nanowrimo

[nanowrimo]

When Is a Small Press a Good Fit?

When it comes to publishing, many writers will think about big publishers first. However, there are a lot of different publishing options out there to explore. NaNo participant and author, Clara Ward, talks about their experience publishing with a small press and gives you questions to consider while you think through your publishing options!

NaNoWriMo inspired me to write. Signing with a small press gave me the support I needed to publish a book I love. 

I’d published books before—starting with NaNoWriMo sponsor deals in the early days of online publishing—but I never had the right skill set to promote those books. As a result, they never truly found their audience. 

In November of 2020, I poured my heart into a genre-blurring near-future tale of sailing across the Pacific and building a neurodiverse, queer, and possibly magical chosen family. In 2021, I titled it Be the Sea and asked myself: What am I going to do with that?

1. Are you looking for fame or family?

Small presses are as varied as the people who form them. If you read widely, you may already have a treasured book on your shelf from your publisher-to-be. Try asking NaNoWriMo friends who share your interests if they’ve discovered any surprising or emerging sources for great reads. (At the very least, you may find books you’ll love in unexpected places!)

Admittedly, a small press doesn’t have a fortune to spend on paving your path to fame. But I have never felt as seen as when my soon-to-be publisher, E.D.E. Bell at Atthis Arts, wrote back, “I’m really in love with what you are doing and would like to talk about it.” 

2. Do you have the bandwidth for working with others?

Even with the most supportive small press, you may have to push outside your comfort zone. I know authors who love the absolute control and freedom of self-publishing. For a time, I felt very comfortable just posting my NaNoWriMo fanfiction novels on Archive of Our Own. At most, I had one or two beta readers to offer feedback on those works. Whereas E.D.E. told me in one of our earliest conversations that in addition to our three rounds of editing we’d need “a good number of betas” to cover the range of topics we were working on together.

I was delighted! I knew what I’d written was ambitious, and I welcomed all the feedback I could get. But it turns out, each extra person in a process adds new challenges and delays. I had to stretch my empathy as well as my publishing timeline because, to quote E.D.E. again: “It’s a lot of emotion (as well as brain cycles) to go through...” Outside perspectives will only improve your writing if you are willing to work with them, to truly listen and learn.

3. Can you handle the two-way commitment?

No form of publishing is easy. The myth that authors write while others handle business and promotion is not true at the top, and certainly not with small presses. In my experience, working with Atthis Arts was like joining a team or chosen family. Beyond certain paid tasks, such as editing and sensitivity reading, I discovered a community of authors who freely offered coaching before my first public reading, social media boosting, tips for author webpages, and an extra pair of eyes on letters requesting bookshop readings or other events. While not all small presses work the same way, this supportive culture proved to be an excellent fit for me. Naturally, I wanted to give back whenever possible.

Small presses can only succeed with community. This month, as I promote the launch of Be the Sea at bookshops in Mountain View, Davis, and Sacramento, I will be introducing many Californians to my Michigan-based small publisher, Atthis Arts. When I stand up as a panelist at Norwescon in Washington state or at various science, library, or Pride events later in the year, I’ll be promoting more than Be the Sea by Clara Ward. I’ll give back by sharing my appreciation for small presses, the supportive and inclusive practices they can normalize, and the opportunities they open up for future writers and readers. 

Clara Ward lives in Silicon Valley on the border between reality and speculative fiction. Their latest novel, Be the Sea, features a near-future ocean voyage, chosen family, and sea creature perspectives, while delving into our oceans, our selves, and how all futures intertwine. Their short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Decoded Pride, Small Wonders, and as a postcard from Thinking Ink Press. When not using words to teach or tell stories, Clara uses wood, fiber, and glass to make practical or completely impractical objects. More of their words along with crafted creations can be found at: https://clarawardauthor.wordpress.com

Photo by Hümâ H. Yardım on Unsplash

#nanowrimo #now what #writing #publishing #small press publishing #by nano guest #clara ward

[nanowrimo]

How a First-Timer Wrimo Landed Literary Representation

NaNo participant Demi Michelle Schwartz shares her story on how NaNoWriMo helped her sign on with a literary agent! She also offers some lessons she learned from taking on the challenge — and maybe it'll inspire you too!

