5 Tips for NaNoWriMo from Raine Summers, Doubt Dispeller

Need tips for making the most of NaNoWriMo? Today, Raine Summers, long-term Wrimo and Young Writers Program participant brings us her five best ways to help you banish Doubt and keep your writing going strong:

Welcome to the home stretch of NaNoWriMo!

Now, how is your novel? Have you failed yet? Why are you doing this? You can’t do this. You’re crazy. You should quit while you’re ahead.

You hear that?

That’s the voice of Doubt. It’s annoying, and very rude. And somehow, it knows exactly what you’re doing and how to prevent you from doing it. Doubt whispers at the best of us. Even now, in a dark corner of my mind, that skeptical voice is nagging: Why are you writing a pep talk? You’re just a little girl wearing pumpkin socks. They made a mistake choosing you.

But I don’t believe that voice. And you shouldn’t either. Here are five surefire ways to dispel the Doubt and get you inspired this week:

1. Slip on your pumpkin socks.

Seriously. Make yourself comfortable. Surrounding yourself with things you love will shut down the negativity and encourage your creative side. Don’t comb your hair. Sit down to write with your new notebook in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. Eat some chocolate. Relax. Whatever makes you the most comfortable, do that.

2. Envelop your muse in encouragement. 

Listen to ridiculously upbeat songs. Try “Tomorrow” from Annie or “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, or whatever makes you feel happy and inspired. Make a playlist. Listen to it on repeat. Read your favorite books, books about writing, and books in your genre. Buy NaNoWriMo t-shirts and wear them with pride. Find people who support you, either in real life or online. Believe that you can do this or, at least, that you can try.

3. Challenge yourself (and your pride).

Pour all your effort into writing. Ask people to hold you accountable to your goal, so that you’ll try harder to make this happen. Participate in countless Word Wars and Word Sprints and Word Crawls. This month, words are your life. So write as many as you can. And just when you think you can’t write any more? Write another hundred.

4. Try something new.

Order a different sandwich. Switch from writing on the computer to writing on paper, or vice versa. Buy and wear a ridiculous hat, and call it your writing cap (bonus points for each stare you receive).

Changing little, regular things in your life can change your perspective on your novel. And maybe that’s just what you need to persevere. Throw in a subplot about a conspiracy, or a teenager from the circus, or your main character discovering their doppelganger. And then thank the writing cap profusely.

5. If all else fails, just keep writing.

Ah, the old standby. The reality is, no one can write this novel except you. You can. And I believe you will. There may be complications—something may come up in the middle of the month, or you’ll discover a gaping plot hole, or your character’s personality will change. So what? Go with it!

Maybe that character is supposed to be different than you’d intended. Maybe you can draw inspiration from the not-so-great things happening in your life to make a fantastic, totally down-to-earth novel. You’ve got this.

In the end, who cares about the word count? You are a writer. You’ve been appointed by the universe to create worlds that can never be destroyed, so long as you decide to populate them with your characters and ideas and dreams.

You only have a month to write.

What are you waiting for?

Raine Summers is a fifteen-year-old someday-author, with a passion for words, music, and comfy sweatshirts. She’s working on a couple novels right now, one of which you can read here. Happy NaNoWriMo!

Top background by Flickr user Sky Noir.