In the Trenches of Nano

It's November!!

Most Novembers are crazy for me (right behind #1 December and #2 May) because for the last several years I have participated in NaNoWriMo, where you write a 50,000 word novel in a month.  This November is extra crazy because S turns eight, which in our family means she will be getting baptized and having a birthday party and there will be a special night out with me and Terence where we share with her the basics about sex.  (Kind of a big month, really.)  So I'm already about to lose my mind.  But I'm still doing Nano-- in all honesty, I wouldn't have finished four novels in four years without it.  (Even though my novels are much longer than 50k words generally, the extra oomph from Nano is what gives me enough of a start so I can push the rest of the way through.)  So technically, a good deal of this madness is optional, but I am tackling it anyway.

Right now we are five days into Nano and I am currently on track with my word count.  But to be honest, it's been brutal, and part of me doubts that I am going to survive this.  However, I have won Nano five out of five tries so far so I refuse to give up!  For anyone who is tackling Nano too (but mostly for myself so I can remember my own tricks), here is my list of tips for winning Nanowrimo.

#1-- It's OK to be a rebel!

Nano is a voluntary thing.  There are no judges who will kick you out if you don't do it perfectly.  No, I'm not suggesting that you lie about your word count, or type "Here is my novel" over and over until you reach 50k.  But do you want to write something besides a novel?  Maybe your personal history?  Maybe a technical manual?  A screenplay?  A series of short stories instead of one novel?Poetry?  (OK, 50k words of poetry is some long-winded poetry, but maybe there are some Homers out there...)  In my case, I have done the first half of a novel one year, and finished it the next year. If you want to write, and you want to use Nano to motivate you, go for it!

#2-- Slow and steady wins the race.  

Yeah, I always hear from people to write as much as possible early one so that when they hit the mid-month slump they still stay on target, but this does NOT work for me.  Especially as a busy mom of five.  Everything falls apart.  I make sure I hit my daily target every day, but once I do, I take care of chores.   That way the dishes aren't piled up to the ceiling.  Nothing torpedoes my creativity faster than a house in complete chaos.

#3-- Write whenever you get the chance, even if you only have a small window.  

It's amazing how much fifteen minutes of time here and there throughout the day will add up.  Last year I spent a big chunk of time waiting between school pickups at a park with a notebook in my hand, writing longhand.  Then later I would type it up into my official manuscript.  It really made 1,700 words a day more manageable.

#4-- Spend time when you can't write plotting out what is going to happen next.

I do this when I am driving.  Since I spend a lot of time in the car anyway, I put on a playlist of songs that inspires me and then I brainstorm about the characters and what might happen.  That way when I do have time to write I'm not staring at the screen blankly, unsure about what comes next.

#5-- Stay away from social media.

It's a time suck.  We all know it.  If you are going to write a novel in a month, you just can't waste time scrolling through your facebook newsfeed and watching YouTube videos.  Even the Nano forums can steal your time if you're not careful.

#6-- Make your daily word count non-negotiable.

If you really want to succeed at Nano, it has to take priority over other stuff.  We all have stuff we do no matter what, barring extreme emergencies.  In my case, scripture study and exercise happen no matter what, and I put my nano writing right after that.  Otherwise, something else will always come up.  Always.  If you truly want this, give it priority.  If you don't, no worries!  There's no penalty for quitting.  Or for hitting less than 50k.  Whatever you do finish is more than you would have written otherwise.  But if you want to win, make the writing non-negotiable.

And there's my blog post for the month of November.  Happy writing everyone, and I'll see you on the other side!