Happy (late) Thanksgiving! I hope you're all enjoying a break from school/work and time to spend with your families. And since it's officially the day after Thanksgiving... Merry Christmas!
(We're casually ignoring this weird blog site switch + the fact that I haven't posted in months+ other changes for now.)
Three years ago, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time (in case you've never heard of NaNoWriMo, it's a writing challenge that pushes authors to complete a 50,000 word draft within one month. Yeah, it's as insane as it sounds.). This was an amazing experience that was incredibly challenging, but even more rewarding. It definitely pushed me from being interested in writing to actually becoming a writer.
Unfortunately, I'm not able to participate in NaNoWriMo this year due to school, work, life, etc. However, I know a lot of you are trying to write 50,000 words this month, and I want to encourage you guys (as well as anyone who may be considering trying NaNoWriMo in the near future... *wink wink*).
It's almost the end of the month! The end is near, and you have one week left to reach your word count goal! It may seem like you're never going to get there... to stay on track during NaNoWriMo, you have to write nearly 2,000 words per day. That's a lot of words, and if you aren't able get to that word count each and every day, you can fall behind pretty fast. But just because you get behind doesn't mean you can't still succeed!
I didn't write 2,000 words per day. There were some days when I wrote less (or not at all), but there were also days when I wrote double or even triple my target word count for the day. That's how creativity works- our ideas ebb and flow. Some days are going to be better writing days than others; that's a fact.
All of that to say: Don't stress yourself out over daily word counts! It's okay to veer slightly from the recommended daily goal. However, I will say that looking back on my NaNoWriMo experience, I'd recommend trying your very best to write some words every single day (maybe give yourself one day to be completely "off", such as Thanksgiving). Even if you only write 50-100 words in a particular day, you've still written something, and that will push you even just a tiny bit further towards your ultimate goal.
If you're way behind and you feel like it's really going to take a miracle to get you to 50,000 words by the end of November, DON'T GIVE UP! You can do it!
Make a schedule of the time you have left. If at all possible, choose a few days when you know you'll have a lot of free time. Then commit to using certain times during those days for writing only. I know it's hard to commit to writing for a long period of time (especially if you're tired and the story isn't coming together and the whole thing is starting to feel tedious), so here are two suggestions for helping you to better manage your time:
- Limit other distractions. This could mean finding a place where you can be alone and have complete silence (if that helps you; seclusion isn't always helpful to me), putting in earbuds and not actually listening to music (blissful silence), or turning off your phone entirely. I know several writer friends who turn off their WiFi or set restrictions on their laptops so that they can only access their documents while writing.
- Get an "accountability partner". Find a buddy (writer or otherwise) who can sit down with you and help you stay on task and keep working. Maybe even hand over your phone for a bit and tell them not to give it back until you've reached a certain word count (hehe).
Speaking of friends, writing with a friend is one of my favorite ways to be productive while keeping writing fun! Joy and I participated in NaNoWriMo together back in 2015, and we had a lot of fun writing together (sometimes in person, sometimes via Skype). We kept in touch via text and we'd do "word sprints" together (word sprints are a sort of game where you set a specific amount of time (i.e. 15 minutes) and then just write as many words as you can within that time, not really thinking about the quality of the context (you can edit later).).
You can also join your regional group via the NaNoWriMo site. Different regions will host a variety of events that allow you to have fun, connect with other writers, and write in good company. Most regions have a group chat as well for support, help, word sprints, etc., etc.
And hey, when all is said and done, remember that even if you aren't able to write 50,000 words by the end of November, LIFE GOES ON. It will be okay; you're still going to finish an amazing novel and share your story with the world. NaNoWriMo really can be hard, and you've taken on a huge challenge just by beginning. Life is busy and uncertain, and it gets in the way of our best-laid plans sometimes. That's okay.
Nevertheless, I do believe in you! A week is plenty of time to catch up, write ALL THE WORDS, and achieve your goal. You're gonna win! So what are you waiting for?
Go kill this novel thing, WriMos!
(P.S. If you're a writer but NaNoWriMo still sounds like the most terrifying thing in the world to you, please don't be scared of it. Go for it. Do hard things. It's an awesome experience, I promise you.)
Have an amazing rest of your weekend, friends.
Thanks for reading!
-Anna
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