Learn more about International Podcast Day (Sept 30)

This episode was was recorded and produced by A Mad Vox. Hat tip to Rolfe Koble for sharing his tips on recording a podcast episode from an iPhone. 

Intro/Outro music: "How it Goes" by Madeline Wright

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 30th day of NaNoWriMo. The last day!

For those who have crossed the finish line tonight way to go! Once you're done, remember to go to the validation page and upload your novel so that you can claim your official win.

There are some goodies including access to tools that can help you improve your story writing process, as well as ones that are available right now that expire starting tonight.

Check out the NaNoWriMo sponsors page and see what's available along with the deadlines, so that you don't miss out.

Today's episode is about reflections from the month. What was the best and most challenging part of NaNoWriMo for you? As I mentioned in my previous episode, today's the last daily episode for the NaNoWriMo edition of A Mad Vox. 

Until we speak again, let's connect and do amazing things that will make your inner kid proud.
You can find me at amadvox.com

On social media under the name "A Mad Vox" here

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest, if you're feeling crafty.

I hope you take the time to celebrate each step of this journey. That includes all of your efforts through today and beyond as you develop your story and share it with the world. Thank you so much for listening. See you!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 29th day of NaNoWriMo. We have one more day and then... this leads to a very good question of what's next? That's what this episode is all about.

Perhaps you've given it a lot of thought, or you're still feverishly typing away to finish the story you've outlined. Either way, I've got some ideas to share with you that will help you move forward after the challenge.

What's next?

1. Finish
2. Take a break - take as much time as you need and when your creativity cup is full come on back for the next step
3. Dive into the next creative project
4. NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month)

Starts March 1.
Challenge: 50 hours of editing.

I'm curious to know what you're going to do next?

What's next for A Mad Vox beyond "NaNoWriMo Edition"?

It's been a pleasure sharing my tips and tools to help you crush Nano. I have been wanting to do this for a long time, at least for the last few years. It turned out that this was the perfect time for me to make it happen. But I couldn't have done it without the encouragement and support of my friends and family, the challenge organizers, as well as other podcasting pioneers who have gone before and made it simple by sharing their tips and tools with newbies like me.

This is my way of paying it forward. I hope it doesn't stop with me or you. I plan to continue podcasting; trying out new creative things to challenge myself, share my experiences with others, and inspire more people to discover, hone, and use their voices to share their stories.

After tomorrow I'll be taking a break from podcasting daily to bring you the regular and likely, weekly, edition of A Mad Vox coming next.

In the meantime, I'm gathering my best creative productivity tips and tools and making my list of other fun challenges to try in the future. Until then, please make sure to subscribe via your favorite podcatcher.

Thank you so much for listening to A Mad Vox: NaNoWriMo Edition. I'll see you in the next episode!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Take a screenshot of your current progress on NaNoWriMo. It's good to have a photo of the finish line as well

If you're going to one last in-person write-in this month, take a photo with your write-in group or have someone take a photo of you in your best writing pose.

Look back at your progress this month and write down or record how you're feeling about the challenge and 3 things you've learned about yourself.

Be sure to congratulate the writers you've connected with throughout the last month. This can include those in your buddy list, in your home region on the NaNoWriMo site or in a Facebook group, and other online groups where you've found support while writing your novel this month. You can stay in touch throughout the year and support each other through the next steps.

Thanks for listening!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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NaNoWriMo Edition.
This is day 27 of NaNoWriMo.

Every day is one day closer to the end. Even if you're diligently writing 1667 words each day to get to 50K, just being aware of where you are on this timeline can make you feel like it's already the end.

You may see your levels of motivation dropping slightly. You may find some other things to do instead of writing that seem very tempting. Or, if you're anything like someone we know, you may have done this before and you're tempted to give yourself an added challenge of waiting to the very last day to get in all of the words remaining, just because you're pretty sure you can do it.

You're likely aware that you won't be completely done with your story when you hit 50K. Here are some tips for writing to the actual end of NaNoWriMo.

But first. hit 'save' and check your writing posture. You're welcome.

TIPS

VALIDATE FIRST
If you've hit 50K before the last day of the month but still have some storytelling left, I recommend that you VALIDATE your word count first and then keep on writing.
You may discover there is lots more to your story to keep you going for many more thousands of words, and unless you keep writing you'll never know.

KEEP CALM AND WRITE ON

If you have not yet reached 50k and you're within striking distance you're going to hit a point where you start to struggle!write. You're so close to the end, and yet it seems like every word you write pushes the finish line further away.

You'll get there. Focus on your story, not specifically on crossing the finish line, and before you know it you'll reach the end of your scene as well as the challenge.

SLOW AND STEADY' APPLIES
You may know the story and moral of The Tortoise and the Hare.
Time is the tortoise and YOU are the hare.

The hare's problem in the story was that he got it twisted when he figured out he could finish the race later and relax first. Now, this is easier said than done but, writer, the best way to avoid this is to use the time you have left wisely.

Let's not get down to the wire where you HAVE TO write your absolute fastest in order to finish.
You can do this by calculating how many actual writing hours you have left before the end of the month.

Divide that by your normal writing cadence which you've determined in Episode 4 "Let's Catch up on your Word Count."

The number you have is how many words you'll need to write per hour.

