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No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty
antisocial_auntie's review
4.0
Reading what the creator of National Novel Writing Month has learned about writing peaks and valleys was very comforting. Who would have thought my writing rhythm was normal??? Not thrilled with his repeated mention of stealing time and supplies from work though....
reading_rachel's review
4.0
This book is an excellent read if you ever plan on doing NaNoWriMo, writing a book in a short amount of time, or writing a book at all. It's a very liberating read--it takes a lot of the pressure off of the writing process and makes it fun. I love NaNoWriMo and anything related to it. After getting the book from the library, I ordered one from the NaNoWriMo website (all of which are autographed by Chris!) because I know it will keep coming in handy as I write.
perilous1's review
3.0
To be honest, I’m kind of on the fence about the value of this work as a craft book. It’s interesting, I’ll give it that. Despite having attempted to participate several times, I didn’t know much of anything about the ambitious (delusional?) beginnings of the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) movement. Here we have the brain-parent himself to explain its idealist college student origins.
And explain Baty does—with humorous enthusiasm and a great exuberance for adjectives.
The point of NaNoWriMo, of course, is to pound out a 50k manuscript in one month. This requires a good deal of dedication, familial cooperation, accountability, and select creative apathy. Quantity over quality is a given necessity if this is to be accomplished. Fortunately, Baty has a range of suggestions to keep you soldiering on whilst your inner editor is away at the equivalent of a mental boarding kennel. But how much any of his tips and tricks appeal to you may largely depend on your existing and innate writing style (i.e. Are you a Pantser, Plotter, or Quilter?) Pantsers have a distinct advantage in the NaNoWriMo endeavor, and it’s to them that the author’s perspective will likely be of most use.
Suggestions on inflating word count are both hilarious and kind of desperately sad:
*Give your character a stutter.
*De-hyphenate hyphenated words.
*Throw in a dream/hallucination sequence.
*Give your character two names instead of one (or a horrendously long title, whenever possible).
*Have your character spout poetry or frequently cite quotes from other literature.
It’s worth noting that this book was written in 2004—just 5 years into the NaNoWriMo movement. (I’m sure the author has some updated thoughts and experiences now that he’s had an extra decade to observe the reach and productivity of his international phenomenon.) He has the grace to admit that of the 5 manuscripts he personally produced up to that point for NaNo, 2 were completely unsalvageable when faced with the editing process. And at the point of this guide book, there wasn’t much available for statistics on how many NaNoWriMo books actually do make it through the gauntlet of traditional publication.
If you’re trying out NaNo as a personal challenge, extreme creative exercise, or on a determined quest for the bragging rights of legitimate “Novelist,” this book may be right up your alley. For those already comfortable with edit-free tangential writing, all the better! But if you are writing with the goal of serious publication in mind, please do heed Baty’s advice on the post-victory editing process.
Because in some sense, writing “The End” is just the beginning.
And explain Baty does—with humorous enthusiasm and a great exuberance for adjectives.
The point of NaNoWriMo, of course, is to pound out a 50k manuscript in one month. This requires a good deal of dedication, familial cooperation, accountability, and select creative apathy. Quantity over quality is a given necessity if this is to be accomplished. Fortunately, Baty has a range of suggestions to keep you soldiering on whilst your inner editor is away at the equivalent of a mental boarding kennel. But how much any of his tips and tricks appeal to you may largely depend on your existing and innate writing style (i.e. Are you a Pantser, Plotter, or Quilter?) Pantsers have a distinct advantage in the NaNoWriMo endeavor, and it’s to them that the author’s perspective will likely be of most use.
Suggestions on inflating word count are both hilarious and kind of desperately sad:
*Give your character a stutter.
*De-hyphenate hyphenated words.
*Throw in a dream/hallucination sequence.
*Give your character two names instead of one (or a horrendously long title, whenever possible).
*Have your character spout poetry or frequently cite quotes from other literature.
It’s worth noting that this book was written in 2004—just 5 years into the NaNoWriMo movement. (I’m sure the author has some updated thoughts and experiences now that he’s had an extra decade to observe the reach and productivity of his international phenomenon.) He has the grace to admit that of the 5 manuscripts he personally produced up to that point for NaNo, 2 were completely unsalvageable when faced with the editing process. And at the point of this guide book, there wasn’t much available for statistics on how many NaNoWriMo books actually do make it through the gauntlet of traditional publication.
If you’re trying out NaNo as a personal challenge, extreme creative exercise, or on a determined quest for the bragging rights of legitimate “Novelist,” this book may be right up your alley. For those already comfortable with edit-free tangential writing, all the better! But if you are writing with the goal of serious publication in mind, please do heed Baty’s advice on the post-victory editing process.
Because in some sense, writing “The End” is just the beginning.
sarina_langer's review
5.0
With NaNoWriMo 2017 just around the corner, this is THE book to help you prepare! It's short (50,000 words, actually (or so Baty claims, it's not like I counted)), witty, and it gives you permission to write a messy terror of a first draft.
Past a certain point, novel planning just becomes another excuse to put off novel writing. You will never feel sufficiently ready to jump into your novel, and the more time you spend planning and researching, the more likely you'll feel pressure to pull off a masterwork that justifies all your prewriting work. give yourself the gift of a pressure-free novel, and just dive in after one week.
