If you aren’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) takes place every November and challenges participants to completely finish writing a book in one month. What a crazy challenge! #AmIRight? But it’s entirely doable. Authors, including Sara Gruen (who wrote Water For Elephants), have written their novels using NaNoWriMo as fuel for their motivation.
This is my first time taking part in the challenge. I spent a few days before the challenge began, outlining the novel in three acts. I will write 1500 words each day in November to get as far along as I can in writing the book in its entirety.
3 Reasons to Take Part in NaNoWriMo
Here’s why I would encourage you to complete NaNoWriMo, even if you can’t get exactly 1500 words written EVERY SINGLE DAY….
- It gives you an immense sense of achievement… even if you only write half or a quarter of your book. Even setting the goal makes you so much more ready, mindset-wise, to carry it through.
- Flex your writing muscles and watch them grow! How can you become a better writer if you do not sit, bum in chair, and simply write your butt off?
- The community surrounding NaNoWriMo is super. THe camaraderie is encouraging, and you can find writers online through social media or writers’ forums who are also participating and tracking their progress online (using word count). Lean into the support and motivate yourself by joining in the community!
How To Get Started
Here’s what’s helping me the most to get started (and keep the momentum going) on writing a whole book in 30 days:
- Shifting my mindset so I can actually see the finished product in my mind before I’ve even started.
- Outlining the book beforehand.
- A course I took a decade ago with The University of British Columbia’s School of Creative Writing, in their continuing education offerings: How to Write the Novel: Writing the Draft (I completed it a decade ago, live, and it’s now archived in my EdX account).
- A routine.
- A clear workspace. I cleared my desk and now have only pens, papers, my laptop, and a cup on the surface of the desk.
How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo
In my humble opinion, here are a few things you can do to maximize your time in the challenge:
- Clear your headspace.
This means clearing the mind-clutter… Make a list of tasks that are on your mind, and then schedule time to get them done, delegate, or delete them from your to-do list. - Do something out of the ordinary.
Do something you wouldn’t normally do, to flex your “courage” muscles in terms of getting into unknown territory.
I’m talking: post online that you’re part of NaNoWriMo and commit to sharing your progress, take a different route to work (perhaps a more scenic one?), or wear some clothing you feel bolder in. You might feel a little uncomfortable at first—and that’s the whole point. - Try to set yourself up for success by setting a timer to write in chunks of time.
Thirty minutes often work for me. Some people write for an hour, or even longer, before needing a break. But the point isn’t to go for as long as you can without needing any breaks… the point is to pace yourself. - Let others know you’re taking part in the challenge.
Accountability is part of the allure of NaNoWriMo, and if you let others know, you’ll be more likely to hold yourself accountable to your goal of meeting your desired word count every day during the month of the challenge. - Remember not to revise and edit while writing.
Challenge yourself to write a full first draft, no matter how messy and maybe even incoherent it seems to be! Try not to double back and fix things. Try not to introduce a new subplot while writing. Don’t second-guess how you write every line. Just keep the momentum flowing.
With a little determination, some re-arranging of your schedule, and perhaps even sacrificing your sleep for a bit, you might find just enough time to tell a good story, one day at a time, during NaNoWriMo—a challenge that is certainly not for the faint of heart! #AmIRight!?
Let’s go! #NaNoWriMo2025
