Write Your Damn Novel: A podcast about writing a book in a month

Nov 30 2024 88 ep. 22 mins 118
Write Your Damn Novel: A podcast about writing a book in a month artwork

Write Your Damn Novel (formerly How to Win NaNo) is a no-nonsense guide to writing a novel in 30 days. Like it or not November comes every year, but don't you worry — your hosts are here for you! Kristina Horner and Liz Leo are 'writing-50k-words-in-a-month' experts (and lifelong writing friends) with a passion for helping people write their damn novel. Join them each week as they share their personal tips, tricks and other things they've learned over almost two decades of consecutive NaNoWriMo wins. 

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Tropes we love & tropes we hate

Nov 30 2024 45 mins  
Send us a textLove 'em or hate 'em, tropes are a major part of narrative storytelling. The important thing is understanding them, so you can either use (or avoid!) them to your heart's content.In today's episode, your hosts Liz and Kristina talk through popular tropes in many different genres of novels and discuss which ones they love, which ones they hate, and most importantly...

Oh no I'm behind on my word count

Nov 22 2024 17 mins  
Send us a textYou know, sometimes it happens. You prepare in whatever way works for you, you carve out time, you buy new fuzzy socks... and you still manage to fall behind.In today's episode, your hosts Liz and Kristina give you some #realtalk about what to do when your graph is looking bleak. Spoilers: It's going to be okay.Support the showEnjoy the show? Like this episode, give a

Writing with a full time job

Nov 14 2024 25 mins  
Send us a textListen, we get it. You go to work, and then you come home exhausted. All you want to do is relax, or watch TV, or collapse in bed. How do you prioritize writing when your job leaves you lacking in energy or inspiration?In today's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz tackle the topic of how to continue to make progress on your writing while working full time.Support th

November 2024 Pep Talk + Updates

Oct 30 2024 13 mins  
Send us a textGeneric store-brand November Writing Challenge begins in 2 days! Listen for words of encouragement and an update on the ways your hosts Kristina and Liz will be tackling the challenge in this most unprecedented year. Most importantly: we've chosen our tracking tool for the year and have a LEADERBOARD you can join! Best of luck this November, fam—we're all in this to

Side characters are people too

Oct 25 2024 22 mins  
Send us a textHow do you make your side characters feel like real people? Do you need side characters? How many should you have? There's so much to consider when developing your cast of characters!In today's episode, hosts Kristina and Liz dive into the wonderful world of character development. We discuss how many characters is too many characters, how to build flawed & complex

Can I write fanfiction in November?

Oct 17 2024 27 mins  
Send us a textThis is something we hear a lot when people are considering what to write in November: does fanfiction count? is it allowed? can I write it?In today's episode, hosts Kristina and Liz discuss why their answer is an incredibly enthusiastic yes, including the many merits of fanfiction writing and a bit about why it sometimes has a bad reputation.Support the showEnjoy the

How to write a novel in November without NaNoWriMo

Oct 10 2024 29 mins  
Send us a textThis year, it's the wild west for novelists who still want to participate in some kind of November writing challenge. Where do we track our words? Will it feel the same? How do we find our commmunity? Will winning still "count"? In today's episode, hosts Kristina and Liz discuss options for how to still write in November without supporting NaNoWriMo, and whether we ev

Let's talk about tense, baby, let's talk about POV

Oct 03 2024 33 mins  
Send us a textEven if you're a true pantser, there are some decisions that must be made before you can start writing. Choosing a point of view to write from is necessary, as is deciding on a tense. But how do you know which one is right for you? What are your options, and what's the difference?In today's episode, hosts Liz and Kristina discuss the different use cases for past, pres

How to get back into writing

Sep 26 2024 23 mins  
Send us a textWhat if you've taken a break from writing and find you've forgotten how to do it? Is noveling like riding a bike? How exactly do we rebuild the habit we may have lost?In today's episode, hosts Kristina and Liz discuss the various reasons we might stop writing at points in our lives, and how to get it back. Thanks to lovelycastellan for the question!Support the showEnj

What the heck is going on with NaNoWriMo?

Sep 18 2024 24 mins  
Send us a textWelcome to Season 6! You might have noticed we've done a bit of a rebrand... this podcast (formerly known as How To Win NaNo) is now called "Write Your Damn Novel"! In the first episode of our new season, hosts Kristina and Liz talk a bit about what's been going on with the NaNoWriMo organization and why we felt the need to distance ourselves from it.Things wont chang