NaNoWriMo Advice. in Whey and Sonic Screwdrivers.

I’ve tried eight times, succeeded four times, so I know a little bit about the writing process. Mind you, this is just what works for me.

• Characters over plot. Awesome characters always trump a non-existent plot.
• No, seriously. If you have an arching plot, keep it loose and don’t fret over the ending. I find if I have a hard ending, I sometimes draw a blank in terms of how to get there. On the other hand, if I have an ending that could go either way, that frees me up to let the characters tell me how it should end.
• If there are advance sequences which are vivid in your mind, write them. Whether you use them or not, it’s best to write when things are fresh in your head.
• More on characters: Ask yourself their likes, dislikes, and how they’ll interact with other characters.
• Don’t lock down characters to their initial personality. Let them grow and evolve.
• Ask yourself what’s the best that could happen, and the worst that could happen. Both are entertaining.
• Don’t be afraid to draw from your own life.
• Don’t be afraid to write a scene which is similar to something you’ve written before.
• Don’t be afraid to write badly. Editing can clean up shitty writing.
• If you’re not sure how to transition from A to C, then just don’t. If you know what C is, just write “and they walked over there” and let it be. Think of how many movies cut from scene to scene without explanation, but we accept it.
• If you’re attached to your main character(s), you’ll find it side-characters are fun to explore.
• No, seriously. Even if you have a shitty ending, if the journey there was worth it, that’s all that matters.
• Think episodic. Maybe you’re going somewhere, but if the individual beats are strong, you won’t be hitting the reader over the head with THIS IS THE PLOT.
• Don’t be afraid to write something that doesn’t relate to your arching plot at all.
• Use description to pace how a scene is going. Pretend it’s a movie. If it’s a dramatic moment, use description to slow down the pacing. If it’s just two people talking, just focus in their minute reactions to each other rather than their surroundings. I can’t stand the word “said” used over and over again.
• If you’re in the middle of your story and you hit a hard wall: Zombie apocalypse. Works every time.