12 Tips for Drafting Forward During NaNoWriMo (And Beyond!)
To accomplish your big writing goals, you have to focus on drafting forward. The team over at Freewrite knows how to do that better than most! Freewrite, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a dedicated distraction-free drafting device designed just for writers to separate the drafting from the editing process and get words on the page. Today, the Freewrite team is here to share their top 12 tips for doing just that:
Here at Freewrite, we love when NaNoWriMo comes around, because we’re all about helping writers set their stories free. We’re big proponents of the “write now, edit later” method of writing to help writers reach writing flow and increase productivity. The goal of drafting forward (and NaNoWriMo!) is to get a first draft recorded and translate your thoughts into writing on the page.
We’re going to share the top tips we recommend to writers who want to try this method but don’t know where to start. Try these out during your next writing session to see how they help you ditch the distractions and make serious progress!
1. Save research for later. (Or start with it!)
Yes, research is important. But it can also quickly turn into a form of procrastination. Complete the bulk of your research before you start writing, or, if it’s a topic you know well, commit to doing any research after. When you’re drafting and come to a place where you need to fact-check or gather information, simply leave a note to yourself right there in the text and continue drafting.
2. Plan well.
With a timed challenge like NaNoWriMo, it helps to plan out your daily benchmarks in order to finish on time. Consider setting a daily word count goal or making a schedule for the month so you know exactly where you stand each day. Make an outline if you’re a plotter, or if you’re a pantser, spend some time getting into the world of your story.
3. Decide you’re going to write a messy first draft.
We recommend stating it outright to yourself, or maybe writing it down on a Post-It where you can see it each day: My goal is to write a messy first draft. Embrace that imperfection so that you can write more freely!
4. Silence your inner critic.
As you write, revisit your messy first draft goal and resist the urge to critique or edit your work as you go along. Instead, concentrate on getting your thoughts down without judgment. This means not overanalyzing each sentence. Did that last sentence sound ridiculous? Who cares?! Anything goes in a messy first draft. You’ll refine and revise later!
5. Turn off your inner spell-check.
Freewrite devices have no spell-check or grammar checker for a reason. Every squiggly line is a distraction, a moment that your writing flow is broken and you have to resist going back to fix typos. Even if your eyes recognize a typo, train your brain to fix it later! Remember: we’re focusing on getting out thoughts and ideas in the first draft, not grammar.
6. Eliminate external distractions.
We’ve done the hard work for you by creating Freewrite. 😉 Now, put your phone in the other room, turn off the TV, and start writing.
7. Write quickly.
This is just another way to trick your brain into writing from that deep, creative place that can’t be reached when you’re overthinking. Strive for a flow state where you’re typing at the speed that your thoughts come to you.
8. Use placeholders.
If you can’t think of the right word or need to look up a source, just insert a placeholder and keep writing. Our favorite placeholder is “xx” because that can easily be searched in editing software later. Other people like the more straightforward “[INSERT SOMETHING FUNNY]” or “[CHECK SOURCE]”. You can fill in those gaps during the editing phase.
9. Keep moving forward.
If you encounter writer’s block or a difficult section, resist the temptation to stop and dwell on it. Skip to another part in your story and return to the challenging section later. We like to add a note to ourselves right there in the draft to remind us to come back to that spot when editing.
10. No back-tracking.
Often while drafting, a brilliant sentence will come to us. But it’s describing something we just described. What to do? Do not go back, delete the first sentence, and replace it. Simply keep writing the new sentence! These redundancies are easy to correct later.
11. Experiment.
Try different styles and approaches without judgement. You can compare and contrast and pick the best one later, during the editing stage.
12. Write!
Relish in the creative flow and the freedom of having one job to do: writing. Don’t worry about grammar or story structure. Focus on the joy of creating.
With a few tweaks in how you draft, we hope you’ll be surprised by how much you write, the creative ideas your imagination comes up with, and how much fun you have while writing.
And if you try the above rules of forward drafting, we’d love to hear your experience!
Reminder: NaNoWriMo 2023 participants are eligible for a special Freewrite offer. Find all the details here.
