NaNoWriMo 2017 Brighton Party

Yesterday I went to the NaNoWriMo 2017 Brighton Party to celebrate that we start our challenge on November 1st. I went to a local pub, and we had a whole room for us. It was amazing. We talked about writing, panic jars, and many other exciting topics. And I also got a sticker and a card to record my achievements. All in all, it was great.

Most people use Scrivener to create their novels, but some others prefer Word. Organizers encouraged us to try and finish our challenges. They devised a cunning plan to keep us writing: prizes. The more challenges you complete, the more opportunities you have to win a NaNoWriMo official badge.

If you’re about to panic, don’t worry. Brighton’s Wrimos have prepared to panic jars: the normal one, and the mischievous one. To have access to the mischievous one, you need to be over 18 years old. (Imagine now what’s hidden in that jar!)

I still don’t need any of the two jars, but I bet I’ll be joining the fun of leaving something inside them. However, something was clear: I’ll be fueling my writing powers with coffee and beer. This is the UK, so, it’s very likely that I’ll end up writing at night. And that means that I’ll probably end writing at the Independent, a very excellent and bookish pub which is very near from home.

I’m also happy I got my hands on two NaNoWriMo books and one that tells you about the guidelines of writing fantasy for YA.

Ready, Set, Novel! [The Book Depository] is a fantastic guidebook that will help you with character, plot, and story twist creation. It goes as far as helping you creating the maps of your novel.

No Plot? No Problem! [The Book Depository] helps you write a novel in 30 days without having any plot. It’s a small book, but it looks like an excellent guide to have next to you should things go astray.

And finally, The Magic Words [The Book Depository] is perfect to help you discover what guidelines publishers seek in YA books. You can’t write just anything you like. This book has been eye-opening for me since I had a vague idea about what publishers expect and want from a YA book. And since I’m writing a fantasy novel for a YA audience, I needed to have things super clear. (I highly recommend this book).

I had loads of fun engaging in fascinating conversations with the other Wrimos yesterday. Now comes the hard part: writing a book in just 30 days! They have prepared writing meetings during the week, so if one of us feel down, others can cheer them up.

I’ll keep up sharing all my experience with NaNoWriMo. Expect despair, coffee, and panic. Whatever happens, I’ll share everything with you.

Time to freak out now.

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