5 Tips for NaNoWriMo from Gwen Hicks, Writer's Block Mythbuster

Need tips for making the most of NaNoWriMo? Every week, we’ll bring you five tips to turn each week of writing into a 100% success. Today, Gwen Hicks, our NaNoWriMo editorial intern brings you her five tips for jumping over any Week Two hurdles:

Welcome to the second week of NaNo—you’ve already come so far, and you’re going to go so much farther. You are unstoppable! I’m cheering for you all the way from HQ. At the risk of destroying my reputation as a gentle sweater-wearing goof, I’m going to have to start off my list of five tips with something I know you won’t want to hear.

Are you ready? Are you sure? Okay. Here goes.

1. Remember: writer’s block isn’t real.

Yeah, you heard me. Writer’s block is just an excuse that writers—myself included—fall back on when they’re afraid that what they write won’t be up to their usual standards, or even any good. If you only write when you’re “inspired,” you’ll never get anything done.

Not everything you write is going to be perfect. Some of it may even be kind of bad. That’s okay. Every writer you idolize has off days. You will, too. The trick to writing regularly is being brave enough to accept that you might disappoint yourself—and sharp enough to remember that the time to nitpick is after it’s finished.

Your writing might not always be perfect, but it will always grow—and nothing breeds more words like words do.

2. Pull a Ray Bradbury.

Not literally, or anything. Let the poor man rest in his grave on Mars.

Bradbury had a sign over his typewriter for 25 years that said, “DON’T THINK!” Steal that idea. Make your handwriting extra scary. “You must never think at the typewriter,” he said. “You must feel.”

3. Start talking to yourself.

Receiving wary glances is a necessary hazard of the writerly profession. If I’m ever stuck on a scene, I utilize my best crazed pacing and start ad-libbing dialogue.

Do what the old-schoolers used to do—invest in a sound recorder and think out loud. Ramble. You’ll end up with something unexpected every time.

4. Do a “choose your own adventure.”

Trapped in an uncooperative scene? List all the different ways it could end, from the outlandish to the believable. Pick your favorite.

5. Find your own inspiration.

Director Hayao Miyazaki is responsible for a plethora of films that inspired me growing up, but none more so than Kiki’s Delivery Service, a magical coming-of-age story about a witch in training. It’s also a subtle allegory for the creative process and experience.

In the third act, Kiki “loses” her powers. She goes to visit her painter friend, who says that magic and art are functionally the same: you do it with what’s inside of you, and you have to find your own inspiration. Can’t fly (or in this case, write)? Then stop trying—start doing. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Write because you want to, not because you feel like you have to.

No matter what happens this month, I hope that you keep writing. I hope that you keep loving it and hating it and never wanting to do it again and wanting to do it so badly that even breathing feels wasteful.

Stop thinking. Breathe in. Have an adventure.

Let’s go forth and hit that 50k together! I know that we can.

Love you all lots,

Gwen

Top photo background from Flickr user AlicePopkorn.