If that number is lower than your normal writing cadence then you're golden! You still have a reasonable amount of time to finish. So keep on going. Just like the tortoise. I believe you can do this.

QOTD

Are you currently dealing with the battle of struggle-writing to the end of either NaNoWriMo or your story, or both? If neither, teach us your ways!!

That's all for today. Thanks for listening! 

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 26th day of NaNo. And today is the day that you realize that you are going to crush your goal.
Here are three ways you know you're going to crush NaNoWriMo.

Know that you've seen it happen.

• All around the world writers are placing their 50 thousandth word and zipping over the finish line. You know what to do. You want to do it. You've mentally worked it all out. At this point, writer, you're just following the proven playbook. And nothing's going to stop you now.

Know that it's a done deal in your mind.

• Visualization of your novel, your characters, and their quests. You know the result of the biggest challenges they've had to meet and overcome. It's all downhill from here.

Know that you are the hero of your own story.

• And that story is the journey through the challenge that is National Novel Writing Month. You have fought valiantly against the odds and persisted in keeping your focus and drive aligned to write, despite many distractions, some cute and furry and eager to lay across your keyboard. and others like hand cramps and neck aches to remind you that your writer posture could be better.
  There's the saying, attributed to John Lennon.
  "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay. it's not the end."

if you have not achieved your goal by the end of this week, then your story is not yet over! Get ready for the epilogue and the sequel, where the hero vows to rise again to triumph victoriously in the next challenge that will change what the hero knows about the world, their focus in life and most importantly the hero (you).

I'm curious to know if you're feeling that rush to crush NaNoWriMo this week? Let me know in a comment on social media, referencing episode 26 and using #amadvox.

That's all for today. Thanks for listening! 

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 25th day of NaNo. 25 days! Only 6 more to go including today. And you would think that you'd be used to the pattern of writing and ready to zoom through the finish line, right?

Yeah, about that. This episode is all about how to get through the home stretch with your sanity intact!

With only a few days left and the finish line almost within sight, it's really easy to start doing things that can sabotage your progress and otherwise demoralize you in terms of your writing productivity.

Now if you find yourself doing these things it's not the end of the world, but you'll get through your novel a little bit faster if you focus on the writing.

Three tips

Remember to take care of your health. This includes staying hydrated, eating regular meals, and taking frequent writing breaks to reset your posture, rest your hands, and give your eyes a break.

Avoid compulsively checking your word count. Now, if you're anything like someone we know you're going to do this anyway. The trick is to tie your word count check to a sprint.

Once you hit 50K, Be sure that you validate your novel on the site. Hitting that is an accomplishment and you deserve all of the accolades. The NaNoWriMo website wants to give you a special award!

Be sure to congratulate others as they cross the finish line.

I'm curious to know what other tips you have for getting through this homestretch. Let me know on social media. Reference episode 25 and use the hashtag #amadvox.

Thanks for listening! 

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

This is the 24th day of NaNoWriMo! It's not just any weekend, It's the weekend before NaNoWriMo ends.

Write your novel like it's a Black Friday sale where you can get this exclusive insight. You can plan to discount at least 25% of whatever you write! So hurry and write all weekend long!

Offer valid only after validation or Dec. 1, or whenever the editing process has started. See final first draft for details.

Weekend Writing Tips

It still feels like a holiday but this is the best time to make up your word count if you're behind. If you want to give yourself a boost for the last few days and finish strong I have a few suggestions.

Word Sprints ALL day, e'er'day.

-
Word sprints are set periods of time where you write as many words as possible during that time.

As I mentioned before you can find word sprints on the NaNoWriMo website,
on Twitter Nano words sprints account and on

ChatNano.

Throughout this entire weekend, there are Turkzilla sprints through Sunday night every hour on the top of the hour and the 00:30, for 15 minutes.

Advantage: It ties you to a time vs doing ad-hoc sprints.

Allows time (15 minutes) prepare to write again with a prompt, either your outline or something else, instead of simply starting with "ready, set, write!"

Also, there are lots of dinosaurs involved, if you're into that sort of thing.

Attend any NaNoWriMo virtual write-ins? Rewatch them!

-
NaNoWriMo virtual write-ins via YouTube
-
It's nice to have a chance to try out the prompts you may have ignored the first time through. Again, this is a first draft. Get the words in. You can always edit the prompts out if they don't fit your story later.

Climb that buddy list ladder.

-
By now you probably have a few buddies in your list in various stages of having won, having written more than 50K but aren't yet validated and those who are true blue in their word count and climbing. If you fall into the latter category, this is your time to climb.

Find someone slightly ahead of you and do a word sprint or two to catch up to that buddy.

I find 15-minute sprints to be most effective for me but your preference may vary. Do whichever sprint length works best for you. The key here is to repeat the sprints until you catch the person in front of you.

Once you've done that take a well-deserved break, and then repeat as needed.

Use social media check-ins.

If you use social media try posting your current word count as a virtual check-in.

Posting an update every 2K words until you get to 45K can be a great motivator. After 45K, update every 1K to get through that final stretch. Let your friends cheer you on and keep you on task as you boost your word count and blast through to the other side of 50K.

I'm curious to know if you have any weekend word boosting strategies. Let me know in a comment on social media (mention episode 24) and use the hashtag #amadvox.