Are you an author with dreams of being represented by a literary agent? If so, I’m here to tell you that NaNoWriMo played a key role in my journey to signing with my agent, Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary.

I received an offer on the manuscript I drafted during my first NaNoWriMo in 2022. Fun fact, I signed my contract during November in 2023, exactly a year after writing the book. Reflecting back, there were choices I made that I hope will give you insight into how your NaNoWriMo project could lead to securing representation.

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

I’ve been an avid reader of young adult mysteries and thrillers ever since middle school. For this reason, I naturally gravitated to those genres when I started writing books. Still, I’ve grown to appreciate all genres from my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University, a top one being fantasy. When I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, I stepped outside my comfort zone and drafted a young adult Little Red Riding Hood reimagining with Greek mythology.

Exploring a different genre led to me writing the book that got me my agent. So, if you’re interested in taking the NaNoWriMo challenge, consider trying something new. Along the way, you’ll expand your creative horizons.

Planning Before Taking the Challenge

Something I noticed after participating in NaNoWriMo twice now is that planning my books led to me feeling invested in them. As authors, we always have ideas bouncing around in our heads. Some stick, and others don’t. Taking time to explore my characters, plot, world, and more made me realize how much I loved what I was creating. Before I even started writing on November 1, I felt passionate about my story.

When you’re pitching agents, your goal is to sell your story. Having such a strong belief in your manuscript will allow you to authentically query it. Passion shines through, and if you care about your book, an agent may fall in love with it, too.

Taking Time to Receive Feedback and Revise

I can’t stress enough how important it is to receive feedback on your work and do several rounds of revisions. Once you draft a book during NaNoWriMo, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to send it out right away. Rather than querying a manuscript that isn’t ready, channel your eagerness to share your work into finding critique partners and beta readers.

For my manuscript, I did a revision on my own after winning NaNoWriMo. Then, I received critiques, made edits, and repeated this process until I felt my manuscript was ready. I queried my agent in August, and she offered me representation at the end of October. I truly believe the time and effort I put into polishing my book led to getting many full requests and my offer.

If I would have pitched the draft from NaNoWriMo, I’m 100 percent sure my email would have been flooded with only rejections. So, remember to take your time revising. The wait will be worth it when you begin receiving positive responses to submissions.

Now that it’s a new year, there’s a long runway before November arrives. It’s never too early to start planning your NaNoWriMo project. Since this challenge gave me the opportunity to draft the book that made one of my dreams come true, I hope you feel inspired to take a strategic approach to your NaNoWriMo project and give it wings to soar in the publishing world.

Demi Michelle Schwartz is a young adult fantasy and thriller author from Pittsburgh, PA, represented by Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary. After earning BAs in Creative Writing and Music from Seton Hill University, she went on to pursue her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill and graduated with her degree in June of 2022. When Demi isn’t working on her manuscripts, she’s busy chasing her other dream as an award-winning songwriter and recording artist.

Check out her website, Twitter, and Instagram!

Header photo by Negative Space.

#nanowrimo #now what #writing #nanowrimo experience #publishing #by nano guest #demi michelle schwartz

[nanowrimo]

A Message from the NaNoWriMo Board of Directors

Dear NaNoWriMo Community Members,

Thank you for reaching out to us with your inquiries about the forums, your support, offers to volunteer, and your legitimate concerns.

Our inbox has been flooded, and we appreciate all of the thoughtful responses from participants and volunteers who genuinely care about NaNoWriMo, our fellow writers, and the community as we do. It is impossible to respond to each message individually, but we wanted to let you all know we are working with purpose and sincerity.

Please see below the breakdown of the work that has been done since we last shared an update with the community. Our intention is to keep you abreast of all we are doing to make NaNoWriMo a better, safer, place:

We’ve overseen a full-scale review of business practices led by former Board Member, Kilby Blades, who has stepped in to assist the organization on an interim basis.  

We’ve begun to implement new procedures around community safety, including:

Full revision and legal review of our employee handbook and codes of conduct.

