10 Writing Guides to Help You Navigate NaNoWriMo

No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days, by Chris Baty
Chris Baty is the masochist who founded NaNoWriMo, so he’s who you can blame when it’s 3am on day 15 and you’re 5,000 words behind and wondering where your life went so wrong. But don’t worry, Baty knows what he did, and offers this fabulous writing guide as his atonement for your suffering. This book contains a veritable magician’s hat full of tricks, tips, and encouragement, from daily check ins, to motivational affirmations, to no-nonsense advice to get you to that 50,000 word goal.

2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, by Rachel Aaron
While the daily word count during NaNoWriMo is just 1,600, Rachel Aaron has a fantastically simple way to help you learn to soar past that figure and reach new heights. Aaron, a seasoned author of sci-fi and fantasy series under two different names, knows what she’s talking about. This short book contains tips for easy story outlining, creating memorable characters, and, most importantly, staying excited about your work. It’s an excellent first step on your NaNoWriMo journey.

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, by Jeff VanderMeer
World-building is an incredibly important skill, especially if you’re writing fantasy and science fiction. Jeff VanderMeer is here to help with a beautiful, imaginative guide to getting your creativity flowing. The book itself is stunningly illustrated, and just flipping through it is bound to get the creative juices going. Add in advice from authors like George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and Lev Grossman, and you can’t go wrong.

The Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways to Write Great Fiction, Get Published, and Earn Your Audience, by Chuck Wendig
If there’s one guy around who knows about the daily grind of writing, it’s Chuck Wendig. For years, Wendig has shared hilarious and profanity laced writing advice on his blog, Terrible Minds. Collected here are 1,001 ways to pull that story kicking and screaming out of your head and onto the page. Wendig is no stranger to the word mines, having written everything from Star Wars tie-in novels to dark techno-thrillers. His advice is sharp, deeply funny, and useful. This is a book that will grow with you during your NaNoWriMo journey, as it also deals with issues like editing and how to get your story ready for publication.

On Writing, by Stephen King
This is the granddaddy of writing advice tomes. Stephen King’s book about writing and the writer’s mentality is the gold standard. It’s an engaging story, part biography and part self-help guide, and will give you insight into how to craft tales that leave lasting memories with your audience. On Writing details the habits, experiences, and sundry other things that goes into writing good fiction.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire; The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed, by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
Good grammar is one of the most important tools in any writer’s tool box but, man, it can be a boring subject. That’s why The Deluxe Transitive Vampire is such a delight. It’s a lushly illustrated gothic horror novel that teaches you grammar! Each part of the story is designed to highlight a grammar rule; the text demonstrates it and allows you to grow accustomed to how it’s used. This is a witty, brilliant way to have fun with grammar. Vampires, castles, and proper nouns, oh my!

The Elements of F*cking Style, by Chris Baker and Jacob Hansen
This isn’t your momma’s Strunk and White Elements of Style. Chris Baker and Jacob Hansen drag that old guide into the 21st Century, sprinkle in a lot of profanity, and create a guide to grammar and writing that is more in line with our contemporary use of language. It’s incredibly funny and insanely useful. Looking for a no-nonsense guide that will tell you what the hell a pronoun is? Look no further.

It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences, by June Casagrande
Sentences are the building blocks of every story. Without good blocks, you have a house that will crumble easily. Casagrande’s guide to good sentences is a fun, light-hearted attempt to get you thinking more closely about the way you put words together. This book will help you to build your literary house on a good foundation.

Creating Characters: The Complete Guide to Populating Your Fiction, by Writer’s Digest
The folks behind Writer’s Digest, a magazine for writers that has been in business since the 1920s, definitely know a thing or two when it comes to the art of storytelling. This book, part of a series called Creative Writing Essentials, showcases how to populate your novel with awesome, captivating characters. Creating characters can sometimes be one of the hardest parts of writing, and this guide features ways to help you build a believable, vivid cast for your novel. If you have characters down pat, check out the other books in the series that deal with crafting strong dialogue, finding your unique voice, and writing both short and long fiction.

Writer with a Day Job: Inspiration and Exercises to Help You Craft a Writing Life Alongside Your Career, by Aine Greaney
NaNoWriMo could not come at a worse time during the year. November is when the holiday season starts to pick up speed, like we’re all strapped onto a sled hurtling down the steepest hill in the neighborhood. Thanksgiving looms in the distance like a monstrous giant turkey. Not to mention the fact you likely have either the day job or school to contend with. How are you supposed to write a novel with all of that hanging over your head? It’s not going to be easy, but Aine Greaney is here to help. This writing guide offers ways to set writing goals, maximize your writing time, and learn to harness your creativity even while working that 9-5. Learn to carve out time in your busy day to get words down on the page, and make use of every spare second.
For those about to write, we salute you!