One Word At A Time

We’ve now passed the mid-point of the month and according to my NaNoWriMo graph, my manuscript progress should be 28,333 words.

So, am I going to win NaNoWriMo 2023?

No.

But I am a chapter closer to the end of the Elemental Artist series than I was before November 1.

And here’s the thing. String a couple of words together and you get a sentence. Follow that with a few more and you get a paragraph. Keep going and pretty soon you have a page, a chapter, a part, a novel.

Sure, there’s a lot more work to do once you finish your draft, but that’s a problem for future you.

Get Your Words

If you know where your story is going, why not write the first sentence, or paragraph, of each of your remaining chapters?

If you’re stuck, or you don’t know where your story is going, here are three suggestions for how you can unstick the words waiting in your imagination.

Expand an existing paragraph.

Take something you’ve already written and add sensory details. Make this section of your story immersive.

Add Interiority

Instead of writing brand new sections of your novel, expand your word count by delving into how your character(s) feel in any meaningful moment. This is a great time to revisit or reinforce your character’s goals and motivations. Bonus words if you tie sensory details to these introspective moments!

Skip Ahead

Many of us are linear writers. But there’s no shame in writing an exciting scene before you write the connective chapters leading up to that explosive moment. Give yourself permission to write the fight scene you’ve been itching to get to. Reveal the villain. Solve the mystery. Write about that triumphant kiss! Now is the time to write the scene you’ve been working towards.

If all else fails, here are two words you should add to your manuscript.

The End.

Sit with that for a moment, then erase them and get to writing. Because I promise, rewriting those two words when you have a final draft is the whole reason you joined NaNoWriMo this year. It will be worth it.

Go word.

Header Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash