Writers Gear Up for the Write Nonfiction In November Challenge

In just under two weeks, nonfiction writers will take to their keyboards to begin 30 days of work on a new project. Not only will they start that project, they will finish it. Why? Because that's the challenge posed by Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN).

WNFIN, which is both a challenge and a full-month of guest blog posts about many aspects of nonfiction writing and publishing was one writer's response to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a contest that asks fiction writers to compose 50,000 words in 30 days during November. Nonfiction editor, writing coach and author advisor Nina Amir, tried NaNoWriMo one year. She says, "The next year I thought it appropriate that nonfiction writers should have something to do during November. However, I didn't want to start a contest, and I wanted to offer information to help other writers get published. After all, that was my goal, too—to publish my work." The WNFIN blog, which now features 25 or more expert guest bloggers each year, supports writers as they work, and the comment area gives them a forum to chat about the posts and their work.

For those nonfiction writers wanting to take the WNFIN challenge, Amir offers the following advice: "To begin a WNFIN project—or any new writing project for that matter—you need to prepare. Get started before the challenge, not necessarily with the writing but with the stuff you need to do to be able to write quickly and easily."

Here are some things you can do to prepare:

1. Write down the 3-5 top projects you would like to tackle that you have not had time to start or finish; figure out which one might be doable in 30 days time.

2. Create an outline to follow.

3. Mind map your project.

4. Get your research together in a physical folder.

5. Do research on line and put the links or copied pages in folders on your computer.

6. Conduct any interviews necessary for writing your book or article.

7. Finish any outstanding work that might get in the way of your writing project.

8. Examine your schedule and block of a time each day to work on your project.

9. Find a WNFIN writing partner or create a WNFIN writing group as support system.

10. Consider anything that might stop you from sitting down to write or in the process of writing, and rid yourself of those obstacles before November 1.

"If you take these 10 steps, you will be ready to take the WNFIN challenge--or to start any writing project at any time of the year," Amir concludes.

Writers also can peruse previous year's November archives at Write Nonfiction in November.

Source: Nina Amir