Full revision and legal review of our Municipal Liaison(ML) agreement.

Development of a formal contract agreement for all (non-ML) Volunteers.

Development of a stricter vetting process for all volunteers (which includes identity verification and background checks, wherever necessary).

Licensing of a digital constituent management system that will enhance volunteer management capabilities.

Comprehensive background checks for all current employees.

Checks and balances to ensure that standards of conduct and ethics are adhered to (e.g., better leadership training, volunteer training, tech mechanisms, and active oversight).

We’ve made staffing changes and revised our staffing plan.

We have rescoped certain roles and initiated some staffing changes. (However, certain employees who left the organization voluntarily are in pursuit of their next opportunities.)

We believe that learning from this moment through addressing skill gaps in the organization is healthy and we will go through a hiring process to fill necessary gaps in open roles.

We’ve listened to other community feedback and are still in listening mode.

We’ve disabled the mechanism on the YWP website that allows users to self-identify as educators for the purpose of creating classrooms, and we are researching mechanisms that will allow us to verify adults as educators.

We’ve revised our technology roadmap to address usability issues and are hoping to introduce new features in 2024.

We are midway through a deep dive on forums and forum moderation; this has included benchmarking with other organizations with similar challenges.

In February, we will hold focus groups for continuing MLs. We are also thinking through the logistics of Town Hall meetings and other gatherings.

We’ve processed dozens of pages of community member feedback and are integrating it into our thinking.

With the staffing changes mentioned above, we are open to hearing from those of you who have reached out with offers to help and/or be a part of the organization’s future. Get notified about future job opportunities at NaNoWriMo.

We are excited about the future, and expect it to be brighter! We hope you feel seen and heard, and that you will stick with us as we continue supporting the writing community and our organization.

Kind regards,

NaNoWriMo Board of Directors

#nanowrimo #by nano hq #board of directors

[nanowrimo]

Hi, Wrimos! From Friday, December 15, until Tuesday, January 9, NaNoWriMo HQ will be in hibernation mode. However, you'll still be able to use all our free resources and set independent writing goals on nanowrimo.org. We look forward to writing with you again next year!

#nanowrimo #by nano hq

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Wrap Up Post

And that’s a wrap! If you want to see any of the individual posts, feel free to look through the 30C30D tag. This year, we included community features for the first time, and I'm very glad we did! It's amazing to see what talent we have in our community. 30C30D continues to be a celebration of stories and art, no matter how long you've been creating. I'm grateful to be a part of that experience!

Thank you again for participating! — Josie

#nanowrimo #nano #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #by nano hq

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 30

Due to external circumstances, one of our chosen covers was unable to be completed by the original designer. So our Programs Associate, Josie Gepulle, took up the task by doodling some chickens!

Let's wrap things up with Children's Fiction novel Silkie Society by YWP Participant Bailly Collins!

Silkie Society

Connie, Natalie, Sylvia, and Skye are silkie chickens who work as models for Chicken Inc., a company selling all things chickens, secretly run by chickens. Since silkies are smaller than most chickens, the sisters are not always treated like the others. But when the company threatens to close down, the silkies have yet another chance to prove themselves. With the help of some friends and family, they're sure  they can do it. Will they be able to save the company in time? And can they, more importantly, show the other chickens that they are more than meets the eye? Silkie Society is an inspirational story about four chickens, and how there's no such thing as "too little."

About the Author

Bailly Collins is an aspiring author who resides on a picturesque mini-farm in Minnesota. With a passion for storytelling, she has ventured into various genres, including dystopian, children's fiction, and science fiction. With her creative imagination and unique voice, Bailly's writing is both captivating and thought-provoking. When she's not writing, she can be found tending to her animals or exploring the beauty of nature. Bailly is committed to honing her craft and sharing her stories with the world, and she looks forward to bringing her unique perspective to the literary world.

About the Designer

Josie Gepulle is a longtime NaNoWriMo participant! Lately, she's been really into writing food scenes. Maybe it's the unending marathon of baking shows. Outside of fiction, she’ll gladly hand you a media analysis essay. When not writing, she’s a digital artist, stop motion animator, and hamster aficionado.

