No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days [Paperback]

Chris Baty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2004

Chris Baty, motivator extraordinaire and instigator of a wildly successful writing revolution, spells out the secrets of writingand finishinga novel. Every fall, thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which Baty founded, determined to (a) write that novel or (b) finish that novel inkid you not30 days. Now Baty puts pen to paper himself to share the secrets of success. With week-specific overviews, pep "talks," and essential survival tips for today's word warriors, this results-oriented, quick-fix strategy is perfect for people who want to nurture their inner artist and then hit print! Anecdotes and success stories from NaNoWriMo winners will inspire writers from the heralding you-can-do-it trumpet blasts of day one to the champagne toasts of day thirty. Whether it's a resource for those taking part in the official NaNo WriMo event, or a stand-alone handbook for writing to come, No Plot? No Problem! is the ultimate guide for would-be writers (or those with writer's block) to cultivate their creative selves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Every November, tens of thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month and attempt to write a 50,000-word novel. Baty, the brains behind this competition, has produced an uproariously funny motivational manifesto so readers can get a leg-up in his race or in the larger publishing game. The key is to lower your expectations "from 'best-seller' to 'would not make someone vomit,' " says Baty, who maintains that stress and a deadline are important parts of writing. Aimed at the nonserious, with an emphasis on summoning creativity and having a life-changing experience, this original approach will appeal to anyone up for a challenge. -Library Journal

About the Author

Chris Baty is a freelance writer and writing coach whose work has appeared in such publications as the Washington Post , the SF Weekly , and Lonely Planet guidebooks. He lives in Oakland, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811845052
• ISBN-13: 978-0811845052
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

226 of 237 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Infectious!, October 28, 2004

By 

Debra Hamel (North Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (Paperback)

Chris Baty, the author of No Plot? No Problem, is the founder of National Novel Writing Month, a bizarre, web-based movement, now in its sixth year, in which would-be novelists are invited to unleash their inner muses, register (for free) at the NaNoWriMo website (NaNoWriMo.org), and crank out the rough draft of a novel during the month of November. Incredibly, more than 25,000 people attempted to do just that in November of 2003, with some 3500 of them crossing the finishing line. (Anyone who writes 50,000 words in the allotted time is declared a winner.) No Plot? No Problem is Baty's brief (about 50,000 words) and breezy companion volume to the literary marathon.

In the first part of his book Baty offers readers mostly playful advice. Those undertaking the month-long novel-writing challenge are advised to turn their loved ones into effective agents of guilt, for example. Writers, too, are urged to procure a "wearable, writing-enhancing object" such as a baseball cap, the better both to put themselves in the mood to write and to signal to family members "that you've slipped away into the shadowy Realm of the Novel, and that you are not to be disturbed unless they--or one of the more likable of the family pets--are on fire." Baty also provides practical advice about carving out time in one's schedule for writing. (One past NaNoWriMo winner, a woman from Indiana, reports escaping from her children to find writing time on the toilet. This may be the way things are done in the Midwest, but I'm afraid a bathroom door is insufficient to stop the determined young of New England.)

In the second, more meaty part of his book Baty provides a week-by-week guide (intended to be read at the appropriate points in the novel-writing month) to the writing process, with week-appropriate pep talks, exercises, and tips. (For example, the tips provided for week one "center on leveraging the adrenaline rush of the first few days, avoiding the pernicious desire to self-edit as you write, creating a convenient home for your castaway thoughts, and maintaining the momentum by keeping your story a mystery to those around you.") These four week-specific chapters are followed by a helpful section on the rewrite, the more exacting business of turning one's raw, hastily-scribbled prose into a passable novel once your novel-writing month is over.

No Plot? No Problem probably does not provide any advice about writing that readers would not be able to find elsewhere. But Baty is a very good, funny writer, and his enthusiasm for this insane project is infectious. Having begun his fetching* little book a skeptic, you'll finish thinking that writing a novel in a month is not so daft an enterprise after all. It may be that Baty's argument for casting aside one's inhibitions and striving for quantity of words over quality will be just the inspiration you need to sit down and produce a viable first draft.

* I love the book's subtly-textured, colorful cover, but the dark gray background of the book's inset notes make for difficult reading.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I feel inspired!, June 16, 2005

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Paladin08 (Folsom, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (Paperback)

MY STORY: National Novel Writing Month 2004 started on Nov 1st of that year. It was Nov. 2nd when I remembered the event had started, so I grabbed a pre-existing novel idea/outline and jumped into the unknown. Nine days later and only 7,000 new words and I was done. I felt guilt for not being commited and shame for thinking I jumped into this unprepared...not to mention starting late.

I chatted with a couple of people who said they spent two weeks prior doing story outlines and character drafts and that helped them finish, which only made me feel worse about my "unpreparedness". Thus I was able to justify my failure, forget it and move on within an hour of quiting and enjoy some chocolate chip cookies, guilt-free.

After reading this book, I felt I could have and should have stuck with it regardless of how far behind I was by day 9. This book made me laugh, made me cry and made me feel inspired to take this challenge tonight and not wait till Nov. I read the book in a day, which is fast for me, and I left with more things to think about than things forgotten.

Too often writing books talk about starting with the notecards, then storyboarding then moving into characters, etc. This entire approach of just writing it and then "fixing" and figuring out all that other stuff after the fact is mind blowing and backwards to all the other writing advice books out there. BUT the more you examine the process (and see the thousands who have completed it) belief takes root that this is possible for everyone to write a novel. I'm not saying a good novel, but a novel nonetheless.

The book contains great advice for surviving the four weeks and so many other tips that I don't want to give you a spoiler like a bad movie trailer. You just need to read the book for yourself and then take the challenge.

I know I'm more prepared now that I have a bit more direction thanks to this easy to ready, entertaining book.

**Updated NOTES**
I still refer to this book each year. Since first reading this book I have succeed in completing this monthly challenge in 2005, 2006 and 2007, 2008, 2009.

I did not do much of the challenge in 2010, but its 11/30/2011 and I'm about to finish my last 3,000 words.
If it wasn't for Chris' suggestion of how to punch out 6K words in a sitting I wouldn't have made it this year.
I still find this book a great resource!!

128 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No plot? No fear!, September 23, 2004

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TheCafeWriter (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (Paperback)

Whether you're a new writer or experienced, I can already think of a few reasons for owning this book. Key word: ATTITUDE. This book is amazing for "butt-in-chair, words-on-page" writing. The bottom line is that whether the writing is good or bad, you still have to get words written down before you can do anything else.

I also like the format and layout. It's fun and unique, like a 'field guide' more than a writing book.

Like a field guide, the first half of the book is all about the preliminaries, gearing up to do the job, just as if you were going rock-climbing or cross-country skiing: the equipment, the mindset, the little things (like good coffee).

The second half is a four-week 'game plan' for the National Novel Wriring Month challenge. The nice thing is that this is a book you can use any time of year, not just for November.

A great source of inspiration!

(A fellow writer said to me, "I could never finish something like that." I persuaded her to sign up anyway, saying "Even if you don't finish, it'll still be more words on the page than you would have had otherwise, right?")