November came and went like a blur––for those of us writing NaNoWriMo, it was 30 days of consistent (or not so consistent) writing right up until the end. But now we’re faced with the challenge of what we’re going to do now that NaNoWriMo is over.
We have a couple of options available to us: take a break, continue writing our work in progress, or begin your editing journey.
Taking a Break
I want you to know that taking a break from your writing is completely acceptable. In fact, I strongly encourage it. Make plans for your weekend, see friends you didn’t get to see during NaNoWriMo, and take time for yourself.
This goes for everyone who did and did not write those 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo. November was a month full of creativity and writing, but it was also a time of stress. And it is important to listen to our bodies and take note of our mental health. A part of that is making sure that we’re having a moment of pause.
I’m not saying to just shove your writing aside for the next month––that’s actually not something I recommend doing. But it is important to take a few days or the weekend to just enjoy time to yourself.
Taking a break is especially important for those who not only finished NaNoWriMo but also finished their novel. It is recommended to take a break after writing your first draft so you can look at with fresh eyes.
Continue Writing Your Work in Progress
Another option is to continue writing. This option is great for those of you who may not have written the 50,000 words in NaNoWriMo or have not finished writing your novel.
I wrote 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo, but my novel is still not over. I only got until chapter 21 of my 27 chapter novel, which means I still have writing to do before my first draft of my novel is complete. So for the first half of December, I will continue to write my novel and ideally finish it by mid-December where I will then put it away and focus on another work in progress until I’m ready to begin the editing process.
Begin Your Editing Journey
I know there are some of you who may have finished your novel during NaNoWriMo. Congratulations! That is amazing and I am so proud of you.
That being said, I recommend taking a break before diving into your editing journey. You’ve been in your characters’ world for an entire month and it might be good to go out, experience the real world, and then edit your novel.
Editing your novel can take a while and it is be easier said than done. Regardless, take a deep breath and begin to work on editing your novel––one page at a time. You may find that you need to rewrite entire chapters, or you may need a few simple edits. It really depends on your writing and editing style.
No matter what you decide to do during December, pick a path and stick to it. I am so proud of everyone who participated in NaNoWriMo and I cannot wait to see what we all accomplish next.
Today is Halloween which means it is officially the end of Preptober. Today we’ll be chatting about what it means to be all in for November and how we can use these last few hours to prepare ourselves for the next 30 days.
Pat Yourself on the Back
If you have been going through Preptober with me, I want to give you a huge round of applause. You guys are seriously amazing and I hope you know how awesome you are. I am so freaking proud of you guys for getting ready to embark on your NaNoWriMo journey with tools in hand so you can go all in tomorrow.
The fact that you’ve committed to writing 50,000 words over the course of the month is truly mind-blowing. We are getting ready to tackle on a huge goal and you’ve already taken steps to set yourself up for success. So pat yourself on the back.
When you commit to getting after your writing every single day and work on achieving that novel in NaNoWriMo, that’s you proving to yourself that you can do anything. Let that sink in. You are a powerhouse of a person who is ready to take on NaNoWriMo.
I am proud of you and I am so excited for you.
Now What?
We’re here. We’ve arrived. It’s the moment that we’ve all been waiting for.
NaNoWriMo is here.
…Now what?
You can take the knowledge you’ve gained from this Preptober series I’ve been doing and dive straight into NaNoWriMo. You have been prepping throughout October which means that you’re ready to tackle NaNoWriMo. Just remember to take a breath and take your time as you go.
You could also revisit a lot of the content that I’ve created for Preptober as well as Preptober content from other creators. I like to do listen to others talk about NaNoWriMo throughout the month to remind myself that I’m not alone in this journey. This keeps me focused and it can help keep you focused too.
Lastly, go all in. Don’t hold back on your NaNoWriMo goals. Stay focused and keep working on your novel. Just think of your why and keep going.
We are two days away from NaNoWriMo. All of us are buzzing with excitement. But as you get hyped up for NaNoWriMo, I want you to take a deep breath and slow down.
Take A Look Around
Assess where you are right now versus where you want to be during NaNoWriMo. If your plan is to write every day for NaNoWriMo, then do you already know where you’ll carve time out of your daily life to do that? If one of your writing goals is to do research for your story, then do you already know what days you’ll be researching and what resources you’ll need to pull from?
Really take a look around. Determine where your starting point is and know what changes you need to make come Tuesday in order to achieve your goals.
This is where planning out your day comes in handy. Before you even begin planning out your new daily schedule for November, you should sit down and determine where you are right now. I’m not just talking about where your time is going. I’m also talking about where you are starting concerning your goals for NaNoWriMo.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself to determine where you are right now:
Am I doing anything right now to accomplish these goals without even having started my month?
What is my current day-to-day schedule like?
What is my current mindset like?
What is my current physical well-being like?
Am I willing to tackle these goals?
These questions are important to ask yourself before you dive headfirst into NaNoWriMo.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Once you’ve figured out where you are right now, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll set yourself up for success. Knowing what you need to do in order to achieve your NaNoWriMo goals is key. Do not go into NaNoWriMo unprepared.