Thanks for listening! 

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 23rd day of NaNoWriMo. I don't know about you, but I've noticed there are all sorts of new things on the horizon, ready to draw my attention and take up all my free time. In this next week, the number of those things will likely increase.

Which is why today I'm going to talk about really understanding what is shiny about your story.

Sometimes I feel like creative writers can gravitate toward ideas that are presented in a certain way:
There's a sense of newness. Yet a relatability that seems attainable. It's attractive, it's inspiring, and it's just within our grasp if we can just put in enough effort to reach it.

Inspiration comes from just about any giving source. The problem is when we let our inspiration overtake our sense of focus on one project and start gearing up to do another.
It makes it tough to focus on the task at hand. And the luster seems to fade a bit from the project at hand.

This is a classic example of 'grass is greener' syndrome.

Or the snowflakes are prettier?

Hmm... It doesn't really snow where I am, but I do know it's that time of year where everything is sparkly and novel, and if you're anything like someone we know you're can get distracted quite easily. And often.

But, what if we learn to find the shiny thing in our own work?
This will help us to stay focused long enough to finish and It will be a way to guarantee that you'll attract a readership. At least if you follow through on the activity part of this learning.

Experiment

Can you identify the shiny part of your story? The part of the story that makes others go "Ooh, I want to read that!"

That's the thing that you can use to keep going and push through the distractions of everything else to complete your challenge.

This is an experiment to try.

Talk to at least 3 people about your novel ideally, in your target readership. Give them a synopsis and let them ask you a couple of questions about your story.

Note their reactions as you describe your character and the various things the character encounters in your story. Did you notice their eyes light up about any aspect of the character or any aspects of your story?

Ask the person if the story sounds like something they'd be interested in reading? And ask them why.

Note: Before you talk to these people make sure to answer these questions for yourself first. This will give you a hypothesis and let you compare your answers with actual data.

QoTD

Did you try the experiment? What did you learn about your story that others find shiny and how can you add in more of those shiny things? Let me know on social media (and mention Episode 23)

By rediscovering the sense of newness about your story through someone else's eyes, the idea is that you'll be drawn into a feedback loop that will inspire you to want to tell your story to the person who's excited to read it.

I hope all of that sparkle and shine will give you what you need to stay focused and committed to polishing that first draft that you'll have finished by the end of the month.

Thanks for listening! If you find this of value please consider rating and reviewing it in Apple podcasts (A.k.a. iTunes) and sharing it with a friend.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Hello and welcome back to A Mad Vox NaNoWriMo Edition.

This is the 22nd day of NaNoWriMo. I want to wish everyone in the US a Happy Thanksgiving

Where you are in your journey, what you have and how you can cultivate gratitude in a way that will help you stay grounded.

Today's one of those days that can vary widely for a lot of writers. Either you can sit down and write all of the words or it's a day where you're just not able to get a lot of writing done.

I want to talk about if you are in the latter category and you're feeling some kind of way about feeling behind and anxious about not being able to finish your draft by the 30th.

I want to encourage you to not let that get in the way of living your real life.

This is an endurance challenge and it's meant to cause a certain level of stress but that's a certain level of stress that you can push through and surmount and be able to function in other areas of your life while doing this challenge.

It's not meant for this to be something that's so overwhelming that it stresses you out to the point where you're not able to live your life normally. If you've taken the time to, as I discussed in the previous (Episode 21), to figure out your realistic amount of time that you need to finish your novel then you should be able to recognize that you will have some time in the rest of your month to do certain things that you didn't necessarily think that you would have time to do.

Mainly, because you've named those hours that you actually need to write. And therefore you've probably freed up some time that you thought would need that you don't actually need for writing.

If you're writing per your cadence and you're able to hit your word count in an hour or two, then you're done! There's no point in worrying about the next day and the next daily word count. Plan some time in your day to do something else (non-writing related).

Here's something new to try. See if you can take the worry in your mind and replace it with gratitude. Instead of thinking about what you're most worried about what is one thing that you are grateful for?

Each day is a new opportunity to start fresh.

With the finish line in sight and an attitude of gratitude taking you through the rest of your day, you will be empowered to take on your word count goal as well as your daily life.

I believe you can do this!

Are you ready to move forward through the NaNoWriMo challenge now with gratitude instead of worry? Share your answer using the hashtag #AMadVox on social media

I'm so grateful that you're listening to the show. 

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

This episode shows you how to structure your writing time in a realistic way to keep you on track to succeed.

Again, it helps if you're writing along with others. If you can't make it to a write-in over the next couple of days the NaNoWriMo channel on Youtube Has you covered. You can see writers writing at the same time as you. And these write-ins break up the hour into short sprints that, again, increase your chance of hitting your word count goal.

Virtual Write-In on the NaNoWriMo YouTube Channel

This write-in features NaNoWriMo veteran SushiMustWrite, Katharine Communications Manager, and Nick the intern at the Office of Letters and Light.

Remember to be realistic about your writing cadence, available time to write and plan accordingly. If you're anything like someone we know you may be a few thousand words behind at this point. And that's okay. It's a normal part of doing this challenge. The key here is to not give up. As long as you keep going you've got a good chance to join the first draft of a novel finisher's club.

As long as the available hours left in the month > the realistic calculation of hours you need to write you're still in the game!

