The Writer's Novel-In-A-Month Preparation Book: A Practical Workbook

Do you want to write a novel in a month? Has your writer's group set its members a fast-writing challenge? Has your publisher given you a tight deadline for delivering your next book? Are you planning to take part in the next National Novel Writing Month?

If so, this book will help you gather ideas, develop a plot, do your research, and plan your project in the days or weeks before you begin writing, so when the marathon begins, you'll be in a great starting position, ready to sprint.

This guide will help you write a killer first draft, and write it fast. You'll gather ideas, recruit characters, plan your plot, and plan for the eventualities that could prevent your success.

This is not a 'How To Write A Novel' book. You'll find plenty of those in your local bookshop or online. Instead, this is a workbook. You can view it as a do-it-yourself workshop: you're in charge, you do the work, and you own what you create.

You can flip forward and backward between sections, working on the assignments you feel inspired to tackle, and return to others later if you wish. You can also go back to some sections and add to them as new ideas come up.

What you jot down in this book is not written in stone, so feel free to make changes later. During the month, new ideas will emerge, the novel will take detours, and characters will present you with their own agenda. Your advance planning should boost your creative freedom, not restrict it.