Ask yourself the following questions to help set you up for success:
What will I do to accomplish my goals in November?
What do I need to change in my day-to-day schedule to accomplish those goals?
What do I need to change in my mindset to accomplish those goals?
What do I need to change in my physical well-being to accomplish those goals?
What will I do to enforce will-power to tackle those goals?
A lot of those questions are things that we have been talking about over the course of Preptober, so you should already have an idea of what needs to change for November. Take today and tomorrow to flesh out your answers a bit more.
Becoming the Top 10%
There are tons of people everywhere looking to complete NaNoWriMo, but did you know that only about 10-15% of NaNoWriMo participants actually finish? That means that about 90% of people don’t complete NaNoWriMo.
I’ve already seen some fellow writers getting extremely excited about NaNoWriMo. And there’s nothing wrong with that––I hope you’re at least somewhat excited about NaNoWriMo. But I also hope that by now you have some sort of daily, weekly, and month-long plan to get there. And if not, get to work on it. We have one whole day left before we’re in the thick of it.
You see, the excitement for NaNoWriMo will begin to die down by the end of week one, going into week two. And if you have only your excitement, motivation, and passion to lean on, know that all of that will fade. Those same people who at the beginning of the month are getting overly excited are usually the same people who do not finish at the end of the month because all they had was their excitement to rely on.
So what do we lean on when the excitement fades? For the top 10-15% of us, it’s grit.
Grit is something that comes with routines and consistency. Grit is the boring day-to-day grind that we do in order to achieve our goals despite the obstacles and despite the nay-sayers.
And trust me: NaNoWriMo, if done correctly, is boring. And it should be boring because writing becomes a habit. You are sitting down to write 50,000 words over the course of a month. By plugging away daily at your word count at the same time every single day, you are taking away the element of excitement that so many people thrive on: the ‘what if’ scenarios.
Those ‘what if’ scenarios I’m talking about are the adrenaline rush moments that could have been avoided with a bit of planning and preparation. If you’ve ever had to meet a deadline and had to work on a project until the last minute, then you know that feeling. It’s a whirl of excitement––a moment where your emotions are going wild and your hands are shaking to cross the finish line.
The same thing can happen during NaNoWriMo due to a lack of planning and strategy. I am telling you: do not chase that adrenaline rush. Instead, take a moment now to plan out the day-to-day grind so you do not have try to rush to the finish line at the end of the month at the last second.
Have you heard of the tortoise and the hare? The random burst of energy hare lost while the slow and steady tortoise won. Winning NaNoWriMo is the same thing. Do not become the hare. Become the slow and steady tortoise and you’ll become a part of the 10% to win NaNoWriMo.
So while everyone else is getting super excited and ready to rush into NaNoWriMo––remember to take it slow and go at your own pace. Take a deep breath before you dive in.
Let’s chat about the fun part of NaNoWriMo: your reward system. Reward systems are a fantastic way to keep yourself motivated to hit your daily, weekly and monthly word count. It’s the carrot at the end of the stick––the extra oomph that will remind you that you have something waiting for you once you’re finished.
I’ll dive into all things reward systems and treating yourself in this blog post, so if that’s something you’re interested in, just keep reading.
Reward Systems 101
Reward systems for NaNoWriMo are traditionally broken up with bigger word count goals like hitting the 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 and 50,000 word count marks. But just like breaking up NaNoWriMo into smaller daily goals, I recommend breaking up your reward system into smaller daily rewards. This way, you’re treating yourself every single day.
The reason is this: let’s say you’re writing the 1,667 words every single day. That means that you won’t reach that first 10,000 word count mark until the end of the first week in November. That’s nearly a week without a single reward. And if you’re someone like me who really enjoys and relishes rewards, then that’s far too long to go without a reward.
I recommend breaking up your reward system into three categories: daily, weekly, and end of the month rewards.
Daily Rewards
Your daily rewards should be things that are easily accessible to you. I’m thinking things like: doing your favorite workout in the morning, grabbing your favorite snack in the afternoon, having your drink of choice at night, and taking bubble baths. I love to take daily bubble baths to reward myself. I usually bring a book, light some candles, and wear a face mask to make it more of a spa-like experience.
I don’t recommend waiting until you’ve hit your word count for the day to reward yourself. Ideally, your rewards are trickled throughout the day as you check off your top ten goals. For example: one of my goals is to workout every single day in the month of November. To reward myself immediately after, I’m planning on eating my favorite breakfast immediately afterward.
These daily rewards should not be expensive or take up too much of your time. They should be quick and easy for you to have immediately. The key for daily rewards is to have that instant dopamine rush and feeling of having accomplished something.
Make things special for yourself and don’t be afraid to romanticize your life as a reward. So when you reward yourself daily, really lean into it and don’t skimp.
Weekly Rewards
Weekly rewards can and should happen at any point in the week––not just the end of the week. I usually like to schedule two to three weekly rewards per week. These rewards only happen when I’ve been hitting my daily goals. So what does that look like?
