Welcome planners, pantsers, and every “er” in between! Getting ready to write a novel can involve any number of things: brainstorming scenes, outlining plot, dressing up like your main character and taking a bus trip around town, drawing a map, blocking off time on your calendar, engaging your community to support you, stashing snacks in strange places, and more.
To better guide you on this journey, we present (*drum roll*)… NaNo Prep 101, a 6-week course filled with activities and resources to help you prepare to write a novel. Planners, rejoice! Pantsers, you might be surprised! Everyone else, welcome—let’s get prepping.
(Note: this is just one approach to writing a novel. If you want to spend months world-building, yay! If you want to start your first day of writing with nothing but a weird dream you once had and a pencil you found on the sidewalk, also yay! We hope you find something useful here to support you, no matter what process you use.)
How to Participate in NaNo Prep 101
Every week, tackle one straightforward preparation exercise.
If you feel like you can do even more, check out that week’s additional resources. There are loads of different things to do, read, watch, and listen to! To keep track of your progress, feel free to use our NaNo Prep 101 Checklist. If it works for astronauts, it might work for you… 🚀
The Course Outline
- Week 1: Develop a Story Idea
- Week 2: Create Unique Characters
- Week 3: Construct a Detailed Plot or Outline
- Week 4: Build a Strong World
- Week 5: Grow Your Writing Community
- Week 6: Find and Manage Your Time
Once you’ve completed the entire course, celebrate with the official NaNo Prep 101 certificate of completion!
Other NaNo Prep Resources
- Novel Prep playlist on YouTube
- All #NaNo Prep posts on the NaNoWriMo blog
- Archive of NaNoWriMo Pep Talks (including these two by Kalynn Bayron and Katherine Paterson about writing first drafts)
- Update 9/2023: In the past, we leaned heavily on traditional Western ideas of how to write a novel, and what makes a “good” story. Our resources still reflect that bias in many ways, but we made an effort this year to expand our offerings, and will continue diversifying our materials. Here are few helpful sources we used this year: Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses; Beyond Hero’s Journey: Non-Western Story Structures and Decolonizing Tropes, two webcasts by WriteHive; and Ways to Decolonize Your Fiction Writing, a webcast by Dream Foundry. Have a suggestion for a resource we should share? Suggest it here!
The Week-By-Week Breakdown
Week 1: Develop a Story Idea You’re Passionate About
(That will take you all the way to 50,000 words)
Week 1 Featured Exercise: Sparking an Idea
Some people struggle to come up with a novel idea that excites them; others are idea machines, but have a hard time committing to one. Tackle this week’s exercise to focus on finding inspiration… and then hone in on a few ideas that spark your creative passion.
Week 1 Additional Resources
To do:
💡 Four Ways to Develop an Idea Even more ideas! Plot bunnies galore! (To fill it out, click “File” in the top left corner, then select “Make a copy.”)
💡 Plot Generator 1 and Plot Generator 2 Silly… or brilliant? Or both???
💬 Adoption Society Forum Hop into any “Adopt a Plot” threads to get inspiration from other Wrimos.
To read:
📚 “Four Realistic Ways to Generate Ideas for Your Novel”
📚 “Black Joy Is Revolutionary or Why Writing Black Doesn’t Equal Trauma or Pain” Why stories centered around Black joy are necessary.
To watch/listen:
🎬 YouTube playlist: Novel Idea Generation
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Writing What Terrifies You, featuring Ashley Woodfolk”
Week 2: Create Unique Characters
(Who you’ll love getting to know)
Week 2 Featured Exercise: Character Questionnaires
Characters are often the beating heart of a story, and a huge part of a first draft is getting to know them. Get a head start with this character questionnaire exercise (but don’t feel pressured to know everything before you start writing—being surprised is one of the joys of a first draft!).
Week 2 Additional Resources
To do:
🥸 51 Questions You’ve Probably Never Asked Your Characters Go even deeper… (To fill it out, click “File” in the top left corner, then select “Make a copy.”)
😎 New Character Generator Check out this fun resource from our blog.
