Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: How to Make It Through the Month

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Aisha Saeed is here to share her advice on how to take care of yourself while you’re writing:

Welcome to week two of NaNoWriMo! I’m honored to be a coach this month because NaNoWriMo is how I found the determination and motivation to finish my debut young adult novel, Written In The Stars. In the hopes of paying it forward here are some quick tips that helped me I hope will help you!  

1. Write with a friend! 

Back in 2009 when I was working on my novel, a friend introduced me to NaNoWriMo. She asked if I wanted to take it on together. A month to complete a 50,000 word novel felt like a huge task and I was pretty sure I couldn’t do it, but having a friend made all the difference. We cheered each other on, met up for coffee dates, and when we couldn’t meet up we texted each other about word counts for the day. If you don’t have a friend to write with, it’s not too late! Check out the NaNoWriMo forums and look at the meet ups that might be happening near you. It’s a great way not only to write together with others, but to perhaps make a friend or two. 

2. Be bold and proud about taking on NaNoWriMo this month. 

It can be intimidating to announce you’re writing a novel. I encourage you to share it with the world! At the very least make sure to let friends and family know. A 50,000 word novel requires time away and to yourself to do what you need to do. It means sometimes you’ll say no to a hang out or a sporting event. Let those close to you know about this huge undertaking and ask for their support. As a mama to three boys, I let my partner know we’ll be eating a bit more take out than usual and the house will be messier. It’s okay! The dishes will always pile up—but NaNoWriMo is a month for you to do something for you. 

3. Front load your word count when you can. 

I said this before and I’ll say it again: 50,000 words in the span of one month, which also includes Thanksgiving holidays, is hard. Whenever I do NaNoWriMo, I never get any writing done around Thanksgiving because family is visiting and there are turkeys to be baked and stuffing to be chopped. Now, I plan ahead. I make sure to block out days I know I won’t get any writing done and find less busy days to get that extra word count in to make sure I hit my goal. Then, if I do get some time during Thanksgiving to write, it’s a bonus but I’m not hard on myself for enjoying the holidays and taking some time off. 

4. Write through the UGH! 

First drafts are hard. First drafts are ugly. I’m currently working on my ninth novel and I’m sorry to report this fact remains as true as it ever did. There are going to be many times this month you will feel discouraged by your writing and the story. Taking an idea that’s rested beautifully in your mind’s eye and tackling it onto a page is never easy. Your book will improve with time, but first drafts are not about getting the story perfect. They are about getting the words down, creating a ‘lump of clay’ that you will shape into the story that it will ultimately be. I’ve learned to write through the ugly first draft by allowing myself permission to acknowledge this.  

As I write first drafts, I literally write in parenthesis this: (UGH). After a bad chapter or sentence just to vent the frustration about how hard it is, and how bad the sentence or chapter is, I write (UGH) to acknowledge, yes this isn’t what I had in mind, and then I give myself permission to let it go and keep on going. Another author friend highlights the bad sentences as she goes to remember to focus on them on the next round, while yet another friend leaves comments on her document with notes about something to look into more once the first draft is done. This is by no means necessary, but if you feel you are avoiding writing because of how bad the writing feels—take heart that nearly every writer I’ve ever asked feels exactly the same way, and if you need a little short cut to give your permission to write ugly drafts, take it!

Aisha Saeed is the New York Times bestselling author of WRITTEN IN THE STARS, which was listed as a best book of 2015 by Bank Street Books and a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick For Reluctant Readers. She is also the author of the middle grade novel AMAL UNBOUND, which was a Summer 2018 Indie Next Pick and an Amazon Best Book of the Month; has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus; and was a Global Read Aloud for 2018. She has a forthcoming picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™.