It has advice on how to get rid of your kids, case studies, and ideas for snacks you can munch on throughout November that won't turn your keyboard into a sticky mess. But my favourite part is the weekly breakdown. Baty dissects each week offering advice on how to get through each, what's often easy and difficult about each week, and gives you creative exercises to help you keep writing. It even has advice on how to query an agent from an agent!
Then there's a motivational speech, a high-five should you make it to the end, a proclamation for you to sign before you enter Week 1,.... In short, this book is excellent NaNo prep.
I borrowed this copy from my library but might just buy it so I can revisit it every time I throw myself into a new first draft. It's incredibly motivational and understanding, and will help you reach the end of that mad word count.
When everything has been properly laid out, I take a few steps back from the work, close my eyes, and offer up my thanks to the writing powers for another bountiful harvest. At which point, I get a running start and dive headlong into my wordpile, rolling around and snorting like a pig.
And then I fall asleep for three days.
How you celebrate is up to you. But know you can't possibly overdo the whooping, hollering, and carrying on. No matter what your neighbors might say.
If this is your first year doing NaNo (or even if it isn't) I recommend you read this book. It'll prepare you well, and you'll have a better idea of what to expect.
Past a certain point, novel planning just becomes another excuse to put off novel writing. You will never feel sufficiently ready to jump into your novel, and the more time you spend planning and researching, the more likely you'll feel pressure to pull off a masterwork that justifies all your prewriting work. give yourself the gift of a pressure-free novel, and just dive in after one week.
It has advice on how to get rid of your kids, case studies, and ideas for snacks you can munch on throughout November that won't turn your keyboard into a sticky mess. But my favourite part is the weekly breakdown. Baty dissects each week offering advice on how to get through each, what's often easy and difficult about each week, and gives you creative exercises to help you keep writing. It even has advice on how to query an agent from an agent!
Then there's a motivational speech, a high-five should you make it to the end, a proclamation for you to sign before you enter Week 1,.... In short, this book is excellent NaNo prep.
I borrowed this copy from my library but might just buy it so I can revisit it every time I throw myself into a new first draft. It's incredibly motivational and understanding, and will help you reach the end of that mad word count.
When everything has been properly laid out, I take a few steps back from the work, close my eyes, and offer up my thanks to the writing powers for another bountiful harvest. At which point, I get a running start and dive headlong into my wordpile, rolling around and snorting like a pig.
And then I fall asleep for three days.
How you celebrate is up to you. But know you can't possibly overdo the whooping, hollering, and carrying on. No matter what your neighbors might say.
If this is your first year doing NaNo (or even if it isn't) I recommend you read this book. It'll prepare you well, and you'll have a better idea of what to expect.
mazloum's review
5.0
Even though I have no intention of writing a novel in the coming few days, I'd heard great things about this book, and so I asked myself 'Why the hell not?' and picked it up.
I finished it in 6 hours. That's how engrossing it was.
There are so many things done right here; the book is written as a guide to surviving NaNoWriMo, and it does a great job at that, but I was approaching it from the perspective of someone who just wanted to know how to approach the whole thing, and from that perspective, the experience is beyond satisfying. Humorous statements and funny anecdotes don't hurt either.
If you're curious about the process of novel writing, check this book out.
I finished it in 6 hours. That's how engrossing it was.
There are so many things done right here; the book is written as a guide to surviving NaNoWriMo, and it does a great job at that, but I was approaching it from the perspective of someone who just wanted to know how to approach the whole thing, and from that perspective, the experience is beyond satisfying. Humorous statements and funny anecdotes don't hurt either.
If you're curious about the process of novel writing, check this book out.
authoress233's review
5.0
This book was written (with a 2014 expansion/revision/update) by Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo - the maddeningly challenging but beautiful international race against the calendar to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This was my first year participating in NaNo so I didn't actually read this book until AFTER my November win. I found the last chapter of the book to be the most beneficial chapter, but, again, this could be frearlt influenced by my current progress in my own novel. The final chapter focuses on revision - tailoring your first draft (written at break-neck hustle) into a synopsis for beta readers for the brutally thorough and honest feedback. After this comes the second draft, and a brief discussion on publication. I found the excerpts from published NaNo writers and agents to be heartening and motivating. I know my paperback copy of this book will be covered in highlighter and margin notes with Post-its decoration, but, for a first read, I found the book useful and enjoyable- both as a reference and as entertainment.
jen_the_jet's review
4.0
From the creators of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I found it helpful in keeping the motivation and creative juices flowing. My favorite part was how it suggested a not-in-November writing month that doesn't follow the official schedule. In other words, it's a good kick in the pants for stuggling writers.
mathildeliva's review
4.0
This book made me really motivated to write, write quickly and write right now.
I would definitely only recommend this to first-time-novelist or writers, who are unsure on where to begin.
I would definitely only recommend this to first-time-novelist or writers, who are unsure on where to begin.
hexijosh's review against another edition
3.0
This is a nice companion to those participating in National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo as it is called), but is in no way a necessary read for participants. There are moments meant to get you to laugh while encouraging you though those slumps and moments of lost faith in yourself. There are pointers throughout that prepare you for the task ahead, plus there is insight from the publishing world, should you choose to pursue your novel past the month of November.