😝 A Character-Creating Exercise That Will Make Your Story Stand Out
💬 Adoption Society Forum Hop into any “Adopt a Character” threads to get inspiration from other Wrimos.
To read:
📚 Blog Series: Writing Characters of Color The great blog, Writing With Color, partnered with us on a series about how to write stories peopled with characters of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
📚 “Character Building Through Repeated Actions”
📚 “The Benefits of Being an Inclusive Writer”
📚 “How to Avoid Token Representation”
📚 “Character Creation: The Minus 1 Rule”
(Or explore all character development posts on the NaNoWriMo blog!)
To watch/listen:
🎬 YouTube playlist: Character Creation
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Writing Racial Dynamics in YA Fiction, featuring David Yoon”
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Characterization, featuring A.M. Homes”
Week 3: Construct a Detailed Plot or Outline
(That will help you find your way through the story)
Week 3 Featured Exercise: “What’s your planning style?” Quiz
There are a million different ways to structure a novel, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which one will work for you and your story. Take our extremely scientific plotting method quiz… then find the associated exercise in this week’s NaNo Prep 101 materials and test it out!
Quiz: What’s your planning style?
Explore a few plotting methods below:
An Outline: The Save the Cat! Beat Sheet
Tons o’ Structure: Katytastic’s 3 Act/9 Block/27 Chapter Outline
Week 3 Additional Resources
To do:
🤔 Discover Your Implied Reader Before you start writing your novel, consider asking yourself: “Who am I writing for?”
🗣️ Choosing Point of View Learn about several different POVs and try them out in a scene from your novel.
💬 Prepping and Outlining Forum Talk all things planning in the Prepping and Outlining forum.
To read:
📚 “How to Start Small” Author and past Camp Counselor Sona Charaipotra shares a simple way to approach planning on our blog.
📚 “Outline Your Story Like a Subway Map” Here’s another method for you folks out there juggling several plot threads.
📚 “Angst: How to Hurt Your Characters and Make It Count” Ouch! But also, interesting?
To watch/listen:
🎬 YouTube Guide Ana Neu’s “Secret Novel Tip and Template”
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Craft Is Never Neutral, featuring Matthew Salesses”
🎙️ Podcast episode: “To Plot or Not? featuring Jean Hanff Korelitz”
Week 4: Build a Strong World for Your Characters
(That your readers will want to explore, too.)
Week 4 Featured Exercise: 20 Questions to Ask Yourself When World-building
Settings aren’t just a backdrop for your novel… the world your characters inhabit will have a profound effect on the story you tell. Try out this week’s exercise (excerpted from our Young Writers Program workbook) to develop settings that add real depth to your story.
20 Questions to Ask Yourself When World-building
Week 4 Additional Resources
To do:
🌍 Explore setting, mood, and character Excerpted from our Young Novelist Workbook, available on our Young Writers Program website.
🌍 A Guide to Grow Your Novel’s World Excerpted from our Ready, Set, Novel! workbook, check out this way to go from micro to macro.
To read:
📚 “3 Tools for Your World-builder’s Toolkit” “World-building is a long, sometimes tedious, process, but it’s well worth the work.”
📚 “World-building a Diverse Landscape” If you’re working on making a big and immersive world for your story, here are some tips for building different kinds of landscapes into your novel.
📚 “How to Use Meal Scenes to Develop Your World” World-building, yum!
📚 “How to Make Interesting World-building Choices”
To watch/listen:
🎬 YouTube playlist: World-building
🎬 YouTube Guide Sophie Von Ahn’s “5 Tips for World-building”
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Writing About Place, featuring Hala Alyan”
Week 5: Grow Your Writing Community
(To support your creative goals.)
Week 5 Featured Exercise: “Where to find your writing community?” Quiz
Getting ready for National Novel Writing Month isn’t just about ideas or outlines. It’s also about making a little room in your life for this massive creative undertaking… and rallying your support system to help you through it.
Quiz: Where to find your writing community?
NaNoWriMo Communities
🖥️ RSVP for virtual events hosted by NaNo HQ.
