How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

The next time I update this blog, it’ll be November. More specifically, it’ll be two days into NaNoWriMo, a writer’s favorite time of year I plan on going hard this year and invite anyone who reads this blog to join me!

The Checklist

NaNoWriMo has been pushing material to help you plan and get started, and now that it’s coming down to the wire, they’ve released a checklist. Some of the best ideas include planning your meals by the week and grabbing all the non-perishable items before the month starts, deep cleaning now, and designating a writing space for yourself.

Stock up on writing fuel! Consider planning out your meals by week or by month and buying all your non-perishable groceries in one big trip.Bookmark a few quick and easy recipes (crock pots are your friend!), or consider making and freezing meals ahead of time.Deep clean the spaces you’re responsible for (whether that’s your house, your room, or even just your computer files) before the month begins.If you have any big work/school items due in November, see if you can extend the deadline or get as much as possible done in October.Designate a special writing place for yourself. Try not to make it the same place you do work or chores; but if it is, how can you make it special for writing? (i.e a candle, a picture, certain music. Whatever helps you feel creative!)Make a “Do Not Disturb” sign, or choose some other obvious signal (a hat? headphones?) to let the people around you know they should leave you alone.Inform your friends and family that you’ll be writing this month. Tell them how important it is to you and let them know you might have to prioritize writing over socializing.Ask someone if they’ll be your accountability buddy. They don’t have to read your writing, but even just a “Hey, have you written yet today?” text can help keep you on track.

And they have space on the checklist for you to add your own action items. I’ll be sharing some of my easy writer meals and some pictures of my writing setup. I’m so excited to get started!

The Quiz

The website also offers a quiz to help you design your writing schedule for the month. My result was:

Time is your friend.

For one reason or another, you’re able to dedicate a lot of time to your creative writing right now. That’s awesome! But fair warning: this can be a double-edged sword. Your first step is to structure that time.

Reserve two blocks of focused writing time during your day: i.e., an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, or two hours in the morning and an hour in the evening. Choose blocks of time during which you know it’s unlikely for you to be interrupted and likely for you to be able to focus.

If you use a calendar app, block out your proposed writing times now. If you don’t use a calendar app, set a recurring alarm for the start of both your writing blocks.

The Structure: Two blocks of uninterrupted writing time a day.The Goal: 1,667 words a day if you’re writing 50,000 words.Try This: Use the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes of writing, followed by a 5-minute break, then repeat.

I’m also excited to share that I’ve completed my plot outline for my NaNoWriMo work-in-progress! It was so helpful to sit down and work on it because I know I need to add scenes. I’m currently revising my index cards so I know where the scenes go.

Add Me on nanowrimo!

Let’s be writing buddies! Let me know your NaNoWriMo plans!

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