Since NaNo starts tomorrow, I compiled a list of my best advice for how to write faster for anyone who needs it! I'm shooting for another 140k this year, so I'll be relying on these heavily.
“I’m not a dog you can summon to your heels at a single command, Mr. Regent.” Realizing how tightly my fists are clenched, I uncurl my fingers and draw a deep breath. “With all due respect.”
“With all due respect, my good man, that is exactly what you are.”
NaNoWriMo is a month away, which means you only have a NaNo’s length of preparation left. If you’re planning on participating, using the next 31 days to prepare can help you hit that 50k goal.
If you’re worrying that this post will list plot, character, and world-building elements you need before you put pen to paper in November... relax.
There are no requirements for what you have to plan before writing. None. It’s fine if you sit down on Nov 1st with a 20-page outline to guide you through the month, but it’s equally valid to open a blank page that first day and simply start writing whatever comes to your head.
Writing the first draft is all about finding the story you want to tell, and it doesn’t matter where in the draft you find it.
However, there are a couple of simple and valuable ways to prepare for a 30 day write-a-thon, outline or no:
1. Read. Read. Read.
Do you want to write a mystery novel? A whimsical Middle Grade? A romantic YA contemporary? Spend your October reading books that are something similar to the book that you’d like to write. Read as much as you can. Pay attention to how the books are crafted, to story-telling techniques you can steal for your own novel.
If you don’t have a set novel in mind, just read. Discover what kind of book you’re interested in right now and write one of those.
This is the most useful thing you can do before you start writing next month.
2. Sign up.
The first thing you should do is sign up or sign in to the official NaNoWriMo website. For obvious reasons. Turn that ‘create novel’ page into a contract, declaration for the world to see. Commit yourself now.
3. Join your local NaNoWriMo group.
Most cities--and even many smaller towns--have regional ‘liaisons’ who organise writing and socialising events at local bookstores, coffee shops, and libraries. If you don’t have many writer friends, joining these NaNoWriMo groups can be a way in to your own writing group.
Sign-up in October so you can start talking to people and learn about any pre-Nano or November 1st events.
4. Start looking for writing time
NaNoWriMo is all about finding writing time in your daily life. Get a head start this month by keeping an eye out for things like:
Bored social media browsing periods.
Times of the day you feel most creative.
Times of the day when you have the most energy.
5. Scope out some writing spots.
Similarly, this is a great time to test out nearby cafes, libraries, and other wi-fi hubs. Find out which places play good writing music. Which places have the most outlets and the largest tables. Which almost always have open tables and which don’t. Which open earliest or close latest.
Find places you’d love to return to. Make going to write at a pretty cafe a treat on days when you have no other motivation.
6. Gather some inspiration.
This is the time to start looking up author interviews, past pep-talks, motivational quotes etc. and fill your desk with them. Wallpaper your writing space with motivational post-it notes. If you require a more instagram-able space, check out my poster series, print some out, and hang them on the wall in cheap frames or washi tape. Choose a pretty font and type out your own quotes. Do what you need to do to make sure that when you want to give up on Day 10, you have something to recharge your spirits. Here’s a list of 103 First Draft quotes. 88 Cups of Tea has amazing author interviews. I’ll also try to blog and reblog inspirational things starting late October.
7. Follow some writing blogs!
Obviously you’re following this blog. Or you’re following someone following this blog. Or following someone who’s following someone who’s following this blog. Or following someone who’s following someone who...nvm.
You found this post, which means you’re probably on the right track already, but I can’t make this list without recommending you follow as many writing blogs as possible. Start now. Fill your dash with advice, read it all this month, and use it while you write next month.
Here are some writing blogs I follow & recommend:
thecaffeinebookwarrior.tumblr.com/
lets-get-fictional.tumblr.com/
writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/
heywriters.tumblr.com/
the-writers-manual.tumblr.com/
oliviapaigewrites.tumblr.com/
thecharactercomma.tumblr.com/
yeahwrite.co/
brynwrites.tumblr.com/
thewritingnook.tumblr.com/
ancwritingresources.tumblr.com/
thewritershandbook.tumblr.com/
writersrelief.tumblr.com/
fixyourwritinghabits.tumblr.com/
clevergirlhelps.tumblr.com/
Some of my posts you may find useful in November:
If you’re trying to develop a regular writing schedule...
