If you’re a new writer, NaNoWriMo can sound like a daunting task. There is no pressure to win NaNoWriMo (everyone “wins” so long as they reach the 50k word count goal), as some words on the page are better than none, but if you are serious about creating a writing routine and getting the word count in, I’m sharing my tips on how to win NaNoWriMo.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve dreamed of writing a book since I was in elementary school. I remember in the third or fourth grade, we had to write down what we wanted to be when we grew up, and “author” definitely made my list. Last year, I decided to buckle down and finally write a book.
National Novel Writing Month gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that. For those of you who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that hosts writing events year-round. Their biggest is National Novel Writing Month, which is every November. The goal? Write 50,000 words between November 1 and 30.
While I don’t have my novel published (yet!), I am super excited to announce that I did win NaNoWriMo… and it was my first year participating!
(edit to add: my novel that I won my first NaNo with, NOT MY TIME, is publishing January 2023!)
It’s definitely possible to do, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t win. Everyone starts somewhere and everyone’s schedule and circumstances are different. But these are some practices I followed that helped me win and I hope they can help you achieve your writing goals, too!
1. Take Advantage of Preptober
I don’t think I would have been able to manage my first novel without preparing in advance! When you write for NaNoWriMo, you’ll hear people refer to themselves as Pantsers or Planners (and you can even grant yourself a badge on the NaNoWriMo website depending on which one you are!).
Pantser just means you’re going in with a blank document and your imagination, no prep needed. This is great and can be super fun! But if it’s your first time, having at least a little structure can help you.
This is why I recommend, at least for your first NaNoWriMo, being a Planner or a Plantser (a cross between a Planner and Pantser, where you have a little structure but are open to spontaneity). If you’re dead set on winning, having some guides can really make a difference in knowing where your story is going.
There are a lot of different story outlines you can follow. Personally, I’m a fan of Save The Cat, but there are tons of options for everyone. If you don’t want to completely outline your story before beginning, try at least writing down who your characters are and what motivates them. Knowing your characters inside and out will help you drive the story forward because they’re the ones behind the wheel!
If you need some additional help prepping, NaNoWriMo hosts Preptober in October. They’ll share a prompt every day that can help you prepare for your story. They’ve done this on Instagram and encouraged authors to follow along. They also have tons of tips on their website. It’s a full course starting in September.
2. Create a Writing Schedule
No one knows your schedule better than you do. Rather than work against your schedule or hope inspiration comes at any given moment, I recommend you set up a set time to write. If you know you’re not a morning person, don’t force yourself to get up super early. If you know you’re going to be drained after a work shift, try penciling some time in before work or during a lunch break.
You also don’t have to write all of your daily words at once. To win NaNoWriMo, you have to write 1,667 words per day… assuming you write no more than that every day. This is a reasonable amount and super easy to break up into 2-3 sessions.
Finding the perfect writing schedule for you may take some trial and error, but it’ll pay off if you can set aside the time rather than just hope for the best. I recommend doing this during the end of October so you can plan for any upcoming events. For example, during my first NaNoWriMo in 2021, I had to juggle:
- My birthday
- Thanksgiving
- Hanukkah
- And my full-time job during the day!
Because I knew I’d be super busy throughout the month, I looked at my calendar and determined when the best time for me to write would be. In my case, it happened to be in the morning before work. After a while, I came to enjoy relaxing with a cup of coffee, listening to my writing playlist, and writing a scene or two before I started my work shift!
If you’re still not sure where to start, try joining your local group. We’ll talk more on that in a few, but they’ll have some scheduled write-ins on a pretty regular basis.
3. Set Up the Perfect Playlist
Just like every great movie has a great playlist to match, having your own for your book can be a great way to set the mood. Try finding songs that:
- Remind you of your characters (are there any lyrics that would resonate with them?)
- Remind you of your setting (if your story takes place in the summer, some beachy tunes might help!)
- Envoke the mood you want to set based on your genre (a murder mystery probably won’t have a ton of ballads, for example!)
Looking for some inspiration? This was my NaNoWriMo 2021 playlist that I created on Spotify for my first novel, Not My Time. It’s a superhero romance novel, so I wanted a mix of music that either got your heart-pumping or evoked a dreamy feeling. I also picked some songs where the lyrics reminded me of one of the main characters (“My Ordinary Life” and “Little Dark Age” are both so like my character Kane, and “Oblivion” is definitely my character Rory’s song!)
