Chris Baty is the mastermind behind National Novel Writing Month. Together with 20 friends in 1999, he set out to each write a novel in a month. Six of them managed to cross the 50,000-word finish line. (Yes, 50,000 words is short by today’s novel standards–Chris arrived at that number by counting the words in the shortest novel on his bookshelf, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World– but it is an achievable goal for a month of writing, especially if you already have a full-time job). Dreadful prose, perhaps, but they had done it. And as each year went by and NaNo grew to encompass thousands of novelists across the world, Chris learned some lessons from the early years:

1. Enlightment is Overrated – Waiting until you are old enough or know enough to write your novel just wastes good years you could be writing great and no-so-great books.

2. Being Busy is Good For Your Writing – Weeks of free time, with nothing to do but write, seldom produce writing and busy people get the most done in life. So write now, no matter how busy you are.

3. Plot Happens – You don’t need a plot to begin writing. It’s okay to just start writing, even if you know nothing about your story.

4. Writing for Its Own Sake Has Surprising Rewards – Writing a novel feels great. It changes how you read books, makes you appreciate the craft that goes into a book more. And writing is the best way to get better at writing.

And out of his experiences with NaNoWriMo, he wrote No Plot? No Problem! as a guidebook for writers to help them through four weeks of hardcore novel-writing. He includes a lot of examples offered up by NaNoWriMo participants of things that helped them push through to the 50,000 word finish.

How It’s Put Together: The chapter titles in the book are descriptive and give you a good idea of what Chris covers in each one:

Section 1: A Round-Trip Ticket to Novel-land: Gearing up for Your Writing Adventure!

  • Chapter 1 – Secret Weapons, Exuberant Imperfections, and the End of the “One Day” Novelist
  • Chapter 2 – Time-Finding, News-Breaking, and a Step-by-Step Guide to Transforming Loved Ones into Effective Agents of Guilt and Terror
  • Chapter 3 – Noveling Nests, Magical Tools, and a Growing Stockpile of Delicious Incentives
  • Chapter 4 – Cruising for Characters, Panning for Plots, and the First Exciting Glimpses of the Book Within

Section 2: Write Here! Write Now! A Frantic, Fantastic Week-by-Week Overview to Bashing Out Your Book

  • Chapter 5 – WEEK ONE: Trumpets Blaring, Angels Singing, and Triumph on the Wind
  • Chapter 6 – WEEK TWO: Storm Clouds, Plot Flashes, and the Return of Reality
  • Chapter 7 – WEEK THREE: Clearing Skies, Warmer Weather, and a Jetpack on Your Back
  • Chapter 8 – WEEK FOUR: Champagne and the Roar of the Crowd
  • Chapter 9 – I Wrote a Novel. Now What?

How It Helped Me: One of the best things about this book is the over-the-top humor that Baty weaves into each sentence. The exuberant enthusiasm is like a shot of double espresso and it makes me want to sit down and start writing just for the sheer joy of it. The entire tone of the book is encouraging; he makes writing feel fun.

Who Can Benefit From Reading It: I’d recommend this book to new writers who are looking for a way to get a novel written. The humor and weekly chapters of encouragement can carry you through a first draft.

I think that more experienced writers could also benefit from reading the book, especially if you’re falling into a rut with your writing. Following Chris’s advice and churning out a first draft in a month might be a good way to shake up your routine and take your writing in a different direction. You could even use it to whip out that interesting novel idea that you’ve been toying with. The one you aren’t sure about writing, but it still flits around in your brain, unwilling to leave. Pick up a copy of No Plot? No Problem! today and experience the exhilarating pace of a 30-day novel.

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