We've passed the first week of NaNo! How's your wordcount doing? Have you left your room today? Eaten any meals? Maybe not. NaNo tends to make hermits out of any writer that participates. We hide in our own private space and fill our minds with our stories. I know it's easy to get caught up in your work and not pay attention to anything or anyone (except perhaps distractions from Netflix and the internet). That's not always a good thing, so here are some things you should remember to do during NaNo.

SLEEP

Yes. SLEEP. And yes I'm also aware that "Sleep is for the weak." Trust me, I've used that phrase many times myself during NaNo. It's really easy to neglect your sleep in order to meet your word count. Sometimes, you can't meet your word count if you take the time out of your schedule for a decent amount of sleep. But it's better for your health and for your writing if you can manage to get sleep. Even if it's a little less than your usual amount, you can't consistently deprive yourself of sleep and expect to stay well. And you definitely don't want to catch a cold during NaNo.

EAT

Again. YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. And this is in general, not just when you're attempting the arduous task of writing fifty thousand words in a month. That's no mean feat, no matter what anyone tells you. And accomplishing this does require that you eat at semi-regular intervals. I mean, let's face it: we're writers and we're not great at eating regular intervals anyway. If forgetting to eat is something you do, I'd recommend setting timers or alarms to set out snack breaks. Plus you can use it to give your brain a moment to rest and refresh too.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR OTHER DUTIES

Unfortunately, we have other obligations during NaNo besides the insane amount of writing we're trying to accomplish. Contrary to how you may feel at the moment, you do need to wash the dishes, shower, feed the cat, and do your homework (obligations may vary obviously). You can't just neglect everything else you have to do just because you've elected to take on the impressive task of writing a novel in a month. It would be so much easier if you our could, but oh well.

Now keep in mind, these aren't the only things you'll have to remember to do. These are just a few important ones. They don't impact your writing directly, but they can help in a round about way. If you're well-rested and well-nourished you'll definitely write better than if you aren't.

So stay healthy, eat well, get some sleep, and enjoy your work! Happy writing!