Cover Design Process:

This year, we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Josie's:

Children's Fiction is often accompanied by crayon-like drawings, so I immediately knew how I wanted to draw the chickens! The accessories were added to make them more stylish, it seemed like it would go with their jobs! Maybe I should've gone with something a bit more modern, but I went with the chalkboard backdrop because I can imagine the chickens scratching out their plans on one. Anyway, the overall goal was to draw something whimsical and fun. Hopefully, it comes off as that!

#nanowrimo #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #design #children's fiction #bailly collins #josie gepulle

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 19

Let's step back and explore a thrilling supernatural adventure! Day 19 is represented by LGBTQ+ novel Hollow Bonds by Rowan York! This cover was designed by the amazing returning designer, Sean Childers-Gray!

Hollow Bonds

When recently-turned vampire Remi Moreau is attacked by an unknown force he can't see, only the timely intervention of a stranger—Malcolm Blackburn, 'spare' heir to the most powerful witches' coven in the U.S.—saves his life... and when the pair learn that the spirit that attacked Remi marked him and will likely return, and that it may also have killed the missing friend Mal came to town to find, they must work together to stop it.

About the Author

The author has chosen to keep their identity a secret!

About the Designer

Sean Childers-Gray (he/they) Designer | Educator | Transgender Advocate

Sean has spent almost two decades working in the field of graphic design. He earned his MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University. He works as the BlendEd Learning Coordinator for Davis Technical College in Kaysville, Utah. He and his wife spend their free time volunteering for the LGBTQ+ community and he serves as the President and Marketing Director for Ogden Pride, creating festival materials, branding, environmental graphics, and more. He has been featured in PRINT Magazine’s Creative Voices series. You can read and subscribe to his work, The Shape of Our Dignity, on his Substack. Follow on Insta @s_childersgray

#nanowrimo #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #lgbtq+ #design #sean childers-gray #rowan york

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 29

For Day 29, we're featuring a cover designed and written by YWP author Oliver V. Álvarez titled Occams Razor, a Horror/Supernatural novel.

Occams Razor

One thousand beings, trapped in an underground bunker, created by scientists to be as powerful as possible. One thousand years, where they are all trapped in slumber. One thousand years since everything on Earth was annihilated, destroyed by some planetwide disaster only remembered by those now long dead. One thousand people, donating their minds to 'live on' through these creatures before that terrible disaster hit.

One date, where those beings will all awaken. One goal, for them to reclaim the desolate world. One rule, do whatever it takes to survive. One person out of a thousand, whom is neither strong nor fast nor cunning.

And one survivor, who will find that the true way to escape that bunker is not by physical strength or speed or intelligence, but the strength of the mind to persevere no matter what happens.

About the Author

Ollie is a 17-year-old disabled and queer artist whom, asides from drawing, likes to write out analogies of its past experiences in the form of fictional stories that are often sci-fi, thriller, and occasionally horror or fantasy. It completed its first full-length novel, Gasoline, in 2022, and is starting on its next, Occams Razor, for NaNoWriMo 2023. Besides noveling, schoolwork, and working on art, it also enjoys listening to obscure genres of music, surfing the web, and daydreaming about exploring the world.

#nanowrimo #30c30d community features #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #design #horror/supernatural #Oliver V. Álvarez

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 28

For Day 28, we're featuring a cover designed and written by author Erica Manwaring titled Reassembling Kate, a Mainstream novel.

Reassembling Kate

Kate Monroe is a successful businesswoman with a fractured past. Her little brother died when she was 5 and she has never been the same. One day she finds herself having an out-of-body experience but she can’t get back. She is forced to stand on the sidelines and watch her body carrying on, and doing a better job of it, without her. Her life, and the people in it, were not what she thought.

Just as she starts to lose hope and resign herself to being a ghost in her own lifetime her colleague, David, in the middle of a boring meeting, looks her straight in the eyes. She manages to find a way to communicate with him and together they hatch a plan to save her. Progress is slow until she discovers more disembodied voices like her and follows them to a hidden place where she finds their owners, lost like her. Isobel, the well-meaning matron; Richard, bookish and kind; Fi, the woman with a tragic past; Morwena, full of anger and fire; Mary, dangerously fun; and Cathy, the brat.