NaNoWriMo officially starts on Tuesday, November 1st. So I plan on going to my writers group on Thursday as a reward and Saturday I plan on being fully present for my husband’s 31st birthday.
The beauty of going to my writers group on Thursday is not only do I find it rewarding, but it also helps me accomplish one of my support group goals and I get to socialize with other writers. I always have the warm fuzzies after I spend time with my writers group.
On Saturday, I look forward to not only celebrating my husband’s birthday but also spending quality time with friends and family. I consider this a reward because we’re planning on doing some go-kart racing and heading to a brewery which are both fun activities where I can blow off steam.
I might throw in a couple more rewards of getting my nails done, going hiking on Sunday, and purchasing a few new books. The key with weekly rewards is to pick things that you really can’t do on a regular basis. Make these extra special and stand out from your daily rewards.
Your Monthly Rewards
I recommend having multiple monthly rewards. These rewards are for the end of the month when you have accomplished NaNoWriMo. I want you to actually do something big here.
Something big could be having a party with friends to celebrate NaNoWriMo being over or having a staycation at a local bed and breakfast. Are you planning on purchasing champagne? Pop that bubbly and enjoy. By the end of November, you deserve some pampering.
Like your weekly rewards, your monthly rewards should be extraordinarily special to you. These should be things that can only happen once per month because they are so rare. Think about this and really consider how you’re going to celebrate at the end of NaNoWriMo.
Rewards that Align With Your Goals
When you’re planning out your rewards for your month, make sure that they actually align with your top ten goals for NaNoWriMo. For example: I have a goal of exercising every day during NaNoWriMo. That means one of my rewards could be going to a yoga studio or picking up a delicious watermelon smoothie. That does not mean that I am going to reward myself by skipping a workout to watch television instead.
For writing, maybe your reward should be purchasing books that help you become a better writer or signing up for an upcoming writers’ conference you’ve had your eye on for a while. You’re not going to want to skip writing for the day to reward yourself and derail you from your ultimate goal of reaching 50,000 words in the month of November. That won’t be helpful and it doesn’t align with your goal.
Whatever your rewards are, just make sure that they resonate with your goals. You don’t want to go completely off the rails and then lose track of what you’re trying to accomplish.
When thinking of rewards for NaNoWriMo, just make sure that they are actual rewards for you. They should be things you really look forward to. Don’t reward yourself with things that don’t make you happy. Remember: these are rewards for your hard work, so treat yourself accordingly.
Let me know in the comment section below if this blog was helpful!
We’ve gone over a lot during Preptober––goal setting, your why, routines… but none of that will matter if you’re in the midst of NaNoWriMo and aren’t following through on your promises. I’ve mentioned having an accountability system will help you follow through on your NaNoWriMo goals, but I haven’t talked much about the ultimate promise: the promise to yourself.
Your promise to yourself could be completing 50,000 words in November. Or it could be something else entirely. But if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo and you haven’t publicly declared it, now’s the opportunity to step up and declare yourself a participant.
Others Will Look at You Differently
No one likes the person that says they’re doing something and then they never actually accomplish it. Nobody. Because if you don’t follow through on your promises, you look like an unreliable person. And no one wants to work with let alone hang with someone who is unreliable.
I used to be that person. When I wasn’t making my writing a priority, I told everyone that I wanted to be a writer. I had been talking a big game about what I wanted out of life, but those were just words. Empty words that were coming out of my mouth.
I was a liar. I lied to everyone––including myself. All because I wasn’t following through on what I said I was going to do. I made empty promises with no follow-through and people saw me for what I was: someone who made promises I never intended to keep.
It wasn’t until I was two years into one of my previous jobs as a marketing coordinator that one of my coworkers called me on it.
“You said you wanted to be a writer two years ago,” she said. “What happened? Have you made any progress on that?”
She wasn’t being rude. She was just voicing what everyone––including myself, on some level––was thinking.
And you know what? She was right.
I had gotten my English degree with the mindset of becoming a published author someday, but my dream scared me too much to take any action on it. I had unfinished works, query letters that I had never sent, and an imagination that went wild with endless ‘what if’ scenarios.
Oh, I used to cling to the excuses: “I’ve been busy working a full time job. I’ve been taking coding classes on the side. I have a husband now. I don’t have time to write.”
And those were some weak excuses. Because that’s all they were: excuses.
The real problem was me. I was the one standing in my own way, afraid to take a step forward into who I really wanted to become. My fear was the real thing that was stopping me.
Now when I tell someone I’m going to do something, I follow through. I make a plan of action and I try to be as truthful as I can. If someone asks me to do something, I either tell them that I do not have time for it or tell them a reasonable timeframe that it will get done. And when I talk about writing now, I know and other people know that I’m actually getting my writing done.
Figure out what is stopping you from fulfilling your promises. Do not fall into the same traps that I did. Do not procrastinate. Determine what you really want and get after it.
People will look at you differently if you do.
Self Confidence
You cannot have self confidence if you do not do what you say you are going to do. Let’s say you have a goal to drink a gallon of water every day. If you consistently do not reach that goal and instead drink soda all day, how will you feel about yourself? Pretty low.
