10 Tips to Finish NaNoWriMo Strong

Well, we’ve made it almost all the way through the month of November—past the election cycle, the pumpkin spice fever, and yes, we’re almost through with Movember, so your friends’ silly mustaches will soon be gone so you’re not embarrassed to associate with them at parties. But November is also National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), and if you’re participating like me, there seems to be no end in sight.
The goal of NaNo is simple: write a novel (or at least 50,000 words of one) in just 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks of NaNo are focused on setting the groundwork for your story: introducing characters, setting, and conflict. But now you’re solidly in the meat of your story, which is often the most difficult part of a book—and the part where a lot of NaNos give up. But with less than 2 days until the finish line, you’ve got to resist the urge! Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way to help you finally hit that 50K.

1. The early mornings are your best friend (and productivity gold).

Seriously, trying to block out time at night to write is kind of like gambling: maybe you’ll win big and be so inspired after a long work day to sit at the computer and write—but more likely, you’ll be exhausted and hungry and can’t turn your work brain off. Instead, set your alarm clock for an hour earlier than usual and take advantage of the morning, when the only thing you have to think about is you, and your book.

2. Vary your word count and timing goals.

So, you have 3 hours to write. That’s great! Instead of sitting down with the (probably unrealistic) goal of writing for 3 straight hours without stopping, schedule your time into sprints and free writing, with a break in between. I like to do 30 minute “sprints” of writing where I’m not allowed to self-edit or even question word choice; it all goes down on the page in what feels like a single breath. Because the goal of NaNoWriMo is based on word count and not quality, think less about how good the words are and more about whether they advance your character’s journey.

3. Pre-write, if possible.

I’m a pantser, which means I like to write the story as the ideas come to me. Others are plotters, who have full-scale outlines detailing every plot point down to the most minute character beat. Even if you’re a pantser like me, though, it’s always helpful to take some time (before bed, on your lunch break, on the subway…) and jot down what your goals are for the scene you’re about to write. This can be anything from the starting and ending point of the scene, a line of dialogue you want a character to say, or what the fallout is from an action taken in that scene.

4. Misery loves company.

Yes, writers have a reputation of being solitary creatures, holed up in their libraries with whiskey and cigarettes and somber songs playing on an old gramophone—but we live in the modern age, and between social media (and your actual social life) there’s a ton of support out there for this amazing thing you’re trying to accomplish! Search the #NaNoWriMo2016 hashtag to chat about the wins and woes of trying to write 50,000 words in 4 weeks…but even better, join a meet-up or ask a friend to get together for some structured writing time. I went on a weekend writer’s retreat with 4 other writers and by the end of our 2.5 days, we felt so productive (and full of wine and ice cream, which also probably helped.)

5. Read, read, read. (Even if it means you don’t write.)

During these next two weeks, you will hit a slump. Your entire story will fall apart. You’ll lose faith. This is the time when you need to read. Here’s the logic: you only need an average 1,667 words a day to make the goal of 50K. So, you can skip a day or two and still make up those words on the weekend, or spread out throughout the week. (This week, for example, I had an extra 1668 words I needed to write in addition to my weekend goal, so I divided them up between Saturday and Sunday to make it more manageable.) Use the time you skip to read—something in the genre you’re writing, or just something GOOD, whether it’s a book you’ve never heard of or one you’ve read a thousand times before. (Pro-tip: you can also sometimes listen to an audiobook at work!) Reading will do a few things: inspire you, distract you, and remind you that once upon a time, the words in that book lived only in someone’s head. Until they were brave enough to try to bring it to life.

6. Thanksgiving is the enemy to NaNoWriMo. (Refer back to tip #1.)

Yes, it is a cruel trick that the last weekend of NaNo is also one of our most social (and socially awkward) holidays. Be realistic: you’re not going to write when you’re on the couch in a food coma, or when you’re throwing around a football, or while the house is filled with puppies and babies and yes, more food. Create a strategy: refer back to tip #1 and utilize the quiet mornings Thursday through Sunday, before people get up and start asking you why you’re even writing a novel anyway. Take your dessert into another room with the goal of writing 500 words before the goodbyes begin. Treat yourself to a jolt of caffeine and do some late night writing sessions once the guests are gone. And this year in particular: NO WATCHING THE GILMORE GIRLS REVIVAL UNTIL YOU’VE WRITTEN 1,000 words! (That last one is mostly for me.)

7. When in doubt, throw a curveball to your character.

I like to think of NaNoWriMo as the bare bones of the story, because the truth is you’re not going to write the perfect, beautiful book you’ve always dreamed of in 4 weeks. But even writing the bare bones can sometimes feel like pulling teeth. When you hit a snag in the story, don’t think: throw a seemingly insurmountable obstacle at your character. Conflicts, obstacles and tension are what make the story sizzle. Your main character could lose their job, suffer a loss, or discover a terrible secret that changes their goal completely. You can always re-write later, if it doesn’t work!

8. Keep it sexy.

This advice applies not only to romance writers, but even “serious” ones. (I used air-quotes there because there’s no reason romance writers shouldn’t be taken seriously, but that’s another article.) While you envision yourself writing the next War and Peace, there’s no reason to spend ten thousand words waxing philosophical on the nature of life and death, or draw out the description of a flower for more than a sentence. Keep the story sexy means more than just keeping the romance hot—it means keep the pace up, the tension high, and the descriptions visceral. Show, don’t tell. Utilize all five senses in the descriptions, and try to give your character physiological responses to their experiences, not just emotional ones. (The difference between “I felt angry” and “My chest flushed red with anger as my palms curled involuntarily into fists” is quite vast.) Keeping the story sexy will also have the added benefit of keeping you, the writer, engaged. Seduce yourself, basically, is what I’m saying.

9. Immerse yourself in your story, even when you’re not writing.

If you haven’t already, this is a great—and quick—activity that can easily breathe some life back into your creative process. Start a Pinterest board with photos that inspire your setting, characters, and world. If you’re writing a historical novel, create a board of images from the time period including objects, fashion trends, architecture, and art. Listen to the music your character would; if you’re writing a YA about two best friends navigating high school romance, there should be lots of Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Selena Gomez on that playlist. If your main character is a swimmer, watch Youtube videos of swimmers. If your villain is fond of poisons, well…just hope your google history will never be held under scrutiny.

10. You win just by trying.

Yes, it can seem like the odds are against you: for the millions of books that are published every year, there are probably twice as many that will never see the light of day. Yes, it can seem futile: there are better writers, more successful writers, and even terrible writers that seem to have something that you don’t. But the truth is: the odds ARE in your favor, and art is never futile. You can never finish a book if you don’t start. So even if you don’t get to 50,000 words this year, you’ll still be closer at the end of this month than you were where you started, so go for it: you truly have nothing to lose.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?
via GIPHY