10 Best Tools to Create Your Novel NaNoWriMo
November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo , which means if you haven’t started your story yet, now is the perfect time. Writing has a ton of mental and emotional benefits , so let’s get started! Here are some tools to help.
10. Inspirational workspace
Let’s be honest, if you’re going to write and have a story to tell, the environment in which you do it matters less than the ability you have to tell your story. That said, a comfortable chair and an inspiring writing environment won’t hurt anyone, and if you have the ability to give your workspace a little ergonomics , optimize it for productivity, and maybe even find a place to work, that’s just a small novel to tickle your brain, you will go far.
Whether you’re writing from home in a comfortable setting, or heading out into the wild to be inspired by the noise of the coffee shop , the tomes of knowledge around you in the library, or just the people walking around while you sit in the park , it can all make a huge difference. Bonus, you don’t need a lot of space either .
9. Timer “Tomato”
While the idea of getting into a zone on a whim and just cranking out a thousand words sounds good, it’s rarely a reality. Most of us need light at the end of work tunnels, regular breaks, and some structure to stay in the zone and stay motivated. This is where the Pomodoro Technique comes in handy .
Designed to provide you with specific, short work sessions and then regular breaks when you go out and freshen up to get back to work, it is ideal for people with specific tasks to complete, or in the case of NaNoWriMo, a daily or weekly word count before hit. Grab a tomato timer or your favorite Pomodoro app and give it a try.
8. Ridsey
Writing a novel is one thing, but getting someone to look at it and help you edit it, or even help you get art for it, design a cover, or any other fun stuff you might want to do if you’re planning on publishing or publishing. on your own can be tricky. In Reedsy people who can help, is always at your fingertips in the form of a large community of writers. Of course, not every NaNoWriMo project will be a book you want to publish, but if you use the month as an opportunity to finish your memoir or a book that you were planning to write anyway, the service can get you can help turn it into something more than a manuscript, which you are proud of the completion.
7. Great notebook
If you enjoy writing on paper, or even just taking notes and jotting down thoughts on paper, you’ll need a sturdy notebook for that. Paper types and notebook styles obviously differ, but we have some compelling suggestions (and you guys in the comments for this post), and even put two big contenders, Moleskine and Field Notes, in a scramble .
Once you’ve chosen a notebook, if you need help getting the most out of it so that you don’t just take notes for your story or outline the plot (or you never know if the characters are schematic or who lives and who dies), we there are some tips that can help you .
6. Nice handle
A good notebook requires a good, durable nib, and we love our pens. We recently asked you for your favorite pens and recently put together some great budget pens if you want even more affordable options that you can carry around without feeling horrible about being lost in a cafe or forgotten at the bottom. your bag.
If fountain pens are your thing, we’ve compared two budget favorites – the Pilot Metropolitan and the Lamy Safari – to see which one you might want to carry around while looking for inspiration. Either way, sometimes the right way of writing is critical and encourages you to actually use the notebook you put in your pocket to take notes when inspiration strikes.
5. Nice pencil
If pens are not your style and you prefer something more … editable, maybe a good pencil would work better? We have a favorite pencil and we asked you to share your pencil that turned into an amazing thread a few years ago.
Either way, if you’re just drawing or jotting down ideas and notes on the fly, you might prefer the inconsistency of the pencil over ink. Obviously a personal choice.
4. Text editor without registration.
Moving away from analog writing methods, you may prefer a simple text editor on your computer that doesn’t distract you, that helps you focus solely on the writing process. There are a variety of options and I personally prefer Write! , the cross-platform writing tool we talked about earlier. Many people prefer FocusWriter , which I also adore.
If you don’t like distractions, there are tons of apps for all types of writing and for all types of writers to choose from.
3. Ulysses
A simple text editor is fine if you’re in range and just want to put a few words on a page, but if you need something a little heavier to help you really organize those words, chapters, sections, and even entire projects, you’ll need Ulysses. …
Ulysses has many benefits (and a pretty high price tag), but once you get started and get used to using it, you can never use anything else to organize your writing projects. It also has mobile apps to help you stay on top of your progress on the go, and you can save and sync your projects and work with Dropbox , iCloud, and more. If you like the idea of a simple, distraction-free text editor and you just want to hike your rate up a bit, check out this month’s trial and then decide if it’s worth the ~ $ 45 you’ll spend on it.
2. Scrivener
Scrivener is an app for those looking for something heavier than Ulysses and a tool specially designed for writing novels. It combines some of the features that lighter, distraction-free apps offer, but also adds features like dedicated folders for projects, tools to help you research the topics you’re writing about, corrections, research notes, and even tools. to help you keep your job. and remember what you planned to do next when you return to your manuscript.
For many writers, Scrivener is a tool for new writing, and for a good reason. Best of all, if you prefer to write on the go, there is an iOS app that offers most of its best features for iPhone and iPad.
1. A good backup tool
Finally, no matter the tool you use to write the novel, or the app you buy, or how you put it all together, your number one tool for NaNoWriMo ensures that you never go through half a manuscript or series of edits and then let your computer die, and take all the work with you. Back up your data .
We prefer Crashplan , but there are many good options out there that are just as good or easier to use as BackBlaze . You can simply bundle everything up in Google Docs or Office 365 and let it automatically back up and save your changes, and store all of your documents in the cloud. Whatever you prefer, whatever you do, make sure your project is backed up. Give yourself peace of mind knowing that you won’t make it until November 28 and then lose everything you’ve been working on all month. Think about it now and then avoid this grief.