When I was struggling with being overweight, I would tell everyone that I was on a diet. Then, I’d proceed to down a whole bunch of chips and ice cream. I want to remind you: there is nothing wrong with chips and ice cream in moderation. But at that time, I’d go do a workout where my heart wasn’t in it and then turn right around to eat way more than I ever needed to in secrecy.
Behind the scenes, I was miserable. I kept up a pretense that I was living a healthy lifestyle. Newsflash: I wasn’t. I was tired and groggy and just not feeling great. The double life I led was exhausting until I finally just gave up pretending.
It wasn’t until I started actually showing up for myself that things changed. I’m just not talking about the weight loss––I’m talking about the emotional journey. I went from empty promises with myself to fulfilled promises with myself.
The difference in my attitude became night and day. I discovered that by following through on promises you have made yourself, you are telling yourself that you have integrity. That you can follow through on plans you’ve made. You’re developing trust with yourself by refusing to give up.
Show up for yourself. Keep the promises that you make to yourself and see your self confidence completely transform.
Accountability
A part of ensuring that you’re getting your writing done is how you’re holding yourself accountable. I’ve talked before about having accountability goals. Your accountability goals should do just that: hold you accountable.
One of the reasons why I started up my YouTube channel and posting regularly on social media is to hold myself accountable to what I said I was going to do. If I’m not regularly writing, my social media is going to reflect that and my followers will know that my head isn’t in the game.
Keeping promises to yourself is important, so if you say you’re going to write 50,000 words in November for NaNoWriMo, make sure that you are able and willing to follow through.
Tomorrow, I’ll be discussing more of the fun stuff surrounding NaNoWriMo like reward systems and treating yourself. Let me know in the comment section below if this blog was helpful.
I honestly think I love evening routines more than I love morning routines. When I think of an evening routine, I think of winding down, bubble baths, and writing. I also view an evening routine as the perfect set up for a morning routine.
How your evening routine is done will directly impact how your morning routine goes. I’ll dive into this a little later in the blog and you’ll see how important having both a morning and an evening routine is.
Strolling Into Your Evening
It’s five o’clock. You’ve had a long day of work. You’re probably tired and lacking creative energy. You’re feeling groggy and maybe your shoulders hurt from leaning over your computer all day.
It’s at this time that I recommend getting away from any screens and going outside for a walk. It’s really important to get out and enjoy any last rays of sunshine you can for the start of your evening.
I mentioned in the morning routine blog that exercise can help with your creativity. This is true. Getting your body moving will help those creative juices flow and get you ready to write in your evening. Go for a walk or a run, or roll out a yoga mat and do some stretching. If this time is the only time you have to squeeze in your workout for the day, make sure you make the most of it.
You’ll really want to take advantage of this time so later when you write in the evening, you’re not restless. Instead, you’ll be rejuvenated and ready to get in your word count.
Family Time
After you’re done your evening workout, make sure that you eat a proper meal with friends or family. Do not eat alone if at all possible. Regular socialization is important to keeping your sanity during NaNoWriMo. Take a full hour or so to be fully present with your friends and family.
Ask them about their day, and chat with them about how your writing is going. This time is great for tapping into your support system––especially if you’re dealing with one of your NaNoWriMo roadblocks.
Having others to talk to during NaNoWriMo will help make the solo journey less lonely. They don’t have to be writing with you to be supportive of you. Just chat with them and enjoy this time in the evening.
Set the Mood
Before you even get to writing, set the mood. Light some candles and put on some background noise like a movie or some music that inspires you. Grab margarita or your drink of choice. Really lean into setting the mood for your writing.
Figure out where you’re going to be writing in the evening as well. I like to write at my desk in the mornings, but at night I love to relax on the couch with my laptop to get my writing done. Try and pick a place where you feel most comfortable.
The place you write in the evening should be very different from where you wrote in the morning––if you wrote in the morning. Part of this is making sure that you have a different mindset than you do in the morning. In the morning, it’s a lot about the hustle and the drive. It’s more about pushing yourself hard and doing as much as you can before your day begins. At night, your goal should be to keep your mood relaxed and calm because you’re trying to wind down from a long and stressful day.
Setting the mood will help with you keeping things calm and de-stressing from the workday.
Evening Writing
If you haven’t written yet, around seven at night is the perfect time to get your writing done. It’s long enough after your workday to give you a bit of a break away from screens, but early enough in the evening that you have some brainpower for a couple of hours to get your word count in.
The only problem with evening writing is this: your willpower diminishes greatly throughout the day and you may not get your word count in if you wait to write until the evening. This is why I emphasize writing as soon as you wake up so you can get ahead and beat out any kind of decision fatigue. However, I realize that waking up earlier might not be in the cards for some of you and you may need to rely on writing in the evenings to get your word count done.
By creating an evening routine with writing at the heart of it, you’ll ensure that you’re creating a habit that can help carry you through NaNoWriMo. Even if you only have thirty minutes to write in the evenings because of familial obligations or life circumstances, making sure that you sit down to write in the evenings is a great way to get in your word count.
