National Novel Writing Month is an annual event where amateur authors scramble to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This podcast centers around that event but will also publish throughout the year to talk about the creative process, writing and publishing.
Ben Alexander: Podcast producer and writer.
Folks, you're really gonna want to dig into this episode ahead of Nanowrimo. This year we're making some changes to the show. This is one of the rare shows where we were all physically in the same space to record so the conversation is a lot more easy breezy, as it probably should be in the run-up to the Nanowrimo 2017.
Jim and a very special guest discuss Camp Nano and more.
Ed talks comics. Jim talks editing. Time passes.
Ed and Jim catch up on their NaNoWriMo projects in December 2016.
Find out how the guys did in this spoiler free episode.
The guys talk about their NaNoWriMo projects in the last week of the month.
Jim and Ed discuss their NaNoWriMo 2016 efforts.
Let's catch up with Ed and Jim as they fall behind on their wordcounts!
Ed and Jim talk about resources, outlines, and more.
Jim and Ed dive into Day 1 of NaNoWriMo
Jim and Chris discuss the start of a new NaNoWriMo.
This is our short intro episode for the 2016 season of NaNoWriMo!
Let's get ready for Nanowrimo 2016 by throwing everything you know out the window!
To be brutally honest, this was quite a challenge and our word counts came up well short. However, we cannot dwell too much on what might have been! "What's next?" "What do we want?" And the importance of finishing your work even if you didn't finish Nanowrimo, are all covered in this wrap-up episode to Nanowrimo 2015. Be sure to keep us in your podcatcher or RSS reader (or just hit "refresh" on this page for forever) because we will be back with random episodes throughout the 'downtime.' Thank you for another fun year of this podcast and congratulations to all those who hit their 50,000 words!
We hope you have a great Thanksgiving and finish strong. Nanowripod will be back with regular episodes after the Thanksgiving break.
Ben is off pace and is starting to feel down. Jim is there with some awesome advice and perspective. Dig it!
We pull a lot of inspiration for this episode and spend time in the second half really deconstructing a character to give us some better ideas and direction when writing.
The middle of Nanowrimo is perhaps the hardest. One is far from the thrill of the beginning of the month, and nowhere close to the real crunch time. What do you do? Well, you could listen to this episode and find out.
In this episode we talk about writing in public spaces and staying motivated when things don't seem to be hitting on all cylinders.
This episode is all about taking care of yourself and trying to feel as good as possible while you're working through nanowrimo.
Jim and Ben are both rebelling this year and defying the conventions of Nanowrimo. But how are they faring in the first 48 hours? Learn from their mistakes!
(Check our website for loads of links!) Rising like corpse from the graaaaave is the last pre-Nano episode! Okay, so maybe that Halloween intro is a little dated by the time you listen, but bear with us as we give you those perhaps last minutes jolts of info and inspiration for your characters and setting. Inspiration comes from all sorts of unexpected places. For Ben it, occurred at a car dealership. In addition, Jim points out some places online that you can use to keep those wheels spinning with characters, setting, tone and more. Also, thanks to the help of listeners we have a few more audio and suggestions as well. If you're reading this on or after November 1st, we hope you've had a productive day of writing.
We're getting a jump on things early and loading you up with recommendations and possible inspirations. Be sure to check out our full show notes on the website or Facebook for all the links.
We're back for a bit of catchup in the long summer days between Camp Nanowrimo and the official Nanowrimo event in November. Jim and Ben have been plunking away in their respective writing dens, using whatever tools at hand to try and keep their thoughts in order. Then we talk about an article that purports to show how to "game" the Amazon Kindle store with low effort books that make lots of money. Is it true? Is it ethical? You'll have to listen to find out.
Where you start when you've left your work in a heap? It's been a while and now Jim and Ben are feeling the need to pick up where they left off months ago on their respective work. It's daunting stuff but we walk through some tips on it. Then we talk about what else we've been doing to stay sharp. Lots of good stuff is recommended and discussed so be sure to check out the links for all kinds of resources, inspiration, and just plain good reading.
What do you do now that Nanowrimo is over for 2014? First, celebrate. Then you prepare for more writing. We've also got lots of links and cool things to check out while you've got some downtime.
This episode is a continuation of Jim's interview with writer and Nano participant, Carolyn Rahaman. She's back with Jim to talk about something that many Nanowrimo participants think and dream about: getting published. Carolyn shares her knowledge and experience in that process.
