{"id":2537,"date":"2021-11-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draft2digital.com\/blog\/?p=2537"},"modified":"2021-11-02T14:31:54","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:31:54","slug":"how-to-prepare-for-nanowrimo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draft2digital.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-nanowrimo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s that time of year again\u2014cooler temperatures, pumpkin spice lattes, and National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo<\/a>. If you\u2019re wondering how to prepare for NaNoWriMo\u2014and whether it\u2019s even possible to prepare for writing an entire novel in a single month\u2014you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NaNoWriMo is a challenge that every author should attempt at least once: write the entire first draft of a novel, from start to finish, in a single month. This might sound terrifying, but the daily word count to complete a 50,000-word novel is actually quite manageable: 1,667 words a day, assuming you write every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, developing a daily writing habit<\/a> is the hardest part of writing a novel, and that\u2019s where NaNoWriMo comes in. Do you need<\/em> to cram the novel-writing process into just 30 days? Nope. But can it help you finish a novel in weeks instead of years? You bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official NaNoWriMo rules state that you can\u2019t start writing that novel until November 1, but there\u2019s plenty you can do ahead of time to prepare! So heed our advice, and take advantage of the lead time to do a little bit of prep. NaNoWriMo actually offers a multi-week prep course<\/a> for the hardcore planners out there, but don\u2019t despair. Even with just a few days to go, you can set yourself up for success this November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are our top 5 tips for how to prepare for NaNoWriMo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Schedule your daily writing time and targets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pick the time of day when you plan to write each day for NaNoWriMo, then actually block off that time on your calendar. Whatever you do, don\u2019t plan to \u201cwrite when you can.\u201d That catch-as-catch-can time somehow never seems to materialize, so set your writing time aside in advance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, craft a writing schedule that works for you. Maybe writing 1,667 words each day works just fine, or maybe you need to scale back during the week and write more on weekends. Whatever your ideal writing schedule looks like, add that to your calendar too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This daily planning process helps a lot with eliminating <\/strong>overwhelm<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> 50,000 words might sound like a crazy number, but 1,600 isn\u2019t so bad, right? Approach NaNoWriMo like eating an elephant\u2014one bite at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Create an outline (even if you\u2019re a pantser)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever noticed how writing gets more manageable if you have something <\/em>on the page, even if it\u2019s not all that great? Our brains sometimes get overwhelmed by the vast potential of a blank canvas. But make a start ahead of time\u2014even a modest one\u2014and at least you\u2019ll have something to react to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plotters have an advantage with challenges like NaNoWriMo for this reason, but for pantsers, even a high-level outline will do. Just brainstorm a few broad plot points and write them down so you start to understand the beats of the story you plan to write. These can always change later if the characters take charge and demand it. It\u2019s still your story, after all! But an outline helps the writing continue even when you\u2019re staring at an empty screen and wondering what the heck should happen next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not sure where to start with an outline, try the Snowflake Method<\/a>. You begin with just a simple sentence or two, and expand outward from there. Pantsers can stop whenever they feel ready, and plotters\u2014well, go nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: Get your notes and research together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been jotting down notes and collecting images, music, or other inspiration related to your writing project, gather it all in one place, whether that\u2019s a physical notebook<\/a> or a folder on your desktop, so you don\u2019t have to search for it on November 1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need to do any research to answer questions that came up as you wrote your outline, do it now. That way, you won\u2019t get distracted by an internet rabbithole when you sit down to write. You can always put a pin in things and come back to them later. In November, your focus should be getting the first draft down, not getting every detail pitch-perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So pull together Pinterest boards, Spotify playlists, images, and notes that you plan to use in the writing process, and organize them in a way that makes sense to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another helpful exercise during this stage is to flesh out your characters<\/a>. Do some character development exercises or create a character Bible so you aren\u2019t fumbling for those details in November, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4: Prep your workspace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you can, clear your writing desk of anything that isn\u2019t related to your novel. Make sure you have a functional keyboard, working computer with word processor, and any other writing tools<\/a> you plan to use during the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once your desk is tidied and your tools gathered, lay everything related to writing out on your workspace so it\u2019s highly visible and catches the eye. These might be things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n