🌏 Join your local region for in-person and virtual meet-ups. Nervous about what to expect? Read our guide to what to expect at a write-in!
📚 Discover community spaces near you that are hosting special events or open writing hours for NaNoWriMo writers.
💜 Connect with buddies on the NaNoWriMo site, or form your own writing group.
💬 Find more communities in the forums.
Week 5 Additional Resources
To do
✒️ A Very Official Writing Contract Want to make your writer/supporter relationship very official and not at all silly? Check out this contract with a friend! (Download the PDF to fill it out.)
📪 A Letter to Explain NaNoWriMo to Your Friends or Family Send this letter on to anyone who’s clueless about NaNoWriMo and why you’re writing a novel in a month.
💙 Learn bystander intervention skills from one of Right to Be’s free workshops. Be an ally in the NaNoWriMo community!
To read:
📚 “Writing Doesn’t Need to Be Lonely”
📚 “3 Ways to Build a Supportive Creative Community”
📚 “Making NaNoWriMo a Family Affair”
To watch/listen:
🎬 YouTube playlist: Writing Community
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Community as Muse, featuring Kellye Garrett”
🎙️ Podcast episode: “Writing with the Gusts of a Writing Community, featuring Alexis Daria”
Week 6: Find, Schedule, and Manage Your Time
(So you can grow your writing practice.)
Week 6 Featured Exercise: “What’s the best writing schedule for you?” Quiz
Writing 1,667 words a day can be a challenge we know… but it’s a challenge made easier if you can find the writing time in your schedule right now. Make regular dates with your creative self this November, and give yourself the space and attention to accomplish your goals!
Quiz: What’s the best writing schedule for you?
Week 6 Additional Resources
To do:
☑️ Pre-NaNo Non-Noveling Checklist Tackle your tasks ahead of time!
🍌 Meal Prep Ideas Meal prep suggestions and recipes to keep your mind and body fueled throughout the month.
🥳 Graphics to Rally Your Community From an infographic on caring for a NaNoWriMo writer, to official requests for accountability, check out these graphics made for social media.
To read:
📚Self-Regulation and Executive Function Resources for Writers A mega list of resources!
📚 “How to Win NaNo with a 40-Hour Work Week” “I know it might sound daunting, but NaNoWriMo has helped me so much with relieving stress after a long workday, I couldn’t imagine a month without it.”
📚 “3 Unconventional Ways to Make More Time to Write”
📚 “How to Balance School and Writing” For writers who are in school, November can be a heavy exam, test, or project month. Here are a few tips to help navigate the chaos of school and writing.
📚 “Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach – How to Form Writing Habits” Author Isabel Cañas shares time-saving advice.
📚 For all you parents out there, explore the “parent” tag in the NaNoWriMo blog.
To watch/listen:
🎬YouTube playlist: Time and Writing Management
🎙️Podcast episode: “The Difficult Balance of Writing and Self-Care, featuring Charlie Jane Anders”
Your Certificate of Completion!
Yay, you did it! Time to cozy up and read that amazing novel you just wrote.
Oh wait, did we say “read”? We meant write! Time to cozy up with your pen, pencil, computer, typewriter, phone, or whatever else you need to take all those plot threads and character arcs and weave them together into a beautiful, ambitious, and gloriously messy first draft.
If there’s an official NaNoWriMo challenge coming up or underway, you can set a goal by accepting the invite at the top of your NaNoWriMo dashboard. If there’s no official challenge, you can still set an individual goal and track your progress—just look for the dragon on your dashboard. Need some last minute encouragement? Check out this “Get Ready for NaNoWriMo” podcast episode featuring (accidental) NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty.
Plus, don’t you think you should take a moment to celebrate all the work you just did? Because we do! Feel free to download and fill out the official completion certificate, tag us (@nanowrimo) on social media for a shout-out, and have a little dance party with your characters. You’ve earned it!
(P.S. Have a suggestion for a resource we should consider adding to this NaNo Prep page? Let us know! Have a blog post you’d like to write? Fill out our interest form!)
