access to her free workbooks.
I have also created an ambience music playlist that I will be listening to while I write. I’m writing a paranormal cosy mystery, so I wanted some spooky music that was a little lighter and more fun rather than a dark and disturbing playlist.
My NaNoWriMo Rewards
It is recommended that you give yourself rewards to help motivate you. So I have decided to reward myself for every 10,000 words I write. I feel a reward would help because I have just spent two months writing a novel, and I think I might need more of an incentive to get the book written.
So, here are my rewards:
- 10,000 words = Cadbury White Chocolate Oreo bar
- 20,000 words = Bottle of nail varnish
- 30,000 words = A new pen
- 40,000 words = Pink hair accessory
- 50,000 words = A new book
Using the NaNoWriMo Website
This year I am using the NaNo website to share my progress and interact with other writers. My profile name is NicoleJS, so feel free to add me as a writing buddy. I have a NaNo group called Paranormal/Cosy Mystery Squad. The group is for paranormal cosy mystery, cosy mystery, paranormal, paranormal thriller, mystery and thriller writers. There are four spaces left, so message me if you want to be included in the group.
Self-Care During NaNoWriMo
Now, reaching my NaNo goal is important, but so is my health. So I plan to make sure that I’m taking care of myself during the month. First, I will have two days off from writing. I’m the kind of person who keeps going and never stops, so if I left myself to my own devices, I would be working non-stop. This is why I have marked out two days to take off. I will also continue to meditate and journal in the morning. It helps to get you focused when you have that time to yourself.
So, that’s my plan for NaNoWriMo. Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year? If you are, what are you writing? Let me know in the comments below.
Stay safe and keep writing, folks!
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