Like you, the NaNo 2.0 volunteers are preparing for their upcoming November writing adventure.
What are they hoping to accomplish? How much planning are they doing? And what kind of tasty treats are they packing for the journey?
I interviewed some of our team members to find out!
Tim
- Goal: For NaNoWriMo and Novel Quest, I’m doing 50 hours of editing on my collection of Twisted Westerns short stories
- Prep vibe: Plantsing editor
- Story in 6 words or less: Warlock wanna-be survives adventures, finds love (& other tales ;-) ) Editor’s note: That’s 8 words and an emoticon, Tim.
- Packing list: Candle for focus, pomodoro timer, occasional dark chocolate
Tavia
- Goal: Complete writing all 12 pieces for Something Else All Together, a magical immersive choose your own adventure memoir experience through the cosmos (another goal is to complete a much better tagline)
- Prep vibe: Planner to the max
- Story in 6 words or less: A story you can really get into
- Packing list: Typewriter, music, black lights
Shannon
- Goal: 30K+ words and finishing my existing first draft
- Prep vibe: Plantser
- Story in 6 words or less: Writer trapped in her own book
- Packing list: Story notebook, playlist, and a small writing mascot (this year it’s a mini dragon)
Maria
- Goal: Classic 50k challenge
- Prep vibe: Go out on misty days and stare at trees (mega-pantser)
- Story in 6 words or less: Awkward romance featuring ghosts and murder
- Packing list: Tea, chocolate, someone to tell me the super-obvious word I’m thinking of but have inexplicably forgotten
Lucie
- Goal: Participating in RDMO and NaNo with a goal of writing 50k words for my horror novel WIP
- Prep vibe: Plantser!
- Story in 6 words or less: Twins create a ghost.
- Packing list: The album Kagayaki by Masakatsu Takagi, Panera Bread autumn squash soup, and the Locked In word count game.
Laura
- Goal: 50k words on my memoir
- Prep vibe: Let Storyworth prompts be the Planner to my Pantser
- Story in 6 words or less: My new grandbaby needs my stories
- Packing list: Mom’s handknit blanket, 1970s playlist, M&Ms
Kristina
- Goal: Writing the first 50k words of the sequel to the demon story I wrote in 2020
- Prep vibe: Plantser here, despite my best efforts to plan this one out a bit more
- Story in 6 words or less: Teen girls fight demons at sea
- Packing list: A big cozy sweatshirt I can get lost inside, the perfect combination of salty and sweet snacks, and someone else to watch my kids ;)
Kathy
- Goal: After a quarter of a century, I am going rebel and finishing up a previous novel. I probably only need 30K, so I will have to start another after to make my 50K goal.
- Prep vibe: Plot out the missing scenes in October, write like the wind in November.
- Story in 6 words or less: Examination of grace during an apocalypse
- Packing list: Leftover Halloween candy, a freezer full of prepared food (I ain’t cooking), a fake cough to get out of stupid meetings that waste valuable writing time.
Gertrude
- Goal: Hit 350-page count on my existing project
- Prep vibe: Plantser
- Story in 6 words or less: Non-fiction, Monarchies for Writers, Book 1
- Packing list: Google, Chicago Manual of Style Guide, Tiara
Coral
- Goal: 50k words
- Prep vibe: Pantser trying to plan
- Story in 6 words or less: Not a werewolf shifter story
- Packing list: Notebooks, colored pens, Fluffy blanket
Me (Chris)
- Goal: Top-to-bottom rewrite of 8 chapters in my long-suffering novel
- Prep vibe: When it comes to revisions, I try to plan
- Story in 6 words or less: Librarian finds love in post-apocalyptic Canada
- Packing list: Instrumental playlist, random ideas from the universe, yellow post-its
Want to learn how our team is faring on their writing projects in November? Subscribe to our newsletter! And swing by Bluesky and Instagram to tell us about your writing goals and trade snacks.