Welcome to day four of NaNoWriMo
Let’s talk planning. Some of us use outlines, others do not. Some of us have had to learn to use outlines, others of us refuse to until we’re dead in the ground. For the most part we’re a mix of both, so it’s important we go over how to plan our month in our own unique ways.
I have a dry erase board exclusively for NaNoWriMo use. The first nine days of NaNo have scheduled projects to work on. This is to keep me focused and aware of all the things I have going on.
The reason for only nine days planned is because I know I’m a spontaneous person. Every year I go through a lot of emotions as I write throughout the month. NaNoWriMo is my month to reevaluate and rediscover my passion of writing. This is actually the first year I want to reach the 50,000 word goal, because I’ve always used the previous years as a time of reflection.
I can’t plan very far ahead in the future. Nine days is a pretty big commitment for me. It’s the reason why on day ten I want to look back on what I written and see if it’s working. This means I always have control to redirect my focus and I’m never a slave to the schedule.
Some of you are going to need to keep a schedule that is more in depth than mine. That way you always know where you need to be at any given part of the month. I know for others outlining kills the creative process. The writing process is a journey in itself. You need to travel with your characters and take on their challenges with them. They may be traveling from East Coast to West Coast, but there may be a need to detour down south over the border. Speaking of the U.S., of course.
That all being said, do try and take some time out of today to figure out your own schedule. It’s taken me three years and I finally stumbled upon this whiteboard dry eraser trick, and it’s a pretty nice addition to the toolbox.