i'm super behind in nano and having trouble motivating myself, any tips on how to get back in to it and write a lot of words really fast?
hey anon!
first up, the best way to have no fun at all writing is to tell yourself that you have to write a lot of words really fast. (i know! i know. terrible advice considering the question.) i like to do my best to keep the writing process fun otherwise it can be a real challenge to want to get to the keyboard. that said, there are ways to write a bunch of words quickly. here are my times!
When You Need to Write a Lot of Words
1. use a timer, and count your words
i’ve had a lot of success with breaking up my longer writing sessions into smaller chunks. i might be writing for an hour, but i set a timer for every 10-15 minutes, and when the timer goes off, i note how many words i’ve written (note that i don’t actually check the exact number per session, i just get to add to the total i’ve written that day) and that way if i get distracted, the timer goes off and reminds me to get back on track.
i use a handy visual timer that’s been wonderful for keeping track of time. (i got it on amazon, regrettably, but i’m sure there are other sources)
2. get immersed
for me, the most important factor in longer writing sessions is immersion. i really need to enjoy what i’m writing, and i go by the philosophy that every scene i write should be my favourite. if you’re not enjoying what you’re writing, ask yourself why. see if you can turn that scene into something that delights you. for the first 10-20 minutes of any long writing session, i have no attention span and i’m a bit all over the place, but i can count on myself to get into it once i’ve been writing consistently for a little bit.
3. eliminate distractions (yes, that means your phone)
this one is self explanatory. just put it in a drawer. just do it. the world will not collapse if you miss a couple of messages. ideally, put it somewhere where you have to get up and walk to check it. if you need to, check it every 15 minutes. but don’t have it right there where it can distract you. (or turn notifications off if you don’t want to have it far away!)
4. try writing sprints!
if you like having accountability, community writing sprints might be your thing. i’ve set up a handy and accessible discord server that uses the sprinto bot. it’s exclusively for writing sprints, you won’t see any other content on there or get notified for anything other than sprints. i highly recommend it for productivity (plus, the people who use it regularly are awesome) and for possibly getting to know some other writers!
i hope this helped! happy writing - get those word counts!








