matthewolney9 Posts, Writing in General

A Guide to Nano Wrimo 2019

It’s that time of the year again when writers from across the globe decide whether to embark on one of their toughest challenges- yep, the annual Novel Writing Month Contest (NanoWrimo) is here!

I’ve entered NanoWrimo four time since I began this crazy journey of writing books and have only succeeded just the once. In case you don’t know what it is Nano challenges you to write a complete 50,000 story in just 1 month. To some this word count is easy but to others (like me) it is one of the most gruelling challenges out there. To offer some guidance I’ve put together some top tips that should help see you through to the finish line.

Write whenever you can

If like me you have to do a real job (boo! – I joke…) that takes up the bulk of your day you need to take every opportunity you can get to put those words down on the page. To hit the target you have to write at least 1,667 words per day (Around 2-3 hours of work). If your commute into work is a long one do some on the bus or train, do it in your lunch breaks and if you work a 9-5 job make sure you write in the evenings. This is easier said than done of course as funnily enough life often gets in the way. If you have children, pets and other commitments then… good luck!

Accept that the 50,000 words are going to suck

The whole point of Nano is to prove to yourself that when pushed you can hit the word count of 50k within the space of 30 days. I know a few Indy authors that can do this with their eyes closed and you’ll likely see in the Nano forums that some entrants will smash this number within a matter of days. Don’t feel disheartened. Instead get your words down and accept the fact they won’t be great. Getting the words down is the true challenge and if you like what you’ve done then spend the next few months refining them. It’s likely that you’ll end up cutting a fair amount and rewriting whole parts but for now focus only on hammering that keyboard or scribbling that pen.

Do not edit!

If you’re a stickler for perfection then Nano is not for you. Many writers fall into the trap of editing as they go. Don’t! If you do that you will never reach the end goal of 50k words. Editing, of course, is one of the most important if not the most important parts of the whole writing process but for Nano resist the urge to edit as you go.

Check the forums for support

There are many support groups on the NanoWrimo website that provide a wealth of support. One forum I’ve used in the past is the regional forum where you can make contact with other entrants in your area and work together to build your regions word count. Seeing which region will top the word count leaderboards adds an extra element of competitiveness and motivation.

Am I entering this year?

Yes, I am. I’m working away on my current project: The Temple of Arrival and Nano will be a huge motivator to get down as many words as possible. With the book currently at 50k already with probably more than that to go, NanoWrimo will be the perfect thing to push me on and help me finish the first draft.

Are you taking part this year? Do you have any tips that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments or via social media.

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matthewolney9 Posts

What to do for NanoWriMo 2018?

So, it’s nearly that time of year again when writers both professional and amateur start to think about what they’re going to write for National Novel Writing Month.

What is NanoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month is an annual, Internet-based creative writing project that takes place during the month of November. Participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript between November 1 and November 30.

It sounds impossible right? And it certainly is a huge challenge. I’ve entered it a few times now and have only hit that magic 50k mark twice. Last year I wrote some tips on how to succeed which you can read here.

So, what do you write for it? In my case I think I’m going to use it to help me put down as many words as possible for both The Empowered Ones book two and Book four in the Sundered Crown Saga. The problem is which do I choose?

Have your say

Which title should I work on? Which is the series you want me to crack on with the most?

In other news, if you’re a mailing list subscriber keep an eye out for my next email which will give you access to a little gift for Halloween. If you’re not a subscriber please sign up to it here

There’s also some news on the promotional front so keep an eye out on my social media pages for the announcement of special book offers next month. There’s a big SPFBO promotion coming up which will be a great opportunity for you to get some excellent fantasy books.

Are you taking part in NanoWriMo this year? Do you have any tips that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments or via social media.

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matthewolney9 Posts

NaNoWriMo and other Updates!

Hi folks, just a quick post about the latest news.

NaNoWriMo

So this month NaNoWriMo will be taking up most of my time writing wise. So far I’m still on target to hit the 50,000-word mark by the end of the month (we shall see how long that lasts!). You can follow my progress on Wattpad 

With the story I’m writing I’m looking to strike out from the medieval style fantasy and try something a bit different. I’ve always wanted to give steampunk a try and I’ve been hugely inspired by the artwork of Jakub Rozalski. Check out his work here 

Other Works

The Nightblade was released at the end of October so pick up a copy. If you like the character of Ferran from the Sundered Crown Saga you will love it I promise. As for the saga, I’ve put Quest on hold for the time being to focus on NaNoWriMo and to get a complete 1st draft for my new planned series. I’ll get back to writing Quest next month and should hopefully have it completed by the summer of next year.