Have advice for other writers during the last ten days of NaNoWriMo?
What nugget of wisdom has helped you the most in getting from here to the finish line? Tweet at @AMadVox or share your advice on Twitter using the hashtag #amadvox, and I'll check it out.

If you have any feedback for the show (or Episode 21) I'd love to hear it.

Thank you for listening!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Welcome back to A Mad Vox NaNoWriMo Edition.

This is the 20th day of NaNoWriMo. And today's episode will focus on keeping the 'joy thief' at bay. what do I mean by this?

At this point on the 20th day, you're probably seeing a lot of people who have word counts in the 30, 40, and 50 thousand realm and beyond posting on the forums, and the Facebook group and other places and you're looking at that thinking I'm not there yet and feeling some kind of way.

I'm here to reset those expectations that again, doing NaNoWriMo is more like doing a marathon rather than a sprint.
You're attempting to write 50K words in a month! that's something to celebrate!

Getting your creativity exercised and down on the paper or on the blank screen is something that should fill you with happiness.

No one can write a story like only you can. Considering everyone in the world, not that many people have taken the action of starting a novel.

And those who have, have banded together in a single group of support and passion to share their gifts with each other, and with the world. That's something that's so exciting.

Anyone and everyone who takes the time and puts in the effort can win NaNoWriMo. If one person crosses the finish line ahead of a little bit ahead of someone else that doesn't negate the ability of anyone else to finish.

Now, in the middle of the month seeing the finish line so far away as well as being so far beyond the start of the month can make you feel a little alone.

The excitement from the kick off of the event has died down and it's in that part where you're just writing by yourself it seems. Should you feel less happy about your progress when you see that other writers have crossed the finish line sooner?

Example

If you're running a marathon and you run a 10 min mile and you find other people can run a marathon and run 8 min miles. Should you feel less joy crossing the finish line before they've run it faster.
No!
-
Every single person who crosses that finish line deserves to be cheered on and be filled with the joy that they've put in the work and made the effort and they have done it. Remember there's no prize for speed., only finishing. There are lots of ways to reach the finish line with the support of the NaNo community, of the community of your friends and family, and also of the community of readers who really want to hear your story.

Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy."

I want you to remember over the next few days that the joy is in the journey. If you're anything like someone we know you started this challenge because you wanted to do something ambitious and push yourself as a writer to your limit and beyond.
I believe you can do this!

Let's keep the joy thief at bay and let the only person you compare your writing to be yourself.
If you look at where you were one month ago compared to where you are now, you can't help but see that what you've done is amazing.

I'd love to hear you what you thought of this episode. LMK on social media.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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This is the 19th day of NaNoWriMo.

While writing today I had a soundtrack going that helped me power through to hit my daily word count goal and I got to wondering. How cool would it be if my story had a soundtrack? Does anyone else's story have a soundtrack while writing it?
Does your story have a soundtrack?

If you were to set it to music what would it sound like?

What's a leitmotif?

I'm glad you asked. According to the English Oxford Living Dictionary:
Leitmotif: A recurrent theme throughout a music or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea or situation.

Example: Peter and the Wolf

This is a story about a boy named Peter who explores his world and learns about the nature of the animals surrounding his home. He interacts with a bird, a duck, a cat, and the wolf, as well as his grandfather and some hunters. Each character is represented by a different instrument.

Watch on YouTube and experience the beauty of leitmotifs.

Peter and the Wolf via YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ueGfjBKbiE

What's striking about this is even if you hear the music, years later, it brings back feelings that evoke the characters in the story, and makes YOU feel like you have a greater understanding of each of those characters.

Assigning a leitmotif to each character also gives you the opportunity to have a little fun and to connect with your audience.

A story that did this brilliantly is A Christmas Story

Watch A Christmas Story Yellow Eyes scene via YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgagC4pUmQo

Think about each of your characters and their personalities. What music would each one evoke if they were all in a scene together?

Working from a musical angle may help you with the character building as well as the choreography needed to figure out new ways for them to interact.

Try it out and see if doing this makes it easier to help your minor characters work together in a symphonic symbiosis around your MC to solve the major conflict in your story.

I'm curious to know if you've given your MC an instrument, song, or leitmotif to represent them? LMK in a comment on social media @amadvox mentioning Episode 19. Use the hashtag #amadvox and I'll check it out.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

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Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

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It's day 18 of NaNoWriMo. We've been chugging along for two and a half weeks. I feel like things are going well. I'm optimistic about the state of our novel writing because I believe we will get there.

But... And there had to be a but... I feel like I need to back UP here and let you know about something important.

Imagine this scenario of you getting almost all the way through your novel and all of a sudden, due to circumstances beyond your control you no longer have access to your previous writing. How does that make you feel? If you have a growing pit in your stomach at the mere thought then this is the episode for you.

This episode is meant to help you back up your novel. I would advise you to do that immediately.

If you're anything like someone we know you've probably devised a trustworthy method to flawlessly capture your finest novelry along with a few other words you've bookmarked to rework later.
You're feeling secure in this method of writing that has never failed you before.

Let me do a time check. Yep, it's time Back up your novel.

No matter if you're writing on your own reliable personal computer, offline, in the cloud, or some other way. Now that you know why you need to back up your writing I'm going to give you a few tips on how.

