We're heading into November pretty soon, which means a lot of YWSers will begin hectic work on their novels. So if you've done NaNoWriMo before, share your knowledge!
First off, for kids in school, don't let your quest to get 50,000 words interfere with your school work! Yes, it is very fun and intriguing to write that much in a month and be a part of it all but set your sights straight and remember that an education is priceless. Don't sit in front of your computer screen for twenty hours after school working on your novel when you have algebra homework that needs to be done. Heed my warning(:
Aim to be just that little bit ahead each day and when you are ahead, don't allow yourself to slack off because of it. Unless already planned, you should be aiming for at least 1670 words each day and if you know you can't do that, plan ahead and work in the over time.
Word wars are a good way to get the writing going and as hard as it is, try not to edit constantly. That's what killed me XD
Get as big a buffer as you can in the first few days while you're still fresh and excited. So, if you get in your 1667 words a day, go further! I ended up like 20k words ahead after the first few days.
It comes in handy in a few weeks when you are unexpectedly called out of town, or have a paper to catch up on, or just plain have a bad day.
So yeah, if you can, write as much as you can! Don't limit yourself to just the minimum each day, especially in the first few frantic days!
Aside from Rena's comment about keeping school work first, and Kitty's comment regarding word wars (I did this some last year), I think it's really important not to slack off. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Will it be tough sometimes? Yes.
Just. Keep. Writing. There will be days when your writer's block prevents you from even thinking. Sometimes, you might feel that all this writing is getting old. It's never a great idea to take a day off of writing, because then it'll be easier to take more days off. Soon you'll be behind.
Keep your NaNo backed up, whether it be a flash drive or something else.
Don't stay up late on school nights. Yeah, I know, a lot of writers write better late at night (I'm one of them) but, if anything, get up an hour or two earlier. Writing early in the morning will hopefully get your brain awake in time for school.
If possible, get your homework done during school or on the way home from school but try not to rush it.
Favorite snack foods? See if you can stock up on those during the month. I discovered last year that I usually forget to eat during NaNo but a good snack is always a good idea.
Keep music handy for inspiration.
Write more on the weekends! I don't mean give up your social calender or anything but write whenever possible. On a good Saturday or Sunday last year, I'd get in maybe 3-5,000 words in.
The Internet is your best and worst friend. Why? It's good to look up information and whatnot. Bad? It's a big distraction. Try to copy everything you think you'll need unto a Word document (names, histories, places, etc) and save it. This will save you a lot of time. When you do have to look things up, look them up and get offline right after.
To unwind, go outside if you can. Walk your dog, stroll around the neighborhood, something. Being glued to a computer screen for many hours can hurt your eyes.
That's all I can thing of so far, in addition to what everyone else already said.
-Kat/always
Meshugenah says to (18:12:36):
Kat's my new favorite. other than Sachi.
I haven't done NaNo officially, but I did accidentally do something like it midway through November last year - so I thought I would update this thread with a new post for the first time in eleven years.
My biggest piece of advice is to find someone to geek out about your story with. I was writing a fanfiction last year, so I ranted about my story to my friend that was in the fandom the fic was for. It was really cool having someone that got just as excited as I was, and also was a great way to brainstorm!
If you can - especially if you're in school - give yourself a cut-off time each night. For me, it's 8p.m.: after 8p.m., I do not do homework. After 8p.m. is for personal projects, especially my writing. This pushes me to do my homework earlier (rather than leaving it until right before bed the night before it's due) and reserves dedicated time for writing.
Pro-tip: do this year-round, not just during NaNoWriMo!
In addition - or if you can't give yourself dedicated writing time, for whatever reason - write in every spare moment you've got. This is what I did when I was in school full-time and working about 30 hours a week. If I had a break during class, I'd write. If I was on my break at work, I'd write. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there, it may not seem like much, but it adds up! It's amazing how much writing you can do in those little in-between times if you focus - it's basically like a little writing sprint every time!
On that note: always have a writing implement with you! Notes app in your phone, journal and pen, laptop, whatever - whatever you can carry with you and write on in those little five minute intervals, make sure it's with you always!
Finally, definitely seconding what @Magebird said: gotta find yourself a community! You can keep each other motivated through sharing the struggle, screaming encouragement at each other, and squealing over your books together.
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