Five for Friday: How to Stay Inspired during NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo.org

National Novel Writing Month begins on Tuesday! Do you have your novel planned? Or are you going to sit down on November 1 and be surprised with what shows up on your computer screen/notebook page? 

Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, it can be difficult to get and stay inspired all thirty days when the ambitious goal of 50,000 words looms ahead. I participated in (and won!) NaNoWriMo the past two years and on the days the writing burned out, I developed a few tried-and-true ways that always sparked my creativity.

This is a recycled post from last year, but I’m going to make it more succinct this year for those of you who haven’t seen it yet!

Get Out of the House. There’s a life beyond the one chained to your computer. (There really is, I promise.) The mall, the park, the grocery store, the cemetery–these places are alive with intriguing people, inspiring sights, nostalgic smells, and dramatic conversations just waiting to be put into your story. Can’t get away from the house? Check out my blog’s page Useful Links and see the Inspiration Nation list for fun, fabulous blogs to fire up your imagination.

Take Pictures. Take a walk and bring your camera (or use the one on your cell phone). Observe nature’s November beauty and the people around you. Exercise is terrific for keeping up your energy and activating cerebral activity! If you can’t get outside, consider googling images of your novel’s topic. Do you have a favorite artist’s images that inspire you? (Some contemporary suggestions: Banksy, Mary Engelbreit, Frank Frazetta, Mary GrandPré, Christian Riese Lassen, Michael Whelan, Johanna Wright, Wyland.) Have you seen Hannah Kincade’s Tuesday blog posts? Go to this link for a series of spectacular pictures for creative inspiration.

Writing Prompts and Exercises. Every Wednesday I post writing prompts on my blog. (See my blog archive for past posts always titled Wednesday’s Writing Workout.) Some writers claim they have no time for writing exercises, but that’s just another excuse! Try them with your already formed characters and settings. The purpose of writing prompts is not to hinder you but to open up your mind. Don’t look at it as something stringent, like a school assignment. Approach writing exercises and prompts like a channel to discovery; you may just come up with a unique angle and unpredictable conflict for your novel.

Read. Any reading is helpful, but when I’m feeling uncreative, I like reading something completely different from whatever I’m writing. Reading poetry inspires my muse. Poetry is sometimes ambiguous, which is ideal for opening the brain to curious thoughts and fresh possibilities. If you choose to read poetry, don’t limit yourself to the classic poets you read in school (though they’re terrific!). Consider contemporary poets like Catherine Barnett, Robert Lee Brewer, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, John Taggart, and Terresa Wellborn. (See these sites for more on poets and poetry: www.poets.org ; famouspoetsandpoems.com ; www.poemhunter.com ; International Poets & Poetry.)

Pursue Other Arts. Color a picture. Draw your characters. Knit a scarf. Bake a cake. Cook like the French do. Paint with your fingers. Make a friendship bracelet. Visit an arts and crafts or office supplies store and stock up on some new supplies; sometimes just looking at new art and writing supplies motivates me. Freeing your mind, working with your hands, and opening your heart will relieve stress and push you through those creative blocks.

If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo this year, please leave your NaNo name in the comments so I can add you to my writing buddies! My NaNo name: Sunshine21

When writing is a struggle, what are things you do to find inspiration and spark creativity?