YWP Participant Pep Talk: Reset Yourself.

We could all use a little extra cheerleading during NaNoWriMo—so, we asked some of our Young Writers Program participants to write and share their own pep talks! Today, YWP writer Plaksha D. is here to give you some extra pep:

Hey, writers!

So, you got the courage to brave this November. COOL! You have chosen to write, which is significant. But you stepped further and did something which sets you different from the crowd: You challenged yourself.

Yes, my buddy, first things first: give yourself a pat on your back because you took this decision. Now, to survive NaNo, you need to push yourself. You must, and I know you can. Your preparations are going… characters, settings, villains and all. And finally, now it’s time to decide what to do about your goals.

If you’re on track or ahead with your goals, great! But maybe you got over-excited, and you have set goals you will not achieve. Yes, you heard me right. Maybe you do not have a consistent writing habit. Maybe 200 words is the farthest you’ve gotten.

Listen, you are all lion-hearts for pushing yourself, but keep in mind the extent which you can bear. Imagine a 2-year-old weightlifting 30kg. If you find it hard to extract 500 words a day, maybe it’s time to reset the goal.

Or, reset yourself. 

A great speed and unlimited words require prominent strategies. You might need help amending yourself, so here are some of my tips for you.

1. Write.

Write every day. Go for word-sprints. The more you write, the more you know about your writing capabilities. After 2-3 days, when you get an average daily word-count, set new goals or increase counts by 50/80 words every-single day—even if that means you keep writing into December.

2. Let it go.

If you find it a bit difficult—take a break. And in this pause, do not think of it. Just leave it aside and go, grab some air or your TV remote or some chocolate and then come back, just focusing on your writing.

3. Talk to yourself on the page.

Probably this is the best thing I ever discovered. Imagine someone sitting in front of you who has no idea of what you want to deliver. How will you show/tell them that thing? Pour that talk into words. (Additionally, a great practice to get your dialogues realistic!)

4. Breathe and explore.

Go out of the walls and explore the beauty… because you are writing a story, my friend, which focuses on many unique, diverse scenes. Go for walks or a play. Just pen down your experiences.

5. Play Random and be a Panster.

Pick a scene or an experience you had (it can be from the above exercise!) Bonus points if it is as small as a sentence. Now brainstorm and develop a scene around it. Make sure while you do so, you do not reread what you have written. Just scribble whatever you are thinking. Because this can be a major turnback, avoid editing while drafting.

I hope my tips helped. So, you are now ready to crack it. If not physically, then be prepared mentally. You will achieve that goal!

But…

Even if you don’t, do not lose hope.

Because success is a journey, dear writer, not a destination.

Live the journey.

Happy Nano!

Plaksha D. is a thirteen-year-old chocoholic from India who admires learning new things. Obsessed with fantasy novels like Harry Potter, she is ambitious to have her works published one day. She is passionate in writing at any spare time she finds, of which most is balanced with her education, but feels fortunate for the boosting support and motivation her family shares. She is a bookworm and loves dancing, volleyball, and paints wildly. Fantasy, mystery, and poems is what she writes the most and adores nature with her words.

Photo Courtesy of Alex Alvarez via Unsplash.