NaNoWriMo tips, tricks, and advice

Last week, I outlined the reasons you should try the “National Novel Writing Month” (NaNoWriMo) if you’re interested in practicing your writing, and this week I’ll give you some tips to succeed during the NaNoWriMo challenge.

These tips aren’t just for NaNoWriMo hopefuls, however. I believe there are some good lessons here for any time you’re trying to write a long-form piece.

What makes me an expert? Nothing, actually. I won't claim to be a master. But I have completed NaNoWriMo before, and I liked the finished product enough that I’m sharing it with the whole world. 

More than that, the NaNoWriMo process has actually worked so well for me that it’s now the only way I write. I finished the first draft of my latest book (86,000 words) in 29 days, all thanks to the lessons I learned in NaNoWriMo.

So what is that process? What did I learn from NaNoWriMo? What a coincidence you should ask. It just so happens that I wrote a blog post about that very subject:

1. Write something

I said this in my last post, but it can’t be overstated. How do you fight writer’s block? You write through it.

Yes, sometimes you get stuck and you aren’t sure where to go. Sometimes you need a mental health day (or two). But I argue that the best cure for writer’s block is to keep writing.

Here’s my theory: writer’s block is really the fear that our writing won’t be very good. If you know how to spell, you can write something. Writer’s block just means you don’t think it will be something worth writing.

So that’s my advice: write. Worry about whether it’s good or not after you're finished, after you let the finished product rest and you can look at it as a whole package with fresh eyes. Not now.

Some tips: take a step back. Try to figure out where you want to go. What is your goal with this story? What is your goal in this particular scene? Look at the story as a whole. If you know where you’re going, go there. If you’re not sure where you’re going... well, you can actually still begin the journey. Let the story figure itself out.

Now is the time to write. Don’t let yourself doubt, don’t let yourself stop, and don’t ever, ever tell yourself your idea isn’t good enough. Writer’s block is just another way of saying you don’t think your writing will be good enough.

Don't believe that. Just write.

2. Your NaNoWriMo novel won’t be finished

A related point, and the single most important thing to remember when setting off on this challenge: your novel won’t be done by the deadline. Yes, your goal is to have a complete story, so in a sense it will be "done." You should have a beginning, middle, and end. That’s how you “win” NaNoWriMo, after all.

But you won’t be finished. You will still have to edit your novel. That’s no reason to dread the challenge, it’s actually a reason to celebrate. As I’ve said more than once, relaxing and learning not to edit while you write are keys to writing well. So don’t worry about making the novel perfect by the end of November. Just get something down. 

It's much easier to fix something that's on paper than it is to perfect it while it's still in your head.

So let it out.

3. Keep track of your work, but don’t put yourself in a box

It’s important not to fall behind when tackling a challenge like NaNoWriMo (and it is a challenge). You can’t write 500 words per day for the first 20 days and then try to pack the last 40,000 words into 10 days. But if you get on a roll, you don’t have to stop at 1,666 words. And if you’re too busy or too tired or your creativity just won’t flow, you can take some time off.

Here’s the key: always adjust your goals. If you write 3,000 words your first day, divide the remaining 47,000 words by 29 days to find out how many more words you need to write per day. If you skip a day, make sure to recalculate. You need to know what you have to do in order to finish. Falling too far behind can convince you to give up.

It’s so exciting to see your goal getting closer and closer, getting a sense of accomplishment at how far you’ve come. Use that word count as a motivator.

So those are my three top tips whenever I write something lengthy: 1. When writer’s block strikes, write through it, 2. Remember that my novel won’t be perfect when I finish the first draft, and 3. Keep track of my progress.

What are some other tips you find useful?