Set Up Your Morning for Success
Once you’re done with your writing for the night, put away your laptop. Do not spend hours scrolling unless it’s going to be for inspiration. Electronics can seriously mess with your sleep schedule––the light from your laptop can send signals to your brain telling you that you need to stay awake. This will impact your sleep. And as I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, you cannot sacrifice your sleep.
Lay out your clothes for the next morning. I usually put my clothes in the bathroom so as soon as I get up in the morning, I brush my teeth and my clothes are right there ready to go. It makes waking up earlier than usual way easier for me. It’s harder to tell yourself to just go back to sleep if your clothes are in your face, telling you to get up and get moving.
The Wind Down
After you’ve set your morning up for success, it’s time to start winding down for the evening so you can have the best quality of sleep possible. You could take a bubble bath, read a book, or grab a coloring book. If you’re not sick of writing for the day, grab a journal and write down how you’re feeling at the end of the day. Listen to soothing music or a podcast that you can relax to.
At the very end of your evening, I recommend praying or listening to a meditation for writers like this one. Make sure to set your phone FAR away from your bed so you’re not tempted to stay awake and scroll after the meditation has ended.
Now, I’m not going to tell you what time you should go to bed, but I do recommend getting to bed relatively early if possible. Remember that NaNoWriMo is a marathon, not a sprint and you’re going to need to rest up properly on a regular basis so you do not burn out. Figure out how much sleep you need and then set your own bed time from there. If you’re waking up at five in the morning like I am, I recommend being in bed no later than nine so you can get at least seven hours of sleep. Just do what is right for you and for your body.
Let me know what your NaNoWriMo evening routine will look like in the comments section below. I always love hearing from you guys.
Morning routines. They’re seen everywhere across the web. Entire YouTube channels are dedicated to perfecting the art of the morning routine. As writers, it is important that we establish a morning routine that works for our creativity rather than against it.
The 90 Minute Rule
Before you even begin planning for your morning routine, it’s important to note that every writer should begin their day with writing first thing in the morning. This is especially important during NaNoWriMo where we will all be striving to hit that 50,000 word count by the end of November. By rolling out of bed and heading straight for your computer or your notebook, you’re immediately eliminating the potential for any kind of procrastination later in the day.
I’m sure some of you reading this might be groaning at that. If you’re looking for quick and easy tips and tricks to getting through NaNoWriMo, I’m telling you now: there are none. The only way out of NaNoWriMo is to push through it. And pushing through NaNoWriMo means making sure that you are up earlier than you need to be to start off your day with getting your word count done.
I plan on waking up every day at five in the morning to get my writing done so I can get in at least 90 minutes of writing in before I even begin the rest of my morning routine. I’m going into November knowing that I am going to need to sacrifice sleeping in to get my word count in. You need to go into NaNoWriMo prepared to sacrifice a bit as well.
Now, I’m not saying you need to sacrifice sleep. That is not what I am saying at all. You might need to sacrifice late night outings with your friends, but I do not recommend sacrificing your sleep to get up early. Your number one priority, above getting that word count, is making sure you get enough sleep. I’ll talk more about getting to bed at a reasonable time in an upcoming post. Just know that sleep is important for you to keep your stamina up during NaNoWriMo.
If you do have the occasional late night and need to prioritize sleeping over waking up early, then just ensure that you have at least ten minutes in the morning to keep up that habit of writing first thing in the morning. The key here is to get your momentum going first thing in the morning.
What you start your day with is going to set the tone for the rest of the day. If you start your day off by achieving your word count or making an effort to achieve your word count, then you’re automatically starting out with a win.
Remember: write first thing in the morning.
Get Moving
If you have time for it in the morning, I strongly recommend you get moving after you have written. Not only will this allow you to take your mind off of your writing, but it will help with your overall health. We all know the health benefits of exercising: lowering your resting heart rate, strengthening your muscles, helping with your digestive system––the list goes on.
But as writers, did you know that exercising can help improve your creativity? I know that when I go out on a run or hit the gym, I am way more creative and productive overall.
When I was training for my half marathons, I’d have long stretches of running where I could just think. On those long runs, I’d picture key moments of my story or how my character would feel in a certain situation. It was almost meditative for me. Please know that you do not have to train for a half marathon to get a similar result. I’m just saying that when you’re exercising, it’s easy to let your mind wander. Especially as your calves burn and you’re desperate to think about anything other than the hardest part of your workout.
Moving is also extremely important because so many of us have sedentary jobs. I sit for at least eight hours a day, working my full-time job as a social media manager. That means that I’m not moving as much as I should be on a regular basis. So I know that I need to fit in a workout at least five times a week to keep myself in shape and to help with my mental health.
If you can only carve out 20 minutes of your morning routine to workout, do it. I strongly recommend doing it right after you’ve finished writing to help you transition into the rest of your day.
