This Thursday we jump into the start of November and the thrill of Nanowrimo. For those who aren’t familiar with it, NaNoWriMo is the annual National Novel Writing Month that takes place every November. The goal is simple: write 50,000 words during the month of November.
Every year, tons of people jump into the challenge. It’s a great way to find a supportive community of writers and learn more about your writing process. However, writing 50,000 words in a month can be a huge challenge, so here are some tips to help set you up for success.
1. Let the people around you know.
Let your friends, family, partners, etc. know that you’re going into this challenge. Ask them to maybe help out with dishes or house-cleaning duties for the month. Volunteer to then take your share in December.
2. Prep food.
One of the things I always struggle with the most during Nanowrimo is meal planning. I want to just write so I end up ordering out a lot and that gets expensive and unhealthy. So what I’ve started doing is freezing meals and finding simple recipes that I know are basic, fast and filling. It saves me money and keeps my brain better fed.
3. Schedule time.
Don’t just expect time to fall into your lap come November. Have a game plan on what time of day you’re going to write. Is it better for you to write in the morning before work or after work? Maybe you can write during lunch? What about stopping at a coffee shop or library on the way home? Find that time, mark it on your calendar and keep at it.
4. Write extra when you can.
Some days you’re probably not going to hit your writing goal. Plan for that and on days when you have extra time or inspiration, write extra. I always try to write extra in the first part of the month when my energy is the highest so I have a buffer for the slow days.
5. Reach out to the community.
Nanowrimo has an incredibly active community on their website, on twitter, tumblr, facebook and pretty much any social media site. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others. Relationships with other writers is great and will help you outside of Nanowrimo too.