7 Tips For Writing During NaNoWriMo

Writing every day for thirty days in a row is tough, but not impossible. Winning NaNoWriMo is part determination, part inspiration, part motivation, and part perspiration. No matter what else you have going on this month, you can get to 50K. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Don’t start with a blank page, even if you copy and paste something onto the page to be deleted later.
2. Describe some more. This is one of my biggest challenges. If your challenge is something else, like dialog, focus on that. You might be surprised at how many more words you can add by describing your character or the setting a little more.
3. Write everyday, stopping in the middle of a section so it is easier to pick up tomorrow. This is a trick I picked up this year and I cannot tell you how much it has helped. It can be tough to fight the urge to write to the end of the scene, but having a place to pick up from the next time I start writing allows me to get right into a rhythm.
4. Use the online word sprint feature. Now that NaNoWriMo.org has its own word sprint feature, I find myself using it all the time. Do not underestimate how much you can write in five minutes when you are challenged by the countdown timer.
5. If you feel like procrastinating, head to the forums. You will get inspired and want to keep writing. This might not work for everyone if you are someone who really gets into reading and adding to the conversations. Stick to threads that will inspire you, but not suck you in. Whatever you do, stay away from Facebook.
6. Say it out loud, like you are telling someone about what you are writing. I know if I start talking about my novel, I inevitably figure out more to write about or what should come next in my story. Usually I talk out loud to an imaginary person because I write alone, but write-in buddies are helpful as well.
7. Go to write-ins, write whenever and wherever you can. It is easier than ever to add to your word count. You can write on your phone, tablet, laptop, computer, and other devices. Speech-to-text enables us to write hands (almost) free. Everyone is too busy, but do not let that stop you from hitting 50K. Make winning a priority.

Now, give this post a few claps and then get back to writing!

If you liked this post, you will probably also enjoy these other posts on NaNoWriMo:

Writing Tendencies — Or Why A “Non-Writer” Participates in NaNoWriMo

My NaNoWriMo 2016 Explained Using the Pixar Pitch