Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years. What’s stayed the same? And what’s changed? We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.
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[ Originally posted: October 29th, 2012 ]
There are only a few more days until NanoWriMo begins. To help you prepare, I’ve prepared a last minute to-do list for all self-publishing authors participating in NanoWriMo. Check it out below.
- Read a few pep talks, which are available on the NanoWriMo website. They are sure to give you the motivation you need to succeed.
- Add a web badge to your website. Not only will you help promote the event, but it is a fun way to let everyone know that you are taking the challenge.
- Get inspired. Spend some time before the writing begins listening to music, watching strangers, drinking coffee, reading books, or doing any other activity that gets your creative juices flowing.
- Relax. The next month is going to be hectic, so prepare your mind and body by practicing relaxation techniques such as exercising or meditation.
- Remind your friends and family. You will need they their support during this process, so remind them of your goals and writing schedule.
- Have fun. NanoWriMo is a fun process, so just enjoy it.
Good luck to all of the self-publishing authors who are participating in NanoWriMo. I can’t wait to see your books in print!
I’d love to know, what is on your last minute to-do list?
– by Wendy Statina
There’s no improving upon Wendy’s list from 2012, to be perfectly honest. (It’s perfect!) Like many of her fellow SPA contributors (including me!) she has participated in past NaNoWriMos, so she really knows what she’s talking about. Or she knew, at the very least, back in 2012 when she wrote her timeless recommendations–recommendations which are relevant, frankly, for every writer, no matter when you decide to plug away at your next novel.
As you’ll probably be beginning to realize, given the trend of several of our most recent posts here on SPA, we’re going to be writing our way through NaNoWriMo again this year, and we invite you to join with us. This isn’t just a vanity project for those of us who actually intend on participating in the event; this is us making a serious attempt to tackle many of the thorniest issues related to writing and authorship, specifically as self-publishing authors, that emerge when we settle into a long and sustained attempt to generate material. These issue include (but are not limited to) finding inspiration, maintaining motivation, vanquishing writer’s block, and navigating our complicated relationships to editing. (Do we do it before, during, or after we write? Or all of the above? Stay tuned to find out!) NaNoWriMo is simply the experiment–or the thought experiment, for those of you not participating this year, which is more than fine!–which helps us examine the issues.
Watch this spot–and our blog in general–over the coming weeks as we dive into November with our pens and notebooks at the ready!
Thanks for reading. If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them. Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can. ♠
Self Publishing Advisor 