What’s After NaNoWriMo?
Whether you established a daily writing practice, hit that 50k goal, or pushed yourself like never before, congratulations! NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an intense time for writers who participate. I hope it was everything you were looking for. But the end is near. What’s next?
You’ve got a new manuscript! What’s next?
Need a second pair of eyes on that NaNoWriMo manuscript? Our expert editors will make sure your project is polished and targeted to your specific audience, from outline to submission package.
What Comes After NaNoWriMo?
We often see an influx of editorial clients at the beginning of December, when NaNoWriMo participants look at their new manuscript babies and panic. Now, there’s nothing wrong with seeking help. And editors are here for you! But are you ready for the rip-it-to-shreds level of feedback you’ll get from a professional?
Take a deep breath. Look at that new manuscript baby. Glow with pride—as well you should. Then think about what it needs next, because the truth is, it’s probably not ready for the world.
I’m not calling your baby ugly. I’m just acknowledging that you went through a very fast writing and development process. Chances are, you have a lot of raw creative material without a lot of structure. That’s a great thing to have. Too often, we self-edit as we write, killing the inner child at play and a lot of our stories’ potential. I’m the worst about this, so I should know! But when you really let yourself go and write at break-neck November speeds, you’re probably circumventing a lot of those mean inner voices. When you allow them to start kicking in now, they may have a lot to say.
Revise and Shine
It’s normal to wonder whether you just spent all that time creating a steaming pile of garbage. And it may not be much to look at, but don’t throw it out yet. Instead, think of it as a diamond in the rough. It’s got potential to shine!
All that potential is one of the best things you could have gleaned from NaNoWriMo. One of the others is a daily writing habit. Don’t stop now. Keep writing and tell the rest of that story. In December, go back and do all the refining you denied yourself in November.
If you’re ready for another challenge, NaNoWriMo actually has a revision program all set up and ready to go. If you’d prefer to take things at your own pace, revise on your own time. Find beta readers to help you figure out what’s working (and what isn’t) with your manuscript in its current state. At this stage, I recommend staying away from line edits. Stick to developmental edits: think bird’s eye POV. Your sentences and commas aren’t ready to be moved around yet.
Instead, think about the overall story you’re trying to tell and how each scene, character, and plot point contributes. If you don’t have one already, create an outline. If that sounds exhausting … I get it. As a pantser, I want to hate them. I really do. But you can only re-read so many times before you gloss over. An outline is a perfect zoom-out of what’s happening. It’ll also serve you later when you’re writing your synopsis!
… Or Learn From It
If revising is the journey you find yourself on, please help yourself to the many free resources we offer. But let me walk it back a few steps, because that may not be where you are. Maybe you’re looking at your work and wondering if there really is any shine to it.
And whether there is or isn’t, you could put that manuscript in a drawer right now and that would be okay.
Not every manuscript needs to be a story of your heart. Not every manuscript needs to be championed today or tomorrow. Maybe you never decide to do anything with it again. The important thing is that you created. You went through a process. Hopefully, you learned a thing or two. What comes next depends on your creative goals, where your head and heart are, and what story is most important to you now. So, what’s next for you?
Did you know? We interviewed the founder of NaNoWriMo, Chris Baty. You can listen to the podcast here.
