Writer's Wednesdays: Preparing yourself for NaNoWriMo (2018)

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With November just around the corner, writers around the world are scrambling to prep themselves for the beast known as NaNoWriMo. Maybe you're one of those crazy-yet-admirable people. In that case, here's a guide to preparing yourself for NaNoWriMo. (For those of you short on time, there's an infographic at the bottom of the page that summarizes the post.)

Plan

I think I hear a bunch of pantsers groaning in the back. Not to fear--when I say plan, I don't just mean your novel. I mean everything. Okay, maybe you can fear a little. Nonetheless, plan everything if you're able. Exercise, meals, doctor's appointments--whatever can be planned for that month, plan.

Try, if you're able, to plan in time blocks as well. For instance, if you think that your weekly family game night takes about two hours, then schedule that in your planner. Every bit of time counts during NaNoWRiMo, and even half an hour can make quite the difference. 

Register your account

Again, this is more about time than anything. Registering your account with the NaNoWriMo organization can take a very long time, especially if you're anything like me and have to have everything perfect.

In addition, NaNoWriMo often gives out helpful hints in the #preptober newsletter, and you can't get those if you're not signed up.

Do your research

Need to figure out the average lifespan of an orangutan? Do so now. I'll say it once more--wasting time in the competition can mean getting behind on your word count goal, and therefore, you may lose. So, even if you have no idea where your novel is headed, make sure to at least take general notes related to your genre. Future you will thank you.

Read

Firstly, read lots of books in your genre--the more, the better. This will expand your knowledge of the type of book you want to write, as well as tell you what you like and don't like in a book. 

Don't just read books in your genre, however. Read lots of books on writing, such as this one, or this one. 

And if anyone catches you reading Harry Potter at the dinner table, just say that you're conducting literary research. 

Get into the writing habit

"But wait," you say. "I thought that NaNoWriMo was about creating a writing habit?"

True. But it's much easier to start out writing about 100 words per day, rather than 1,667 per day. Work yourself up to it, and the challenge will be less, er, challenging. I highly suggest finding writing prompts on Pinterest or elsewhere and working one of those while waiting for the competition to start. 

Finally, for those of you who enjoy them, here's an infographic, summarizing what we just covered:

Well, there you have it. Five methods of preparing yourself for NaNoWriMo!

What do you think? Do you have any tips for #preptober? Let us all know in the comments below!