1-Million-Words

Advice: You did it! You survived NaNoWriMo! Did you make your count, declare yourself a winner, and collect your goodies from NaNoWriMo.org? Did you have your celebratory drink, dessert or chocolate bar?
Even if you didn’t hit 50k, if you got any words on the page at all, be it 10, 100, or 1000…you succeeded!
So celebrate and take a deep breath and relax…
Because the holidays are right around the corner!

Prompt: That’s a wrap (something in your MC’s life comes to an end)

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Advice: Don't judge your first draft. Whether it's written in a month or longer, it doesn't matter. 50,000 words isn't a full fledged novel in general, so regardless of what gets written, you'll need to finish the story and edit after November anyway.

Prompt: Incorporate the closest object on your right into your next sentence

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Advice: Take a break. If you've banked some words, take advantage of that and take a day off. It'll be okay.

Prompt: “I didn’t expect to see you here…”

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Advice: Write any way” and I think that’s a key part of writing – sometimes the words will flow easily and other times each single syllable will be a struggle to get out, but whether it’s one word or a thousand it all counts. Whatever kind of day I’ve had I try to let that go and focus on my book universe, and write any way, anyway – and I always feel better for it. Also write for yourself no-one else. that’s enough. You don’t have to scry over hooks and trends and chase the “zeitgeist” just write what you need to, because you need to – that’ll help whatever you’re working on to stay true to your vision.”

Prompt: Psych 101. Put your main character on the therapist’s couch. What’s bugging him? What deep-seated issue hasn’t he dealt with? What does he talk about with his counselor that he’d never reveal to another character? What would happen if another character discovered this deep, dark secret? Write a scene about that very discovery. Does your character try to deny it? Freak out? Break down in tears? Shrug it off? Kill or blackmail the person who made the discovery so no one else finds out? Are the other characters supportive, afraid, judgmental? Who leaves, and who sticks around?

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Advice: Ask for help with things you usually do. For me, it's the household stuff, cooking dinners and laundry, things I like to stay on top of to make life easier in general. Those things tend to slide in November, and I care less when my family knows it's going to happen, and they're willing to help.

Prompt: Write from the perspective of a character who has your dream job. What is their life like?

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Advice: Listen to an author’s podcast for a change of pace and a different outlook. There are a host of them to be found on YouTube and elsewhere, and you may find just the topic/pep talk you're looking for...and discover a new author in the process.

Prompt: Your main character thought they were signing up for a magic camp where they would be learning tricks and illusions. But instead they find that this camp teaches real magic. What happens next?

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Advice: Try not to think about what you’ve already written. Let the ideas and words flow unhindered by not worrying about the previous chapter or paragraph. Focus on using your daily time wisely and get the words on the page before worrying about the cleanliness of your manuscript.

Prompt: A secret is about to be revealed

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Advice: Limit the distractions. If you find that staying off of social media or general web browsing or even your favorite podcast, youtube streamer or show is cutting into your writing time, there are programs available that will make such distractions inaccessible for the specified duration you set aside for writing. Or try writing by hand in a notebook so that those pesky internet distractions are not able to poke their head into your creative time.

Prompt: One morning, your MC wakes up to find a tiger in her house. What happens next?

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Advice: find new ways to inspire yourself. Create mood boards for your book. Grab pictures of actors or models that fit your characters. Add pictures of scenes, houses, towns, objects or places of interest. Find art that matches the mood of your story and makes you feel the way you want your characters, and readers, to feel.
If browsing pintrest is too much of a distraction for you, find pictures to print and make a bulletin board to hang over your desk or writing space…or make them into your computer’s desktop screen to provide constant motivation.
But remember, don't let these distractions get in the way of WORDS!

Prompt: Your character wakes up thinking “Oh no, what have I done…”

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