NaNoWriMo Madness Begins...
Yes, it’s almost that time of year again. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I spent days planning. Last year I signed up the night before, with no idea and nothing but an empty notepad and a pen, mere hours before it started trying to come up with something - ANYTHING. I didn’t win. I also entered the two Camp NaNoWriMo events this year - I also didn’t win either of them. I was writing by hand, see. Takes FOREVER. This time, I have a laptop so I can type. I CAN TYPE! I’m very excited. Obviously.
As I was saying, I spent a while planning. I now have 30 chapters of story outline down. I'm going to kick serious butt! Today I thought I’d have a look at what’s on www.nanowrimo.org. They have loads of ideas and advice!
I came across a list of a NaNo Emergency Kit - http://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/66119632402/nano-coach-whats-in-your-nano-emergency-kit.
1. Tea. Lots and lots of tea.
2. Food. Particularly stuff you can munch at your desk. My favourites are:
* Salted popcorn. I make a huge bowl of the stuff and munch while writing.
* Kinder Eggs. I LOVE Kinder Eggs. There’s also the added bonus of having a toy to build and play with when you’re bored or stuck. Or when you need to take a break. See point 3.
* Oatcakes. Since I’m intolerant to gluten, I have to get the gluten free ones. I honestly can’t tell the difference between the gluten free ones and the “normal” ones. The cheese oatcakes are my favourite.
* Tortilla chips. Or any other crisp-like stuff. Preferably ones that don’t goo-up your fingers and make them sticky.
Remember to keep some wet wipes to hand. If you're anything like me and can't eat chocolate without making more mess than a 2yr old, wet wipes will come in very handy indeed! Also useful for mopping up accidental tea spillage.
3. Take breaks. I’m serious. Sometimes it helps to take a step back from writing and do something else. Like eating or sleeping. But also those times when you’re staring at a blank sheet of paper or your screen. Those times when there is nothing in your head. Those times when you feel like chucking everything out of the window, or punching your laptop. Walk away from it. Go do something fun for a while. Go to the park and play on the roundabout (my favourite thing to play on at the park!), have a big mug of hot chocolate at your local cafe, watch a film - or go to the cinema. I’d live in the cinema if I could! Do anything you like as long as you are away from your desk/usual writing spot, and as long as what you do is fun. Fun is important. Those Kinder Eggs you’ve munched? Get the bits and pieces out and build the toys. Then play with the toys. You never know, it might just give you some ideas for your novel. And even if they don’t, it’s still fun.
4. Remember to eat. I’m serious out this one, too. I sometimes get so into writing that I forget to keep track of time and often miss things like Lunch Time. Set a timer or an alarm. Finish your sentence and then go get some lunch/dinner. I find a baked potato a fabulous choice for NaNoWriMo. They take about an hour and half to cook, meaning you can write while they’re cooking, and you get a proper meal as a reward for all your hard work.
5. Have someone rooting for you. Your best friend, your mum, your cat… It’s very easy to get sucked into the cycle of “This Sucks, I Suck.” If you have a friend who can cheer you on your way, brilliant! Make use of the forums and groups and things on the NaNoWriMo site. Talk to people. It really helps. I live by myself and it's easy to exist in your own wee bubble. Usually, I like that. But when it comes to NaNoWriMo, I don't find it as comforting as I would normally.
6. Ignore THAT side of yourself. I'm one of those I Must Have Everything Perfect kind of people when I make things. I do quite a few crafts and I get stressed out when it goes wrong or when it isn't Just So. I'm the same when I'm writing. Try to ignore it. It's a first draft. It won't be perfect. It's not meant to be. You can do research and work on those details and fix those mistakes after NaNoWriMo ends.
7. Enjoy it. Have fun with it. It's a challenge, yes, but it's supposed to be a fun one. And not one that you should stress over. 50, 000 words is quite a lot to try and do in 30 days. If you reach/pass that word count target - brilliant! Well done! If you don't, it's still awesome. Think about it. You started with nothing. Now you have something. Just think about how many people say they would love to write a novel but never actually do anything about it. So you didn't hit that target. You got further than most people. And just because November is National Novel Writing Month, that doesn't mean you can't still work on it in the months that follow. You started a novel! Maybe you'll even meet that elusive 50, 000 target. You rock! You are awesome!
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