Gear Up To Write Nonfiction In November

In just under two weeks, nonfiction writers will take to their keyboards to begin 30 days of work on a new project. Not only will they start that project, they will finish it. Why? Because that's the challenge posed by Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN). Are you ready to take the challenge?

WNFIN, which is both a challenge and a full-month of guest blog posts about many aspects of nonfiction writing and publishing was my response to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a contest that asks fiction writers to compose 50,000 words in 30 days during November. I tried NaNoWriMo one year; the next year I decided nonfiction writers should have something to do during November. However, I didn't want to start a contest, and I wanted to offer information to help other writers get published. After all, that was my goal, too—to publish my work. The WNFIN blog, which now features 25 or more expert guest bloggers each year, supports writers as they work, and the comment area gives them a forum to chat about the posts and their work.

For those nonfiction writers wanting to take the WNFIN challenge, I suggest you begin a WNFIN project—or any new writing project for that matter—with good prepare. Get started before the challenge, not necessarily with the actual writing but with the stuff you need to do to be able to write quickly and easily."

Here are some things you can do to prepare:

1.Write down the 3-5 top projects you would like to tackle that you have not had time to start or finish; figure out which one might be doable in 30 days time.

2.Create an outline to follow.

3.Mind map your project.

4.Get your research together in a physical folder.

5.Do research on line and put the links or copied pages in folders on your computer.

6.Conduct any interviews necessary for writing your book or article.

7.Finish any outstanding work that might get in the way of your writing project.

8.Examine your schedule and block of a time each day to work on your project.

9.Find a WNFIN writing partner or create a WNFIN writing group as support system.

10.Consider anything that might stop you from sitting down to write or in the process of writing, and rid yourself of those obstacles before November 1.

If you take these 10 steps, you will be ready to take the WNFIN challenge--or to start any writing project at any time of the year.

Also, get ready to meet a deadline. That's what a challenge or contest like NaNoWriMo or WNFIN is all about. Set aside time every day or several times a week to write. This will help you meet your word count or finish your project on time.

My training as a magazine journalist taught me the value of deadlines. When you are up against the wall, you simply have to write. You have to start--and finish.

That's the beauty of a deadline. You start and finish a writing project in a given amount of time--possibly in a short amount of time.

So what if you don't actually have a deadline you have to meet? Impose one on yourself. Let your mind think that deadline is real. Actually, it is. You've given it to yourself. Be accountable--to yourself.

What do you do once you've met the deadline, when November has come and gone, for example? You set another deadline.