Tuesday, October 27, 2015

How to Brainstorm Your Way to NaNoWriMo—Idea Sparking Style

Edie here. In honor of NaNoWriMo, I've convinced my writing buddy and fellow My Book Therapy team member to share some tips. Michelle Lim is a writer who knows how to make ideas spark when it comes to brainstorming. Her newest book, Idea Sparking: 30 Idea Sparks to Write a Novel in a Month is available today for only .99 cents on Amazon. So join me and get inspired for NaNoWriMo!

How to Brainstorm Your Way into NaNoWriMo Success!
by Michelle Lim @MichelleLim24

Brainstorm your way to NaNoWriMo success!
National Novel Writing Month is one week away and many of us have taken the plunge, committing to write a novel in a month.

How about you? Have you taken the leap? If so, you’ve likely stockpiled a stash of caffeine and chocolate to survive the next millennium on sugar alone.

Before you empty the chocolate aisle at your grocery store, perhaps it’s time to get a carefully developed brainstorming game plan.
Brainstorming / Idea Sparking is one of the key components to thirty-day novel success!

It isn’t just thinking up elements of your story before you write the rough draft. Each day of the thirty-day novel writing challenge you must awaken your brain to the richness of your story before you start.

Why?

Writer’s block can gobble up time faster than the calendar. It is one of your greatest enemies to word count when on deadline or participating in a challenge like NaNoWriMo.

How to Brainstorm Your Way into Words - Idea Sparking Style:
Idea spark before you sit down to write.
*Idea Spark before you sit down to write. Brainstorming is flexing your brain muscles each day before you start writing to maximize your word count. It gets the ideas flowing about your story and prepares you before you get to the page.

*Idea Spark with a writing buddy. Talking out loud to yourself isn’t nearly as inspiring as sparking ideas with a friend. Determine who your brainstorming buddy will be and plan five to ten minutes to talk about what you’ll be writing that day.

*Idea Spark sensory details. Discuss the mood of the scene and brainstorm ways the senses can be experienced by the character in that location to showcase that mood. This can give you a head start on seeing through your point of view character’s eyes. It will also help you recognize if the location you’ve selected for the scene is less powerful than another location might be.

What idea sparks bring about the greatest word count for you?

Another resource that can help you with NaNoWriMo is my newest book release available on Amazon today for $0.99.

Idea Sparking!
My newest release: Idea Sparking: 30 Idea Sparks to Write a Novel in a Month is a great way to help you spark your novel.  Why?

Idea Sparking: 30 Idea Sparks to Write a Novel in a Month accompanies an author on a thirty-day novel journey. Daily idea prompts assist authors in finding the inspiration to write. With personal experience insights and goal setting reflections, this book is the perfect resource for the writer who wants to write a novel in a month, or the author looking for a resource for their everyday writing journey. What you will find in this incredible resource:

*A weekly inspirational focus to get you ready to write

*Daily Idea Sparks to spark your creativity and get you writing

*Mini writing craft tips that enhance your writing

*Daily Mid-day Milestones with thought-provoking questions to improve writing habits

*Weekly Check-Ups to retune your process to set you up for success

Join the Idea Sparking adventure: a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to share your own Idea Sparking ideas in the comments section below!

TWEETABLES
How to Brainstorm Your Way into #NaNoWriMo - @MichelleLim24 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Don't go into #NaNoWriMo unprepared! Idea Sparking tips from @MichelleLim24 (Click to Tweet)


Author Michelle Lim is the Brainstorming Coach with My Book Therapy Press and the Midwest Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. Her Genesis winning romantic suspense is represented with Books & Such Literary Agency. Michelle’s Newest Release - Idea Sparking: 30 Idea Sparks to Write a Novel in a Month is available on Amazon this week. Through public speaking and online chats Michelle helps writers discover the revolutionary power of brainstorming to bring new life to their stories. Connect with Michelle on Facebook, Twitter at @MichelleLim24, or her blog at www.thoughtsonplot.worpress.com.

10 comments:

  1. Perfect timing! Although I truly have no time for NaNo this year, I signed up anyway. It's my second year and so excited. Last year I made about half the goal; am hoping your book will help me make it all the way this year!

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    1. That's great, Amanda! You can do it. The first time is often the hardest and now you've learned from last year. This is your year!

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  2. I purchased the book last night and plan to start reading it today. :) I'd not planned on tackling NaNoWriMo this year due to surgery coming up in November but who knows? An idea spark may just change my mind. Thanks Michelle!

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  3. Best wishes on your recovery, Cathy! I'm glad you've been inspired to NaNo this year. If you do decide to NaNo, I believe my book will help. Wishing you success!

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  4. Love this! I brainstorm (Idea Spark) by sitting down with pen and paper, asking myself a question and then writing the answer. The variation of bouncing between non-tactile and tactile makes me feel like I have someone there bouncing ideas back and forth. Okay, writing that makes it sound like I should see a psychologist, LOL.

    Great ideas. Love NaNo, this year I'm sitting out and working on revising my WIP. Don't suppose they have a revision NaNo do they? :)

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  5. You are no more in need of a psychologist than the rest of us voice-hearing authors, LOL! Glad the ideas were helpful. Maybe someday they will have a revision NaNo, but I don't think they do yet.

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  6. Just got home from my writing group where we brainstormed ideas for several of our books. So much fun! Got the book!

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    1. Thanks, Vonda! I love brainstorming in a group, too. It adds such a rich quality to our stories because we all think differently.

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  7. Writing buddies are the best way to brainstorm . . . waving at all of mine! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! Glad to see one of the Niceys stopping over to visit.

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