So You Want To Write 50,000 Words in 30 Days?
Here are 5 last-minute tips to prep for NaNoWriMo so you can start your new novel feeling confident and motivated.
November is National Novel Writing Month, where writers collectively attempt to write 50,000 words in thirty days or less. I’ve attempted many times, given up more than once, and declared victory once. However, most of what I’ve written during NaNoWriMo became a published novel eventually or is under contract currently and will be published in the future.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, and there’s more than one way to conquer this mountain, but I’ve learned a few tricks from other writers along the way and I’m more than happy to share my strategy with you.
My secret sauce: plot, prep, plan.
Five Last-Minute Tips:
First Tip: Get your non-writing life in order: any tasks you can outsource, make those arrangements now. Meal planning, early holiday shopping, travel arrangements, whatever you often devote your time to in November, you’re going to want to handle as much as you can now.
Second Tip: You’re going to need a plot. A good one. With hooks, goals, character motivations, a cast of characters, plenty of conflict to thwart their plans. I’d even suggest going so far as writing a plot summary and making a list of essential scenes.
Third Tip: Make your expectations clear: roommates, children, elderly adults, co-workers if necessary…it can be scary telling people that you plan to write 50,000 words in a month. However, if you don’t tell them what you’re up to, then you can’t get mad when they expect you to be showing up or actively participating in life and you’re squirreled away writing in secret. Ask for help with daily chores or carpool runs so that you can carve out time to write.
Fourth Tip: Map out your word count. You’ll need to write about 1700 words a day and a method for tracking your progress. I am easily bribed and I’m also a visual person, so I use a coloring sheet page, when I write a 1,000 words, I color in a block. Then I promise myself something significant (usually new boots) if I win. If I don’t win…no boots. It’s shallow, I know. But it worked the last time. I’d suggest small rewards along the way: a new book, trip to the coffee shop, your favorite sweet treat…whatever keeps you motivated to keep writing.
Fifth Tip: Find your writing people. There are folks from all over the world setting this same ambitious goal. You can connect with them via the NaNoWriMo website, on social media searching the hashtag nanowrimo, or within your local community. Whatever you do, don’t embark on this journey solo. You’ll need encouragement and accountability along the way, and it’s fun to share the experience with other creatives. If you’d like to follow my nanowrimo adventures, I’ll be posting most often on my Instagram feed and stories, sharing tips, encouragement and updating my progress. Follow along here.
Here are a few of my favorite NaNoWriMo resources:
- Savannah Gilbo provides excellent resources and tons of free content regarding plotting/structuring a novel. Visit her website here.
- Romance writers, connect with Gwen Hayes via her website (hint there’s free stuff) and make sure you buy a copy of her book Romancing the Beat.
- Jane Friedman’s blog post about how to tackle NaNoWriMo with a “seat of your pants” mentality is packed with fantastic tips. Read more here.
Let me know if you have questions and if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo so we can cheer each other on. Let’s goooo!
