Blogs/Websites:
The Write Practice- this is a fantastic blog even beyond NaNoWriMo. Every day they post writing exercises, tips, tricks, and thoughts about writing. They are also big NaNoWriMo promoters.
Write or Die- Need help just sitting down and writing? This site is for you! (It's also an app... but it costs money.) You give yourself a timer and/or a goal for writing, and if your fingers leave your keyboard for too long the website will start to yell at you!
Merrian-Webster- It's your basic dictionary and every writer needs one. Whether its an actual dictionary, a website, or an app, USE IT! Especially if you can get words of the day. I love those because then I can challenge myself to be sure I use that word in my writing somewhere.
Pinterest- Not just for DIY and recipes! I have a board for things that inspire me for writing. Sometimes its pictures of people I think look like my characters, or costume ideas, architecture, locations, writing tips - anything! It's a great way to have your favorite references all in one spot and get inspiration.
Pinterest- Not just for DIY and recipes! I have a board for things that inspire me for writing. Sometimes its pictures of people I think look like my characters, or costume ideas, architecture, locations, writing tips - anything! It's a great way to have your favorite references all in one spot and get inspiration.
Apps:
Penultimate- I use this app almost every single day. Writing, work, fun, etc. I hate typing when I take notes, but love the convience of having my notes all together on my iPad. This app is perfect for it! It takes awhile to get used to writing on it, but once you're used to it, you'll never go back. It's also linked to Evernote.
A Novel Idea- If you want to write on your iPad, and not a computer, this is a great solution. You can plot out your whole novel right here.
Write Chain- This is a great way to keep track of your word count goals through the month.
Flesky- This app is perfect if you just need to type really quickly without worrying about accuracy.
Music:
8tracks- This is both an app and a website and I'm addicted to it. Instead of searching for music via genre/artist/song/album, you search via tags. Example, for writing I would search for "writing" and "instrumental" music, or if I'm writing something exciting I can search "adventure" or something along those lines and it'll give me a whole list of playlists with those tags. It's a great way to discover new music and set the mood for whatever you're doing.
Stereomood.com- This is another music website that bases your music choices off of mood and tag instead of just artist, album, or genre. They have a wide variety of music and you'll probably discover new things you haven't heard before. Like 8tracks, you can also get this as an app.
Stereomood.com- This is another music website that bases your music choices off of mood and tag instead of just artist, album, or genre. They have a wide variety of music and you'll probably discover new things you haven't heard before. Like 8tracks, you can also get this as an app.
Food/Snacks/Drinks:
Coffee- naturally, this is one of my all time favorites. Delicious, sets the mood for writing, and caffeine for when you need to boost your energy! I know I'll be visiting my local Starbucks and using my Keurig a lot in November.
Tea- If you're not a coffee drinker, tea is another go-to drink for novel writing.
Lasagna- I had asked on the NaNoWriMo Facebook group what some people's favorite resources and food for wirting were, and one person said they like to make lasagna, stuffed shells, and other easy things for November. Lasagna is awesome for this because you can stick it in the oven while you write, and it's easy to save the leftovers for later. Less cooking! Basically, any food that you can save to warm up for later and you can make while writing at the same time is ideal.
Finger snacks- I know of a ton of writers who have candy or little things sitting right by their laptops while they write. Having snacks you can munch on and aren't messy, are great for writing because it helps keep your energy up.
Coffee- naturally, this is one of my all time favorites. Delicious, sets the mood for writing, and caffeine for when you need to boost your energy! I know I'll be visiting my local Starbucks and using my Keurig a lot in November.
Tea- If you're not a coffee drinker, tea is another go-to drink for novel writing.
Lasagna- I had asked on the NaNoWriMo Facebook group what some people's favorite resources and food for wirting were, and one person said they like to make lasagna, stuffed shells, and other easy things for November. Lasagna is awesome for this because you can stick it in the oven while you write, and it's easy to save the leftovers for later. Less cooking! Basically, any food that you can save to warm up for later and you can make while writing at the same time is ideal.
Finger snacks- I know of a ton of writers who have candy or little things sitting right by their laptops while they write. Having snacks you can munch on and aren't messy, are great for writing because it helps keep your energy up.
Programs:
Scrivener- This is the program I plan on using during NaNoWriMo this year. It's slightly scary and confusing when you first download it because there are so many elements to the program. You can outline, create character and place profiles, keep your research saved, and write your story scene by scene and chapter by chapter. I love that I can rearrange different scenes and reference my research all in the one program. They have templates for NaNoWriMo, novels, and scripts. They even are doing a special trial version for NaNoWriMo which is free through December 7. Then if (when) you win, you can get the whole program for up to 50% off.
Open Office- If you don't have Microsoft Word, this is perfect for you! It's free and it works basically the same way as Microsoft Office.
Google Doc/Drive- I would love to learn how to use Google Docs more. You can save your work through your Google account, share it with others, and it's available anywhere because it's through the internet and not just your computer. No more freaking out about your novel if your computer crashes!
Google Doc/Drive- I would love to learn how to use Google Docs more. You can save your work through your Google account, share it with others, and it's available anywhere because it's through the internet and not just your computer. No more freaking out about your novel if your computer crashes!
So there you have it. Some of my recommendations for NaNoWriMo - in only 11 days!!!!
What resources do you swear by in November?
I'm gonna bookmark this page because I'm pretty sure I'll have to get back to it at some point. It's good that so many people are sharing their NaNo experiences and stuff especially when you're a first-timer like me.
ReplyDeleteGo for it! This is what I love most about the NaNoWriMo community. People are so willing to help each other out and support one anothers novels. It's going to be a fun month!
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