How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a 50,000-word writing challenge held every November. To help you take part in and win NaNoWriMo this year, we’ve broken down how to prepare for NaNoWriMo into three steps: 
 

• NaNoWriMo: Preparing to Be a Writer 

Writing 1,666 words every day for 30 days gives us a great insight into what it’s like to be a full-time author. But to mirror the daily word count of a full-time author, we need to give ourselves the time and space to do so. We can do this by time-blocking and setting up our writer's desk.  
 
Let’s start by carving out the time we need to hit our daily word count goals. Before even looking at your weekly schedules, take the time to track how long it takes you to write 1,666 words. Write 1,666 words a day for a few days in a row. Then take the average time you need to get the words down, which will help you schedule your NaNoWriMo writing block with accuracy.  
 
Now that you’ve found the time to write every day, you need to find the space to write. Where you write is totally up to you. It could be at your desk, on the sofa or at your favourite cafe. As long as this space inspires you to write, it doesn’t matter where you set up camp.  
 

• NaNoWriMo: Preparing to Write 

 The easiest way to win NaNoWriMo is to have your story outlined before you begin. If you have time to write out a plot, check out our Writing A Plot: Outlines and Obscurities to help you get started.  
 
If you’re more of a pantser, or it’s already November 1st when you’re reading this, fear not! All you need to get started is a brief idea of your character and what their story is.  
 To get to know your characters better, read our post on How to Flesh Out Your Characters. 
 To hash out your character’s story, jot down: 
 

• Where does your character’s journey begin? 
• What call-to-adventure does your character answer? 
• How does your character answer this call the wrong way? 
• How does your character then answer this call the right way? 
• Where does your character’s journey end? 

 
Remember, none of the answers to the questions above are set in stone. This is just an exercise to get your story moving.  
 

• NaNoWriMo: Preparing to Stay Motivated 

 NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge, don’t beat yourself up if you start to fall behind.  
 The easiest way to get back on track is to buddy up with people with the same goal as you. Get some friends together to go to the local cafe or library, or find an online writing community that you like, and get stuck in. It may also be tempting to keep writing over the daily 1,666-word goal when you’re on a roll, but to keep momentum over the entire month it’s best to stop when you hit your daily target. We know this seems counterintuitive, but stopping when you still have the energy will motivate you to return to your story tomorrow. 
 
When you've won NaNoWriMo, our team of Developmental Editors would love to read your work. They're here to offer insightful feedback to bring you one step closer to publication.  
 
Happy NaNoWriMo, everyone!