Reading, Writing, and NaNoWriMo Prepping

I only need to finish one more book, and I'll have beaten my Goodreads Reading Challenge of reading 25 books in 2017! I'd like to get a few more in before the end of the year, but it's time for another lofty goal. Enter National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

If you haven't heard of NaNoWriMo, it's an event held every November that encourages writers to dish out 50,000 words in 30 days. So, 1,667 words a day. 😳 Considering Thanksgiving is this month, and the prep work alone will take a half a day, I'll be aiming for 2,000 words each day to make up for any off days.

I also have to keep in mind that I'll be doing client writing throughout the month too. It's going to be a month full of words.

To be honest, I'm feeling a little intimidated, but I can't wait to get started!

My aunt opened my eyes to NaNoWriMo a few years ago when I told her I wanted to write a book. It's something I've wanted to do for a while now, and with my freelance schedule, it finally seems like the perfect time.  I don't expect to be finished writing my book after the 30 days are complete, but I'll have a rock-solid foundation. 

My favorite genre to read is historical fiction. The book I'm writing will be a mix of historical fiction and chick lit, taking place in two time periods. I may divulge more about it in a November blog post, but for now, I'll leave it at that.

I'm very new to the whole novel writing thing. My writing up to this point has been articles, blog posts, journal entries, eBooks, and a random poem here and there. So needless to say I have been watching oodles of videos about NaNoWriMo and how to plan a novel. 

I've decided I'm definitely am not a pantser (someone with no plan for what they're writing, they just sit down and write). Probably more of a plantser, a blend of a pantser and a planner/plotter. Currently, I have all my notes in a journal I've devoted to NaNoWriMo. This weekend I'll be moving my plot ideas over to index cards so I can visualize a little better, brainstorm some more, and maybe move the order around a bit before I get started writing next month.

I ordered two books earlier this week for research on the historical part of my novel. Only this week did I decide I wanted to add another plot line and the second time period, so I'm a little late in the game with my research. I'm hoping I have time to go through and do some highlighting before November.

7 Tips for 50,000 Words in 30 Days 

As I mentioned, I've been doing a bit of research about how to survive kick butt at NaNoWriMo. Here are a few of the major points I heard repetitively from previous participants. 

1. Plan ahead. Unless you're comfortable being a pantser, generate either a basic premise or a complete outline for your novel. Leading up to November finish all of your research, create your settings and characters, etc. Racheal Stephen has a lot of advice on Preptober to get you prepared for NaNoWriMo on her YouTube channel.
2. Join in the community of other writers taking part in NaNoWriMo. Writing buddies can give you encouragement, relate to what you're going through, and even keep you more accountable to your writing efforts.
3. Create a tracking system to record your daily word count. Boho Berry has a great one you can print off and paste into your NaNoWriMo journal. 
4. Establish a rewards system. To keep yourself motivated throughout the month incentivize each milestone. Mine is similar to Kristen Martin's and tacked to every 10,000 words. I have incentives for when I hit 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, and 50,000 words. Each one has a little more value than the previous. So, after writing 10,000 words, I'll buy myself a dark chocolate bar and take an hour to work on some watercolor painting. Some of the other rewards I have in mind are fresh flowers, a pedicure, and a new book.
5. Identify a few playlists to listen to while you write or consider creating your own. I like listening to music without words while writing and have a few saved already. This one called Piano in the Background is my go to on Spotify.
6. No editing, just write. NaNoWriMo is all about fast drafting. Don't waste time going back to edit, there will be time for that later.
7. Have fun! Remember to enjoy the process and the act of writing. NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun. 

Let me know in the comments below if you've completed NaNoWriMo before. I'd love to hear about your experience and any tips you might have.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Let's be writing buddies. Connect with me on Twitter or Instagram and let's connect to encourage each other as we work through the craziness that will surely be November.