Initially these people are bafflingly ok with their circumstance. Then David arrives and helps her realise she is inside her own head talking to parts of her psyche. She is furious at their influence in her life but her only way back is to try to become friends. As she does so Kate comes to understand just how damaged she had become and why.

But not all the parts of herself want to come quietly. Mary, the angry teenager, kidnaps Cathy, Kate’s inner child, and makes a run for it, invited in by a mysterious woman into her own mental world. There is no choice but to go after them. They find Cathy held hostage. The Woman lives only inside her head and has no qualms about stealing other people’s minds for the company. It is only by all working together that Kate succeeds where she would once have failed.

Back home she finds out David is actually a mind walker too and had been borrowing David’s body. He leaves her heartbroken until she is sitting in a café and meets a man she has never met but who she instantly recognises.

About the Author

Writer of things a little bit weird, a little bit true. Author of three books exploring how people cope with and thrive in our challenging world through the lens of contemporary fantasy. You can find me at www.dean-park.com or on Facebook or Instagram @ EricaManwaring

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Erica's thoughts:

I wanted something striking but that conveyed the fantasy elements of the novel. This image, found on shutter stock, was a great find and also reminded me of Magritte’s Son of Man which had a lot of great parallels. I then adapted the font to suit with the help of a graphic designer friend.

#nanowrimo #30c30d community feature #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #mainstream #design #erica manwaring

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 27

For Day 26, we're featuring a cover designed by Emma for Young Adult novel Kleine Streuner by Rose Witt!

Kleine Streuner

A frustrated law student decides to move to Brighton, UK to kickstart her career as a streamer. There she makes the acquaintance of two established streamers who agree to support her in her endeavor to reach her subscriber goal milestone. However, unbeknownst to her, these two streamers pursue their own goals in agreeing to put a certified nobody on the map.

About the Artist

Emma has always had a keen interest in the visual arts but it hasn’t been until taking up a harrowing university degree that painting and graphic design has become her sorely needed outlet. 

Her socials can be found here: instagram.com/elmovert 

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Emma's thoughts:

The main motive of the cover shows the house in which one of the streamers resides, which becomes the central setting for the story. In the background, you can see the ocean and architecture mainly found in the South of England where the story is set. The cover is set during night time, which is more or less the time when streamers work. The five people on the cover are the most important characters, and the boy in the bottom left corner hints at the conflict of the story (him leaving the others).

#nanowrimo #30c30d community features #30 covers 30 days #30c30d #young adult #design #emmarald #rosewitt

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 26

For Day 26, we're featuring a cover designed and written by YWP author Clover called The Elevator, a Young Adult novel.

The Elevator

The Elevator is a brand new TV show made by the United States government. The premise is simple, a thousand kids drafted and locked in a tower filled with deadly challenges, streamed worldwide. Despite the estimated 0% chance of survival, will any of these kids survive?

About the Author

Hello! I'm Clover and I go by any pronouns. I've liked writing and drawing since I was little and being an author or illustrator when I grow up is something I wouldn't mind. I love creating different worlds and scenarios in my head, and that's where the majority of my ideas, including for this book, come from. The Elevator is the book I'm writing for NaNoWriMo this year and I'm feeling very inspired, so I can't wait for November to start!

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Clover's thoughts:

I came up with about 5 different compositions for my cover but i ended up liking this one the most. I wanted to make the cover include both the main character, Sono, and the actual elevator (because of the name of the book). For the colors, I was stuck between green and red but I chose green in the end because I felt like it would be better for this particular scene. I don't really draw backgrounds or full pieces too much so this was a fun challenge! The text was also really hard to include.

#nanowrimo #30c30d community features #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #young adult #design #clover

[nanowrimo]

How to Write a Quality First Draft

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. ProWritingAid, a 2023 NaNo sponsor, helps you turn your rough first draft into a clean, clear, publish-ready manuscript. Today, author Krystal N. Craiker shares some tips on how to make sure your first draft has some good bones to start with:

One question I often hear about National Novel Writing Month is, “Won’t my novel be of terrible quality?”