There are typically three ways that writers are writing their novels.

Offline

This means either by hand or dictation into a device with audio capturing capability.

• On a computer, this could be a desktop, laptop, or other personal digital device, such as a tablet or a phone.

Online

I recommend using a different storage method than the one that you're using to write your novel.

For personal device /private storage

Back up methods Offline/ external storage

• External Hard Drive
• Thumb Drive
• Print

Cloud-Based

• Emailing your novel to yourself and then downloading that file
• Google Docs
• One Drive, if you prefer Microsoft

If you use an iOS device you can use AirDrop to transfer your novel to another iOs device using blue tooth or WiFi.

NaNoWriMo Sponsored: Dropbox Paper

If you do at least one of these this week you will avoid the panic and heartache that will overtake your senses in the earlier scenario I gave.

I'm curious to know if you have a backup, which method you prefer to use: Offline, Transfer to an external device, or the cloud where it's always accessible with an internet connection?

LMK #amadvox on Twitter, and note you're responding to Episode 18.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

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Today, writer, let's play a writing game called the "Weekend Double Up Challenge"

We're headed into another weekend. This is a perfect time to try to boost your word count up there, as this next week might be a little shorter and unpredictable due to the upcoming holiday.

The Double Up Challenge

Calculate your daily word count goal and double it

Do three sprints with the following prompts.

• Incorporate two senses in your story. If your character has seen something, try adding in another way to experience something in your story. For example, have the lights go out and let them find their way out of a situation by sound or by smell.

Memories - Every show has that character building episode where the characters sit around and reminisce about the old days. Try a scene where each character is rehashing a version of past events that somewhat contradict another character's version of events. That will make for some interesting character-driven moments and it may help your MC figure out what motivates others by being able to see them in a new light.

Double double. Have your characters double back and return to a place they've been to before. What would they do differently having the knowledge and info at this point in your story that they didn't have previously?

For more prompt ideas

NaNo Word Sprints: twitter.com/NaNoWordSprints

NaNoWriMo Prompts forum: nanowrimo.org/forums/word-wars-prompts-sprints

If you are a subscriber and find the show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider leaving a rating and a review to help others know about A Mad Vox.

Have you followed any writing prompts this month or have you decided to stick strictly to your plot?

Let me know #amadvox on Twitter or reply on this episode page: podcast.amadvox.com Episode 17

Thank you for listening!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

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On the 16th day of NaNoWriMo we are taking your writing to your limit.

You may have some thoughts that are preventing you from moving forward as you'd like. 
You may be feeling boxed in.

Here are three things to consider to expand your current writing limits in terms of what you can write, who you write it for, and how you can write it.

Are you feeling limited in your writing? Join the conversation on #amadvox on Twitter or on this episode's page.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

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Show notes summary:

• Celebrate
• Thank MLs
• Thank people who have supported you thus far.
• Check out NaNoWriMo.org for sponsor goodies to try either 50% or for a no-credit-card required free trial!

Today is Municipal Liaison Appreciation day. A Municipal Liaison (ML) is a designated volunteer who works hard to coordinate write-in schedules, manages communication to your region each week, in addition to a bunch of other things behind the scenes, which of course, includes writing their own novel.

If you have a moment go to the Nanowrimo.org website and send a note to your ML thanking them for the all of the support and guidance that they've provided to local writers like you all this month.

I'm curious to know if you've used any of the sponsor goods on the site this month?
Let me know on Twitter by using the hashtag #amadvox and I'll check it out.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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We're 14 days in. Can you believe that? How are you doing? Better yet how are your writer friends doing? Have you checked your buddy list today? Are you trolling that one forum on the NaNoWriMo website just to marvel at that post with the writers who've announced that they've finished already? Have you stopped sharing your word count in that Facebook group because with every passing day others are getting further ahead? Is all this checking giving you low-key anxiety yet?
If so, I don't have an app for that, but I do have an explanation!

This behavior may mean that you're a competitive writer.

Have feedback on the show?
What would you like me to talk about?
Tweet @amadvox or use the hashtag #amadvox to join the conversation.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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Time. It plays tricks on your mind and makes us as writers and creative types feel some kind of way when things don't happen as expected. Usually, it leads to feeling insecure about our ability and otherwise disappointed when we don't make as much progress as we wanted. This is normal. Don't let that feeling you may be having right now discourage you from moving forward.

An added challenge to you, in addition to writing 50,000 words in a month is adjusting your expectations and keeping on writing.

Here are a few tips to get you through to the halfway point while writing on a weekday or weeknight:

Write in scenes, not in words.

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown The Broadway Musical - Short version Book Report song (via YouTube)
| Broadway version of the Book Report Song (via YouTube). Be LIke Schroeder in your writing style!

The path to success doesn't look like a straight line.

Take advantage of the time you have available to write.

All of this is to say don't worry about not having enough hours available each day to write. Give yourself a shorter amount of time to write. Doing several of this sprints will likely be a more effective use of your time.

If you are a NaNoWriMo first-timer I'm curious to know

Are you feeling the pressure to write the exact same amount of words each day? If you've completed NaNoWriMo before, what is one thing that you do during the week that keeps your writing schedule on track to crush your writing goal?