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matthewolney9 Posts

Getting Ready For NanoWriMo

It’s Almost NanoWriMo Time

Hi folks, it’s that time of year again where writers from all over the world consider putting their sanity on the line by committing to writing a 50,000-word novel in November.

Last years NanoWriMo was a non-starter starter for me as I was still settling into a new job role and had recently just moved house. This year, however, I am in a much better place to give it a go. I’ve even got the story I want to write planned out already and as an added bonus you will be able to keep track of my progress (or nag me to keep going) on Wattpad.

The First Fear

In my last post, I announced a new story that I’m working on called the First Fear. This story has pretty much taken a hold of me (sorry Sundered Crown!) and I’ve been banging out the words pretty easily. Already it’s looking like a pretty epic tale. My goal is to get as much done of a first draft as possible for Nano which means hitting the 50,000-word mark in just 30 days. Read it on Wattpad.

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The Nightblade is released next week!

In other news my latest novel, The Nightblade will be released on Kindle next week. I really enjoyed writing it and I think it will act as a good filler for all you Sundered Crown Saga fans out there. If you like Ferran and his Fell Beast hunting antics, you’ll loved the Nightblade. You can pre-order it here .

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Are you taking part in NanoWriMo this year? Are you a planner or a pantser? Let me know in the comments or on my social media pages.

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matthewolney9 Posts

Nano Wrimo Update – It’s going well….so far

Seven days in and things are going well. I’ve written myself into a corner a few times but have gotten the characters out of their predicaments. I’m currently ahead with 17,000 words written, at this rate the NanoWrimo site says I will be done before the deadline but as I have learnt from previous Nano experiences this very rarely happens.

Work and life in general tends to get in the way. So far I know in what direction I want to take the story (darker, bigger and hopefully better) and as it’s a sequel I’m writing I know the characters well. I’m getting to the point where the original cast of characters from Book One of the Sundered Crown Saga are reunited and then it gets to the more fun stuff like new characters.

A new batch of Allies and enemies has yet to be put onto the page but I have an idea of what they will be like and some I hope will become favourites 😉

The first week of Nano is normally the easiest as you’re still motivated and eager to keep at it. Last time I was so far ahead at this stage that I have to admit, I got very over confident. As the month progressed life and work got in the way and I ended up falling short at the last hurdle.

All I can advise to others doing Nano is to stay focused. If you get stuck leave it for a few hours and back to it fresh, nothing is more soul destroying then staring at your book and not seeing where to go with it next.

In other news the sale of Heir to the Sundered Crown went ok, not as spectacularly as I had hoped but hopefully a few reviews will come from it. (To those that have read the book and not reviewed…do it now!)

I hope to get the standard edition ready to buy for other E-readers such as the NOOK , Kobo and Googlebooks. Itunes is also an option I am considering. Hope to get that sorted by Christmas.

How are your Nano projects going? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter or Facebook.

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matthewolney9 Posts

Nano Wrimo – Music to Inspire

This year I will be taking part in NanoWrimo the national novel writing month and will be using it as a way to get me to finish the first draft of the sequel to Heir to the Sundered Crown.

I have entered Nano a few times now and actually was a winner back in 2012 with Unconquered: Blood of Kings. The month is a fantastic way to force me to get my thoughts down on to the page and is something that greatly increases the whole novel writing process.

In the run up to the start of November, I will write a few posts to help me and other writers taking part to get into the spirit.

This first post is about what gets me through the writing process in the hectic month of NanoWrimo. Many of the other authors I have spoken too over the years have said that they often listen to music to keep them inspired and I am no exception to this. I find music to be a great way to keep me focused and allow my imagination to be set free.

A lot of the biggest and most epic scenes in Heir to the Sundered Crown for example were inspired by the music of Two Steps From Hell, a group that make in my opinion some of the best epic music around.

Fast-paced tracks really help get into the rhythm of fight and battle scenes whilst more relaxing and uplifting tunes often help with the more peaceful parts of the story. A character trekking cross-country can be greatly enhanced by the inspiration offered by music.

Some authors like to listen to classical music like Beethoven and other musical masters whilst a rare few love listening t things ranging from pop to heavy metal.
When writing Fantasy or Science Fiction however, I find that the music offered by the Epic genre are by far the most inspiring. Groups such as Audiomachine, TSFH and Thunderstep Music offer music you would find in movie trailers but all are masters of epic uplifting sound.

For this year’s Nano I have already selected a few Youtube channels that I will be using.

Here is the list below;
https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrimeCronus
https://www.youtube.com/user/audiomachine1
https://www.youtube.com/user/TwoStepsFromTheMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64oBwuSpdQH_VvCVrC_InQ

What tracks do you use to inspire you when writing? On the other hand, perhaps you need complete silence let me know via the comments section or through Facebook or Twitter.

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