Write Your Damn Novel: A podcast about writing a book in a month
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.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 22 minutes
- Episodes
- 89
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Music to Write To
Do you listen to music when you write? Does music inspire ideas for your writing?
In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk about the many varying ways music can help or hinder us as…
So You Want to Write a Series
Do you have an idea for a series? Are you planning a novel you know will have multiple installments, or maybe you've already written book one and you're ready to tackle book two for this year's NaNoW…
Co-Writing a Novel with Another Person
Lots of novels have more than one author, but how do they make that work? What's the writing process like? And is it at all feasible during NaNoWriMo?
In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and…
Working on an Old Project vs. Starting Something New
Having a hard time deciding what to work on for NaNoWriMo this year? Are you flirting with the idea of starting a brand new, shiny project while your older ideas give you side eye from the shelf?
In …
Welcome to How To Win NaNo Season 5!
Another season of NaNoWriMo is upon us, and what better way to celebrate that than with the advent of our fifth season of this podcast? It's hard to believe how long we've been doing this, and couldn…
See You In November!
It's our last episode of Season 4! We might have forgotten to wrap up this season, so here's a farewell episode before we jump into Season 5 for the upcoming NaNo season!
In today's episode, we talk …
Overcoming Negative Thoughts as a Writer
There's one universal truth when it comes to writing: IT'S HARD. Listen, we get it. We've all had those moments where we question why we even try. If you've ever sat in front of your laptop feeling l…
April Camp NaNoWriMo Pep Talk & Writing Sprint Music
It's officially April! That means we're camping, fam!
In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk a bit about their own experiences camping (NaNoWriMo and otherwise - who says this pod…
Writer's Block: Is It Real?
It's a writer's worst nightmare: the dreaded "Writer's Block".
In this week's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz discuss what writer's block is, whether or not it's real and what can you do about …
The APRIL Camp NaNo Episode!
We're back for the first time ever in SPRING to talk about Camp NaNoWriMo! Stay tuned for 10 more episodes for a very special part two of Season 4.
What is Camp NaNoWriMo? How is it different than th…
How To Pick a Book Title
Book titles are the first thing a potential reader sees! But they can also be super hard to come up with. In this episode, best friends Kristina and Liz walk you through a number of things to conside…
Why Do We Keep Doing This?
NaNoWriMo 2022 is now over! In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina talk about why why they keep coming back to this challenge, year after year.
Enjoy the show? L…
Unique/Non-Standard Writing Formats
Are you wanting an extra challenge this year? Are you interested in trying out a story idea using braided narrative, found documents, non-linear narrative, captain's logs, etc? Best friends Liz and K…
The Dreaded Question: "What is your book about?"
There's no avoiding it: people are always going to ask you what your book is about. It's extremely helpful to have a succint answer ready for this dreaded question! In today's episode, best friends K…
Doing NaNoWriMo as a Caregiver
Do you have kids? Are you a caregiver? Are you responsible for the day to day care of another human in some way? In this episode, best friends Kristina and Liz walk you through tips for making space …
Joining NaNoWriMo last minute? WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE?
Maybe you JUST learned about NaNoWriMo and haven't had time to prep. Maybe you weren't sure you were going to do it this year and made the decision to try in the eleventh hour. Or maybe you're a pans…
Making Memories With NaNoWriMo
A very special bonus episode for Halloween!
One of our Discord members requested we talk about some of our favorite NaNoWriMo memories from over the years! So in today's episode, best friends Liz and…
A Step By Step Guide to Writing Your Novel in November
Ever wished there was just a TEMPLATE for how to write an entire novel, start to finish, in November? 50,000 words, 30 days, every step of the Hero's Journey accounted for. Now, there is!
In this epi…
NaNoWriMo Survival Kit for Planners
Are you a planner? Do you wish you were a planner? In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina break down the basic neccessities planners need to prepare for (and survive) NaNoWriMo.
Thanks to lis…
NaNoWriMo Survival Kit for Pantsers
Are you a panster? Do you turn your nose up at outlines, but still want to find some way to prepare for NaNoWriMo? In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina break down the basic neccessities pan…