It’s true that writing 50,000 words in 30 days won’t give you a polished manuscript. And it’s always great to embrace the creative mess of the first draft.

However, there are some tricks to ensure that your first draft has plenty of usable content. These tips are also a great way to move your story along when you get stuck.

1. Have a Plan

Pantsers, this might be hard to hear. But having even a basic outline of your story can ensure you stay on track. You don’t have to sacrifice creativity when you outline. After all, you’re still the author creating a story. 

A detailed outline can even act like your messy first draft. The more work you put into planning, the better your first draft will be. When I spend more time plotting, I spend far less time cutting things from my later drafts.

2. Make Every Scene 3D

Okay, I get it. Not everyone is a plotter. Luckily, there are other things you can do to ensure your first draft is good quality. One is adding enough sensory detail to bring your story to life.

I like to use a 3D method: have at least three of the five senses in every scene. It’s a great trick to improve the flow of your scene. Take a few minutes to immerse yourself in your story and write what your characters are experiencing.

You might change it or move it around in your final draft, but you’ll save yourself time during revisions if you add sensory detail from the beginning. 

3. Reword Your Writing

Sometimes we get stuck after one bad sentence. The imposter syndrome kicks in, and the scene just falls flat. 

Ideally, we completely turn off our inner editor during NaNoWriMo. But when you encounter that one pesky sentence, it’s okay to rewrite it. 

You can use a tool like ProWritingAid’s Rephrase. Just highlight your sentence, click Rephrase, and select a new sentence. Rephrase uses your own words and enhances them. And don’t worry about security and privacy—ProWritingAid never uses your writing to train AI.

4. Embrace the Chaos

Of course, the most important thing about National Novel Writing Month is to embrace the messy creative process. It’s okay not to have a perfect manuscript at the end of the month—no one will. 

Everyone will need to revise, edit, and rewrite after November ends. That’s why NaNoWriMo includes "I Wrote a Novel... Now What?" resources. And when you’re ready to turn your mess into a masterpiece, ProWritingAid will be there to help.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and content writer who sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which bring fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

Top photo by No Revisions on Unsplash

#nanowrimo #writing #first draft #writing advice #writing tips #by nano sponsor #firstdraftpro #krystal n. craiker

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 25

For Day 25, we're featuring a cover designed and written by YWP author Sylvie Witherspoon called The Ups and Downs of a Baby-Sitter Witch, a Fantasy novel.

The Ups and Downs of a Baby-Sitter Witch

On the verge of being kicked out her coven, Moria, a teen witch who dabbles in reanimation, is sent to a collect supplies for a very important potion…at Fairyland Theme Park.

Completely out of her element, Moria grudgingly sets out to find ingredients like "tears of a spoiled child" and "teenage lust" while under the guise of a toy store employee. To complicate things further, four year old Lucy falls into her care.

Lucy's everything Moria isn't—hyper, friendly, a pink-loving wanna-be-princess—but Moria finds herself beginning to care for her spunky ward. Then, as a serious plot deep within the workings of Fairyland begins to reveal itself, a terrible accident befalls Lucy. Caught between feelings and worlds, Moria must learn how to be strong AND kind, or she may not be able to fulfill a baby-sitter's core purpose: to keep their charge alive.

About the Author

Sylvie Witherspoon is a 16-year-old writer/illustrator and nerd who loves brainstorming story ideas and filling up stacks of sketchbooks. She drafted her first full-length novel at age 13, her second at 14, and has been writing (and drawing) with the goal of being published ever since. She hopes The Ups and Downs of the Babysitter Witch will be her first true graphic novel, combining three of her favorite things: an unconventional heroine, quirky humor, and spooky magic! You can find her drooling over the best middle-grade/YA books at her local library, where she hopes her own creations will someday populate the shelves.

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Sylvie's thoughts:

The goal was to create a situation of contrasts (eg, Princess pink versus Edward Gorey goth black-&-white) and instability (roller coaster). Moria, in a rare moment of cheer, is caught in the thrill of a rapid descent which only she and Lucy are fearless enough to enjoy.

