My NaNoWriMo Experience + Tips to Survive

2020 has been...well...so far it has been a total nightmare. But there is a light on the horizon, a shining beacon of hope...

The UK Lockdown has provided me with plenty of time to write and get words in between Netflix binging sessions and excessive snacking, and this month I have been participating in the Camp NaNoWriMo event. For those who haven't heard of NaNoWriMo before, the title stands for National Novel Writing Month and writers around the world participate in the month of November (or during the camp events in April and July) and aim to complete a finished first draft by the end of the month, or at least 50,000 words worth of one.

I remember when I first read of this event, and I was utterly confused. And a little scared, I'm not ashamed to admit. Before I had merely dabbled in different projects, but sitting down to complete a first draft in a month? The goal was totally out of my reach.

Or so I thought.

That was in 2016 and now here I stand, a several year winner of NaNoWriMo with completed first drafts (that I have yet to edit but still they're there...).

During this difficult time as the Corona virus plagues our world like a poorly written dystopian novel, we need distraction. As writers, we have the opportunity to disappear into our own worlds and forget about the hell-scape we currently live in.

So, if you have missed this months event, I implore you to participate in the July event. During the camps, you can set your own word goal (this month my goal has been 60,000 words and it has certainly been...an adventure) to what seems achievable to you. You can start from scratch with a fresh project, or revisit an old favorite for another round of editing.

As this seems like a a gargantuan task, I have some tips to get you started, so you don't fall into the typical mid-month slump.

1. Learn your optimum writing time.

Ah, the age old debate about whether you are an early bird or a night owl. Whichever you are, learn the time in which you find yourself feeling the most productive. There is no point, if you are an early riser, writing in the evening when you're half asleep at the key board, your brain having dissolved into mush after supper. Learn what works best for you, craft your own writing routine, and study the writing routines of famous authors for ideas if you're stuck. Kate Cavanaugh has filmed a few videos on YouTube where she herself has tried out the writing routines of famous authors to see how they differed from her own, and I suggest you check them out.

2. Don't let yourself fall behind.

It can be tempting when you feel like you have written yourself into a corner, to go and grab a snack or check out that new show on Netflix that your friend has been recommending you recently. But it is imperative that if you wish to complete your goal that you don't let yourself fall a few days behind, as the words stack up and it's harder to catch up in the end. For the sake of your mental health, if it's your first time, you can set your word goal lower than the original 50,000 words, so that the load is more manageable.

Working in chunks also takes the pressure off in the writing day. Take part in a couple of writing sprints for 20 minutes at a time, take 5 minute coffee breaks. This is a fun challenge so don't let yourself get overwhelmed in the face of it all.

3. Write what you love.

I have heard over and over again 'Write what you know' but I feel that 'Write what you love' is a bit more useful. Who can get bored when they are writing what they love? Who can run out of ideas? For your NaNoWriMo project, I suggest you get stuck straight in with that fantasy idea that has been brewing at the back of your head for a few months, or that thriller concept that you can't beat back from your mind with a stick. Let yourself get carried away with the love for your story and for your idea and the month will fly by, and you'll have yourself sitting with a first draft that you can't wait to revisit.

4. Plan!

If you like to 'pants' your stories I can tell that you are starting to dislike me now... I feel that planning your NaNoWriMo novel ensures that you will almost never write yourself into a corner, and that you'll always know where you want to go and where the twist leads you next. If you do choose to pants your story, I still suggest that you should block out your chapter, a couple hundred word summary before you go into the real meat and depth of your material. Writers block can be stressful, lets try and beat it before it comes!

5. Relax!

I know this may sound like a contradiction for what I have said above, but you are allowed to relax in this difficult time. I believe that NaNoWriMo is the perfect distraction from the news of the pandemic, but you also need to relax your creative brain and take it easy from time to time. Drink your favorite tea or coffee whilst you write, light some candles, have little post its around your desk for doodling on when you need a moment to think.

I hope everything I have said will be helpful if you do choose to participate in NaNoWriMo. I will be happy to run sprints on my twitter account if people would like to come together as a community to get their words in.

Stay home, stay safe!

NaNoWriMo - Thxfrthemmries15 (I was 15, okay)

Twitter - @ChloeChurch20