1. Open Your Big Mouth You know why I tell my Facebook and Twitter friends I’m doing the NaNoWriMo challenge? Because it makes me accountable! No way can I back down after I’ve told the entire social media world I’m going to take a stab at it. Trust me, halfway into the challenge you’ll be happy you have people asking how your book is coming along. This affords you an opportunity to grab more coffee and pick your best selling manuscript out of the trash to keep going. The motivational words from others do wonders for you during November.
2. AM & PM Writing
Nothing like trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days! Because I recently finished my degree, I think of the daily 1667 word count minimum as a 1700 word essay. Students can always push out a last minute paper, right? Just think 30 last minute papers! For those that cannot, try breaking it down into writing 833 words in the morning and a nightcap of 833.This way you can still work on your word count throughout the day. Small progress is still progress.
3. Don’t Quit
Stick to it! After 21 days anything you do becomes a habit. If you’ve been saying you are going to write a book for the past few years and have failed to do so, please use this as a tool to get you going. Not only will NaNoWriMo afford you 720 coffee-filled hours to complete your novel, it will also make your writing muscles strong. Exercise hurts, but the results are always appreciated in the end.
4. Plan Appropriately
Do not underestimate the power of a thorough plan. If you didn’t do so this year, consider it for next year’s preparation. A good outline will provide you a great skeleton to work with as you build the body of your story. The same goes for character development. Please make sure your characters are not one dimensional and your target audience is able to relate to them. Use flash cards to map out your plot and characters.
5. Write Now, Edit Later
Please do not fall in the trap of editing as you write. I repeat, DO NOT EDIT AS YOU WRITE! This not only keeps you from reaching 50,000 words. (Trust me) It also disrupts your flow. Stay in the moment with your scene, characters, and imagination. You have December through October to edit your masterpiece. You’ll thank me later!
6. Invest in a Quiet Space
I don’t care if it’s your closet with a mini laptop lamp; do what you’ve got to do to get this writing done! Check the website to find a group near you! http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/regions. If you can’t get to the nearest group, don’t count out your local library, Starbucks, or café. You’d be surprised at what you can accomplish in an hour. (By the way, Starbucks is anointed to help you get some work done.)
7. Look on the Bright Side
There will be many days your house will go uncleaned, kids will eat something quick and easy, (I suggest a crock pot) and you will be exhausterated. Yes, exhausterated. I know you didn’t think you write an entire novel in 30 days getting eight hours of sleep every night. Haha! Nice try. Grab your favorite caffeine product of choice and get to work. Even if you do not finish the challenge. Keep going! At least you've started.
If you haven’t already, it’s not too late to sign up for the challenge. Click this link. http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/sign_up Add me as a friend. We’ve got to stick together. Look for me in the search box. My username is TPJ. Good luck!
