That Time of the Year Again

Here we are, 20 days into November, and I'm guessing that many of you are in the thick of writing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If you're not familiar with that challenge, you can head on over to the link provided for the details, but the crux of the challenge is this: to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Yes, that's right, at the end of 30 days, a person should have a first draft of a novel in hand.

This is the third time I've written a first draft in less than a month (twice I've participated in NaNoWriMo), and while I find that each time, my style of writing has been different, my life's commitments have been different, and my attitude has been different, what has stayed the same is my approach to writing those 50,000 words.

And here's my best advice:

1. Sit down with your writing utensil. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. Lots of people say they are going to write but never bother getting their butts in the chair. Wherever and however you write, you need to get there first.
2. Ignore all unnecessary items. That could mean Facebook and Twitter, laundry that really doesn't need to be done, or the book club you were supposed to attend. If you put aside a few things that can wait until after the month is over, you will have more time to write.
3. Be ready to write at a moment's notice. One day that I logged almost 6,000 words was the day I had my draft open and ready to go all day. I didn't have a huge chunk of time, but those little intervals, by the end of the day, really added up. 
4. Write, don't revise. Any person who has "won" NaNoWriMo will tell you the same thing: put the story on the paper and don't go back until you've hit the 50,000-word mark. Sure, you might have written the most horrible sentence in the history of horrible sentences, but who cares? Get the story out. Then worry about the rest of it.

Even if you missed out on NaNoWriMo, these tidbits will help you at any time. So go ahead and choose a month that works for you, and see how many words you can get done. I'm sure you'll surprise yourself and in no time, you'll have accomplished that dream.

Happy Writing!

~Christina