Writing fiction is dangerous business. Writing a novel is lunacy. Attempting it without a roadmap is just plain ridiculous. Fortunately, the best roadmap for your next novel is probably already on your nightstand.

What do you read? I mean, what do you really read, when no one else is looking. What book would you take to the beach or a desert island? Pick that book up. You know it. Maybe you have even read it more than once. That’s good. Read it again. Do it this month.

Before NaNo starts, take the time to really read that book again. This time, pay attention to how the author paces the story. How does he or she withhold or project information? How does he or she describe common things? How long does it take for you to know all the characters? How long before the main crisis happens?

Pay attention and model your story in similar fashion. By doing so, you will come out of NaNo with a much more cohesive novel. Also, keep that book in your bag, box, or basket during November. That way, you’ll have a handy reference when you get stuck or when you are trying to decide which way to take your story.

If you are anything like me, you are constantly in motion. Going to work, the gym, your kids game; you spend the bulk of your life in between places. This can wreak havoc on your writing life, especially during NaNo. But, there is a solution to every problem.

Taking on the momentous task of writing an entire novel in one month requires discipline. Most of all, it requires the use of every spare moment. For one month, you have to be ready to write whenever and wherever. So it is time to get packing.

Get a bag, box, or basket and begin now. Fill it with all of the little odds and ends that you will need to write in the in-between moments during NaNo. I have found that having paper, pens, pencils, an eraser, my reading glasses, paper clips, my notes, pictures, and especially a copy of my favorite novel always at hand is a great help when I find a few minutes of writing space. A backpack or briefcase will work well. If you like to travel a little lighter check out Levenger’s Traveling In-Box. The key is to have all of your supplies with you no matter where you find yourself.

Do you write at home most often? Still pack a bag or box. This way you will have everything in one location. Also, when the neighbors decide to throw a party or you significant other begins a scream therapy session, you can scoop up your supplies and head to the nearest coffee house for some quiet.

Daily word counts, plot lines, and twisting sub-plots are enough to think about during November. Do yourself a favor and be prepared.

Well, it’s official. NaNo is up and running. See you all there.

One of the most difficult things about National Novel Writing Month is the aftermath. For an entire month we become completely obsessed with word counts, story lines, and character conflicts. We spend countless hours typing, writing, and staring blankly in an attempt to finish this astonishing feat; an entire novel in one month. Whether we finish the task or not, our friends and family often pay a high price for our efforts. On December 1, when we are celebrating our success, they have all but given up on us a contributing members of the household or friendship. They have had to pick up our slack. They have been living in the real world, while we were creating a new one. They pay a very high price during NaNo. So, what can be done?

Preparing your friends and family may be the single most important thing you do in October. You have twenty seven days from now to prove your love and admiration for them and build them up for your absence. Take the kids outside and play. Take your significant other to dinner. Cook that special meal for your friends. Make sure that you build in to them every chance you get.

I once heard someone describe relationships like a bank–crude…maybe, but useful. When we are away, when we choose writing over the movies, when we go home right after school or church in stead of hanging out, we are making withdrawals from our account. So before the fact, we must make sure that we have deposited enough to cover a months expenses. So what can you do to deposit a little more this month?

Look out the window. Describe what you see one hundred years from now. Look again, what do you see one hundred years ago?

Pick up a newspaper and look at the want ads or check out eBay. Pick one item that stands out to you and write a story about how the person came to sell or need the item in question. What circumstances forced or persuaded them? Are they low on cash? In need of closure? Are they trying to turn a quick buck? Is the item stolen?

*Bonus: If you are really brave, contact the seller and ask why they are selling. A cold call is a great way to practice your interviewing skills.

There are a few tools that every writer needs: a good pen, some paper, a dictionary. But, there is one tool that often goes overlooked. A journal is the single most useful and important tool in the writer’s tool box.

I have always kept a journal in one form or another. As a teenager, I would scratch notes and ideas, poems, songs, into a five subject notebook. As I began to write, I would pull out a composition book for the “final” draft. After school, I kept a diary as I toured the country with a relatively unknown band. It wasn’t until recently that I really started to keep a journal.

A journal can be many things, but mine has become a depository for all the fleeting thoughts and random memories that I stir out of the underbrush each day. I write about the day—in diary form—sometimes, make notes at meetings, record my grocery list, and scream out my frustrations regularly into this book. I have found that journaling is not only cathartic, but wholly necessary for me as a writer.

Writer’s block is no match for a well kept journal. When I find myself struggling to create a scene or a character, my little black book is right there to prop up my pursuit. Rarely is there an answer my journal cannot point me toward. So, how should one keep a journal? There are a million ways, so I’ll give you a handful.

First, the basics: 

Buy a book that you will use. One that is easy to carry and will not draw undue attention. I prefer a Moleskine. It is a medium black book with 240 sheets of nice smooth paper, complete with a bookmark and a pocket to hold all the little things (fortune cookie fortunes, tickets, receipts, etc.) I collect throughout the day.

Next, get a nice pen. A nice pen does not have to be an expensive pen. I prefer a Uniball Jetstream (1.0mm) which only costs two dollars or so at the local pharmacy. I take the pen, put it under the cover of the Moleskine and mold the cover over it. The Moleskine has a bungee cord to hold the cover shut, so my pen is always at the ready.

Now, what does one write in this thing: 

• Record daily events
• Make notes as you eavesdrop on conversations (great for dialog in stories)
• Keep track of ideas for stories or articles
• Write nasty letters to people that upset you (a great stress reliever)
• Ask questions that you cannot answer (as you look back on your journals years from now, these question will be answered, then you can write about how—these make some of the best stories)
• Write stories while sitting on the bus, or while waiting for the doctor
• Describe things that you are seeing while they are fresh in your mind (this will help you with description later, as well as give you a mental picture of places long forgotten)
• Spend a few minutes writing on a prompt (Check out my daily Creative Sparks) before a writing session, to stretch your imagination and get the words flowing.

Once you are journaling regularly, you will see the benefits in your writing, I promise. Happy journaling!

You find yourself in a community development meeting. Everything is going relatively well, when an old man decides to stir up trouble. He has a beef with an issue so hot that you decide to speak up. Your challenge upsets him so badly that he attacks you. The room explodes into an all out brawl. The Police show up and arrest everyone. Explain your side of the story.

You’re going to Disneyland! You have decided to take the bus for a little added adventure. But, something goes awry at the bus depot and you find yourself on the wrong bus. Where are you going? Who is with you? Is your adventure better or worse than you imagined?

Think back on the hardest decision you have ever made. Now, think of a decision that would be twice as difficult. Tell us what you decide an how you make the decision.