NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, a well known time of year for many writers around the world with over 400,000 participants in 2018.

50,000 words. 30 days. 1667 words per day.

Could you do it?

The purpose of NaNoWriMo isn’t to write a saleable book in 30 days. It’s unlikely that you’re going to have a ready to publish book on hand on 30th November. I mean, sure there are those extreme cases of authors churning out a book a fortnight but for the mere mortals like us, we just want a draft of a novel to work with in December.

Did that take the pressure off?

Good.

I completed my first NaNoWriMo back in 2010. In 30 days, I had a draft of a story I really liked. Then it sat in my drawer for eight years before I picked it up again, and started reworking it.

Over the years I started NaNoWriMo but never finished. Life got in the way. The story got boring. I didn’t take the writing seriously.

You know, the usual excuses.

It’s so easy to have excuses when you’ve got self imposed deadlines and a full time job that covers the bills.

NaNoWriMo is here to stop with the excuses. It’s the one month a year where writers unite, support one another and aim to write their 50,000 words.

Of course, you don’t have to write 50,000 words. You can aim to write 30,000 or even just write for thirty minutes per day.

It’s about creating a habit that will help you finish your first book or your twentieth. And no, they don’t necessarily get easier. You’re always starting a new project. Unless you’re writing a series, you’re always starting from the ground up.

Maybe that’s one of the allures of writing books. It’s hard to get bored when the process and the idea change so much.

With only 5 days till the start of NaNoWriMo 2019 (or six depending on your location in the world), are you prepared?

Don’t fret. A week is plenty of time to get ready for your novel. And a suggestion is to make sure that you’re idea is prepped. No, that’s not cheating. It’s preparation. The prepping is in no way adding to your word count.

5 Day Prep for NaNoWriMo

Day 1

Consider your idea. What do you want to write about? What story do you want to tell? Which genre are you going to write in? What’s the theme of your story?

Summarise the story in one sentence. This is the hardest part so let’s get it out of the way.

Day 2

Think about your characters. Who is this story about? Is the protagonist strong or weak? What are his goals, fears, obstacles, pleasures? Who is your antagonist? Why are they conflicting with your protagonist? Who are they? What’s their back story? Who are your minor characters – the supporting cast?

Write a sentence or two about each character that includes some key detail and makes them unique.

Day 3

Consider your plot. What is your story going to be about? Can you expand that one sentence from day one to a blurb. Make it into three or four paragraphs. No more than 200 words.

Great.

Now expand it further. Divide it into three parts. What happens at the beginning, middle and end?

Figure out how your story starts and ends before you start. Then fill in the gaps.

What are the key plot points/twists that you need to or want to include in your story?

Day 4

Map out those scenes. Think about your story. What images unfold in your mind as you consider your plot and characters?

Use the previous days prepping to start planning out your scenes. You don’t have to know all your scenes before you start writing. Stories evolve and scenes could be taken out and added in as you write.

Focus on the key scenes for each section. Come up with 2-3 scenes for your beginning. 4-5 scenes for the middle and 2-3 scenes for your end. These are key scenes that relate to the major plot points.

If you want to you can expand and include more scenes if they come to mind. Use a spreadsheet or index cards to write them out.

Expand those scenes again. Add details of your setting, plot and characters. Write down things that you want to include in your story. Things that will make your characters likeable as well as those that will make those emotions conflicting. What are some things that can get them into trouble? What are the obstacles that can get in their way?

Day 5

Get your diary out and plan your writing time. Consider all the things you have upcoming in the next 30 days. It could be work commitments. The kids school play. Going to the gym. Birthday parties. Christmas parties. Family get togethers. Maybe even a holiday.

Make the writing blocks equally important. If you’re serious about this you’re going to commit to writing every day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes a day. We can all find fifteen minutes. I’m sure most of us can even find an hour.

Put Netflix and cleaning on the back burner. Unless you’re allergic to dust and dirt, leave the vacuuming, mopping and dishes for after you’ve met your writing quota for the day. If the family eats eggs on toast or finds their own dinner a few nights here and there, nothing is going to happen. At best they’ll appreciate you and realise that they need to get a bit more independent.

Now create those dates with yourself. Think about how fast you write. The average speed is about 40 words per minute. 1667 / 40 is 41.675. So theoretically you should be able to write the minimum in 40 minutes.

Do we live in an ideal world? Of course not.

How to get more writing done during NaNoWriMo?

• Wake up 30 minutes earlier and start writing. Write as much as you can in that time.
• Instead of gossiping in the work kitchen at lunch, get out the laptop or notepad and start scribbling away.
• Waiting in the doctor’s surgery? Keep a notebook for jotting ideas, conversations or scenes that pop into your head. Maybe you carry your laptop with you. Start typing. A ten minute session in the waiting room can net you 400 words. That’s 400 less that you’ll have to find time to write later in the day.
• Get the family to serve their own dinner. Make the first thing you do when you get home (after washing your hands and setting your bag aside) is to sit down at the laptop and write. You’ll be less prone to make excuses than if you were to wait for a later time when the house is quiet.
• Instead of tuning into Prime or Netflix, go to another part of the house and fire up the lap top. Put on the timer and start writing for twenty minutes. Only when you’ve written your daily quote can you watch an episode of your favourite show.
• Go to bed half an hour later and write. Even fifteen minutes. Each word counts. Fifteen minutes at 40wpm is 600 words. Do that three times throughout the day you’re on your way to 50k in 30 days.
• Write more on days when you have extra time. On busy days schedule only 500 words, on light days aim for 2500. Make the schedule work for you and your lifestyle.
• Have fun. NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be torture. You want to enjoy it enough so that you’re writing spark doesn’t go out. You’re a writer, don’t get put off by the pressure or not having finished the 50k in 30 days.

How to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo?

Motivation is a huge factor in not finishing the thirty days on a roll. But there are things you can do to stay motivated all month long and write that book you’ve been dreaming of writing.

• Have a plan in place and written in your diary.
• Ask your family and friends for support. Maybe a pal can text you words of motivation every day.
• Start the day with a motivational quote to get you writing
• Put writing first for the 30 days. Just write, no excuses.
• Have rewards for small achievements. Watch a TV show at the end of the day, buy yourself a new notebook, book a writer’s retreat weekend.
• Make the process fun rather than a chore
• Have a buddy or accountability partner. Need a writing buddy? Sign up and join me and hundreds of thousands of other writers in NaNoWriMo in 2019!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Have you plotted out your novel or will you wing it from day one?