Are You Ready for NaNoWriMo?

            This isn’t sponsored – I just love NaNoWriMo!

            It’s that time of year again! November 1st kicks off the beginning of National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, it is a yearly writing challenge during the month of November where authors try to reach 50,000 words in one project in one month (yes, one month, one project. If you want more information, visit their website nanowrimo.org). I completed NaNoWriMo in 2022, and I struggled. I thought I was ready but ended up making many mistakes. Though I eventually did reach the 50,000 words, I wasn’t happy with my work. Last year, I tried for one day and ended up deleting the entire thing and quitting.

            If you have participated in NaNoWriMo before, you know how grueling it can be. You have to write about 1667 words a day in order to reach 50,000 words by November 30th. If you miss a day, it makes it harder. You’re probably motivated and excited the first day or two, but after a week, it’s difficult to keep going.

            If you have not participated before and are thinking about it, or you tried it but it just didn’t work out, then I encourage you to keep reading. I’m going to give you some tips on how to best be prepared based on what worked for me and based on what I would do differently. These are definitely things I should have followed last year.

Have a Full Story Idea (One You’re Excited About)

            I made one mistake in 2022 and another in 2023. The first mistake was not fully fleshing out my story idea. Though I was passionate about the story I was writing (to the point I plan to write it once I’m done with my current WIP), I had no idea where it was going and thus didn’t have much to work with. I had my beginning and part of the middle, but I didn’t know the end goal. As a result, my story was a mess. I also skipped around to avoid the boring parts, so I had pieces I didn’t know how to connect (the parts I skipped to were ideas I had after planning).

            Don’t make the mistake I did. Though I did reach 50,000 words that year, it was still rough, and I ended up with a story I couldn’t do anything with after. Even if you aren’t a planner, at least figure out what you want your end goal to be so you can work toward that or think of certain scenes so you aren’t stuck. The more organized you are during NaNoWriMo and the more ideas you start out with, the easier the process will be. And also make sure your scenes are exciting and not dull – that was a mini-mistake I made that year too.

            I made sure not to make the planning mistake in 2023, but I did make another mistake – I wasn’t excited about my story. I was when I first came up with it a month before. I planned it out, wrote character profiles and arcs, and knew the end goal. But the closer it got to November 1st, the more I dreaded it. Yes, I did think it was a good idea at the time. But there was just something about it that wasn’t sticking.

            I decided to go for it anyway – and failed. I sat down on Day 1 and looked at everything I had planned but couldn’t find anything I was excited about. I can’t remember if I wrote anything that day, but by November 2nd or 3rd, I quit. It was too much, and I just wasn’t motivated to do anything, not like I had been in 2022.

            If you’re trying to create a story idea or perhaps you have one down already, make sure you’re excited about it and can stay excited about it. It’s one thing to lose steam when you’re already in the process of writing, but when you start out with no motivation, you might need to rethink your idea. Remember, your goal is to write nearly 2000 words every day for 30 days. Will your idea keep you excited through at least the first week? If not, you might want to think about changing some things or even thinking of a different idea you know you will be excited about.

            Don’t make the mistakes I did. If you aren’t excited about your story from the beginning or you have no idea how it’s going to end, then it could harm your project. What’s the point of writing 50,000 words if you can’t do anything with them once you’re done?

Set a Time

            Setting a time isn’t something I really thought about when I did NaNoWriMo. Okay, fine, it’s not something I really think about now. But November is kind of a crazy month for my family and me between birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorating. In 2022 specifically, I was a freshman in college, I was working, and we had family come in from out of town for Thanksgiving. So a lot was going on, and I found that when I procrastinated my writing, it overlapped with family time.

            Maybe November isn’t as busy a month for you, but it’s still important to think about your schedule and figure out a time where you can sit down and write those 1667 words (especially the week of Thanksgiving. That was the hardest week for me). Also consider what times you tend to get more done. Do you prefer writing in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Is there a certain time of day you know you will be alone or have free time to focus on writing?

            Though NaNoWriMo is challenging and time consuming, you still shouldn’t have to sacrifice family time or other important things in order to get your daily word count in. Figure out a time where you can get your writing done so you can spend the rest of the day working on other things or spending time with family.

Personalize Your NaNoWriMo Profile

            This is one thing I actually think I did right, haha! On the NaNoWriMo website (nanowrimo.org), you need to create a profile so you can track your word count and progress on your project. The fun part is you get to personalize it. You can add pictures, add a synopsis and playlist to your project, list out favorite authors, and do other things to make your profile yours. I’ve always liked personalizing things, so this was the fun part.

            When you personalize your profile, opening it up every day in November can be refreshing and exciting. You are reminded of the authors that inspire you, you see pictures that you really like or that inspire your story. If people follow your profile, they can also see what you’re working on. It’s a fun process, and I highly recommend doing it!

Find a Friend

            This is of course optional, but I have found doing NaNoWriMo with a friend helps motivate me. In 2022, one of my best friends and I did NaNoWriMo (we actually didn’t plan it together – we just happened to both do it and found out about each other a couple days later). We followed one another’s progress and both celebrated on November 30th when we reached 50,000 words.

            Doing NaNoWriMo with a friend can keep you and your friend accountable as well as motivated. Most of us probably enjoy doing things with friends better than if we were to do it alone anyway. It can be fun talking about your stories – both the fun parts and the struggles – with your friend, and like with my best friend, you can both celebrate together whether you make it to 50,000 or not.

            If you can’t find a friend to do it with, you can post a picture of your progress on social media to keep yourself accountable. I’m sure your family or friends will cheer you on. Just accepting a challenge like NaNoWriMo is impressive because it shows how dedicated you are to writing and how willing you are to challenge yourself.

            NaNoWriMo also has a large writing community where you can follow other people’s progress, and if you make your profile public, they can follow your progress too. Don’t take this writing challenge alone. Find someone to talk with or to cheer you on!

            Writing 50,000 words in a month sounds daunting, but it’s achievable, as I and others can attest to. The goal is making the process as easy on yourself as possible. You can make it easier by having a plan, being excited for your project and your profile, finding the perfect time, and/or finding a friend. As you prepare for NaNoWriMo, remember to stay perseverant, even when you’ve reached the dull parts. The relief and accomplishment you feel on November 30th is worth it!

And don’t forget, completing NaNoWriMo isn’t a requirement to be an author. If you find your November is crazy or you just can’t find anything to write, it’s okay to try again the next year or create your own challenge during a time you can write. Or just write whenever you feel like it!

            Good luck!

To find out more about NaNoWriMo and what they offer, go to nanowrimo.org – you can also sign in to create your profile and set your writing challenge.

Check out my new short story Heirs of Power, available on Amazon Kindle! (Link is in "Stories" tab.)