NaNoWriMo 2008: 10 Tips to Triumph

As a NaNoWrimo writer going into my fourth year of participation - and the regional Municipal Liaison for the Alamosa, Colorado, area - I've learned that winning isn't always easy. Therefore, I've compiled a list, based on my own experiences, to help those in their first year of participation (and those who just can't seem to hit that 50,000 word mark).

Tip One - Don't put off your word count! The daily minimum for every writer is 1,667 words - roughly three pages a day. For two of my previous three years I started out strong (10,000 in one night!) and then stopped and had to struggle to the finish. So even if you go over your word count, don't take a night off, keep writing.

Tip Two - Don't over-plan! The story will practically write itself if you give it a lot of loose rope. Conversely, shy away from plunging in with no ideas whatsoever or the story will sputter out far too quickly. Those of us who can't wait for November 1^st have been known to write up detailed character descriptions (I wouldn't start that too early, either, I gave myself a month to do it one time and was startled to find myself with twenty-three main characters... which, while being a fun challenge, is nearly impossible for the non-Tolstoy).

Tip Three - The Internet is your enemy. Kill the connection when you're trying to write, it's too easy to get distracted by Wikipedia or IMing with friends. If there's something you need to google, just make a note of it and look it up later. Hit your 1,667 before you open any browsers - anything after the needed daily count is icing on the cake!

Tip Four - The word sprints, however, are your friends. They can be found on the NaNoWriMo boards, or on AOL Instant Messenger in the chatrooms under names like "NaNoSprints." I've written upwards of 1,000 words in a fifteen minute sprint. The idea is to sit down, kill all distractions, and type furiously with no worries about spelling, grammar, or plot - the goal is to end up with a final word count that beats everyone else, all in good fun (it's especially great for those of us who are super competitive). Word Sprints are usually found in five, ten, fifteen, and thirty minute increments. They're tiring but an excellent way to lift the word count quickly and recklessly.

Tip Five - A NaNoWriMo playlist, also, is your friend. However you do it - searches on YouTube, MP3 Player, Computer Speakers, your little sister's rock band - just remember to kill the music during sprints (it's way too easy to get caught up in the music and forget to type) and have a wide variety for all sorts of different moods. Most people's writing is strongly affected by external influence, such as a sappy love song or a hard rock ballad.

Tip Six - Join us on the forums! If your word count is done for the day come hang out and chat with others who are doing the same insane thing you are (there are thousands of us!) and enjoy your free time. You can post questions about plot ideas, requests for character names, letters to those naughty characters that refuse to do as they're told, read success stories about men and women who wrote their NaNoNovel and went on to get them edited and published, there's always something to look at.

Tip Seven - Recruit! That isn't a shameless plug (that would be silly anyway, I'm a volunteer for NaNo so it's not like I get any sort of benefit from people joining!) it's a fact. Having friends and family members writing with you can be incredibly motivating. Not to mention it gives you a safety net of someone you trust right at your side while you edge into those write-ins (which can be awfully scary all by yourself).

Tip Eight - See that part where I mentioned a write-in? That's called a segue. I had a teacher who really, really liked that word. Write-ins are incredible little get-togethers that can take place at a coffee shop, a hotel conference room, or in the case of the Adams State write-in - a college lobby! Usually the ML tries to put together some fun games for everyone to participate in, and if everyone brings a few dollars there's usually some food involved too (mmmm midnight pizza).

Tip Nine - Turn off the frickin' spell-checker. You can google a tutorial for it, it's very simple, and removing the spelling and grammar checker from your word-processor will help immensely. You no longer have those red and green squiggly lines running all over the screen driving your inner editor insane. Without those, it will be easier to lock the editor in a box and free-write without fussing. Don't forget: you are the only person who will ever see this, unless you choose to make it otherwise after you've finished writing. Don't be afraid!

Tip Ten - Have fun. I know, that's such a corny line, but it's true if you've been doing this for a while. I've seen people hit 500,000+ words and that's awesome but then I get jealous and annoyed since I can't do that too. Fortunately, I can get lost on the boards and remember why I started doing this in the first place: the sense of fellowship and community you gain after struggling through roughly 157 pages (12pt Times New Roman single-spaced) of nonsense... it's so worth it, and it turns out to be something some of us look forward to all year!

With these top-ten tips in your pocket, it's a safe bet that you'll be well on your way to defeating that 50,000 word goal for NaNo2008. Who knows - maybe you'll go on to be the next NaNoNovel success story!