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Celebrating 10 years of literary abandon, announced my t-shirt. In 2008 National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org), celebrated the fact it has helped everyone from published authors to me write a novel's worth of words for the last 10 years. I've participated since 2005 and ever since I wrote those first 50,000 words, I've wanted to read the accompanying book written by NaNo's' founder, Chris Baty.

It did not disappoint.

No Plot? No Problem! encapsulates NaNoWriMo and novel writing since NaNo in those four words. Baty's book takes 9 chapters across two sections to explain how to get your first draft already for editing. I found it so entrancing I read it within a single day in January after my 11 day NaNo 2008 win.

The introduction takes you through the origins of NaNo and then the book jumps right into the nitty-gritty practicalities of writing with Section 1. Chapter one explains why NaNoWriMo is so effective: deadlines. Baty also explains the idea of exuberant imperfection, which I found encouraging for life outside of writing as well.

Chapter 2 and 3 cover the external aspects of writing. Chapter 2 shows you how to fit 50,000 words, or approximately 40 hours of writinginto your life. It includes tips for breaking the news to your friends and family and garnering their support. Chapter 3 inspires you to organize your writing space and implements. It keeps in mind that writing is one of the most versatile hobbies. All you need is something to mark and something with which to mark.

Once you have those factors settled, you need something to write. Baty's fourth chapter takes you through a process for planning your novel the week before you start writing. It hints at how to develop characters and plot and how to choose genre and setting. However, as the title of this book reveals: minimal preparation is no concern!

Section 2 contains pep talks for each week of your month of literary abandon. Chapters 5 to 8 give you support and advice for Week 1's high, Week 2's lows, Week 3's hope and Week 4's frenzy. Chapter 9 rounds off the book with advice for editing and researching possible publishing opportunities. However, it reminds you that the aim was not solely to be published, but to accomplish something awesome.

Three things I learnt from both NaNoWriMo and No Plot? No Problem! are as follows:

Deadlines: Baty explains the amazing power of deadlines and how they push you further

Quantity not quality: Baty gives you a license to make mistakes and write rubbish all in the name of quantity, because December or maybe January will impose quality on the raw words you've created

Support: as I've often felt alone as a writer, Baty's tips on turning your non-writer friends and family into supporters and whip-crackers are very handy. Throughout the book, Baty's style brings taste of the NaNoWriMo spirit to the reader. The excitement, craziness and comeraderie should inspire you to get writing right now. This makes No Plot? No Problem! the perfect compliment to the NaNo experience. However, even if you can't spare your November, it equips you to pick a month and run off into literary abandon to create something amazing!

Learn more about this author, Lauren Okely.
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