This year I was able to draft and do the first major round of revision on my manuscript during NaNo. I wanted to share two books that helped me achieve that, so that you too can boost your productivity whether you're doing NaNo or not. :)

First up is 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron.

2k to 10k is a short ebook on how to increase word count (and hopefully your output consists mostly of the words you can keep) and revise. Her section on increasing productivity for the actual drafting phase is excellent, and many would benefit from reading it, not just for future NaNo challenges, but for general productivity. (I presume you want to write more and better all the time, not just in November.)

I personally found her advice on revision particularly helpful since I always struggle with it. I'm extremely inefficient with revision (my process is atrocious, trust me). I can spend 1-2 months on drafting a novel, then spend the next 12+ months on revision!

I usually end up feeling sick to my stomach at the idea of having to look at the book again by the time I mail my manuscript to Madam Agent. I know it's something I must correct for my own sake since it's holding my productivity back and hurts my career.

Anyway, changing something you've been doing for a long time can be difficult, but I know I can do it. I've done it before, and with the practical tips and guidelines, I know I can master the revision process.

I recommend 2k to 10k highly for not only prepping for NaNo, but for the post-NaNo months when you revise your NaNo manuscript. (And it's a steal at only $0.99.)

Be A Sex-Writing Strumpet by Stacia Kane is something I wish I'd read years ago. I always struggle with sex scenes — which is terribly frustrating for a romance writer who includes sex scenes in many of her books — and I needed to find a way to write sex scenes better and faster.

The book is actually a collection of blog posts Stacia wrote, and the organization may be less than ideal (or formatting not up to your standards for those of you who want an uber-nice ebook). But the information in the book is 100% worth the price.

Be A Sex-Writing Strumpet isn't just for romance writers, since she also talks about sex scenes for other genres.

So if you don't have a lot of confidence in writing sex scenes or want to improve your sex scenes, try Be A Sex-Writing Strumpet.