NaNoWriMo Prep
October basically serves one purpose - preparation for NaNoWriMo. There are a lot of different theories out there for what needs to be done before one delves body, mind, and soul into November.
Planners, those who like to have detailed outlines at hand before they start writing, spend October working on those.
Pansters, writers who fly by the seat of their pants, allowing their plot to be tossed about by every wind of virtue, spend October catching up on sleep and TV shows.
Plantsers, those like myself who are a mix of both, do some pre-planning, but allow for the story to wend where it will.
Whatever category you are in, it's always good to take care of a few things before November strikes and you have no time for anything else. Here are a few things I like to do:
Tell family and friends that I'm doing NaNo. This has a two-fold purpose: Accountability, and they already expect it when I say "no" to the countless invites as the holidays approach.
Speaking of holidays, if you can, get your Christmas shopping done now.
Stock up on chocolate, and other snacks to have on hand for those times when you really can't stop writing to find something to eat.
Stock up on quick to prepare meals, or freeze some. Healthy food gives your brain more energy, so don't rely on delivery pizza the whole month.
Rewards: find something to reward yourself as you reach your own goals. For me, sometimes it's one gummy bear every 100 words. Other nights, it's a piece of chocolate if I can focus on my story for an entire hour. Maybe you'll let yourself go see that movie you've been waiting all year for if you get to 25,000 words by the tenth.
Housecleaning. No, this doesn't mean I let the dishes pile up and the laundry undone for all of November. I just try to start the month with a relatively tidy space so that if I don't get the clean laundry folded and put away the same day, it doesn't look like a tornado hit my place.
Writing space. Make sure you have a space where you can write, be it desk, table or just comfy chair.
Music. Often having a playlist of songs that fit your story will help you get into the mood to write.
Writing supplies. Do you have adequate paper, notebooks, pens, laptop cords, stickers, and glitter? Or whatever else you need to keep going?
Scene list. This can be as detailed as a full outline or just a list of a few key scenes you want to remember to write.
That's all I can think of for now. What do you do to get ready for NaNoWriMo?
~ Belle
Planners, those who like to have detailed outlines at hand before they start writing, spend October working on those.
Pansters, writers who fly by the seat of their pants, allowing their plot to be tossed about by every wind of virtue, spend October catching up on sleep and TV shows.
Plantsers, those like myself who are a mix of both, do some pre-planning, but allow for the story to wend where it will.
Whatever category you are in, it's always good to take care of a few things before November strikes and you have no time for anything else. Here are a few things I like to do:
Tell family and friends that I'm doing NaNo. This has a two-fold purpose: Accountability, and they already expect it when I say "no" to the countless invites as the holidays approach.
Speaking of holidays, if you can, get your Christmas shopping done now.
Stock up on chocolate, and other snacks to have on hand for those times when you really can't stop writing to find something to eat.
Stock up on quick to prepare meals, or freeze some. Healthy food gives your brain more energy, so don't rely on delivery pizza the whole month.
Rewards: find something to reward yourself as you reach your own goals. For me, sometimes it's one gummy bear every 100 words. Other nights, it's a piece of chocolate if I can focus on my story for an entire hour. Maybe you'll let yourself go see that movie you've been waiting all year for if you get to 25,000 words by the tenth.
Housecleaning. No, this doesn't mean I let the dishes pile up and the laundry undone for all of November. I just try to start the month with a relatively tidy space so that if I don't get the clean laundry folded and put away the same day, it doesn't look like a tornado hit my place.
Writing space. Make sure you have a space where you can write, be it desk, table or just comfy chair.
Music. Often having a playlist of songs that fit your story will help you get into the mood to write.
Writing supplies. Do you have adequate paper, notebooks, pens, laptop cords, stickers, and glitter? Or whatever else you need to keep going?
Scene list. This can be as detailed as a full outline or just a list of a few key scenes you want to remember to write.
That's all I can think of for now. What do you do to get ready for NaNoWriMo?
~ Belle
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