So you’ve always wanted to write a novel. Why not take this idea for a test drive during National Novel Writing Month and join 300K+ aspiring novelist in the insanely fun annual write-a-thon challenge “NaNoWriMo”. The challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days and starts on November 01 at 12:01 am, smack in the middle of winter festivities. NaNoWriMo founder, Chris Baty thought — if there is no perfect time to start a new project—why not chose the most imperfect time?

NaNoWriMo is fun, challenging, exhausting, and rewarding. Try it. I’ve taken part and won from 2009 to 2017 in between working full time and raising three kids children. If I can do it, so can you.

Deciding What to Write. Aspiring writers use NaNoWriMo to start their first manuscript draft or to work on their fifteenth draft. There are no set rules just a loose framework to challenge you to write almost every day and track the words written during November.

Can I write non-fiction? What about a series of short stories?  Sure! The challenge is for full-length novels (fiction) but writers also use the challenge to suit their unique writing goals.

What if I want to write more than 50k? There’s a group for that and different badges/achievements to help you stay motivated.

What if I only get to 45k? That’s okay. You are still a winner for trying! This challenge is about you and your potential growth as a writer.

There is no review board or committee to make sure you aren’t repeating the same word 50k times or entering 50k words of a previously written manuscript. It’s on the honor system. If you want to cheat—well that’s between you and your muse.

Only a fraction of writers who start on November 1 make it to the official finish — the 50,000 word goal.  The NaNoWriMo philosophy is that everyone who starts is an honorary winner because they are ahead of everyone who never starts their novel.

9 Steps to Winning NaNoWriMo

Step 1: SIGN UP. You can’t win unless you sign up.

Even if you are “just thinking” about doing the challenge, sign up and get are ready for November 1. Commit to the challenge and make it public to a few close friends (or the world) to stay accountable. It’s unnecessary to share story ideas or anything about your novel but sharing your daily or weekly word count gives your friends the opportunity to cheer you to the finish line. There is an official NaNoWriMo site to help record daily word counts, meet other writers, join and find your region, and give advice on staying motivated. Go to www.nanowrimo.org, create and account, then let friends and family know you are taking part—maybe this will inspire a friend to join you on this crazy quest.

Step 2. PLOTTER OR PANTSER? You get to decide.

Decide how you want to start NaNoWriMo. Months before November, plotters create story outlines, character sketches, settings, scene lists, story arcs, and much more to plan their story idea before writing their first word. Pantsers write by the “seat of their pants”, waiting until 12:01 am on November 1 (or later) to start writing. The story comes together as they write it.

Either method can get you to the finish line. It’s worth trying both methods to find the perfect balance between the two and become an “in-betweens” (combining the best of a plotter and a pantser).

Since 1999, NaNoWriMo HQ has culled and developed many resources on how to write a novel. If this is your first time taking part in NaNoWriMo, and your first time attempting to write a novel, focus on the process of writing and the quantity not the quality of your writing. Once you establish your individual writing process, you can focus other aspects of novel writing.

Step 3. SCHEDULE TIME TO WRITE. Cancel your plans in November!

No, you don’t have to cancel Thanksgiving (if in the US). Lots of WriMos have sat in the corner with a laptop furiously getting their daily word count in before the Thanksgiving meal. Some WriMos write methodically sticking to a strict daily word count while others wait for the weekend to crunch out 10,000+ words or more.

The recommended daily word count is about 1600 words per day. Try dividing this number into smaller word count goals throughout the day. Write 200-500 words before work, 200-500 during a lunch break, and the remaining 600-1200 words in the evening.

Should you skip the weekly Friday night happy hour or your grandmother’s funeral? You decide. Set your individual priorities, schedule time to write and make your writing time sacred. If you share your space with others, let them know of your plans and get their support. You’ll need it when negotiating what chores or commitments to get out of for the next 30 days.  

Step 4. START STRONG. Get ahead and stay ahead.

Try to get ahead of your daily or weekly word count—every word you write over the daily word count will help you reach the finish line. The benefit of starting strong and writing more than the recommended 11,200 words is during the third week, when you lose steam, you can stay on track.

Writing more than your daily goal will help you catch up on the days you need to skip a writing session. If you take off the week of Thanksgiving, you can write 2,000 words a day and make the goal by the end of the month.

Step 4. FIND A WRITING BUDDY.

Find a writing buddy to motivate you to keep going and to cheer you on. The official nanowrimo.org site allows you to create a buddy list. Some find it motivating to see a buddy’s word count race ahead after a weekend of frantic writing. Your buddy will commiserate with you and celebrate with you and can understand your motivation for doing this crazy challenge.

STEP 5. FIND YOUR “BIG WHY?”

Have a goal for taking part besides “writing a novel”. Give yourself a “Big Why” that is personal and meaningful. NaNoWriMo can be the tool to help you achieve this goal.

• Challenge yourself to honor your creativity for thirty minutes or more a day.
• Change your habit of watching three hours of Netflix a night and spend that time working on your creativity.
• Connect with a community of writers.
• Practice networking in a new industry.

STEP 6. HAVE FUN!

Write with what Chris Baty calls “complete abandon”. Make it fun. Make it crazy. Write something you would never write. Throw your “critic’s hat” away for 30 days and just write for the fun of writing. Writing 50,000 words begins the novel writing process. There is a long road from story idea to published novel. Start the process with joy because the rest of the process is a lot of work.

Donate to NaNoWriMo or buy this year’s merchandise to show your commitment to your goal.

STEP 7. GET UP AND DANCE. OR GO FOR A WALK.

Sitting at a desk for hours can leave you with aches and pains you never thought were possible. It’s important to get up off your chair for a brain break. Take a walk, dance around the room, stretch our neck, wrist, shoulders and back. Take care of your body. Walking and taking a “brain break” can lead to creative inspirations. If you are having a difficult time figuring out what to write next, ask yourself “What if?” Relax and let your mind answer this question and give you writing suggestions. 

STEP 8. BE REALISTIC

On December 1^st, you will not have a finished novel ready to send to a publisher. What you will have is:

1. The start of a story idea—50k words to edit, add to, revise, edit and revise again, hoping to become your first novel.
2. The results of your test project. Maybe writing a novel about baby zombies from outer space sounded hilarious on November 1 but thirty days later not so much.
3. Practice time with our creative process.
4. New writing habits.

STEP 9. AKS FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP.

If taking part in NaNoWriMo commits you to the goal of writing a novel, don’t reinvent the wheel. There are experts who know the process and the steps needed to achieve this goal. Find them and take classes, attend workshops, join a writers group, sign up for a conference, or work with a creativity coach to help you stay accountable to your goals.

So on December 1st, walk away from your thirty day writing experiment, get some rest, celebrate your achievement, and let it all sink in. Reflect on your habits and your writing process—during November, what went well and what could use some work? Is this something that you want to do again? Are you willing to change your habits to meet your goal of writing a novel? Do you need to work on new skills and know where can you get help to gain these needed skills?

If you don’t have a finished novel after this crazy challenge then what’s the point? See STEP 5. FIND YOUR “BIG WHY?”

Writing a novel takes a special commitment, specific tools, and forming new habits. Habits like; waking up an hour earlier than usual to get your writing time in, recommitting to an exercise routine to handle the physical challenge of sitting at a desk 365 days a year, and connecting and networking with industry experts to guide and support your goal.

Are you ready?

STEP 1. SIGN UP:  www.nanowrimo.org

NaNoWriMo is not affiliated with the Austin Creativity Coach.

NaNoWriMo “is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds — on and off the page. NaNoWriMo believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.”