How to Win at NaNoWriMo

Tis the Season to be writing, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

“man sitting on table typing on typewriter” by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash

NaNoWriMo is a pain in the ass. I mean that in the most loving terms.

As a competition, it’s something that’s caught my attention since I was in high school. (Ignore my official profile — I was bad at saving my passwords back then; my first year was 2008). I’ve always loved the idea of dedicating a month to sitting down and knocking out a novel. It’s a month where you tell the rest of the world to fuck off, because you are doing this thing that you have always wanted to do.

But it’s rare that the stars actually align for me. For the second time in eleven years, I am moving across state lines during the month of November. (A lot of state lines, this year!) or, else, I’m busy with school and all of the midterms and work that entails. November is not a good month to set that goal. But the rest of the world is doing it, so I sit down, and I try my best.

Manage Your Expectations

I’m not claiming to be the NaNoWriMo guru. I’m not. For as long as I can remember, my sister Laura has managed to kick NaNo’s ass, usually hitting the 50,000 word goal in a week or two. I’m not Laura. It’s rare that I actually hit that lofty goal, but I rarely walk away from the month disappointed.