NaNoWriMo Tips

Four days into November and the craziness of trying to write a novel in a month, and I remain optimistic.  I have written every day thus far, though not enough to be on target.  I hope to make up for it this weekend at a write-in.  That brings me to my limited advice on ways to get through NaNo.  The advice is limited because this is only my second attempt at NaNo, and I have a word count to try to keep up with!

Here's what's helped me so far:

1.  I tend to write more in the evenings, so a small glass of wine or some beer helps me to loosen the writing muscles, or at least reduce anxiety about whether or not I'm up for the NaNo challenge. I don't usually partake of the adult beverages, so I don't drink more than 1/2 a glass lest it put me to sleep, which would be counter productive, now wouldn't it? 

2.  Attend write-ins in your area if your house is a zoo like mine.  Fellow writers offer camaraderie, but they're all there to do the same thing, which is to crank out copy.  The best part is no kids, phone, tv, or piles of laundry to distract you.

3.  Don't worry about the language usage or fine details of your story.  NaNo is perfect for simply building the skeleton of your novel.  Go back to your story after November and put some meat on those bones.

4.  Make big batches of soup.  It freezes well and heats up nicely.  There's no sense in spending otherwise good writing time on cooking.

5.  Don't beat yourself up if you are not on target for your daily/weekly word count.  This is supposed to be fun and productive, not a burden.

Now...quit surfing and go write.  But please DO come back to Fiction Flurry tomorrow.  We will have an interview tomorrow with author Kim Bahnsen!