5 Things That May Get You through NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) is an annual event where you take the month of November to write a story that’s 50,000 words long, the equivalent of a good-sized novel.
This is a big task, so here are five things that may help you get through NaNoWriMo:
- Buy A Water Clock
As the name implies, this clock pours water on you to wake you up. Sometimes, especially after a long writing session the night before, you need a little extra motivation to get up in the morning.
- Schedule Bribing
Hire a friend or roommate to bribe you with chocolate for every chapter you finish.
- Try the Locker Strategy
They say desperation breeds productivity, and nothing will make you more desperate than this option. Convince someone to lock you in a closet with just your laptop. No one lets you out for any reason until the laptop battery runs out or you finish the book.
- Visualize Spy Thriller Situations
Pretend you’re the main character in a spy thriller and the nuclear weapon (there's always at least one of those in the plot) will go off unless you finish the first draft.
- Work through the Pain
As you work, tell yourself the following: “if you can feel your fingers bleeding on the keyboard, you’re not moving fast enough yet.”
If need be, write this message on a notepad and tape it to your computer.