*GASP!* Cheat on NaNoWriMo!?
Now before I launch into this bad boy saddles a-burning, let me just say that the use of these tactics is not going to necessarily net you a good NaNo novel, or even a finished NaNo novel, but it will help you up your word count, and who knows, using some of these tactics might help you flesh out the story in your own mind, if nothing else.
Just remember that once all is said and done and you have a finished novel in your hands, you're going to want to litter the cutting-room floor, probably in a pretty major way.
SO, now that that's out of the way.....
1. Adverbs and adjectives
Adverbs are the little things that modify verbs, which everyone and her sister will tell you is Bad Writing™. Usually they're words with "ly" at the end, like "clearly" or "slowly." Adjectives are the same thing, but with nouns, and are usually referred to as descriptor words, ie, "beautiful," "deadly," "shiny," etc.
Lots of writers will tell you that adverbs and adjectives (but mostly adverbs) are to be cut out of your writing at any and all costs; that's silly, of course. But it's important not to overuse adverbs or adjectives in your writing, or things can get clunky. Clunky is what first drafts are all about, though, so if you're looking to bump word count, these guys can help you out, at least temporarily.
2. Use needlessly complicated sentences
*sucks breath through teeth* I really don't recommend this one, I mean... hhhhhh, there's no need to needlessly complicate things, but hey, if Occam's Razer isn't for you, who am I to judge? Just make sure you simplify things down the road. And that you do not don't not forget what it was that in the first place you were attempting to try to accomplish.
(it's your funeral)
3. Write parts that haven't happened yet
This one I really do recommend--it's what I do. When I have an idea for an upcoming scene, instead of risking its loss by waiting until the "appropriate" time to write it, I just type it up right in the document--usually at the top--then later I can copy and paste it into place no problem, and it's not even technically cheating since it was supposed to be in your story all along.
4. Write parts that won't make it into the final cut
This gets us back into the pseudo-cheat territory, but it's also something that I do so *applies the fuck-it adjustment* why not share it with the world.
That scene where those two characters do nothing but banter and chat about stuff that has nothing to do with the story? The one that you know, just know, even as you write it, is going to end up on the chopping block as soon as you go back to edit?
Steer into the train crash my friend. Play chicken with that sucker and watch from an out-of-body experience as you and your car are totally mangled by its twenty-ton onslaught.
Okay, so that's a bit melodramatic; you aren't going to die. Not from this, at least. Probably. I mean, I'm not a doctor or a lawyer or anything, so anything's possible. Probably you'll just have some extra words to cut later--maybe a few extra darlings to murder.
I know you're capable of it, though, you have big, strong arms, and what else would those garden shears be for, we're in the middle of LA for crying out loud! I'm sure you've done it before.
Wow, my metaphors are really just running away from me tonight.
My point is, this is a harmless crime, and can in fact be helpful--sometimes the most telling moments we have are the ones that occur when nothing big or life-altering is happening, the little things we do in the dark that no one will ever know we did. Sometimes the audience needs to see scenes like that, but a lot of the time it fucks with the pacing or doesn't move anything along, etc, etc, and will ultimately need to be cut; but if it's informed your work on the character, then even being cut out, it has served a very valuable purpose.
5. When you're stuck, skip ahead and come back later
Tied into the two above is the age old, "Do It Later" approach. Which, contrary to what you may suspect, especially since this article is supposed to be all about cheating, is a really solid method; sometimes something with the current portion of the plot or dialogue or what have you is tripping you up, and you just need a breather. That's life! Sometimes you just don't have the tools to deal with something in that moment.
What do you do when that happens? Well, if you had all the time in the world you might get up, go someplace new, do some research, have an adventure! But since you're a Writer and are both slave to the written word and to the sacrificial blood oath you made upon avowing to write 50k in 30 days, you don't have time for that. Probably not the energy, either. Plus it's cold in November, and it's probably raining today, and all your good coats are still in storage because you don't really want to admit it's winter yet, and....
You get the picture.
So one of the best ways to shake it up is to just skip ahead. Narrow down what's causing the issue and bypass it completely. Maybe writing a little will shake that crud loose for later, and if not, you can write it during the editing phase, when taking long breaks to stare at your manuscript and scream is considered healthy and reasonable.
Sometimes you just need to work on something else for a whi
And then the dreaded corkscrew blunderbussss threw down its MIGHTY HAMMER, and...
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