So you’re finally going to write that novel, huh? Great! Now the only question is…what do you need to get started?

As one of last year’s NaNoWriMo winners (…not that I like to brag…), I can tell you what worked for me - and what I plan to add to this year’s arsenal to make my novel writing prowess even more mighty.

• Something to write on. Last year: A borrowed MacBook. This year: my own MacBook.
  If you’re going to write a novel in a month, you need to be able to get as much done whenever and wherever you have time. I’m not a longhand sort of girl, so I was lucky enough to be able to borrow my husband’s laptop for the late-night writing bursts. This year I’m even luckier: Have MacBook, will travel.
   
• The right software. Last year: Scrivener. This year: Scrivener.
  Why mess with a good thing? Scrivener is ideal for novel writing. It’s never given me any problems, I can keep track of my word count (session-based and total) and it helps me keep track of all my research.
   
• Someplace to keep the novel-in-progress. Last year: 1GB jump drive. This year: Dropbox.
  Keeping my files on a jump drive was great last year (especially since I spent half my time working on a borrowed computer) but there were definitely times I meant to bring it and didn’t. This year I’m saving my files to my Dropbox folder, which automatically syncs with all my registered computers (and has a web interface, as well). I don’t have to do anything, and my novel will be wherever I am!

But writing isn’t just about the mechanics. Here are some other resources I find useful during the writing process:

• iTunes, Last.fm and Gimme Some Tune - because I’m nothing without the right playlist
• Dictionary Cleaner - I’m notorious for giving my characters weird names, and nothing is quite as distracting as that wiggly red line
• Wikipedia for quick reference (and yes, I mark that stuff to be fact-checked later - but it’s handy in a pinch)

Anything missing from the list? Mention it in the comments!