How I Wrote A Novel In One Month

"Is it even possible for me to write a novel?"

This is the question I asked myself at the end of October 2020. #NaNoWriMo was gearing up and I saw the enthusiasm of my peers hoping to bring their novels to life during National Novel Writing Month in November.

But I'm a HUGE underwriter. I'm not sure if it's the practice of using as few words as possible for picture books or the years of trying to simplify mathematical concepts into as few steps as possible. Either way, what takes most people 1,000 words to say usually takes me about 200.

Great for picture books! BAD for novels.

I wanted to participate. I wanted to take a break from picture books and try something new. But how could I possibly write 50,000 words in a month?!

With encouragement from friends, I put my doubts aside and jumped feet first into a story I'd been thinking about for awhile.

My goal was to put 1,700 words down every day. Some days I got 2,500 down. Some days only 300. The community aspect of NaNo really motivated me through accountability partners.

In every free moment, I pulled out my computer and frantically typed whatever was on my mind that related to the story.

It helped to keep myself in a constant mood that reflected the style of my story. I wanted it to be something between Nancy Drew and The Goonies, so I always had one or the other playing in the background to stay "in the zone".

Once the baby was in bed, I'd sit down and envision the story as a scene in a movie.

I'm more of a "pantser" by nature than a "plotter", so the story unfolded in cinematic scenes every evening in a way that took me by surprise. I set the mood and let my imagination take me in whatever direction it wanted to go.

I DID NOT go back and reread my work!

I knew if I let my inner editor out of the box she wouldn't go back in...and that's the WORST thing for my creativity!

So, night by night, scene by scene, my middle grade adventure came to life.

I was shocked when November had ended and I looked at my word count total. 44,000 words!

I knew I hadn't "won" the challenge to get to 50,000 words, but I'd done something I never thought possible.

I WROTE A COMPLETE STORY ARC IN ONE MONTH!!!!

And I was so proud!!

Of course, I let it sit for a couple of months and took several passes of revisions before it felt "finished" enough to query. But revisions are the fun part, right?!

It was so empowering to accomplish what I thought was impossible for me, and it all happened by taking these steps:

• Set a daily word count goal, even if you don't hit it. It still gets words on the page every day!

• Find friends that will motivate you. Whether that's a cheerleader or a fierce competitor, find someone that will push you out of your comfort zone.

• Set the mood for your writing. Turn on a TV show in the same genre, listen to music that reflects the tone of your story, read books you hope your story will sit next to on the bookshelf one day!

• Think about your story often. Even in the normal daily routines, inspiration can strike. Make sure your mind is open to those inspirations!

• Don't be ashamed to take a break! It's just as important to NOT think about your story for awhile. I'd have gone insane if I didn't purposefully take time to spend time with my family and talk to friends. Your brain needs rest!

• Don't let your inner editor come out! At least while drafting. Avoid the temptation to go back and read what you've already written!

• Have FUN with the story! After all, the reason you wanted to write this novel in the first place was because it excited you. Take that energy and go wild!

I know there are tons of ways to go about successfully writing a novel, but these are the things that worked for me. I'd love to know what tips work for you in the comments!

Happy writing, Friends!!