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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Conquering NaNoWriMo: How I “Win” Every Year

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

Just days before November 1, 2006, a friend asked, “Have you seen this NaNoWriMo thing?”

My response?  Totally predictable.  “NaNo-what, what?”

But, of course, when I heard it was about writing–you know, that “wri” part?–I went to look it up. And signed up.  Needed a book idea.  I went with Hope 101, which later became Discovering Hope.

Conquering NaNoWriMo(Links in this post may be affiliate links and I’ll receive a tiny commission at no extra expense to you.)

I know a lot of people are intimidated by 50,000 words in 30 days, but it only works out to 1,667 words per day.  Back then, I didn’t know how many words I wrote per hour, so I was a bit nervous. Add to it the “Thankful Trio” of days near the end when I prepare for Thanksgiving, celebrate Thanksgiving, and kick off Christmas the day after Thanksgiving…. yeah. I was nervous.

So, my goal was to write as much as I could in that first hour after midnight (before I went to bed).  I fell asleep with about 2200 words under my belt.  To say I was astounded–understatement.  But it prompted what eventually became my strategy.

Yeah. Like most of my plots and plans, it was a total accident.

So… you want to try NaNoWriMo but don’t think you can do it?  November is too busy of a month? Yeah.  I get you.  But you know what?  I believe folks can do more than they believe they can. So why not try?

My Super-Simple Not-So-Devious Plan to “Win” NaNoWriMo Every Year

It’s really crazy simple. I write 3,000 words per day for the first 10 days.  It works out to about two hours for me (with all my interruptions) And, in one of those days, I get a “free” hour of writing due to “Daylight Savings” (those quotes should reveal my opinion on that thing), giving me back an hour.

Look at the numbers. If I write 3,000 words for 10 days, in 1/3 of the month, I’ve written 3/5 of the required numbers.

Next goal:  2,000 words a day for 10 days.  It allows me to lighten up if I need to and yet it’s not that much more than the usual “1,667 required” words per day.  That gets me to 50,000.  Done!

But, I keep going.  I try, as hard as I can, to finish the book during this month.  To do that, I need to keep up the 3,000 words per day for the entire month.  And that’s not that difficult.  It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t.  For example, in July, I wrote 45,000 words in 10 days during Camp NaNoWriMo.  That book?  Christmas Stalkings. Of course, 4,000 of those words got cut and replaced, but still.  The point is that it can be done.

But for me, the idea of doing NaNoWriMo is to write what I want to write–whatever is tugging at me most.  This year, it happens to be a sequel to Christmas Stalkings.  I can’t stop thinking about those characters.  I’m anxious to get back to them.  And, I really want to finish the book in the 30-day window.  So… I’ll be starting at midnight.  The goal?  3,000 words before I quit for the night/day.  Why?

Because I love the challenge, and I’ve proven, time and again, that it can be done.

What’s stopping you from writing your 50,000-word masterpiece? Sure, it starts in just a few hours, but we can do this! How can I help you?  I’d love to do it!  Just leave a comment or drop me a line at [email protected].  I’m here to help you move your story from your heart to “paper.”  And to keep you going, I’ve created 30 days of NaNoWriMo tips and hints.  Watch my Instagram account for your “daily” NaNo prods!

nanowrimo tips

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Filed Under: General Information, Writing Tagged With: NaNoWriMo

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Comments

  1. MrsKinsey says

    October 31, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    I love your strategy — simple yet effective! I’m looking forward to seeing your IG posts, too.
    I’ve always wanted to try NaNoWriMo. I have never really had a solid story idea — and I’ve always been slightly afraid of not sticking with it/giving up before the end of the month. Now, I think I have the basis of a story, but my life is currently slightly overwhelming. So, we’ll see.

    Reply

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Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

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