I’ve participated in NaNo for a couple years now (although I’ve only published under my YA pen name). I find the hectic bravado of the participants inspiring!
Even if I didn’t hit my 50k, any amount of writing is winning – but I’ve “won” every time (including the camps in April and July) because of a few good habits. I hope these help you as well, and if you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment!!!!
Have a plan. I’m not an über-plotter, but at the very least, I have an idea of what I want to write and where I want to go. Try it out, write it down, change when needed. I have found the more I understood my goal, the more likely I was to finish.
Pre-load your workspace.
Like to snack when you write? Prep ahead of time. Brew your tea or coffee, stock the fridge with sodas or lemonade, have water bottles nearby. Want to crunch on veggie sticks? Clean, cut, bag and set nearby. If it will be a while before you eat or drink, store cold drinks – and snacks in zipper baggies – in a bowl of ice.
Make sure you have the tools of your trade! Ensure your computer is up to date, and any software you use the most recent version (getting an “update now” pop-up in the middle of a writing session suuuuuucks. Trust me). Notebooks, journals, pencils and pens, whatever. Keep them within reach!
Schedule time to write. It was completely opposite of normal for me, but I chose a time super early in the morning. The thing was…. I couldn’t make anyone go to bed and leave me be, but nobody wakes up at 4 a.m. 🤣 I get in my words before I do my morning exercise. Then if I can write later in the day or at night, awesome! If not? My morning writing is done.
Get some sleep. Caffeine isn’t the answer to everything (lol, don’t shoot me for saying that hahaha). Exhaustion can sometimes feel discouraging or even depressing. Do your best to shut your brain off and sleep. Who knows? You may have a cool dream to add to your project!! That has saved my butt more than once.
Stay focused on your defined goal. Work on one project. Really. NaNo has a specific and achievable goal and that is to write at least a 50k novel in 30 days. If you have a brilliant story idea, write it down and keep it for when you’ve won!! Or work it into your current project. Until I was willing to pour my efforts into finishing a novel…. A novel never got finished. Yes, other people can work on multiple projects simultaneously. That’s great! For them. This is NaNo. Do only one.
Bonus tip: corral your social media. I access Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Messenger, texts, email, and WordPress on my phone. That way I know laptop time is writing time! It’s also easy enough to set my phone face down and on silent while I’m in the flow.
I hope these ideas are useful. If you have a good habit or tips that help you finish NaNo, please share in the comments! And happy writing!!