Feeding Your Body and Soul
Once you’ve written and worked out, I recommend taking a few minutes to work on your spirituality. Whether that’s a meditation or opening up a prayer book, you should be focused on getting in touch with your spiritual self. If you have time to do Tony Robbins’ priming exercise, definitely do that. It’s a fifteen minute visualization that can help you hone in on your goals and gets you in touch with what you want out of life.
In addition to feeding your soul, make sure you feed your body with a healthy breakfast. Grab some protein, a fat and a carb to get your day started. I like to make myself a protein smoothie or a bagel with spinach, egg and cheese in the morning. These types of meals are quick and easy and allow me to focus on other things in the morning.
Make Yourself Presentable
For the longest time, I did not wear makeup during the day. I would wake up, shower, not dry my hair and then go to work or school in a frumpy outfit. My nails would be short and bitten down to the nubs. I would feel tired, worn down and exhausted all of the time. And you know what? I looked and felt awful.
Eventually, I read Steve Harvey’s “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” There’s a chapter in there that talks about making yourself presentable. Now, I’m not talking about dressing to the nines and wearing pinchy shoes just because they look cute. Although, if you want to do that, you’re more than welcome to. Go for it.
But just make sure that your nails are looking good. If your nail polish is chipped, take the time to either get your nails done or do them yourself. Put on clothes that make you look and feel good. Tidy up your hair and fix your makeup. Take pride in your appearance––not because you want to impress anyone, but because you love yourself enough to dress up.
Making yourself presentable is also a way to honor your writing. If you show up to write your novel in junkie sweatpants and a holed hoodie, what message are you saying to your writing? You’re telling your writing that you do not believe in it. That it is not worthy of your time to dress up for it. That it is going to be a side hustle and nothing more than a side hustle.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying, “Dress for the job that you want, not the job that you have.” If you dress dowdy when you write, are you really dressing for the job that you want?
Even if you’re like me and are planning on working out after you write, make sure that the sweatpants that you wear to write are nice looking. The hoodie that you wear? Not holed, that’s for sure. And your hair should be neat and tidy. And after you’re done writing and you’ve completed my workout, take a five minute shower and spend fifteen minutes putting on lotion, doing your hair, and applying makeup.
I’m worth it and so are you. So take pride in your appearance and make sure you have time in your morning routine to dress yourself up.
Plan Out Your Day
If you haven’t already planned out your day in full, I recommend planning out your day after you’ve gotten ready. It’s also a great time to check off your writing goals if you managed to write that morning. Write down your top ten goals, check of the ones that you accomplished in the morning and take a look at your day ahead.
I talked about planning out your day in an earlier post, so I won’t get too detailed here, but essentially: map out your day according to your needs and your current situation. Know where you are and where you need to be and make the appropriate changes.
Whatever your morning routine looks like, make sure that it suits your needs. Let me know in the comments section below if this was helpful and what you want your NaNoWriMo morning routine to look like.
Starting your day without a proper plan is like flying blind without a navigation system. It doesn’t bode well.
We walked through your top ten NaNoWriMo goals in an earlier post. As a refresher, there are five categories to keep in mind when picking your top ten goals: health, support system, writing, accountability, and fun. Then, you pick one or two goals for each category, adding up to a total of ten goals for your NaNoWriMo experience.
Now, you may have been thinking to yourself, Liz, ten goals is a lot. I don’t know if I have enough time in my day to get something done for each of those ten goals––let alone my actual NaNoWriMo daily word count.
But you may have more time than you realize. You just need to take a realistic look at what your time is actually going to.
Where Are You Now?
In order to achieve our goals, it’s important to have a gut check of where we are right now. Write down your current schedule on a piece of paper. Actually take your time doing this and be perfectly honest with yourself.
What does your morning look like? Are you sleeping in until nine in the morning every day? Are you waiting until the last minute to wake up for work in the morning and then scrambling to get ready?
What do your working hours look like? Are you using your break time at work to scroll through social media?
What does your afternoon look like? Do you find yourself nodding off at around three in the afternoon every day? Are you constantly reaching for coffee just to fight off exhaustion?
What does your evening look like? Do you get off of work and immediately go out for drinks with friends? Do you sit at home and watch television? How late do you stay up? Do you go to bed early or do you go to bed late?
When I asked myself these questions a few years ago, it was a hard reality check for me. The majority of my day was spent in a slump, and I honestly cannot tell you what I did during those waking hours. I can tell you that I wasn’t writing.
Where Do You Want to Be?
Now it’s time for you to figure out where you want to be. This is especially important as we go into NaNoWriMo. I want you to visualize what your ideal NaNoWriMo day will look like. Get detailed with it.
What does your morning look like? Are you waking up earlier to get your writing done? Do you workout in the morning as a part of your health goals? What do you eat in the morning to fuel your mind?
What does your work day look like? Those breaks you used to spend scrolling––are you writing instead? Are you walking for your lunch break instead of mindlessly scrolling? Do you call up one of your support system people for a quick chat?
What does your afternoon look like? Are you hydrating yourself properly so you don’t feel as tired? Are you taking a step away from work for a bit to do some meditation?
What does your evening look like? Do you call it quits for the workday at five and then go for a walk or a run before you start your evening? What time to you go to bed at night? Do you go to bed early or do you stay up a little bit later to get your writing done for the day?