Creating Characters
Writing Tools: The Draft Notebook
Write What You Know (Not Necessarily What You’ve Experienced)
How to Steal: Good Writers Borrow...
How to Steal: Know Your Tropes
How to Finish a Draft
The Forest Productivity App
Ambient Soundscapes Inspired by Famous Authors
What to Do When You Can’t Write
Writing Podcasts
Narrative Voice
Poster series
Despite the banner at the top of this post, there’s a fair chance I won’t be participating this year. (I want to, but the project I’m finishing with my agents has to come first!). No matter what, I’m going to try my best to make this blog a NaNoWriMo inspiration hub, because I believe in it, and I believe in you. Whoever you are.
Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Freewrite, a 2023 NaNo sponsor, is a dedicated distraction-free drafting device designed just for writers. Today, author Ashley Poston and the Freewrite team share some tips for completing a first draft of your novel quickly:
Hello from the Freewrite team! 👋 Here at Freewrite, we love a NaNoWriMo challenge, because we’re all about getting words on the page. We asked Author & Freewrite Ambassador Ashley Poston to share her best tips for fast-drafting and getting that first draft DONE!
No surprise, one of her secrets is her Freewrite. But what else does Ashley do to get those drafts done fast?
Here’s Ashley:
I have a confession to make: I hate drafting. It’s the bane of my existence. If I could reach into my brain and take out my story, fully-formed, and just work on the editing bit? I’d do it.
But, alas, that’s not how writing works. (Which is a real pity because I really do love editing. The way you go in with a fine-tooth comb and just torch the entire novel, then rewrite it for the third time. It’s truly majestic.)
Though after ten years, I’ve yet to figure out a way to pull a novel, fully-formed, out of my ears. So, instead, I like making the part of drafting as painless as possible… by doing the most painful, maddening, infuriating thing imaginable.
In other words: fast-drafting.
I’ve perfected the art. I can write a book in a week if I have enough caffeine and a death wish, and with these ten tips, so can you.
1. Find your characters.
Truly, the most important part of fast-drafting is knowing your characters from the outset. In a first draft, you usually find your characters in the middle of the second-to-last chapter. (Or is that just me?) So it often helps to know your characters inside and out from the start. Not only that, but know how they’d react in certain situations, know what would be on their Spotify playlist, know whether they’d have a repertoire of Your Mom jokes up their sleeve. How do they take their coffee? If faced with ten seconds to live, who would they call? Most of these questions you’ll never answer in the manuscript itself, but it’s important to know these people in your head on an intimate level.
2. Use your time(r) wisely.
Setting a timer can be a great way to increase your writing speed. Start with a short amount of time—maybe 15 minutes—and write like the wind, Bullseye! Then shake yourself out, set that timer to 15 again, and repeat. (This is SO easy on my Freewrite Traveler, because it has a feature that keeps time for you, making 15-minute sprints easy-peasy.)
3. Outline.
In addition to your characters, you really should get to know your plot, too, and a great way to do that is making an outline! There are a bunch of different tips and tricks to outlining—I personally use Susan Dennard’s 1-page Synopsis whenever I need to hash out a plot, and Rachel Aaron’s 2k to 10k Blogpost from Ye Olde 2011.
4. No distractions!
Writing is already hard enough, but it becomes almost impossible when you have a cat pronking on you every chance they get. Sometimes, life can just be that—distracting—and you can’t do anything about it. But minimize distractions wherever you can, especially if you’re sprinting. Turn off your phone! Disconnect the internet! And here is where I tell you my Freewrite has saved my butt countless times. I’m horrid at the whole “cut distractions!” bit, but with Freewrite, it’s easy as pie. It’s a lot like a typewriter, so internet? Never heard of her. iMessages? iThinkNot. It’s just you, your words, and the mounting existential dread of existence.
