As we roll into the final week of NaNoWriMo, we may find our word count slumping along with our writing energy. November 30 is right around the corner! How can we make it to our writing goal in these last few days?
If you haven’t figured out how your story will end (or you know, but haven’t gotten there yet), by all means keep writing towards that end. One way to make that a little easier is to go ahead and write the end. Just skip to it now. Sometimes we see a scene clearly in our minds and can’t wait to bring it to life. If you write your final scene, it can be easier to work backwards from there to connect where your story is now to where it will conclude.
Another way to increase your word count is to add some backstory for two of your characters. How did they first meet? What makes them best friends (or forever enemies)? Did they meet on the playground in 2nd grade and bond as besties forever? Or were they like Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked, who hate each other when they meet but eventually discover something in common that binds them together in friendship? Those kinds of backstories can give your reader more insight into your characters while adding a bucketful of words to your doc.
What about going back to describe an important setting in your story? We can get so excited writing the action and conflicts in our scenes that we forget about giving our readers a clear picture of where they take place. Are your characters surrounded by people and noise on a busy street in a city? Let your reader see, hear, and feel that buzz of energy around them. Maybe they’re walking through a cold, dark forest and the only sounds are critters of the night. Add those details to your scene so your readers can feel the dark and hear the tension.
As we get closer to the end of the month, remember that your story matters. Your words matter. The characters, conflicts and world you created matter. Keep on writing toward that word goal! You’ve got this. And we can’t wait to celebrate with you in December.