Today is my last “NaNo Prep” post, as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month—write a 50K word novel during November) starts on Thursday. But stay tuned because I’m planning a big post on Thursday with a gift for all romance writers.
I’m excited about NaNo because this is the first year I’ll be participating. Of course I always have to be difficult, so I’m stepping in to my first NaNo as a Rebel. *smile* NaNo Rebels are those who tweak the rules a bit but try to follow the spirit of NaNo anyway.
For example, I’m finishing a story I started this past summer. I’ve made it through the first 23,000 words, and I’m now heading into the dreaded middle act. I figure another 50,000 new words will get me close to finishing the story. However, working on a story I’ve already started puts me into “NaNo Rebel” territory. So be it.
Believe me, Act One is always quick for me, and NaNo will be all about the tricky stuff. This is no “easy way out.”
I do want to follow the spirit of NaNo as much as possible though. So all new words must come from new chapters and scenes. I won’t be adding words to any of the previous scenes for my NaNo count.
In fact, I’m doing all my NaNo work in an entirely different program. I’m using NaNo to try out the writing program Scrivener (for Windows and Mac). As a NaNo sponsor, Scrivener offers a free trial for the duration of November. Then they give all NaNo participants and winners a discount in December. That sounded like the perfect excuse to finally try this program I’ve heard so much about from friends.
I spent part of this past weekend working through the Scrivener tutorial, and yesterday, I figured out how to set up word count targets for each of the story beats. So I’m feeling fairly prepared. At least for a pantser. *snicker*
My template for beats, word count targets,
and progress bars in Scrivener.
(click through for larger image)
But I’m still learning Scrivener, so I’d like to hear from other users how they integrate the program into their writing process. Or if you use other writing tools, I’d like to know how you figured out what worked for you.
Are you a NaNo Rebel? What rules are you breaking and how are you still trying to follow the spirit of NaNo? Do you use Scrivener? For drafting, editing, or both? How much do you use the Research and non-draft sections? What other writing tools do you use and why? Any advice for a Scrivener newbie?
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