Okay. So. You’ve got your daily health, support system, writing, and accountability goals. Now it’s time for some fun. I’ve seen other writers break down their reward system on a week by week basis, or when they reach a certain word count––which is great for those big milestones throughout NanoWrimo. But if you need something to tide you over in between those bigger celebrations, then just keep reading.
I used to think that NanoWrimo was a month long drag where I couldn’t have any fun until December 1st. My weekly celebrations weren’t as fun as I had hoped and I found myself burning out quickly over the course of the month. NanoWrimo is a marathon, not a sprint––which meant my burn out needed to be remedied.
That’s when I decided that every day I would do something for myself that I considered fun. It needed to have nothing to do with NanoWrimo and had to bring me complete joy. I started off with carving out time in my evening routine for reading and watching some Asian dramas. I just wanted something to get my mind off of the fact that I was pushing towards this huge goal of writing a novel in a month.
Think about what makes you smile. Do you enjoy watching standup comedy? Is there a favorite show you are in love with right now? Write down everything that makes you happy. Pick two items from that list and then figure out how you’re going to incorporate it in your top ten goals.
We won’t actually plan out your NanoWrimo day (a later post will address that), but start thinking about how you can incorporate a bit of happiness every day of the month of November. Don’t wait for those big milestones to treat yourself. It’s important to find a bit of happiness every day. This will help prevent you from burning out and will make the whole process a lot more fun.
Elizabeth Yuen 