30 Tips for30 Days of NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is short for “National Novel WritingMonth”, and it’s a challenge to write a 50,000-wordnovel in 30 days, from November 1-30.

NaNoWriMo is intentionally inclusive and tons of fun,but it can also be incredibly frustrating to folks like youand me who are busy, and may not have the time orenergy to write 1,700 words every day.

Whether you participate is up to you. Just know that ifyou decide to do it, I'm here for you.

And so is this ebook.

Words & warmth,

Sarah

1

2

Remember you are a writer. Say, “I am awriter!” to your friends, your family, yourcoworkers, your reflection in the mirror…however best allows it to sink in.

Schedule time to write. If it’s not on mycalendar, I don’t do it. Blocking off dedicatedtime on your schedule to write every day givesyou the time you need to write and creates anappointment that you can’t let yourself miss.

Don’t think — just write. Just startputting words down. Don’t overthink itright now — NaNoWriMo is all aboutquantity, not quality.

Don’t give up. Writing 1,700 words per day isno easy task. If you do fall behind, the notionthat you have to make up for it and write 3,400words the next day can be enough to make youwant to quit. But don’t.

Don’t put it off. It’s so easy to sit down to writeand “take just a moment” to check Facebook orsports scores. But don’t do it! Sit down and startwriting. Facebook will still be there when you’reready for a break.

4

3

5

6

7

“Embrace the suck,” as my friend Mark AdamThomas says. Don’t pressure yourself intocreating something perfect now — give yourselfpermission to write a crappy first draft.

Use the NaNo Buddy System. Connect withfellow WriMos on the NaNoWriMo website! It’sa great way to be held accountable and to meetfolks who are going through the same thing youare. Connect with me here!

Don’t stop reading. I know, it can betempting to exchange your dailyreading time for extra writing time.But don’t do it!

Tell your friends and family you’re doingNaNoWriMo. If people know you're doingsomething important to you in November,they'll be more understanding if you need toduck out of obligations. Plus, accountability.

Stock up on snacks. You’ll thank me later.

9

8

10

11

12

Keep quick inspiration close. Stay inspired asyou slog along with an inspirational quote onyour monitor, a picture of what your maincharacter looks like, or your favorite book.

Pump the music. Drown out noisy neighbors orpsych yourself up for an awesome writingsession with the right music. Lyrics optional.(I also love writing to rainymood.com.)

Use a prompt. Stuck? That’s OK. Theinternet is chock full of prompts.(I also have a set of story dice that arekind of fun in a pinch.)

Save the research for later. This is one lesson Ilearned the hard way. If you’re not sure whatkind of lighting would have lit your character’shome in 1860, don’t stop writing to research it.Simply make a note and keep writing.

Write what excites you. Sometimes we getstuck in the soggy middle of our novel, ready togive up, when all we really want to do is writethe ending. If you’re excited about the ending,write the ending! No need to stay linear.

14

13

15

16

17

Turn off your phone. You’ll be amazed at howyour productivity soars. And if you can’t affordto be out of touch, put your phone in airplanemode and adjust the settings to allow importantphone calls through.

Identify and stay away from time-sucks. Maybe November is a great time for a Facebookfast. Or time to switch out TV time for NaNotime. The point here is to identify chunks ofwasted time and replace it with writing.

Tone down your need to win. You canhave a successful NaNoWriMo whetheryou write 1,700 words per day or 170.Seriously. Do what you can, writeevery day, and don’t give up.

Keep it portable. It’s cool if you want to writeyour novel on a massive typewriter, but do notethat it will be hard to write on the go. Try using ajournal, notebook, laptop, etc. so you can beready to write whenever time permits.

Say “no” to fear. Every writer — even famouswriters — 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.

19

18

20

21

22

Take care of yourself. I know it’s tempting tosay, “I’ll sleep once November’s over!”But… don’t. Please take care of yourself.Sleep regularly. Eat regular meals. Sacrificingyour health is not worth it.

Don’t waste time formatting. It’s tempting toprocrastinate by changing your novel’s font.After all, you’re still “working” on your novel,right? Wrong! Stop messing with formatting andget back to writing.

Try outlining. Are you a pantser likeme? Then the idea of creating an outlinesounds dull. But even the most highlevel of outlines can help steer youback on track later on.

Help your future self. This is a great mindset ifyou’re prone to instant gratification. Makedecisions with your future self in mind —decisions that will inspire gratefulness, notregret.

Count it toward your 10,000 hours of mastery. If you’re feeling frustrated by your less-than-amazing novel and on the verge of quitting, justremember — you’re putting in the time now tobetter master it later.

24

23

25

26

27

Boost your word count. Just like Bingo,NaNoWriMo has a free space or two. Longchapter titles, quotes from outside sources, andeven meaningless rants by your characters canhelp carry you to your goal on a bad day.

Got PTO? Use it! Most folks here in the U.S. areterrible about taking all of their PTO (paid timeoff — accumulation of sick time and vacationtime). So during NaNoWriMo, if you have extraPTO, why not use it to stay home and write?

Have fun! You love writing, remember?

xoxo,Sarah

Use “but” and “therefore”, not “and”, toconnect the dots in your story. The most boring(sequential) stories link events using “and”.More interesting cause and effect stories use“but” and “therefore" instead.

Be patient. Writing is hard work, and it’s easy toget frustrated with yourself. So be sure to giveyourself some grace and don’t be too hard onyourself during NaNoWriMo.

29

28

30

Thanks for downloading my ebook!

For more sweet stuff for writers,

subscribe to the Write Now podcast

or visit sarahwerner.com.

sarahwerner.com