Ask yourself these questions and really envision what you want your typical NaNoWriMo day to look like. Please note that every day is not going to be perfect. That’s life. Things happen. But the better we plan out our day and visualize it in full, the better we’ll handle whatever distractions life throws at us.
Routines
Over the next couple of days, I will be talking about routines in more detail, but I wanted to touch on the idea of routines in this post. We’ve all seen the epic morning and evening routines on YouTube. If you haven’t, I strongly recommend you check them out.
Writing should become a part of your daily routine. Morning, afternoon and evening routines need to involve your creativity in some way. This is particularly helpful during NaNoWriMo when we’ll all be aiming for 50,000 words in a month and we need to cram as much writing into our day as possible.
For example: I do a lot of my fantasy romance writing in the early mornings before my day gets started. In the afternoon (during my lunch break), I like to shoot videos and look at my blog. In my evenings, I write for my blog. I have it set up this way because my mornings are when my mind is freshest and I can be my most creative self. I break up my afternoon with a burst of creativity that doesn’t take too much brain power, but just enough to keep me on my toes. In the evenings, I’m ready to free write, and I view my blog almost like my diary where I can just vomit words onto a page and edit later.
Your routines may look very different from mine. Maybe you’re a night owl and find yourself way more creative at night. The bulk of your NaNoWriMo writing may need to be done at night, then. Maybe your day starts at an odd hour like ten at night because you work the night shift. Whatever your day looks like, your NaNoWriMo schedule needs to be tailored to that.
Be Realistic
Be realistic when you’re planning your ideal NaNoWriMo day. Would we all love to write for eight hours a day and achieve well over our word count on a daily basis? Yes. Is that realistic? No.
Figure out how much time you need during the day to accomplish your daily word count. You could be a writer that needs two hours just to get the typical 1667 words per day. You may not be able to carve that time out for yourself every single day and you may need to overcompensate on the weekends. Make sure you plan that out.
I recommend grabbing a planner like Angie Bellemare’s Daily Grind Planner to help you plan out your day. Her planner makes you list out your top ten goals every day and then write down your schedule so you know how you’re going to fit a task for each of your top ten goals into your day.
I’ll drop my ideal schedule down below so you can get an idea of what my typical day will look like in NaNoWriMo:
Notice that I incorporate my goals of fun into my schedule––I usually like to watch a movie and read in the evening. Remember to decompress after your long day and include your own fun goals into your schedule. Drop a comment below to let me know what you’re thinking in terms of your schedule and how you plan on incorporating your top ten NaNoWriMo goals into your day.
We are one week away from NaNoWriMo, which means it’s time to start dreaming big. What do you want your NaNoWriMo to look like? Do you want it to be the most productive month of writing? Do you want to use it to jumpstart your next novel? Are you already working on a novel and are planning on using it to finally finish that novel?
No matter what you’re planning for NaNoWriMo, it’s time to get your creative juices flowing.
A Vision Board
Whenever I’m working on a novel, I like to create a vision board for it. You can go the old fashioned route with cut outs from magazines or you can use a tool like Canva to put your vision board together.
I recommend pulling together images that not only represent your novel through people and objects, but also other images that represent what your novel means to you. Go through Pinterest––there is a ton of inspiration there.
If you put your vision board together in Canva, you’re able to adjust the dimensions so you can turn it into your desktop background. You’re going to want your writing inspiration at your fingertips and what better way to have your inspiration at the ready than to have it as your laptop background?
Anytime you open your laptop for anything, you’re automatically flooded with images of what you want to write for NaNoWriMo.
A Playlist
I have individual playlists for each of my books that I’m thinking of. I recommend prepping two separate playlists: one should be a soundtrack playlist with songs that have words in them and one should be a score playlist with no words at all. This way, when you’re out exercising or cleaning up around the house, you can listen to your soundtrack with words for inspiration. And when you actually sit down to write, you have a score that you can have in the background that won’t distract you from getting your word count in.
Have a specific scene in mind when certain music plays? Add it to your playlist. You could even break down the playlists further by breaking up your playlists into different chapters. So chapter one would have its own playlist, chapter two would have its own playlist, and so on.
Now is the time to have fun and be creative.
Television, Movies, and Books
Now, do not use television and movies to procrastinate on your writing. This is not me telling you that you get a free pass to just watch the TV all day and skip out on your writing. This is me telling you that you should gather together some shows and movies that inspire your story.
If you’re writing horror, there are a whole bunch of Halloween movies out there for you to add to your list to watch in November. Search for what makes sense for your genre and gain inspiration from there.
If you’re a bookworm like myself, you might find that television and movies aren’t enough. Have a couple of old favorites at the ready for those evenings where you just need to relax and recharge before you have to dive back into writing again.
When dealing with entertainment, remember this: consume less than you create. So if you spend two hours in the evening watching a movie, make sure you have spent at least two hours that day writing. Remember: this is NanoWrimo and you need to complete your 50,000 word count by the end of it.
