#NaNoWriMo2016: The Prep, What I’m Working On, And The Tools I’m Using

Hey loves,

I’m taking part in this year’s Nanowrimo! It’s a month-long event in November where writers are challenged to complete a 50,000 word novel in 30-days. Yes, girls and boys… 30 days. Now for me, I write A LOT, but I usually write novellas. Though I’ll be aiming for 50K, my real goal is just to complete the body of work.

The Prep

To make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible, I’ve planned out EVERYTHING. I wish I was that person who could write by the seat of her pants (off the dome, making it up as I go) but the way my focus is set up… yeah, no. I have an A-Type personality when it comes to my fiction writing. I don’t understand why this personality doesn’t trickle down to other parts of my life, but hey… I get in where I fit in. Because of this need to always have everything in order, I’ve already planned out my novel (or novella, only time will tell) from start to finish. I’ve researched as much as I could, have the links needed for reference, know how the story will end, and I have the cover ready. I’ll post the cover by mid-November.

The Work

I’ll be working on part three of No Fraternizing! And based on the outline, it’s about to go down in the final part of my first series. Readers have called part one and part two hot reads and “page-turners.” Y’all are going to lose your minds after this release because shit definitely gets real. But more on that later.

The Tools

Scrivener – Coincidentally enough, the creators of this software is a sponsor of Nanowrimo . I’ve been using this baby to plan and write my novels for a while now. It’s usually what I use first before exporting my chapters to MS Word to edit. I love Scrivener. I’d marry it if I wasn’t already married. It allows you to separate your stories by scenes and chapters, you can add photo inspirations of characters, create setting details and character personality and traits, and so much more. They’re offering it for free during the challenge so you better get up on it!

Aeon Timeline –This is another software company that’s sponsoring the event and are offering a free trial and a discount for new purchases. I’ve used this software for Girl Code, a novella I’m editing now for a December 23 release. This software is good for keeping track of your story’s timeline so you don’t mess up and have your character pregnant in chapter 4 with the same baby she already had in chapter 1.

BeFocused App – On my phone. It’s a Pomodoro timer app that helps me balance work with my social media addiction. It allows me to work for 25 minutes straight, gives me a five-minute break (after a few 25-minute sets, you get a 15-minute break!), and then 25 minutes again to work… rinse and repeat. This is how I’m able to exceed my word count goals by splitting up the time and having time to work and time to play and know where my time is going as I do it. The next time I say time, take a shot!

So that’s pretty much it for how I’m preparing to get to 50K  in one month. I’ll keep you updated on my progress and I’m looking forward to giving y’all part 3 of No Fraternizing at the start of 2017!

Haven’t read part 1 or part 2 yet of No Fraternizing? You’re missing out! CLICK THIS LINK to check out my catalog of short stories and novellas, read samples, and get your copies today. Part 1 is FREE while Part 2 is FREE with Kindle Unlimited!