The Elephant Technique or How Not To Break Your Momentum During NaNoWriMo And Beyond
So thereâs this thing, National Novel Writing Month, where a person writes a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. These people are referred to as crazy. I am one of them.
And thereâs this guy, Chris Baty. Baty helped make NaNoWriMo a thing. He even wrote a book about it. A book about writing a book. Itâs meta. In this book he gave advice on just how to write a book in 30 days. Lots and lots of advice. Because writing is hard.
But this guy, Baty? Heâs pretty smart about it. One of the things he talks about is to know your weakness as a writer. I have a bunch, but the main one is getting distracted by internetz.
See, the thing is, I try. I really do. I try to research all the things and stuff I need to research before I write, but sometimes Iâll be going on my merry way and BOOM I forgot what I named that hospital. Or BOOM I donât know what the parts to a horseâs saddle is. So I go to Google and Google tells me. But it never stops there. I always go, âWhile Iâm here, I might as well check [insert your time-wasting social media site of choice].â And then, BOOM - an hour has passed and I havenât touched what I was writing.
This is no good. I need to focus and not break my momentum while Iâm writing. Stopping to open a browser and searching on Google breaks my momentum. So what do I do? Research even more? As much as Iâd like to think I can predict everything that happens in my plot, some things I just canât foresee. And thatâs a good thing! No, itâs great! Thatâs one of the best things about writing, when Iâm surprised when X, Y, or Z happens.Â
Instead of extensive, mind-numbing research, I do this. Whenever I find myself stalling to think of a name or an adjective or literally anything else, I write elephant instead. Elephant. And then go on my merry way.
It felt really stupid when I started. The worse is when I read what Iâve written and forgot that I slapped on an elephant in the middle of an intense scene.
I promise, I wouldnât do it if it didnât.
And when I edit, all I do is find each âelephantâ with the search option of whatever word-processor Iâm using and insert itâs rightful word - the well-researched-after-Iâve-written-the-book word. Iâve told a few people about my Elephant Technique, and I knew a few people who use different words:Â cantaloupe, poodle, febreze. It all works.Â
BOOM, distraction gone. Please enjoy BMO dancing as you go forth and write all the things.
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