It’s National Novel Writing Month and with it comes the annual month-long challenge of writing 50,00 words of a first draft in 30 days. It’s a daunting task to say the least, but not an impossible one. You just need an idea, something to write with and a little discipline. To help you aspiring novelists out there, here’s some tips you can use to reach your NaNoWriMo goal.
Don’t start writing yet
Wait, what? It’s a writing challenge, why wouldn’t we start writing? We know this might sound counterintuitive, but trust us, it’s a bad idea to dive headfirst into your novel without a plan. While it may be tempting, don’t do it. Before you begin the actual story, you should iron out all the details including the genre, plot, main characters, main conflict, perspective you’ll be writing in and more.
Create a schedule
Wait, we’re still not writing yet? Nope. Another step you should take before beginning your novel is to create a schedule for yourself. In order to reach the 50,000-word goal, you’ll have to write at least 1,667 words a day, which isn’t an easy feat if you don’t make time to do it. It’s wise to look at November from a bird’s eye view and set aside a specific time each day for writing based around the obligations you already know you have. Try it out for a week and if that time doesn’t end up working for you, change it. There’s no shame in switching up your routine throughout the month, and there’s also no shame in being unable to write 1,667 words in one sitting. Many writers do 15 minute writing sprints throughout the day to reach their daily goal. Do what works for you because the easier you make the process on yourself, the more likely you are to beat the challenge.
Tell your inner editor to shut up
We are finally writing, but not editing. Editing grammatical errors and basic things of that nature are okay, but don’t worry about making every sentence you write the absolute best sentence ever. It’s too much pressure and it’ll only cause burn out if you’re constantly going back and making tweaks until you think it’s perfect. You’re working on your first draft; it’s not meant to be perfect. It’s just a starting point. Try to keep that in mind throughout the month.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
While it’s nearly impossible to complete this challenge if you don’t stay disciplined, that doesn’t mean all the fun should get sucked out of the process. You’re supposed to enjoy writing your novel, not make it a chore. If you don’t meet the goal, that’s okay, as long as you tried your best. Yes, it’s a month-long challenge, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on your story after November, so don’t get too caught up in how many days you have left. Again, just do what you can when you can.
Join the NaNoWriMo community
Even though it might feel like it when you’re pulling your hair out in front of your laptop at three in the morning, you’re not alone. There are thousands of people all over the world doing this challenge with you. Visit NaNoWriMo.org for all kinds of resources to keep you motivated from pep talks written by published authors, to writing groups you can join for support and encouragement, and even virtual events you can attend to help build connections with fellow writers.
We hope you’re able to finish November with a great first draft, but we’ll be happy for you even if you don’t. Remember, NaNoWriMo is a challenge, but it’s also supposed to be fun! You should have an exciting time writing a story you adore with characters you’re in love with. At the end of it all, that’s what truly matters.
