Resources and tips for the self-published author.

Publishing News Roundup Series: How to Overcome Your Fear of Writing for NaNoWriMo

by Maureen Crisp •  October 25, 2016  •   Follow

Published in Publishing Tips  •  No comments

 

Coffee mugs are filling. Computers are typing. Writers are prepping for NaNoWriMo with NaNoPrepMo.

As November comes ever closer, writers are awaiting the start of NaNoWriMo with excitement and anticipation. This is the perfect time for aspiring writers to come out of their shells and show off their skills. But what about those people who are just afraid to write? Too self conscious, or don’t think they are good enough? The important thing to remember is that if you love writing, then you have the potential to be good enough; you have the potential to be an amazing writer. This is your chance to face your fears. This is your opportunity to take the plunge.

 

Facing Your Fear

 

It’s ten days until November. For many writers around the world November is when they take a deep breath and plunge into NaNoWriMo. (National Novel Writing Month.) The aim is to write 50,000 words by the 30th50,000 words seems like a huge mountain to climb. Fear of the task can paralyse you so that you don’t get started at all. Rachel Thompson has 4 tips to overcome your fear of writing.
 
Joanna Penn has a great interview with Grant Faulkner where he talks about how NaNoWriMo got started and the origins of the 100 word story site. You can sign up for NaNoWriMo and find your local group to support you or just beaver away at home.
 
Roz Morris has an excellent post on pace and structure to help with your NaNo planning and Bookworks has one on Time Management strategies for authors.
 

 

October is often called NaNoPrepMo. It is much easier to write 50,000 words if you know what you are going to write first. Jami Gold has her brilliant worksheets for authors available to download so you are all prepared for NaNoWriMo. 

 

Out in the world Mike Shatzkin has been taking a look at the latest Author Earnings data. He concludes that Bob Mayer was right with his post everything old is new again. Traditional publishers have now figured out how to use the new world of ebook publishing but there are differences in approach.

 

Kristine Rusch has an interesting post on  how writers can be overwhelmed. The solution is to define exactly what you want to be and or achieve.

 

Anne R Allen has a great post on the latest twists and turns of the Amazon review policy. This post is getting widely shared. Anne is a treasure trove of useful information and this post lays out what you can and can’t do regarding the new rules of reviews on Amazon.

 

Susan Spann writes about the intricacies of the advance in contracts. If you have ever wondered how it all works? What earning out means? How advances are calculated? This is the post for you.

In The Craft Section,

Fixing fatal flaws– Janice Hardy- Bookmark
 
Story and Structure love– James Scott Bell
 
3 ways to spot telling– K M Weiland- Bookmark
 
 
Synopsising your way to revision success-Writer Unboxed – Bookmark
 
Finding your character special hook and Pacing– Angela Ackerman- Bookmark
 
Act 2 The dark night of the soul -Sara Letourneau – Bookmark
 
Where does your drama come from– Lisa Cron – Bookmark

In The Marketing Section,

 
 
Launching A Series– Great podcast with Lindsay Buroker
 
 
Push marketing or Pull marketing– Jane Friedman- Bookmark

To Finish,

John Green has been acknowledged as a Y A writing superstar. While other writers may envy him his success has not come easy. In a very candid interview he discusses his battle with Writers Block and mental health. Sometimes all you can do is feel the fear and keep going.

 

Maureen
@craicer

 

About Maureen Crisp

Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.