5. Compression gloves. (No, seriously, especially if you write every day.)
This is gonna sound like one of those weird ones—and that’s because it is. But if you’re planning on writing every day for at least an hour, please do yourself (and your budding carpel tunnel) a favor and get some compression gloves. Learn some hand exercises. We don’t call writing fast “sprinting” for nothing.
6. Don’t look back.
It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to perfect the prologue, but this can absolutely hinder you. Take it from someone who loves to make the first chapter perfect—you never will. I promise. Instead, focus on getting your ideas down on paper and worry about editing later. I promise that sentence you didn’t like will be there when you come back to it. It’s not going anywhere. This is another area where my Freewrite helps me focus.
7. Use prompts!
Sometimes, your brain gets stuck. If you feel stuck, or in a corner, use a writing prompt to get the creative juices flowing again! Maybe you’ll never use the scene, but that’s OK. If it means you get going again? That’s what matters.
8. Stuck? Hit the bricks! Real winners quit. But like… not forever.
Writing can be mentally draining, so it’s important to not push yourself too hard, and to take breaks when you need it. Take a walk, stretch, dance it out to ABBA—whatever helps you recharge. And then when you come back to the scene, you’re refreshed and rearing to go.
9. Chunk it up.
Breaking up your writing into smaller, manageable chunks can make drafting so much less daunting. Instead of making the goal finishing the novel, just finish the chapter. Finish this scene. Sometimes, it helps if people set a goal for a certain amount of words a day, but I find that this often just leads to burnout a lot faster. Instead of a word count, set a goal for a scene instead. Turn off the word counter. A first draft doesn’t have to hit a certain number of words—it’s called a first draft for a reason.
10. Practice makes more practice.
Like anything else you do, writing takes practice. I know I can easily hit 5k a day, but that’s because I’ve been writing professionally for a decade now. If you’re just starting out, don’t compare yourself to anyone else. (In fact, this is a great rule of thumb regardless.) Everyone writes differently, and everyone writes in their own time. No one ever asked Van Gogh how long it took him to paint sunflowers, did they? No one told Monet he was taking too long on his water lilies. Writing is an art, so let yourself enjoy it.
I hope this helps you, at least a little, write your next sexy dragon-shifter book! (Or whatever you’re working on.) Godspeed, and just remember: only you can write the idea in your head. Different writers can be given the same exact prompt, and every single story will turn out differently. Keep your eyes on your own paper, your heart full of joy, and chase that story only you can tell.
It’ll be worth it, I promise.
—Ashley
Reminder: Camp NaNoWriMo 2023 participants are eligible for a special Freewrite offer. Find all the details here.
Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The Dead Romantics. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, she spent the last decade working in the publishing industry before deciding to pursue writing full-time. When not writing, she likes trying various arts and crafts (she’s currently addicted to building miniature rooms) and taking long walks as an excuse to listen to Dungeons & Dragons podcasts. She bides her time between South Carolina and New York, and all the bookstores between.
I was tagged by @i-can-even-burn-salad to find this vibe: that moment when they realize the worst that could have happened has happened.
Sooo remember this lil teaser?
Wanna see what happened right before?
Because it is the moment where she realizes the worst possible thing has happened. 😳 Or, rather, the worst possible person has appeared.
Curt, more furious than she’d ever seen him, kicked the thief back down, wrenching his arms behind him and locking them into the shackles. “You son of a bitch. How dare you put your hands on h—”
“What the devil is going on here?”
No.
Panic spread through her, so white-hot, so paralyzing, so bone-deep that Breanna could barely remember how to breathe. She could not answer. She could not move.
“He attacked her,” Curt said, and Breanna saw through dazed eyes that he had forced the thief to his feet, and though the boy tried valiantly to escape his grasp, Curt yanked his head back.
Yanked his head back so that his hazel eyes stared directly into her husband’s.
Tagging: @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @clairelsonao3 + OPEN TAG
Here's your vibe: the character is deceiving/lying to someone to get what they want