First we look at Pixar's 22 rules for better stories, then delve into ways for all writers to build the worlds in their novels
At the halfway mark of Nanowrimo 2014, we get the lay of the land. We also talk about ways to increase tension and suspense in your writing.
"What's your word count?" Well, for Ben, it's not great. This is the week that sees the first faltering. And after such a great weekend of writing and meeting fellow participants! O alas! But we press on. In this case we unearth some questions from forums and talk about possible solutions to stuck writers, directions for lost writers and Superman (why not?).
It's the first guest of this year's Nanowripod! Jim sits down with writer and friend, Carolyn Rahaman to talk about her history with Nanowrimo and how writing fan fiction has helped her grow and improve as a writer. There's lots of cool stuff here and Carolyn will be back on the podcast later this month to share more insights. You can follow Carolyn on twitter (@caryandthehits) and on her blog, twentypercenttrue.blogspot.com.
Even when your job is to write, it can be hard to write for Nanowrimo. This episode we talk about character descriptions, characterization and adding more senses to your scenes. We've got some exercises you can try outside of writing and some other handy suggestions and recommendations (some of which are linked below)
It has begun! Nanowrimo! YES! This episode recounts the first 24 hours of writing and trying to keep our brains on the rails in front of our keyboards. Hopefully the Nanowrimo website can keep up with all the activity. At least one Nanowrimo participant wrote over six thousand words that won't even be counted! What is this madness? It's all in the episode... and then some.
Yes, it's true listeners. There is a secret extra night of totally by-the-book writing available to die hard Nanowrimo participants. Jim and Ben know the secret combo to unlock it. This episode is also full of further ideas and plans leading up to National Novel Writing month. It's safer to travel with friends in this difficult challenge, after all.
In the third episode of the "preseason" for Nanowrimo, Jim and Ben duel it out and read their drafts aloud. Then we get into some of the planning and structure techniques that Brandon Sanderson teaches in his "Write About Dragons" classes.
Ben and Jim discuss the unlikely origins of a secret writing society in Chicago
Ben and Jim welcome their fellow explorers back with an early episode. . .
There is no denying that we are well beyond the bounds of National Novel Writing Month. Revision and other writing projects are starting fill our minds with new ideas. And speaking of new ideas, we try out a drafting game that we hope you will also have a chance to participate. Reviews and comments either on iTunes or on the Nanowripod page are greatly appreciated!
November is now shrinking in the rearview mirror but our story isn't over. What does one do now that they have some massive amount of text? Sure, we could take a break but that wouldn't be as fun as discussing what else lies ahead. Hopes, dreams, goals, and moments of brutal honesty abound in this episode of Nanowripod.
Ben still has miles to go before he sleeps. Jim is faced with the thought of where to go next. We are twixt and between in this episode and could use our listeners' help and brilliances to move forward.
Ben's graph hasn't been updated since the 12th. Jim has printed the first incomplete draft of his novel. The pack stretches out in NaNoWorld and many have settled comfortably into the land of procrastination. Keep your ears open to learn a new, archaic word and a phrase used primarily in the publishing industry.
Jim crosses the 50,000 word finish line. What else can we do to keep writin in November? Find out in this episode!
We take a linear approach to the novel writing. Jim dives back into Scrivener. Ben zones into isolation. Both hosts play the "Scenes" game at the end. Jim is not writing about stargates.
Ben and Jim recap their Nanowrimo weekend, then discuss some ways to generate new ideas and constrruct plot.
Ben de-stresses at the keyboard after a full day without words. Jim has an epiphany that brings him back from the edge of madness. Both love and loathe Scrivener. They wrap everything up with the "sequels" section of Jim Butcher's Scenes & Sequels notes.
Chris talks about his experience during past Novel Writing Months. We chat about procrastination, the publishing landscape, and the community that surrounds the month.
Jim and Ben catch up after the first weekend of NaNoWriMo and compare experiences. Then we explore in more detail Jim Butcher's "Scene and Sequel" method of writing, and try it out live!
It's the last episode before Nanowrimo officially starts! Let's get psyched!
Ben and Jim discuss the best things they’ve read in the last month and define and discuss the timeless idea of showing instead of telling. The podcast finishes with a great discussion of cinematic writing and mentions advice from Jon F. Merz.
Ben and Jim talk about NaNo Regions, Characters, and Keyboards. Special guest interview: Ed! Ed is forced to decide whether the month will be filled with novel-writing-goodness or soul-crushing emptiness.
Ben and Jim discuss the rules first, then move on to the monomyth and strategies for success.
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