Reddit reviews No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days

I'm a panster (I write "by the seat of your pants"). I tried planning. The two years I planned I failed. So, I just kinda of wing it. I let thoughts kind of develop and just run with it. I'd suggest you read the following book No Plot? No Problem!. It was immensely helpful the year I won. And get a cushion from week 1. The majority of people who survive week 2 can win it - but week 2 is where most people fail out. Best of luck. Join the site, get on your regional forums and genre forums and get in the chats. Find out who your municipal liaison is and see if they have any "pre-nano" activities (like outline/plot workshops, etc.). I'm too overwhelmed being a first time ML to do that sort of stuff, but I'd like to try next year.

Try this: http://www.amazon.com/No-Plot-Problem-Low-Stress-High-Velocity/dp/0811845052

If you haven't read Chris Baty's No Plot, No Problem, I would recommend it. I read it before my first attempt in 2005 and made it. I have crashed every year since. I'm rereading it now.

I've been signed up for it for the last three years. This is going to be the year I actually take part!

I've been jazzed for it ever since I read the founder's book (No Plot? No Problem!) a month or so back. It was a great psyche up, but I'll probably have to give it another read come kick-off to maintain the buzz. I've had to contain the urge to jump in ahead of the official event.

I must admit I had this problem to a certain degree, I just kept getting more and more detailed with the project I was working on to where my outlines were several pages long per chapter and were getting dangerously close to chapters themselves...

What gave me the kick in the pants to write was this book and the accompanied challenge inherent in NaNoWriMo. When you commit to the task of writing 50,000 words in 30 days it seems impossible (expecially when you are simultaneously trying to get your master's degree...) but telling all your friends you're doing it makes you accountable and having that looming deadline and seemingly unconquerable task, the idea of planning just becomes something you don't have time for.

By the time you're done with this month, no matter whether you finished or not, you'll have a lot of experience writing and the task of sitting down and writing just doesn't seem as scary anymore. Since my first time last november I finished the first/second draft of my novel which is over 100k words and I've written 3 short stories! Writing is a piece of cake! Editing is still a dread though...Good luck mate!

I was schooled


Congrats on nearly finishing school!


Even though I too am in school, what I could really use is this. I'm writing, or attempting to write, a novel since that's what I really want to do with my life. This would definitely help me stay on track.


Hmmm...the most valuable lesson I learned outside the classroom was to not let self-doubt stop you from doing something great.

I know the exact book you need:

No plot? No problem!

And definitely consider doing Nanowrimo next November.

(The author of the book, Chris Baty, also runs the Nanowrimo website.)

Just to explain a bit further: the idea behind the book is that you suppress your "inner editor" and you write a 50,000 word novella in 30 days. You don't need a plot. You just start writing and you keep going.

I've done Nanowrimo for about 4 years now and I can honestly say this idea works!