There are now less than 24 hours left before the worldwide writing frenzy of NaNoWriMo begins! Before you begin, I would like to give you my last token of creative advice.
CREATE A SOUNDTRACK FOR YOUR NOVEL
Now, I imagine that this may have you thinking of soundtrack in the same way one thinks of a movie soundtrack. Well, that is not exactly what I am referring to here.
Movie soundtracks are designed to lead the audience in a specific emotional direction while watching the movie unfold. If a romantic scene is on the horizon, cue the sexy music. If suspense, then in comes the music that gets your pulse racing.
With the soundtrack for your novel, collect tracks that get you into the head of your characters and reminds you of the spirit of your story as a whole.
Now there are songs that you can gather that help you to build certain scenes, similar to the way movies do, and those are helpful as well.
For me, I generally have specific songs for each of my characters. This helps me to keep every one authentic. Writing a novel in 30 days can cause a bit of character confusion if you are not careful. Soundtracks per person can help eliminate that.
HOW TO USE THE SOUNDTRACK:
Remember music is a muse. When I need to let my mind rest and my fingers stretch from a long stint of typing, I use this time to sit back, close my eyes, and listen to the songs that I’ve gathered that reminded me of my characters and my plotline.
This way, even while resting, I am still allowing my imagination to keep working on the story.
Think of it as an imaginative interlude and meditation. And trust me, it helps a lot.
A COUPLE OF BONUSES!
If you have time, check out sample chapters to my next novel, but FIRST EVER 30-Day Novel, WARDEN (eBook and Paperback COMING SOON!)
Check-in next week for The Muse in the Music, just to give you a deeper dive into how music shapes our creative process.
BUT…
Should music not be the muse and medicine that you need to keep in tune with your characters (pun not intended) then try this writing prompt that I created, Coffee With Character…or Tea. The exercise is all about getting to know each individual character in your story on a more personal level.
For instance, knowing your character likes to wear red socks on Monday may not be something you add to the story itself but it is something that helps you, the writer, build the world of their personality. It’s an intimate nuance that sheds greater light on their behaviors.
As laughable as it may seem, a person that specific with something as trivial as sock color will be less prone to certain behaviors, while apter in yielding to others.
FINAL 5-DAY CREATIVE ADVICE RECAP
So here is another brief recap of NaNo Tokens:
TIP 1. Write anything. Let your imagination take control. (Click HERE for full article)
TIP 2. Have a reader who will look over your daily progress with an honest reader’s eye, and give you feedback. (Click HERE for full article)
TIP 3. Set a daily word count goal that you can manage. (Click HERE for full article)
TIP 4. Keep a “SPICE RACK” of ideas and scenes in a separate word document
TIP 5. Create a playlist that reminds you of your characters and plot, that you can meditate on during downtime.
BONUS: Check out my debut novel, NEXUS GATE 4037: THE ANIMAL, my first published piece born from a 30-day writing marathon like NaNoWriMo, both in eBook and Paperback.
Most importantly, just have fun. Write because you can. Write because you want to, and write because your imagination is worth the time to share!
Cheers! and Happy NaNoWriMo!
“There are no laws for the novel. There never have been, nor can there ever be.” ~DORIS LESSING
Assuming (again) that you are already a seasoned writer, I am pretty sure you are familiar with the process of your creativity ‘jumping ahead’ of your story as you write it. For example, you may be working on chapter five when suddenly some thrilling scene pops in your head that has nothing to do with the current flow of the story BUT it somehow fits, like a glimpse into the future. You just don’t know where.
CANDICE COATES 