Category: Writing Tips

The deets: Winning NaNoWriMo requires completing a novel draft of at least 50,000 words during November.

Spoiler: There is no ONE way to win. However, if you do want that winning caché of goodies--otherwise known as bragging rights and fun badges--here are my tips that have helped me win EIGHT times. For those of you unfamiliar with this torturous task, NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit collective that supports and encourages ALL writers and is also known as National Novel Writing Month. I joined a few years back where I found a tribe of writers and a team of support.

Here are five tips to complete the 50,000 words in thirty days. Yes, that is how you WIN.
1. Commit. Announce your project on the site and within any other social media platforms you use.
2. Prepare your space. Choose a time, place, process for writing. This year, since I am teaching from home and not commuting, I was able to get up a little early each day and write for one hour. I type on Scrivener at my writing desk.
3. Gather support. I let people in my writing circles know I've committed, and I seek out those who will encourage me and who I can support. This can be formal social media and Slack type groups, or it can be critique partners who you communicate with daily or weekly.
4. Forgive yourself for failing. This should really be #1 because it is to me so important to let myself fail. Whether that is not meeting a daily goal (1,667 words) or writing crappy words (which is a given), you need to let yourself fall and tell yourself, IT'S OKAY!
5. Celebrate your successes. Some writers fear celebrating their own successes because they worry it's flaunting achievements. Hey, it isn't. Be proud. We're proud of you. Writing is hard, and when we reach goals or feel good about our story, we need to tell the world because, otherwise, it sounds like we are never finding joy.

Those are my five NaNo tips, but they are also my own daily tips. I am lucky to have the space and time to work on my stories everyday. When I return to campus, things may change, or, I might manage to keep up my daily habit. As I say to my students, you do you. Find what works for you, and let it be okay. I'd love to hear about your successes and challenges during this shelter in writing place.

Drop them below, and, as ever, write on!

It’s the middle of NanoWriMo, which means the annual rant is playing in my head. You can’t schedule creativity.

No matter, every day, I find time to get to my keyboard or notebook and log in words. Like pouring flour in the bowl; the ingredients are ready, but the bake is not. Creating is a love-hate relationship. I love creating, but I hate the pressure.

Take this blog, for instance. When I started writing posts for my student writers about craft, I scheduled them weekly. That turned into a burden. I’m a mom and full-time teacher. Plus, I must carve out my own writing time. I tried to write bi-monthly. Then it was monthly. Now…

This is my first post in almost six months.

I felt guilty, but I checked that. Sure, you’re reading this. Thank you. I have about a hundred wonderfully devoted people who read these posts on a regular basis. I want them to be worth your while.

It’s not guilt I’m feeling. It’s that dumb perfection bug. If I’m going to have a blog, I must schedule posts as routine. That’s when I remembered: you can’t schedule creativity.

I don’t want to waste anyone’s time reading about my writing procrastination due to visits from the plumber, drama with my kids, or my ridiculous teaching workload. You don’t need that. You’ve got your own plumber/kids/work issues.

I feel ya.

So let’s make a pact. No scheduling creativity. Instead, let’s focus on scheduling practice. It’s easy to practice creative pursuits; they don’t need to be perfect.

Let’s revise that pact: No handcuffs to perfection. Break free. I give you permission. I give myself permission.

And, hey, I miss you guys. I like talking to you even if you don’t talk back. I know you’re out there, and that warms my heart.

Writing is lonely. Parenting can be lonely. Life can be lonely. Let’s be together. Let’s support each other and give ourselves permission to unscheduled creativity, break free from perfection, and to simply pursue our love of writing.

I’m going to finish my NanoWriMo novel this week. Fifty-thousand words. Some days, I write forty-two words. Today, I wrote 3,742. Who knew? Unscheduled creativity has a way of sneaking up on you. Today it was a kiss, other days, it’s a bite in the butt.

If you Nano, let's be writing buddies. Find me here.

Are you on Twitter? Let's connect about our craft. Follow me @thisgirlclimbs.

That's my story, what's yours?

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