4. Try Some New Writing Tools
Did you know that NaNoWriMo has sponsors that offer free trials and discounts to participants? All you have to do is sign up for NaNoWriMo and they’ll have a ton of offers for you.
Having the right writing software can make a huge difference. I sampled a few at the start of NaNoWriMo in 2021 before landing on Scrivener, which I fell in love with during the free trial. What was even better was they offered a 20% discount to participants… and 50% off if you won, which I did!
These tools offer lots of features designed to help you write in a structured, organized way. What drew me to Scrivener was the way I could have multiple tabs open with information about my characters, notes on the chapter, a chapter synopsis, and more. Each chapter got its own tab but within one project, so it was easier for me to pop around when writing and while editing versus having one giant Google Doc or multiple Google Docs in a folder. Plus, you can sync Scrivener projects across your laptop and mobile devices with Dropbox. Other tools do this, too – what’s right for you might be different!
Reading this well before or after November and can’t wait? Get a free trial of Scrivener!
5. Join Your Local NaNoWriMo Group
NaNoWriMo has different groups you can join based on your geographical location. There are other groups, too, based on interests or genre, but at the very least I recommend joining your local group. There’s something to be said for having a community of people behind you who not only understand but are going through the exact same thing you are. Besides, it’s a great chance to network!
6. Take Advantage of Sprints & Scheduled Events
I got some of the best writing done thanks to the NaNoWriMo sprints. I mostly participated in my local group’s Sprints. These are scheduled, timed events where everyone gets together and sees how much they can write in a certain time frame. In the NaNOrlando group, for instance, we’d have a lot of 90-minute Sprints where we’d go for 10-15 minutes at a time, take a 5-minute break, and then go again until the hour and a half was up.
I love Sprints for two reasons. The first is that there’s a sense of urgency. Nothing is forced, but the clock ticking certainly does help you just word vomit. Words on the page are better than no words at all. It’s okay if it’s not your favorite thing you’ve ever written!
I also love the sense of community the Sprints provide. We’ve had some great conversations during the breaks in the NaNOrlando Discord server. The municipal liaisons are also great about sharing prompts or asking questions that get you thinking and help you write!
NaNoWriMo also has scheduled events. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, there were tons of Zoom and virtual events to join in that encouraged everyone to get together and write.
7. Pace Yourself & Practice Self-Care
Trust me: it can be tempting to get it all done at once if you get on a roll. I had a few days where I accidentally knocked out over 4,000 words. While this helped me get way ahead of schedule, my hands were not too happy about this!
Be sure to pace yourself so you don’t burn out physically or mentally. Remember, 50,000 words is a great goal but there’s no punishment if you don’t “win” – and personally, I think taking on the challenge is admirable enough as is. There’s no rush to get everything done in a day.
Self-care is a crucial component. Remember to relax, enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea, and take breaks as needed. I also recommend investing in some heat therapy mittens or compression gloves to give your hands some much-needed TLC.
8. Write a Scene, Then Move On
I started my project before NaNoWriMo. I first began drafting this story in May but didn’t get the bulk of it done until November when I wrote 50,000 words from November 1-22. The difference between May-October vs. November was that I’d move on after writing a scene. I tend to be a perfectionist, and for us authors, this work is like our baby!
Try not to go back and overanalyze a scene, decide if you like it, and see how you want to change it. But I recommend not doing that until you have the bulk of your first manuscript completed. The goal for November is to just keep writing. With that being said…
9. Don’t Edit Anything Until December
It’s so tempting to go back and edit your work. So long as you save and backup your work (definitely do that!), it’s not going anywhere. Save editing for December! Just get the words on the page first.
I was very tempted to go back and edit pieces here and there, but I knew that if I did that then I wouldn’t have a completed first draft. Plus, it’ll be easier for you to edit when you have the whole story together. You can go in and ask yourself if you’re missing anything, if there are any questions left unanswered, or fill in any potential plot holes.
I hope these tips for how to win NaNoWriMo help you in your writing journey. And even if you aren’t participating in NaNoWriMo, I hope you’re able to implement them into your writing practice. Happy writing!