When I wake up in the morning and hear my alarm ringing during NanoWrimo, the first thought in my head is usually, “Why am I doing this?” And if I don’t have the answer to that question, then I am going to go right back to sleep.
Without my why, those top ten goals are not going to get accomplished during NanoWrimo. I won’t hit those 50,000 words. And I will never become a published author. Instead, I’ll pull the covers over my head and stay in bed.
Your why needs to be big. Bigger than your 50,000 word count goal in November. Your why needs to make you tremble with excitement and scare you a bit. It needs to be the one thing that is feeding those top ten goals of yours.
The question is this: why are you writing?
For Your Past Self
I started getting into writing when I was in third or fourth grade. I loved to read stories and wanted to write my own. I remember writing about princesses and dragons and reading those stories aloud by myself. I’ve always enjoyed writing––it’s a calling to me.
But that calling has been tested. A lot. I mentioned in an earlier post that I originally went to college for music education. Well, the truth is this: in high school, I had been torn between getting a music education degree or an English degree. When I talked with my parents about it, they asked the question, “Well, what are you going to do with an English degree?”
I had an answer, but my parents didn’t think it was practical: I was going to write. That’s what I was going to do with my English degree.
“You can write without an English degree,” they reasoned with me. “You can teach during the day and then write in the evening.”
What they said isn’t wrong. If you’re reading this and didn’t graduate with an English degree, you can still write. I mean, honestly, you don’t need an English degree to write. Anyone can write.
But at the time, I remember feeling like my dream was forever meant to be a side hustle. Like it wasn’t important enough to throw money behind it or give it more time than an hour or two in evenings. Like my dream didn’t matter.
I wish I had been more determined at the time to fight for an English degree. I eventually wound up graduating with an English degree, but so much less time and money would have been wasted if I had just gone with my original gut feeling.
But all of that taught me a valuable lesson: if you do not fight for your dreams, then who will? Who is going to stick up for your writing? Who is going to say, “Hey. That story you’ve been working on for years? Keep at it.”? Who is going to be in your corner every second of every day telling you that you can do this?
You are.
One of my reasons why I write is because I don’t want to let my younger self down. I don’t want to let her dreams die. I want to keep that writing dream alive and breathe life into it over and over again.
Are you writing for your past self? Your younger self that dared to dream? I recommend that you do. Don’t let your past self down.
For Your Present Self
I’m going to be honest with you: I do not like where I am in life right now. There are a couple of things about my life that I’m unhappy with.
First of all: I’m not waking up as early as I’d like to. I feel like I’m wasting time by sleeping in. Last week, I made it a goal to wake up every day around 7 AM. This week I’m aiming for 6 AM every day. The reason I’m doing this is because I am unhappy and want to change something in my life.
That change is being able to write more. Writing brings me joy. If you’re reading this blog post, then it means on some level, writing brings you joy as well. Aren’t you sick of not honoring that joy? Aren’t you sick of not carving out time of your day to express yourself freely and creatively? I know I am.
So dedicate your why to your present self, too. If you want to change and if you’re ready to become the writer you were always meant to be, focus on the joy that writing brings you. And bring that joy into your life every single day.
For Your Future Self
I met a woman the other day who is 72-years-old. It was at a fall festival in the Charlotte area where there was a Halloween costume competition and a ton of stands for local small businesses. If you’ve never done one before, I highly recommend. I was just standing in line at a food truck, waiting for my food, and this woman and I got to talking. I discovered a few things. One: she had ordered the bratwurst. Two: we were both originally from New Jersey. And three: her life wasn’t what she wanted it to be.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This 72-year-old woman didn’t have her dream life. After 72 years, wouldn’t you think she has it together? But no. Her family life? In shambles. Her life’s work? Forget about it.
Imagine being that age and looking back at your life with regret. So much regret that you break down crying in a stranger’s arms not once, but three times at a fall festival.
I spent a good while just listening to her and talking with her. And as we talked, I said some things to her that I’m going to repeat to you: You are worth fighting for. No one else is going to stand up for yourself. You have done enough for other people. Stop asking for permission to do what makes you happy. Do not wait for life to begin––it’s already begun. Your time is precious and shouldn’t be wasted. Other people do not control your life––you do.
Ask yourself: where do you want to be in a year? Two years? Five? How do you want life to look in fifteen years? What do you want your life to be at 72-years-old?
The fear of looking back on my life when I’m that age and thinking, “What did I do with my life?” is absolutely terrifying to me. I do not want to be in my golden years having not accomplished my dreams. And also: not having any dreams at that age, either. I’m a dreamer. A big dreamer. And those dreams are what get me out of bed in the morning when all I want to do is hit that snooze button and go back to sleep.
Visualize your life and how you want it. If you want to be a writer like I do, then it’s time to start living like it. I really hope what I said to that woman resonated with her and that she takes my advice. And I hope that you take my advice and start living for yourself. Your past, present and future self will thank you for it.
Do what makes you happy. Figure out what your why is and begin writing. Let me know down in the comments section below if this was helpful. I love to hear from you guys.
Elizabeth Yuen 