NaNoInspo

I’m already writing, so any participation of mine in NaNoWriMo will be more or less background noise. But then I thought:

What about the first-timers?

Peeps who are just sitting down for the first time to do something big and creative (I include the peeps participating in NaNoManGo, too, but I suck at art) and may be a little bit daunted. Or experiencing trepidation about the whole deal.

So I came up with NaNoInspo.

Inspirational messages, possibly including a brushtail possum, about starting writing and keeping writing. Why the brushtail? They’re cute, nocturnal, and used to dark places. Much like writers. They’re also capable of a lot of noise, a lot of mess, and will take your finger off if you’re not careful. Much like writers ;D

Things like:

• Of course you can explain your world! In small doses.



• Show us what your hero(ine) is like.



• Every first draft is perfect. All it has to do is exist. (Thank you, Neil Gaiman)



• Edit later. Write now.



• Write now. Edit later.



• All you could write was a paragraph? That’s great progress!



• Stuck? Read it over.



• Characters running away with the story? That’s a good sign!



• You made yourself cry? Wow, you’re good.



• Torturing your characters does not make you a bad person.



• Torturing your readers does not make you a bad person.



• Of course you can finish it after November.



• Keep writing, you’re doing great.



• TV Tropes is research.



• Wiki walks are research.



• Keep notes. Continuity is important.



• Readers are smart. You can let them guess.



• Write someone different to you. It’s great exercise.



• Give them a problem that’s in the way of their current solution.



• Need more words? Describe something.



• Tired of ‘said’? Try showing us what they’re doing.



• Don’t tell me what they look like right away.



• All you could write was a sentence? That’s great progress!



• You’re allowed to take a break.



• Remember: Look after yourself!

And so on. I doubt I could do a month’s worth, but I can try. And that’s what NaNoWriMo is about.

And, yes, I have an enthusiastic-looking possum picture picked out.