Can you believe November is here!? I don’t know about you, but this year has flown by for me. My son is turning one this month – how is that possible!? While that’s certainly an exciting aspect in my life right now, there’s a challenge this month that I am eager to complete: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
I remember learning about NaNoWriMo for the first time last year. When I learned about what it was, I thought about how perfect it would be for me to participate in! Since I was going to be giving birth that month, I figured I had enough on my plate to even think about trying to write a novel while going through my last weeks of pregnancy, giving birth, and then taking care of a newborn. So, I vowed to participate next year. Alas, here we are!
This is my first NaNoWriMo, but it’s not my first NaNo project. I competed in Camp NaNo last April. I learned a few tricks and strategies along the way that I’m going to be incorporating this month to help me get those 50,000 words completed.
As a way to hold myself accountable (and to share my strategy with you all), I wanted to tell you all about how I am setting myself up for success!
My Schedule
One of the tricks I learned in April to over goal. For the beginning of the month, I’m bulking up my word count goals. I do this in the event that I fall behind – it happens! This way, I have plenty of room as the end of the month nears to catch myself up. Plus, the end of the month is where the big stuff comes up like my son’s birthday and Thanksgiving, which happen to fall in the same week (wish this mama good luck!).
Here are my goals for each week:
- 11/1 – 11/10 – 20,000 – 2,000 words per day
- 11/11 – 11/17 – 15,000 (35,000 total) – 2,150 words per day
- 11/18 – 11/24 – 10,000 (45,000 total) – 1,430 words per day
- 11/25 – 11/30 – 5,000 (50,000 total) – 835 words per day
I definitely won’t be writing every day. I think it’s important to take days off from writing so I can recharge and refocus when needed. But looking at per day words at a glance helps me stay grounded in what I can do. 2000 words a day really isn’t too bad! It’s totally doable. Each week, my plan is to go in and see what I have going on and then plan my daily goals accordingly.
Rewarding Myself
Taking on this challenge is no easy feat! It’s so important to reward ourselves for a job well done. I plan on doing just that! So, allow me to share what rewards I’ll be giving myself!
- Meet 20,000 words by 11/10 – Buy a bottle of my favorite chardonnay This wine has been my fave since I lived in New York but it was hard to find in Tennessee. I recently found it in my Whole Foods – score!
- Meet 35,000 words by 11/17 – Go out to a fancy dinner with my husband. I’m not talking about a chain restaurant either. I’m thinking about a nice local restaurant and we won’t worry about prices. It’s an occasion to splurge!
- Meet 45,000 words by 11/24 – Buy a new mug. I’m a sucker for mugs. I have a tendency to splurge every now and then. This month, if I meet this goal, I’ll treat myself to a fancy new mug!
- Meet 50,000 words by 11/30 – Buy an expensive red wine. If you haven’t been able to tell already, I love me some wine! So, if I meet this goal, I am splurging on a really nice bottle of red wine. I’m a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon and love a good Red Blend, so if you have some suggestions, send them my way!
Proof I Can Do This
About a month ago, I took on a ghostwriting gig to craft an erotic novella. It came out to 25,000 words. I did it in two weeks. Y’all… that right there was all the proof I needed to show myself that I can absolutely take on a challenge of 50,000 words in 30 days and crush it! It was exactly the motivation I needed to show myself that I have what it takes. It also showed me that it means I will have to work hard to get it done. It wasn’t easy pumping out 25,000 words in two weeks. But I did it!
The Ultimate Outcome
Right now, I have 12,500 words done on my current WIP. Writing the next 50,000 words should complete this novel! If not, it will come very close. Either way, while I am striving to hit 50,000 words, what I’m also looking to do is complete this novel (finally!!). I would absolutely love to have this book published in 2019. So, that means working my butt off this month to write those words and complete this book. I feel confident that I can get it done! Wish me luck.