You’ve heard a lot of crazy things about writing in November.

So you looked into it – maybe you asked a friend, maybe you Googled it – and discovered the details. Or maybe you haven’t looked into it much at all, but you love writing, and you’re intrigued.

So what is this “NaNoWriMo” thing, anyway?

NaNoWriMo / National Novel Writing Month
/na-noh-RY-moh

My definition: A yearly event, taking place in November, in which writers all over the world write a 50,000-word novel in only 30 days.

Official definition (from National Novel Writing Month on Wikipedia): [NaNoWriMo] is an annual, Internet-based creative writing project that takes place during the month of November.

50,000 words? In THIRTY DAYS?

It’s terrifying. When I first heard of it, I laughed: my writing schedule, at the time, consisted of writing 7,000 words per week. A whole novel seemed impossible.

But guess what? NaNo completely changed the way I write.

The prospect is scary, sure: it isn’t hard to be intimidated by something as big as this. And, to be honest, every writer who is partaking in NaNo this year is scared. We’re afraid of failure. Yes, even those of us who have been here for years.

And yet, we still show up. Year after year. Why? Because NaNoWriMo is a magical thing. It’s a beautiful, terrifying, proud, and incredible month. And you are going to own it.

So what do you need to know before you get started?

10 Things You Should Know Before Beginning NaNoWriMo:

You’ll get excited on that first day.

No matter how frightened you are beforehand, you will definitely get overexcited on November 1st. You’ll reach your daily word-count with ease, you’ll be itching for more, and you may even begin your next chapter.

Pro tip: to tame your first-day excitement, try beginning with both a prologue and a first chapter. Even if you delete the prologue later, you’ll be feeding your hunger to write constantly without getting too ahead of yourself.

(There’s nothing wrong with getting ahead, though! It’s actually a good thing, especially if you have a busy day coming up and you doubt you will have the time to write.)

The daily word-count is only 1,667.

Take it one day at a time. Don’t worry about tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day. Just focus on today, and remember that the daily WC is only 1,667. One chapter a day (or a chapter every other day, if you want longer chapters). You can do this.

You won’t reach your daily word-count every day.

On November 2nd one year, I had to make a trip that lasted all day. Spoiler alert: I didn’t get a single word in that day. And that’s okay.

So what if you didn’t get any of those badges for submitting words five days in a row? You’re writing an entire novel in 30 days. The virtual badges pale next to that. It isn’t hard to catch up once you’re behind, either, which brings us to the next point:

Take advantage of word sprints. (And make them fun!)

What are word sprints? Essentially, you set a timer for any desired amount of time (I usually do about 10-15 minutes), plant yourself in a chair, and write nonstop until the timer makes its little beeping sound.

It’s a wild few minutes, but it’s also wildly effective if you’re behind on your WC.

To make these lil’ suckers fun, keep track of how many words you can write in a certain amount of time, and try to beat previous records! If you have friends that do NaNo, try doing word sprints together for twice the fun. (Can you beat your best buddy at writing in 15 minutes? There’s only one way to find out.)

Don’t have time for 50,000? No problem, friend.

Lives are crazy. Between work, school, life, and other commitments, it’s hard to find the time to write the daily 1,667. Don’t sweat it, you’ve got other options!

Check out this post below on alternatives to the 50K:

Alternatives to Writing the NaNoWriMo 50K

First drafts are supposed to suck.

That’s the beauty of first drafts. You don’t have to worry about what’s going wrong now, and fix it later.

Drink a cup of coffee, put your butt in that chair, and keep going. Hey, that last chapter made no sense. So what?

Forget the rules.

As a writer, you’re supposed to break the rules.

Every writer (or person, for that matter) does things differently: while your friend may swear by the use of a Thesaurus, you could find it more natural to use your own words. Don’t let other writers’ rules and standards get in your way of writing a novel.

The Only Writing Rules You’ll Ever Need

Prep is your best friend.

NaNoWriMo Prep – How I Plan My Novels & Why it Works

NaNoWriMo includes publishing opportunities.

My first NaNo, I received a discount and self-published with that discount. They offer great opportunities down there at NaNo, and it’s an incredible place to get started on becoming an “author” instead of just a “writer.”

But, even if you don’t want to publish, that’s okay! It’s 100% optional, so don’t worry about it.

You. Can. Do. This.

I’m gonna let you in on a secret: for a writer, there is little more satisfying than leaning back in your chair on December 1st, gazing at your crappy novel with a tired smile. If you can do NaNo, you’re on top of the world. Suddenly, you can do anything. And you can’t wait for next year.

Ready to Get Started?

NaNoWriMo Official Website

---

Have any questions? Need an opinion or a critique? Please don’t hesitate to ask at any time before or even during NaNoWriMo! Comment with a link to your NaNo profile, or email me at likeaboss.writing@gmail.com.