@alliramsay1328
Re: finding a time to prime your mind. Me: Laying in bed trying to fall asleep My brian: "Excellent, this is the perfect time to plot out an entire novel."
@creepyog2008
I’m a professional truck driver who has plenty of time to think about what to write but don’t have the time to write it. I’m going to try this month, though. Wish me luck!
@matthewsawczyn6592
I have mastered priming my mind. I watch 6 hours of YouTube and then write for ten minutes
@jaydingiesler5280
I think it’s really neat that such a well loved author is taking the time to teach new writers the craft. Thanks for giving back to the community.
@clydebarnes8059
I’m 17 and I’ve been writing short stories for a little while. This will be my first serious attempt at a novel.
@UdyKumra
"Most of my novels are quite a bit longer?" Oh really? I couldn't tell 😂
@jcwebb264
I know I'm late but I watched this and then wrote my first ever complete novel - 75k in 26 days. Not in November, not following a group, just decided to do it. It's not good (it's actually more like a really comprehensive outline), but I'm thrilled that I DID IT. Thanks for being the inspiration :)
@deanyona6246
"National Novel Writing Month is a challenge where writers are challenged to write a novel within one month." I see that every month is Novel Writing Month for Brandon...
@King-Squid-99
1:30 Tip 1 - Borrowing Your Structure; a lot of books we write come from experiencing other people's stories, enjoying them, and then digging into the idea "Man, I really liked that story. Could I write something like that?" Boiling a story we enjoy to it's fundamental structure and then rebuilding an original story around that structure 4:15 Tip 2 - Start With A Monologue; Pretending to interview your character and writing out their life story is a great way to get ideas flowing 5:35 Tip 3 - What Does My Character Want, What Do They Need, And Why Can't They Have Both? 7:30 Tip 4 - Choose Your Type Of Progress; We get pulled through stories/stories become page turners because we watch progress unfold. Reinforce this progress through plot and concrete checkpoints. You want to always be moving in a direction (does not have to be linear/always forward) 10:15 Tip 5 - Prime Your Mind; Participating in activities that leave your body moving but your mind free to think (mowing the lawn, doing dishes, cleaning, laundry, etc) push your focus towards your novel and allow yourself to think about what to write next. Prime yourself using daydreams, music, etc. to sit down and start writing without pausing
@RibbonVintageGirl
1:31 Borrowing a Structure 4:18 Begin with a Monologue 5:39 What does my character want and what does my character need and why can't they have either one 7:21 Choose your type of progress 10:15 Prime your mind
@brouwjon
While I don't want to contribute to a cult of personality, I have to say I'm struck at what a great guy Brandon is. Just really kind-hearted and excited about sharing his wisdom of this craft with aspiring writers. I'm not even a huge reader of his books, but I'm a big fan of him as a person. From all the talks, lectures, and conversations I've seen with him, I can just tell he's a wonderful dude.
@metro6567
Remember: you can make NaNoWriMo your own personal challenge! 50k words too much for you? Make your goal 30k, or 10k. Perhaps you just want to be able to write everyday and this becomes your goal. Make NaNoWriMo personal and achievable to you! Keep writing.
@RJ_Ehlert
If anyone still likes the concept of a character being on the outside observing "something really interesting happening to another character" I suggest taking Lord of the Rings as an example. Aragorn is basically a quintessential archetype for a main character in epic fantasy. He is introduced as an outsider living on his own and providing for himself with hard won skills. He becomes the de facto leader for a group of people on an important quest, after the first leader dies. He has a tragic star crossed love story where his girlfriend's family keeps them apart. He has a secret bloodline lineage to royalty. He earns the respect and admiration of the nation by being a Big Damn Hero. He eventually becomes King and marries his love after earning the approval of her family. However, The Lord of the Rings is really about Frodo. That's one very good example of how to make an unlikely outside character be an interesting protagonist in your fantasy book, without making them become an elite warrior-mage or ruler of nations.
@kazmohdim
BRANDON! How can I write a book this month when YOUR book comes out this month!!!???
@Dan-y6l3k
1:35 - Borrowing Your Structure 4:17 - Begin With a Monogue 5:38 - Questions: What does my character want? What do they need? How are those two things different? Why can’t they have either one? 7:21 - Choose Your Type of Progress (Structure). Promise -> Progress -> Payoff. 10:14 - Prime Your Mind.
@angelawesneski5029
I love how supportive you are of aspiring writers. There's no divisiveness in the way you are sharing advice. Thanks for being you!
@natalie_kendel
Something I really enjoy about you, Brandon, is that you have this appreciation for writers all being different. You don't claim that one things will 100% work for everyone... and that this is more than ok. I think that's the sign of a seasoned writer who isn't hocking wares or pushing an agenda, but has really experience and wisdom under this belt.
@premiumcheddar9983
This is my fourth NaNoWriMo and I swear that this time I WILL FINISH IT Edit: November 5th and I am approaching 21k words! Edit 2: Monday the 9th now, and I am just under 30,000! One of my beta readers loves what I've been doing so far. Edit 3: November 20th, and I just hit 50k late last night! I'm probably about halfway done with my book, and my friend has informed me that it is really good so far :) Final edit: Nov. 30, and I'm at 63k. I hope you all enjoyed the process and did a great job on your projects!!!
@cormorantcolors
Going off tip 3, I actually like to use my experience with tabletop RPGs (specifically D&D in this example) to build a protagonist. An easy start to a character is a trait, an ideal, a bond, and a flaw. Your trait and ideal are the foundation of your character. How does your protagonist act and what do they care most deeply about? Your bond is a tie to a person, place, or thing that is related to the plot. This is why they should care about what’s happening on a personal level. Finally is a flaw to round them out.
@TheKrazyLobster