NaNoWriMo

What I learned my first time doing NaNoWriMo

How brainstorming helps you write a successful novel

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

A few years ago, I fancied the idea of writing a novel. An author friend suggested I join the NaNoWriMo challenge. It seemed pretty straightforward, so I grabbed a large notebook and jotted down some ideas for my fantastic story.

It didn’t take me long to realize there was more to writing 50,000 words in one month than I’d initially anticipated. My characters were supposed to have backstories? And how do I draw a map of a fantasy world?

I muddled through, and although extremely tired at the end of November, I had written 50,074 words and was thoroughly chuffed with myself. However, the story made little sense because I missed including crucial points.

The following year, I decided to research the best way to write a novel and attended a few courses and a writers’ conference. I learned a lot but didn’t know how to organize all my thoughts and brilliant ideas. And so, necessity being the mother of invention, I created a workbook for myself.

I showed it to a few beta readers, who liked organizing their brainstorming thoughts and outlines, too, so I wrote The Novel Author’s Workbook with the help of my friend and White Rose Writers Etsy Shop…