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31 Days to NaNoWriMo

I have a dear friend that is a writer that posted on Facebook yesterday that she was going to do a 31 day blog challenge. I want to do it too! I have signed up the the challenge just yesterday but I am stuck on making a button. I think I have a few days to figure it all out so instead of procrastinating on a button I am going to actually write.  I am not a published author or even a NaNoWriMo guru (National Novel Writing Month) but I thought my theme for the next 31 days would be NaNoWriMo Prep. What I am doing this month to prepare for my novel writing in November. I thought this challenge might get my creative juices flowing and maybe help someone out there that has just stumbled on NaNoWriMo this year and wants to know more.  

NaNoWriMo is a non profit organization I found a few years ago. I am not sure how or why I found them but I instantly fell in love with the idea of 31 days of writing a novel. The goal is 50,000 words in the month of November. 1,667 words a day. The first year I found them it was late in the year and we had planned a November trip but I knew the following year I would plan my life around this challenge. Yes, I plan my life around November. You have to if you take on the challenge and if you really want to "win". Winning is getting to the 50,000 not an actual prize but getting to 50,000 is a great reward!

With all that said my first tip is....

Write for 30 minutes, Today!

This will help you prepare for NaNoWriMo in that it gives you a sense of what you are capable of writing in a half hour. I suggest no prompt and no ideas generated from the internet. Just set a timer and write. Last year I think I wrote about trees for thirty minutes.

I suggest this exercise for a few reasons. I guarantee one of the 30 days in November you will have no idea what to write about and will have to be creative to get to the 1,667 words for that day. Last year I ended up writing in my novel a detailed five course dinner. It got me words for that day. I may never go back to that novel but it is about being creative and actually committing to writing daily and the goal of 50,000 words. Quantity before Quality.

Another thing this exercise will do is give you a word count. Maybe do this a few times in October and average to see how many hours you will have to commit to 50,000 words. You will have to plan to write. You will have to plan on where you will find the time to write. Choices will have to be made. I think it is better to know about how much time and plan accordingly. For me I have to give up movies and pleasure reading.  Jane Austen will be there for me in December.

Get writing and set that timer!

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