With NaNoWriMo fast approaching next month, I always get asked what’s the best way to prepare for such a hectic November? Having taken part in NaNo on and off since 2011, I’ve become accustomed for preparing as much as I can. In NaNo’s terms, I am more of a planner than a pantser but in recent years I’ve been both of them in equal amounts (a plantser if you will). So today I’m sharing the tips and tricks that I find really help me to feel confident going into this writing challenge November 1st. These may help you, they may not. But either way, I’ve found sticking to these help me sucessfully write 50,000 words in 30 days.
#1. Have SOME Kind Of Outline Of What To Write
In the years I’ve taken part in NaNoWriMo, I have found that going in completely blind with a very vague idea has seen me fail. In 2018, I decided to try writing a horror story that only had a little bit of background behind it. And thus, I ended up tapping out halfway through. When I wrote Changing States for NaNo last year, I had the story mostly planned (save for a few details to give me some wiggle room) and I found I did much better. I even got a personal best last year too! Although I did change a few key notes in the story as I went through writing it, having an outline was super useful to me and made sure my head was in the right place. Unless you feel better off not having a plan and jumping straight into the deep end. If you’re that kind of person, I am both horrified and envious of you.
#2. Get A NaNoWriMo writing schedule in place
During the years I’ve been taking part in this challenge, I’ve had to juggle other things around NaNo such as working full time, having a social life and just making sure I’m taking care of myself. This year will prove quite a challenge for me as I start a new job on November 2nd. But with that information in mind, I’ve chosen to get a schedule to write something every day. At the moment I’m planning to dedicate at least an hour each evening to getting words down for the challenge. However, I’ve also been mindful that things may happen in my day which mean I may not write as much as I’d like. For this, I’ve chosen two of the days during the week where I’ll try and aim to hit a certain word count. This will mean that if I can’t write one day, it won’t affect my streak.
#3. Tell Everyone About The Challenge
The first couple of times I did NaNo, I didn’t really tell anybody what I was doing. I didn’t want people to know about it in case I failed and that way, nobody would know I failed at something. And because I’d only just started at the time I didn’t know if I’d actually be able to pull it off. Now that I’ve got a few wins under my belt, I feel more than happy telling people about what I’m doing. I’ve found that if people know that I’ve got this challenge to do, I’m more likely to complete NaNo. So I’ve spent most of October (and September) telling people that I’m taking part in the challenge. You can all hold me accountable too if I don’t complete it!
#4. Get An Inspiration Bank For Your Story
I cannot stress enough how amazing and helpful inspiration banks are to me. So much so I plan to dedicate a full post on here about them. But for now, I will just summarise. An inspiration bank is a collection of different things that give off the aesthetic and vibe of the story you’re planning. It can range from anything to music, TV shows, films, memories, news stories, even people. I currently have an inspiration bank for my debut series which I go to a lot when I’m working on it. And for my NaNo project this year (a romance with the working title of Needlepoint), I’ve got music, films, photographs, even TikToks that I go to when I need to get into the zone.
#5. It’s Okay If You Don’t Complete NaNoWriMo
Something that is always in the forefront of my mind is that if I do happen to fail the challenge, it’s not a bad thing. This year in particular has been incredibly difficult for all of us and I almost considered not doing the challenge at all. But ultimately, I wanted to at least give it a go since I couldn’t afford to publish another book. And I know lots of other people are feeling the same way. Even if you don’t get to the 50,000 word count, you still have something to work with.
I have a great example of this to tell people; in 2015 I tried to write a science fiction novel for NaNoWriMo that year. Unfortunately because I was struggling with my mental health at the time, I only got to the 21,000 word mark. But I kept that first draft incase I ever went back to it in the future.
Fast forward to 2017-2018 and that failed NaNo attempt became The Ascension of Melanie Winters my debut novel!
So even if you don’t complete the challenge, it’s totally fine. It’s not the difference between life and death; you’ll still have something to work with and even revisit at a later time.
I hope my preperation tips have helped you out if you’re panicking and if you are taking part in NaNoWriMo next month, I wish you all the best of luck! You can also add me as a writing buddy here if you wish.
