My NaNoWriMo Survival Guide 2018

Whether or not you did any "NanoPrep", this monumental challenge can be daunting for even the most seasoned writers. Granted, NaNoWriMo is meant to be a fun way to encourage writing- but 50,000 words is still a lot. 
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I've been off the NaNo grid for a while, so I'm personally excited for 11/1. I'm also a bit nervous so I drew up 10 points to go by to survive!

How to Survive NaNoWriMo

(10) Have a go-to writing spot planned out. Whether it's in your room, outdoors, or at a coffee shop. Stake out your creative nook!

(9) Have a go-to crying spot. When you want to pull your hair out with frustration, never do it in your creative space. Keep the positive and negative energy separate!

(8) Have a liquid energy source at all times. The choices are endless: Red Bull, coffee, tea, some fancy-pants chai with soy milk, soda... or water? Rocket fuel NOT recommended.

(7) A distracting, mind-numbing hobby to blow off steam is recommended. For some it's exercising, TV, video games... bird watching, nose picking, sudoku puzzles. Whatever. Just don't feel bad about it.

(6) Know that non-writers won't always "get" NaNoWriMo. Don't bother explaining it to them... unless you want to waste more precious writing time...

(5) Hug a kitten. Or puppy. Whatever animal you can get your hands on.

(4) Create a playlist. Music can really put you in the zone and keep you there. For some, it's classical, others like death metal. For me, I like Zelda soundtracks via YouTube.

(3) Hit a road block? Let your friends help! Let them pick an aspect of your project for you. Example: Have them pick a word you have to incorporate into the story...or even the protagonist's/antagonist's day job!

(2) Laugh. Relax. Does the number 50,000 look intimidating? Draw smiley faces in the zeros and now you only have 5! But in all seriousness, the whole point of NaNoWriMo is to encourage writing of any kind! Whatever you get done in November is a HUGE accomplishment. Don't be too hard on yourself.

(1) SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE YOUR WORK. You may laugh....until you get that blue screen of death mid-sentence...

BONUS: Check to see if there is a local group in your town/area that has write-ins! I've done this a few times and loved it.

See you around NaNo!
Wanna be my buddy? I'm The Madpharmacist.
Keep in mind, I'm primarily a fantasy author; however, I am challenging myself with what I consider one of the toughest genres to master- romance! Dun Dun Dunnnnnn!

Peace!
J.E.