6 Ways to Rock NaNoWriMo

without ever leaving your bed

Just another one of Michelle Richmond’s Moleskin notebooks

Are you planning in participating in National Novel Writing Month this November? If so, here are six ways to make it better:

1. Pre-writing: Don’t’ start with a blank page on November 1! You can increase your chances of success by getting into the habit of writing a few hundred words per day right now. The other advantage of pre-writing is that it will provide you with scenes that you can later turn into chapters. Not sure where to begin? Try Story Starters, which provides 50 days of progressive writing assignments and craft notes.
2. Change up your space. Make the mental shift that your new novel requires by selecting a new writing spot. Designate it your NaNoWriMo spot. If you normally write at your desk, try your kitchen table. Or your bed. Seriously! The novel I’ve just completed was written entirely in bed. (I like to tell myself that writing the book in bed helps me to solve narrative problems in my sleep). Every time you sit down in your appointed space, you’ll think, “This is where I write my novel.” You’ll be amazed how motivating that physical trigger can be.
3. Try a new tool. Do you usually work on a laptop? Try a Moleskin notebook instead. Or treat yourself to a new, smooth-flowing pen. Then, use the pen only for your NaNoWriMo novel. We are more likely to commit to a new habit if we have made an initial investment — even a small one. A new pen or notebook won’t break the bank, and every time you pick it up, you’ll be reminded of your original commitment.
4. Read a great book on narrative craft. Here’s my list of 4 Books Every Novelist Should Read. From Patricia Highsmith to Jane Smiley, each one provides a crash course in narrative craft.
5. Tell 5 people. Just as making a financial investment in a habit can help us to commit, so can making a social investment. The week before NaNoWriMo, email five people whom you can trust to hold you accountable. Then, ask them to check in with you at the end of each week of November to make sure you’re still writing.
6. Try a novel writing class. Of course, this last one only applies if you’re really serious about drafting a novel during NaNoWriMo. It hits three of the previous targets: prewriting, investment, and accountability. A novel writing class will provide real deadlines and assignments, offer structure, and help guide you through the finer points of novel writing. Check out my online novel writing class.

Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels, including Golden State, and two award-winning story collections. She helps writers tell their stories through Bay Area Book Doctor and teaches online classes in short story writing here. She is the founder of Fiction Attic Press.

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