30 Tips for 30 Days of NaNoWriMo — WN 048
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7 min readNov 2, 2016
I love this time of year — the crisp November air, the interminable rains, the smell of decaying leaves, and NaNoWriMo. That’s right — Episode 048 of the Write Now podcast is here to help you get through this wonderful season of marathon creativity in style.
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What is NaNoWriMo, and is it right for me?
That’s a great question! And the answer is:
- NaNoWriMo is short for “National Novel Writing Month”, and it’s a challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, from November 1–30.
- Maybe? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
OK, I don’t mean to be flippant. NaNoWriMo is intentionally inclusive and tons of fun, but it can also be incredibly frustrating to folks like you and me who are busy, and may not have the time or energy to write 1,700 words every day.
Still curious whether or not you should do it? Check out Write Now Episode 027: NaNoWriMo And You for more insight.
30 Writing Tips for 30 Days of NaNoWriMo
And now… as promised, 30 writing tips for NaNoWriMo. Hopefully you will find at least one helpful.
- Remember you are a writer. Say, “I am a writer!” to your friends, your family, your coworkers, your reflection in the mirror… however best allows it to sink in.
- Don’t give up. It’s easy to fall behind during NaNoWriMo — after all, writing 1,700 words per day is no easy task. If you do fall behind, the notion that you have to make up for it and write 3,400 words the next day, or 5,100 the next can be enough to make you want to quit. But don’t.
- Schedule time to write. If it’s not on my calendar, I don’t do it. Blocking off dedicated time on your schedule to write every day not only gives you the time you need to write, but it also creates an appointment that you can’t let yourself miss.
- Don’t put it off. It’s so easy to sit down to write and “take just a moment” to check Facebook or sports scores. But don’t do it! Sit down and start writing. Facebook will still be there when you’re ready for a break.
- Don’t think — just write. Just start putting words down. Don’t overthink it right now — NaNoWriMo is all about quantity, not quality.
- “Embrace the suck,” as my friend Mark Adam Thomas says. Don’t pressure yourself into creating something perfect — give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft. You can turn it into something beautiful during editing.
- Tell your friends and family you’re doing NaNoWriMo. This advice also comes from Mark Adam Thomas, and it was especially helpful for me. If people know you are doing something that is important to you throughout the month of November, they will likely be more understanding if you need to duck out of obligations here or there. Plus, it adds accountability.
- Use the NaNo Buddy System. Connect with fellow WriMos on the NaNoWriMo website! It’s a great way to be held accountable and to meet folks who are going through the same thing you are. (Become my buddy here!)
- Stock up on snacks. You’ll thank me later.
- Don’t stop reading. I know, it can be tempting to exchange your daily reading time for extra writing time. But don’t do it! Or at least don’t sacrifice it all. Reading is essential if you want to grow as a writer, even during NaNoWriMo.
- Keep quick inspiration close. Stay inspired as you slog along with an inspirational quote on your monitor, a magazine cutout of what your main character looks like, or your favorite book at hand.
- Save the research for later. This is one lesson I learned the hard way. If you’re not sure what kind of lighting would have lit your character’s home in 1860, don’t stop writing to research it. Simply make a note and keep writing.
- Pump the music. Drown out noisy neighbors or psych yourself up for an awesome writing session with the right music. Lyrics optional. (I also love writing to rainymood.com.)
- Write what excites you. Sometimes we get stuck in the soggy middle of our novel, ready to give up, when all we really want to do is write the ending. Or the romantic scene. Or the one part where all the baby elephants run amok in the television studio. You do not have to write your novel in order — if you’re excited about the ending, write the ending!
- Use a prompt. Stuck? That’s OK. The internet is chock full of prompts. (I also have a set of story dice that are kind of fun in a pinch.)
- Turn off your phone. You’ll be amazed at how your productivity soars. And if you can’t afford to be out of touch, put your phone in airplane mode and adjust the settings to allow important phone calls through.
- Keep it portable. It’s cool if you want to write your novel wholly on a massive typewriter from 1916, but do note that it will be hard to write during your lunch break, on the subway, or any other time you’re on the go. Try using a journal, notebook, laptop, or other portable device so you can be ready to write whenever time permits.
- Identify and stay away from time-sucks. Do you have a bad Facebook habit? Maybe November is a great time for a Facebook fast. Or is there a TV show you’re watching but don’t really enjoy? That time might be better spent writing instead. The point here is to identify chunks of wasted time and replace it with writing.
- Say “no” to fear. Every writer — even famous writers — wrestles with writing-related fears (fear of failure, fear of writing subpar material, etc.). It didn’t stop them, so don’t let it stop you.
- Tone down your need to win. There’s nothing magical about hitting the 50,000 word mark — you can have a successful NaNoWriMo whether you write 1,700 words per day or 170. Seriously. Do what you can, write every day, and don’t give up.
- Take care of yourself. I know it’s tempting to say, “I’ll sleep once November’s over!” But… don’t. Please take care of yourself. Sleep regularly. Eat regular meals. Sacrificing your health is not worth it.
- Help your future self. This is a great mindset if you’re prone to instant gratification. Make decisions with your future self in mind — decisions that will inspire gratefulness, not regret.
- Don’t waste time formatting. It’s tempting to procrastinate by changing your novel’s font, or deciding to make the chapter titles ALL UPPERCASE instead of Title Case. After all, you’re still “working” on your novel, right? Wrong! Stop messing with formatting and get back to writing. (I like to use OmmWriter or a plain text document for writing just for that purpose.)
- Count it toward your 10,000 hours of mastery. I know the “10,000 Hour Rule” has been debunked. But it’s still important to invest time in mastering your craft — and NaNoWriMo is a great time during which to do that. If you’re feeling frustrated by your less-than-amazing novel and on the verge of quitting, just remember — you’re putting in the time now to better master it later.
- Try outlining. Are you a pantser like me? Then the idea of creating an outline may sound unbearably dull. But even the most high-level of outlines can help steer you back on track later on during NaNoWriMo if you get stuck.
- Boost your word count with chapter titles, quotes, etc. Feeling a little glum about your word count? That’s OK — just like Bingo, NaNoWriMo has a free space or two. Long, rambling chapter titles, quotes from sources that support your themes, and even meaningless rants by your character’s best friend can help carry you to your goal on a bad day.
- Use “but” and “therefore”, not “and”, to connect the dots in your story. The most boring stories link events using “and”: “Mary went to the donut shop and bought a donut. And then she ate it. And then she went home.” More interesting stories use “but” and “therefore”: “Mary went to the donut shop, but it was closed. Therefore, she decided to learn magic to conjure up her own donuts out of thin air.” I know those are terrible examples, but you get the idea.
- Got PTO? Use it! Most folks here in the U.S. are terrible about taking all of their PTO (paid time off — accumulation of sick time and vacation time). So during NaNoWriMo, if you have extra PTO, why not use it for a couple days worth of writing?
- Be patient. Writing is hard work, and it’s easy to get frustrated with yourself. So be sure to give yourself some grace and don’t be too hard on yourself during NaNoWriMo.
- Have fun! You love writing, remember? 🙂
Are you doing NaNoWriMo?
Be my NaNoWriMo buddy! Just sign up on the website or find me if you’re already a member — I’m username Juneva Spragg. (It’s a pen name from a million years ago… I’ve tried to change it to Sarah Rhea Werner, but so far it’s a no-go.)
I’d also love to hear about your novel-to-be via my contact page. You can also leave a comment below, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com — I’d love to hear from you. 🙂
Listen to this episode: Play in new window | Open in iTunes
Originally published at www.sarahwerner.com on November 2, 2016.
