Hello, fellow nerds! Happy November. If you’re a writer, then you know exactly what’s going down over the course of the next four weeks. Why, National Novel Writing Month, of course! I get questions all the time on my tips for how to survive this insane time. I’ve got a video today, (partly humorous and party serious), about some of the things that worked for me.
What NaNoWriMo Tricks Worked For Me?
Here’s the cliff notes version:
- Software. What else, right? Having the right software in place can mean the difference between meeting that November 30th deadline and losing your mind. Two tools that I’ve used for NaNo are Scrivener and Ulysses.
- Setup Your Schedule. Know when you can write and how much time you can devote to writing on each day. Don’t blindly allocate 1500 words to every day. Check out my free calendar download at the end of this post to help you plan.
- Plot That Puppy. Don’t try and pants your way through NaNo. If you can, you are a serious rockstar. If you can’t, your approach is sure to send you into panic mode. Take some time to map out where your story is going and how the characters will follow. If possible, schedule the days you’ll write certain chapters or scenes.
- Social Media Freeze. It seems like there’s a trend on social media. People either post really awesome stuff or really terrible stuff. Guess what you’re going to get for NaNo? Exactly. If you find it encouraging, then use it. Otherwise, take a break!
- Don’t Edit. It’s tough, I know, but editing will only slow you down. Instead, keep a notebook nearby or use the notes section in your favorite writing software to capture anything you missed. You can always go back and add it in later.
For more details on reach of these approaches, check out my video below:
YouTube
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