Let me know on Twitter by using the hashtag #amadvox and I'll check it out.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 12th day of NaNoWriMo. This episode is focused on your health and how to keep up your physical strength in order to finish your writing challenge strong.

I want to stress why it's important to stay well this month and to do things that will help keep you healthy as you write.

You deserve it. You're out here trying to live your best life and write a novel in a month. You can't give yourself your best chance to do that when you're sick.

You can't afford not to. Your health is your wealth and you want to spread the wealth and share your voice. Not your germs.

You want to enjoy the fun of the challenge. If you're sick in bed the worse thing is not being able to write when you have everything you need at your fingertips and they just won't move. Because you don't feel well.

I have some good news and some bad news. first the bad news. It's very easy to fall into patterns that will destroy your health. The good news is that if you know what to look out for you can avoid those patterns and establish new habits that can take you through the rest of the novel writing process.

Here's a list of things that you don't want to do lest you end up in that state. You know the one. Where your brain is berating because you should've known better than this and yet here you are (high-pitched) If only you had listened to me when I told you that 6 hours was too long to stay cross-legged on your chair...

1. Pull multiple all-nighters
2. Remain in the same awkward position until you've hit your word count goal for the day.
3. Skip a meal until you hit your word count goal
4. Avoid daily hygiene routine. Please don't do this. You should take a few minutes to freshen up each and every day as needed.
5. You focus on writing by keeping your eyes glued to your computer.

I'm curious to know what you're doing to stay healthy? Let me know on Twitter @amadvox, or use #amadvox and join the conversation.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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TIPS

Write with someone else also writing. Less likely to waste time when writing with someone else

Use tools to help you find time to write when you are ready to knock out your daily word count goal.

Use visual planners

Pick a task tracker calendar

Asana

Google Calendar

Timer-based tools

Pomodoro timers

Tomato-timer.com

Focus To-Do free app

Make the call

Have a standing time with yourself each day that you cannot miss, barring an emergency.

Don't over-commit in your social life because you're optimistic about your ability to write quickly.

Reclaim your time

This challenge requires focus. No one is going to fault you socially for choosing to remain focused in order to reach your writing goal.

Chunk it down

Break up writing times into multiple shorter writing stints. Unless you ramp up your cadence you're going to need to allocate enough hours to your writing goal to hit your target goal.

Remember all of us NaNoWriMo authors are in this together! If you need a writer buddy to help you stay on track reach out in the forum or try to connect with someone virtually or at a write-in. We're almost halfway through the month and the time is ticking. Keep those fingers clicking.

In the next episode, I will share some wellness tips to keep you healthy through the rest of the month.

Thanks for listening.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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Welcome back.

I want to take a moment and check in with you.
Were you able to pass your word count goal for today? Double it? Or, is your home the cleanest it's ever been?

If you've answered A or B, way to go! I knew you had it in you!

If you strongly resonate with that third answer, then this is the show for you.

Here are a few ways to find it in yourself to keep going with your novel this month.

• You're writing a novel. Understand that It's going to be a long process. Writers take many months to write this amount of words. Years or decades even. You're doing it in a single month.
• You are not alone. Right now someone else, very likely in your town, is sitting down staring at a blank page willing their hands to keep writing their novel. You want them to continue, don't you? I want you to continue. You can do it.
• So many people have tried before they even got started. You've already come this far. Keep going.
• You are the only one who can write your story. People want to hear what you have to share. But they can only do that if you write it down, and you can only write it down if you take the time and write it. Right now. It's time.

Take a few minutes to look at some social media sites.
Facebook
-
Use the search phrase "NaNoWriMo" to find groups and pages filled with motivation and encouraging words.
Twitter
-
Use the Hashtags NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo2018 Twitter

Follow @amadvox on Twitter for reshares and encouragement from/for #NaNoWriMo participants.

I'm curious to know what keeps you motivated? Let me know on Twitter by using the hashtag #amadvox and I'll check it out.

Tomorrow is another day. Another chance to take your novel to new heights and write your story. So many people are doing NaNoWriMo around the world. You may know some of them. They want to share their novels and they want you to be able to share yours. Do it for them.

Finally, there's one reason for motivation that is uniquely yours. The only novel that can capture that voice is the one that you write. It's what made you take on the challenge in the first place. Because you had the thought that you could. And you can. And I hope you continue to give it a try.

Thanks for listening.

Here's to getting more words down tomorrow than you dreamed possible. Let's connect.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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Welcome back to A Mad Vox podcast NaNoWriMo Edition. This is the 9th day of NaNoWriMo, and we are heading into the weekend. Today's episode is about how to harness the momentum of the weekend and use it to help you write strong through the rest of the month.

Congratulations, writer, for doing this challenge. It's not easy but definitely something worth attempting. It will change your ability to make something with impact for the better in the future. Whether you get 50 words or 5000 words written this weekend, you're taking advantage of a great opportunity to grow your creativity mindset and I want to commend you for that.

If you've taken the action of signing up for NaNoWriMo and declared your novel, you are amazing!

Let's get to those weekend tips:

1. Plan ahead

You have 2 days or 48 hours in the weekend. So plan out a realistic amount of time to hit the word count goal you want to reach.

Whether that means staying up late to write as many words as possible or getting up very early to get a jumpstart on the day. Do that!

