To all my buddies...
It's NaNoWriMo! Who knew that it would come so fast? It is a very stressful month for us but hey, at least we have left over candy from Halloween to fuel us and the anticipation of Thanksgiving to get our goals done!
For those who do not know what NaNoWriMo is and whoever wants to participate in it, November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Your goal for this month is to write a novel of 50,000 words throughout the month of November. If you reach 50,000 words on or before November 30th, you won NaNoWriMo! This isn't just about winning though. For some writers it is a way to get their writing done that they have been putting off, and for others it's for their own pleasure, to see what they can create from their own mind and put it out there in the world.
Now I believe it is a little late to start NaNoWriMo but if you think you can write 10,000 words to catch up then do it! Join the party!
NaNoWriMo is a wonderful challenge for writers of any age. It gives you a goal and makes you finish it. The best part is when November is all over and the stress of it all is lifted from your shoulders and now you have your very own story that you wrote (unless your me and its a rough, rough, rough draft!)
If you want to participate you are more than happy to go to nanowrimo.org and sign up to give yourself a challenge to finish your story.
Now here are some tips for my fellow NaNoWriMo peeps on how to survive this stressful month.
1. Candy!
Treat yourself and eat that left over candy from Halloween! It is a great energy booster for those late night writing sprints.
2. Coffee/tea
I love both coffee and tea but if I had to choose between one, it would be coffee (I have a problem; 4-6 cups a day is not good for you...but I still do it anyway!) Its a little warm up drink for that 1,667 calories or more for that day. If you start in the morning, you better have that delicious cup of what I call life and sanity right next to you.
3. Music
For me, music is what makes the scenes in my story come to life. It is also a great way to get your creative juices flowing! Any kind of music can help you think of that love scene or fighting scene (or a death of a character *wink wink*). Music is a great pick me up for writers block.
4. Do NOT, whatever you do, get distracted by the internet
I am a culprit of this and now I am 2,000 words behind (also, school got in the way but that's a different story. You have to go to work and school). Turn off those Facebook and Twitter notifications and stay off of Tumblr. Social Media is the reason why we do not get a lot of stuff done in time.
5. No matter how stressful this month is, know you are doing something for yourself and you should be happy about it.
You are finally putting that story to pen and paper (or word document) so give yourself some credit! Not many people have to motivation to. Be happy you are doing something for yourself, we do not do that all the time.
So remember, have fun, drink those copious amounts of caffine, listen to that writing playlist, and most of all feel good about doing it. You all deserve this month as a way to treat yourself and your creativity.
Happy NaNoWriMo!
