More Than a Month’s Work

Don’t expect an instant novel.

Several friends on Facebook have been posting about working to write a novel this November.

It’s great to see their determination and progress. I just hope they realize that at the end of the month, their novel won’t be done.

They may have a first draft, even a good first draft, but it’s won’t yet be a polished novel. For nearly … Continue reading

Finishing a November Novel

Treat it as it is: a first draft.

Are you scrambling to meet your deadlines for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)? Consider again the experience of my friend Chandler Birch, who in 2013 decided to try to write a novel in a month.

The challenge gave Birch his start. “Prior to that,” he says, “I had next to no experience developing a plot bigger than five … Continue reading

November as a First Draft

An instant novel needs more time.IMG_9177 adj

by Andy Scheer

Sometimes participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) makes sense.

Three years ago, as a senior in Taylor University’s Professional Writing program, Chandler Birch accepted the challenge to write a novel in a month. “Prior to that,” he says, “I had next to … Continue reading