Take into account your cadence and plot out those hours and I would recommend if you can get your word count within the first two hours of being awake in the morning that will set you up for having additional hours to get in more writing later in the day.

2. Join a local region on the nano website and look for write-in in your area

Today's write-in status/testimonial (hint... it was great)! I doubled my hourly cadence!

If you find a write-in that you enjoy you should add your buddies as your buddy on the NaNoWriMo website.

• That will help you stay in touch
• and help you keep each other accountable

Use the momentum to continue to build your word count!

3. Use the NaNoWriMo website

There are several tools on the site itself that you can use to help you track your word count, do solo word sprints or organize virtual group sprints.

In addition to listing links to other word counters that will help you stay on track each day, you can use the word count updater on the top right section of the site if you're logged in, to update your own progress each time you complete a writing milestone. Personally, I like to use it after every single word sprint to stay motivated to beat that goal for next time.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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This is the 8th day of NaNoWriMo. Now that we're officially out of the first week I have a feeling that you're feeling some kind of way about your recent decision to attempt to write a 50K word novel by the end of the month.

This show goes out to anyone who finds themselves working out why they signed up for this challenge during one of the shortest months of the year while also realizing that non-writing life stuff still needs to be managed.

Exercise

Flex Your Pace
Time: 1 hr
Using your one-hour writing cadence as a word count goal, try to hit that number in 30 minutes.

Take a five-minute break, then try to do it again in 15 minutes.

Take a 2.5 minute break, then try to hit half of your original cadence in 7.5 minutes.

For example: if you can write 1000 words per hour, try to write that amount in 30 minutes. Then try to hit that number again, but in 15 minutes. Then for the last sprint, write 500 words. 
How'd you do?

Did you write 2X or 3X your original cadence over this hour?

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

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Hello and welcome to AMV NaNoWriMo Edition.
On this 7th day of NaNoWriMo. I'm so excited that I've been able to share daily tips that can help you get through this month of novel writing and I want to pass that excitement on to you and encourage you with even more ways to approach your story will keep you pumped for each day's writing session.

There are a plethora of possibilities with your novel at this stage. I mean, it's only day 7.

Plotters:

Take your outline and flesh parts of your story in any order that you prefer to write, not necessarily in the order listed. Remember, when you're finished no one will be able to tell what you wrote first, but you will have enjoyed the process that much more!

Pantsers:

This is a chance for you to write with abandon, letting your characters run wild, and letting them get entangled in a plot. Like little kids in a room with silly string and no grown-ups around until the last can is emptied.

Plantsers:

Pick which section excites you the most and flesh that part out first. If you find out one part isn't really working for you as well, then feel free to plot out another point and write that.

PROMPT

If you find yourself stuck and looking for a prompt I've got one for you. Playing with favorites.
Start with a favorite.
word, food, tv show. Have one of your characters say it in a sentence.
Think of what their favorite food would be to eat? PB & J?
Perhaps they can't cook and that's the go-to meal that covers 3/4 food groups. Sure let's go with that.

Example:
If you're writing about characters going on a road trip, the less likely the fav food item is to be available for the character(s) to eat it, the better.
Have your characters develop a craving and send them on a wild goose chase. Or think of a way to incorporate this favorite into a quest that they decide it's worth making a side trip for.
You can use this prompt as warm up to what you plan to write today, or you can use it as a fun way to get you to your daily word count goal.

Each day is a new day to start fresh!

Celebrate your journey each step of the way!

Writing the 50,000th word this month should not be the first time you commemorate your effort.

Have you started writing a novel this month? That's amazing!
Have you reached your word count on any given day so far? That is a good reason for a celebration right now.

Are you able to do it again today? I think you can and I hope will give it a try.

I would love your feedback on the show. What would you like me to talk about next? Let me know #amadvox or @amadvox on Twitter.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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This is the 6th day of NaNoWriMo. Many writers get stuck because they can't finish the first paragraph. Others get stuck because they can't beyond the first paragraph.

When readers start a novel their minds are looking to get into the story right away. There's only one way to go and that is forward.

They have no idea how long it took the author to agonize over each word or sentence before placing it just so. That reader just wants to see your story and have a grand ol' time.

How can you learn to give the people what they want and learn to move forward?

Most writers are readers, and most readers are used to seeing a story just play out. What you may not know is that writers don't necessarily write the stories as the readers read them. They have a few, sometimes more than a few, rounds of revisions and editing. I'm talking about the pros here. If their work can stand a few rounds of revision then why do we feel that we must put everything down on the page perfectly in the first pass as it is meant to be read in its final form?

Before the galley copies and the proofreading like your livelihood depends on it this is your chance to have fun, to try something new. To experiment with the imperfect; learning to enjoy the process of imperfect writing on the first pass.

Let's try a writing experiment

This will take four (4) word sprints of 15 to 20 minutes.

• In your first word sprint write an action-packed scene with multiple characters in your story as you normally would.
• In your second word sprint, try to write that same scene as retold from a different character's POV.
• If you are writing from an omniscient narrator's POV, do the same thing with a word sprint for an action-packed scene. Try changing that narration to a first-person POV of a character.
• For the last word sprint trying switching the scene from an omniscient narrator to a character who is the least knowledgeable about what's happening as the exciting scene unfolds all around them. This could be a stranger passing by, an animal, or a small child.