#nanowrimo #30c30d community feature #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #fantasy #design #sylvie witherspoon

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 24

For Day 24, we're featuring a cover designed and written by YWP author Percy Keeran called To Live or To Burn, a Fantasy novel.

To Live Or To Burn

A young boy, Vivian, is forced into the throne after the death of his father. He, overwhelmed by the large amount of power in his hands, decides now is the time for revenge until he is stopped by a girl from another world. This girl, Orla, is nothing like he's ever seen before. She's snappy and blunt yet somehow... kind?

About the Author

My name is Percy (Perseus for long) Keeran. I've been drawing since 3rd grade, and I am currently a sophomore in high school. I have plans to attend Rhode Island School of Design when I graduate and major in illustration. The 2023 NaNoWriMo will be the second I am participating in, but this cover was from my first project. It was my first large, "serious" project, and I enjoy looking back on the previous year's work.

Cover Design Process:

This year. we gave designers the optional prompt to explain their design process for the cover! Here's Percy's thoughts:

The first set of designing my cover was picking out a color palette. I used red for power, orange for excitement, as well as gold and purple for luxury. Vivian, the main character's, design has always been clear in my head as well as his story. The puppet strings attached to him are just subtle enough that you have to look for them, but tell a lot about his character.

#nanowrimo #30c30d community feature #30c30d #30 covers 30 days #fantasy #design #percy keeran

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 23

For Day 23, we have Adventure novel Seek Thy Truth by R.S. Knight! This cover was designed by the amazing returning designer, Marc English!

Seek Thy Truth

A retake on the classic story, the Pied Piper but with an adventurous twist… The story follows Godfrey, an exuberant historical con-artist during the 1700's who's hellbent on trying to rewrite fables to his liking throughout different parts of the world just to gain popularity and money. He hears about the chilling story of a mysterious female figure in Hameln, Germania who showed up and took not only children away, but the adults as well. He decides to try his luck in rewriting their tale by finding out what he can to spin, only to realize there must be a more sinister force at hand than a mere fairytale.

About the Author

This author has chosen to keep their identity a secret!

About the Designer

Marc English (marcenglih.design) has been making art since he was a kid. He became a designer as a young adult, then went to MassArt for the same. Within four years of graduating he was teaching there, and has since taught design in grad and undergraduate programs in the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. An author of a book on identity, Marc has served clients across the U.S., from Vietnam to Tel Aviv, and places in between, focusing on his version of identity. President of AIGA/Boston, he founded, served as president for the Austin chapter, created their Design Ranch retreat, and served on the AIGA national board of directors. He spends his time watching films, reading books; banging on a variety of musical instruments; roaming on four wheels, 2 wheels, under sail, on foot; and listening to strangers tell their stories. He has a few of his own.

#nanowrimo #30 covers 30 days #30c30d #adventure #design #marc english #r.s. knight

[nanowrimo]

12 Tips for Drafting Forward During NaNoWriMo (And Beyond!)

To accomplish your big writing goals, you have to focus on drafting forward. The team over at Freewrite knows how to do that better than most! Freewrite, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a dedicated distraction-free drafting device designed just for writers to separate the drafting from the editing process and get words on the page. Today, the Freewrite team is here to share their top 12 tips for doing just that:

Here at Freewrite, we love when NaNoWriMo comes around, because we’re all about helping writers set their stories free. We’re big proponents of the “write now, edit later” method of writing to help writers reach writing flow and increase productivity. The goal of drafting forward (and NaNoWriMo!) is to get a first draft recorded and translate your thoughts into writing on the page.

We’re going to share the top tips we recommend to writers who want to try this method but don’t know where to start. Try these out during your next writing session to see how they help you ditch the distractions and make serious progress!

1. Save research for later. (Or start with it!)

Yes, research is important. But it can also quickly turn into a form of procrastination. Complete the bulk of your research before you start writing, or, if it’s a topic you know well, commit to doing any research after. When you’re drafting and come to a place where you need to fact-check or gather information, simply leave a note to yourself right there in the text and continue drafting. 

