Nanowrimo Spotlight: Mike Coville

Do you want another wrimo spotlight? I hope so, because I’ve got one for you. Let’s get to know Mike. You can find Mike at his author website, or on the Nano site. When I asked about his Nanowrimo experience so far, Mike said:

“I’m a NaNoWriMo 2013 winner, and this year is my second year. I discovered NaNoWriMo after my daughter participating in 2012. I was inspired by her to get back into writing and we participating in NaNo2013 together, and that would be my best memory from last year.”

What are you writing about this year?
I am currently working on a Medieval time period fantasy story with all magic is actually human evolution… mutants.

What is your favorite book – you have to pick just one!
The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. That book had a real impact in my life.

What advice would you give to all your fellow Wrimos?
Don’t try to write a book, just tell your story. A lot of time new authors worry with making a finished book while writing their first draft, and that will kill your momentum quickly. If you focus on telling your story during NaNo the word count will go by like mile markers on a highway.

Sneaky Ninja question! Who would you go to if you desperately needed help?
This question is really situational. Most of the times that I desperately need help I have been blessed with a very supportive family and Church family that is always available for whatever I need. So depending on the situation I have many different people I would turn to.

I had always thought of writing as a solitary hobby filled with introverts that shunned personal contact with others. NaNoWriMo really changed that image for me and that suites my personally better. I like to help people and see others succeed. During NaNo 2013 I met writers from Australia, Algeria, UK, Canada, and most of the 50 states. I’ve seen some of those writers publish their stories and have felt like a part of their team.

My enjoyment with helping others is one of the reasons I launched www.helpupub.com as a way to help authors find talented service providers to help them turn their manuscripts into books. Helpupub is a directory of service providers. It’s free to be listed, free to browse, free to connect. There are never any fees to use.

I also wanted to help people get the most out of NaNoWriMo, so I wrote a book called “How To Write 50,000 Words In 30 Days, and survive to tell your story!”  I walk writers through what to expect during NaNoWriMo and how to prepare to overcome the challenge.

I’m looking forward to NaNoWriMo 2014 and seeing what new challenges I get to overcome this time around.