The leaves are falling, pumpkin spice everything is everywhere and I’m desperately trying to remember how to make a turkey. This can only mean one thing: It’s November and I’m also busy writing a novel.

November is National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo if you’re in a hurry. The idea is that at midnight Nov. 1, you start writing a novel, and by 11:59 PM Nov. 30, you have at least 50,000 words written. I’ve been doing NaNo since 2012, and I find the challenge a lot of fun. Hopefully I’m not jinxing myself, but I’ve always managed to get my 50,000 words. If you’re a writer or have one in your life who’s struggling to hit that goal, I want to share an important tip.

Start before November.

“What?!” you might be exclaiming. “Isn’t that cheating?”

Nope. If you follow strict NaNo rules, you can’t start writing your novel until Nov. 1, but you can do all the planning you want before that. I spend October outlining and creating characters so that when November rolls around, I can just write and not spend time figuring everything out.

Now you might be saying, “That’s great, Shelia. But I don’t know how to outline and that other stuff. Besides, don’t novels magically appear when the Muse strikes?” For some folks, lovingly called pantsers (because they write by the seat of their pants), they find making it up as they go the best way to write a novel. But for folks like me, the plotters, we like knowing where the story is going.

When I first started writing 15 years ago, I didn’t realize this would be the case, and I had no idea how to properly plot, either. Luckily, I found some amazing books to help me figure it out. Let me share some favorites with you!

Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

The title might make you think this book is just about those folk who populate your novel, but it’s so much more. The characters and point of view used to tell the story has a big impact on how the novel is structured. (For instance, there’s a good reason why Lord of the Rings doesn’t end at Mount Doom. Spoiler—it’s not actually a book about an event, namely, destroying the Ring.) Over the years, I’ve come back to this book a lot when thinking about just what sort of novel I’m writing. It’s really a great high-level overview of storytelling.

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder and Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Blake Snyder’s classic screenwriting book has been a favorite of mine for years. It focuses on the basic types of stories (rites of passage, whodunit, etc.) and how they’re structured. The screenwriting book always worked awesome for novels, but a few years ago, Jessica Brody wrote the adaptation specifically for novels. These books are great for helping make sure you write a novel-shaped novel, because it has specific guidance for what should be happening when you’re at, say 20,000 words or heading into the final showdown.

Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

This is another great book for knowing what should be happening at any point in your novel, particularly if you’re writing a romance. Example: You’re about 30% of the way into your romance, should your couple have shared their first kiss yet? Or should they be having their first fight, instead? This is the book that will let you know, and I personally love it.

On Writing by Stephen King

And if you don’t care how much I say I love planning and you just want to do it your own way, you’re in great company. Stephen King’s memoir is a terrific read for anyone who likes his work or is interested in writing. He’s also a complete pantser and talks about how he approaches writing a novel.

Of course, every good writer should be a reader, too. For more books on how to perfect the writing craft, or inspiration from other novelists, check out the free Libby reading app from your library.