2. Plan well.

With a timed challenge like NaNoWriMo, it helps to plan out your daily benchmarks in order to finish on time. Consider setting a daily word count goal or making a schedule for the month so you know exactly where you stand each day. Make an outline if you’re a plotter, or if you’re a pantser, spend some time getting into the world of your story.

3. Decide you’re going to write a messy first draft.

We recommend stating it outright to yourself, or maybe writing it down on a Post-It where you can see it each day: My goal is to write a messy first draft. Embrace that imperfection so that you can write more freely!

4. Silence your inner critic.

As you write, revisit your messy first draft goal and resist the urge to critique or edit your work as you go along. Instead, concentrate on getting your thoughts down without judgment. This means not overanalyzing each sentence. Did that last sentence sound ridiculous? Who cares?! Anything goes in a messy first draft. You’ll refine and revise later!

5. Turn off your inner spell-check.

Freewrite devices have no spell-check or grammar checker for a reason. Every squiggly line is a distraction, a moment that your writing flow is broken and you have to resist going back to fix typos. Even if your eyes recognize a typo, train your brain to fix it later! Remember: we’re focusing on getting out thoughts and ideas in the first draft, not grammar.

6. Eliminate external distractions.

We’ve done the hard work for you by creating Freewrite. 😉 Now, put your phone in the other room, turn off the TV, and start writing.

7. Write quickly.

This is just another way to trick your brain into writing from that deep, creative place that can’t be reached when you’re overthinking. Strive for a flow state where you’re typing at the speed that your thoughts come to you.

8. Use placeholders.

If you can’t think of the right word or need to look up a source, just insert a placeholder and keep writing. Our favorite placeholder is “xx” because that can easily be searched in editing software later. Other people like the more straightforward “[INSERT SOMETHING FUNNY]” or “[CHECK SOURCE]”. You can fill in those gaps during the editing phase.

9. Keep moving forward.

If you encounter writer’s block or a difficult section, resist the temptation to stop and dwell on it. Skip to another part in your story and return to the challenging section later. We like to add a note to ourselves right there in the draft to remind us to come back to that spot when editing.

10. No back-tracking.

Often while drafting, a brilliant sentence will come to us. But it’s describing something we just described. What to do? Do not go back, delete the first sentence, and replace it. Simply keep writing the new sentence! These redundancies are easy to correct later.

11. Experiment.

Try different styles and approaches without judgement. You can compare and contrast and pick the best one later, during the editing stage.

12. Write!

Relish in the creative flow and the freedom of having one job to do: writing. Don’t worry about grammar or story structure. Focus on the joy of creating.

With a few tweaks in how you draft, we hope you’ll be surprised by how much you write, the creative ideas your imagination comes up with, and how much fun you have while writing.

And if you try the above rules of forward drafting, we’d love to hear your experience!

Reminder: NaNoWriMo 2023 participants are eligible for a special Freewrite offer. Find all the details here. 

#nanowrimo #fast drafting #writing #writing advice #writing tips #by nano sponsor #freewrite

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers, 30 Days 2023: Day 22

For Day 22, we have Fantasy novel Once In A Dead Moon by Frankie! This cover was designed by the amazing returning designer, Jesse Hernandez!

Once In A Dead Moon

On moonless nights, monsters come out to destroy all in their path. But when the moon is stolen from the sky, a new threat reveals itself, The Nightweaver. King Morana vows to stop this beast, whilst his sister, Princess Vesna, searches for the missing moon.

Morana learns that he is the Nightweaver and must decide who and what to believe. Whether to go against all he's ever known, or to embrace them and destroy himself in the process.

Vesna meanwhile learns the past of the Moon God as she travels from kingdom to kingdom, learning forgotten tales and meeting Deities she had only ever read about. She is given context on what she has known her entire life, and though she learns much of the same things as her brother, the two come to different conclusions as how to deal with it.

About the Author

This author has chosen to keep their identity a secret!

About the Designer

Learn more about Jesse Hernandez at www.jessehernandez.cc

#nanowrimo #30 covers 30 days #30c30d #fantasy #design #jesse hernandez #frankie