Read these back and see if there's one version that draws you in more than the others. Is the most interesting scene version written in a POV that you weren't initially using to write your story?

Of course, you can go back and rewrite the scene the normal way that's consistent with the rest of your story and get even more words toward your goal as long, as you don't delete the words from the initial word sprint! You're welcome.

Did you try this experiment? I'm curious to know if your POV on writing imperfectly has changed. Let me know by using #amadvox on twitter and I'll be sure to check them out.

By now you have a new way to move forward in your novel and keep the interest of the reader top-of-mind vs. the writer who is hesitant to let your story out!

LINKS:
NaNoWriMo website prompts

Twitter

• @NanoWordSprints
• @Nanowrimo

Find prompts on chatnano.net

With this exercise, you'll be able to reduce the dread in moving forward in writing your story and ramp up the excitement where your reader can't wait to read what you write next!

Tune in next time for tools and tips to get you fired up and ready to rock your next writing session.

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

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On  day 5 of NaNoWriMo, let's review the why, the how, and some tools to help you stay focused when writing.

By now, if you're doing NaNoWriMo you've

• set yourself up for success
• figured out what time of day you write best
• are making those connections to get your accountability and catch-up plans in place

Today it's time to get yourself focused while writing.

This strategy will keep you on track for the rest of the month.
Doing NaNo is more like a marathon than a sprint. You're going to want something that'll keep you motivated when you can no longer see the starting line and the finish line is not yet in sight.

Why do we need to focus?

Pool example.

Using a good focus process will help you reach your word count goals each day. To get all of your writing goals where you want them to be, start with getting one idea into focus in a way that makes it simple to execute. Once you have done that, then picking another idea and repeating the process is much easier. Before long you'll have your first draft coming along quite nicely.

FOCUS = Follow One Course Until Successful.

Some people think that writers are naturally mature enough to set a goal to write something and to get it done. LOL
Writers use stick and carrot rewards. A.k.a. positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. You may also refer to these as bribery and threats.

As any moderately tech-savvy person has discovered, there's an app for that. The struggles of writing have been gamified for us.

Written? Kitten!

http://writtenkitten.net/

Set word counts at either 100, 200, 500, 1000 words, and see a cute animal once you reach your goal.

Fighter's Block

https://alternativeto.net/software/fighter-s-block-/

Write to the word the limit and before the time limit to beat an enemy. If you stop writing you lose XP!

Write or Die

https://v2.writeordie.com/

The OG writing tool of consequence for slacking off.

Whatever method you choose, get those word sprints in!

Have you used one of these online tools? I'm curious to know which type of focus tool you prefer.

Bribe-I mean, positive incentive, or a negative consequence?

Let me know on Twitter @amadvox.
Hashtag your answer with #amadvox and I'll be sure to check it out.

If you have any topics you'd like to hear about, send me a tweet. Thanks for listening and please subscribe in your fav podcatcher!

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Try to front-load your word count as much as possible.

It happens ...
we're human...
Sometimes we need a break... once in a while.

Three tips to catch you up:

• Do the math to keep realistic expectations of what you have left to write.
• Learn your writing cadence. Do you know how many words per day or per hour you typically write?
• Know that you can do this!

Today we focused on catching up. Next time, we'll review how to stay focused.

What specific topic do you want to learn about this month?

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Tool: Connection

3 ways to stay connected.

How do you connect with others?

• Word sprints!

ChatNaNo.net - sign in and join a room to get started with doing words sprints with a buddy (or a few) in your timezone.

• Go to an in-person write in
• Do a virtual Write-in

Follow @NaNoWriMo on Twitter and do sprints there.

This will help you learn to write on a time deadline.

How do word sprints work best for you?

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Decide that you want to succeed

It's a daily commitment and it's going to take a lot of your time and effort. Writing 1667 words per day will get you there. Writing more than that will get you there faster.

Set aside enough time to write

It goes without saying that you can't succeed if you don't give yourself sufficient time to do so. You may have to give up something that you're doing in your day to day that is not moving you toward your writing goal. That habit may be eating up some valuable time that you could use to get your word count up to the daily limit.

You may need to set some other non-essential tasks aside, at least temporarily, so that you can focus on your writing.

Write at the best time of day for you

It can be self-defeating when you set a goal to wake up to write at 4:30 each morning when you know you're not a morning person. Also, vice versa. Don't try to do everything that you can do in a day and then leave yourself a few minutes at the end of the day where you have to try to speed write to get your word count when you're already exhausted. You want to find a happy medium there. You may need to experiment a little bit to find that happy medium but once you find it, do your best to stick with it for the best results.

What time of day works best for you? Morning, afternoon, or evening?

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook

Find "A Mad Vox" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or almost anywhere you get your podcasts.
 

If you find this show of value, don’t keep it a secret. Please consider sharing this show with someone you know participating in NaNoWriMo, and leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts to let others know about A Mad Vox. Thank you! 

How do you leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

Find the show using search keywords "A Mad Vox" in the App store under the Podcast Category (Arts).

Click on the show page. Find the tab that says "rating and reviews".

Rate the show (Gimme ALL the stars, please! :)) and write a brief review. Then hit submit.

Connect with A Mad Vox on social media! Use #amadvox to join in the conversation.

Twitter | Instagram  |  Facebook