This is a great list of tips for writers. Not just for NaNoWriMo, but for all year long.
Throughout November I posted craft, structural, and speed writing tips on Twitter and Tumblr to aid those at work on a novel. Now that National Novel Writing Month is over, I present the complete list:
- Hook readers from the very first sentence. Keep them hooked with questions, tension, character, fascination, stakes.
- Don’t frontload with information. The story should move: start with action, and then quietly weave background throughout the opening chapters.
- “Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” –Kurt Vonnegut
- Fewer words pack greater punch.
- In high school, my writing class had to describe the sound of snow being stepped on without using the word crunch. Best answer? “Like a camel licking a cactus.” I STILL remember it. Lesson learned: when describing things, make vivid and unusual comparisons.
- Verbs and nouns over adjectives. Was it sour, or did it kick like a mule?
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