Every year, I look forward to November. It’s the start of the holiday season, things begin to wind down at work, and more importantly, it’s the beginning of Nanowrimo. For those who may not be as familiar, Nanowrimo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month, is a monthlong challenge where writers commit to producing 50,000 words over the span of a month. Doing the math, that comes to roughly 1,666 words a day. 

Having done Nanowrimo in the past, it has become a personal goal to come back every year to participate. What better way to complete a novel than to do so alongside a slew of other authors? I appreciate how much the nonprofit values enthusiasm, determination and a deadline, and personally, I feel a sense of pride of how much I’m able to accomplish in that month. 

Yes, participating in November can help you jumpstart your writing goals, but don’t expect to find the experience successful if you decide to join the challenge on October 31. With any writing project, heck, with any work/home/life project in general, you need some sort of plan in place in order to be successful. Otherwise, you’ll quickly lose the motivation and abandon your goals, telling yourself you can’t do it. It’s happened to me! Early in my writing journey, I jumped right into a writing project without any idea of what to do or where to go, and flailed a quarter of the way through. It now sits somewhere in my drawer, hoping to one day be picked back up again.

Ideally, a writer will take time in the lead up to November 1 for prep work, hence why October has been lovingly dubbed ‘Preptober.’ Based on my own experience, here are five ways to prepare for your month-long challenge:

1. Figure out your story. This is your idea, the whole basis of your book. If a blank page sits in front of you, where do you plan to go? What’s the plot? What’s the goal? Is there a message you want conveyed? If you don’t understand your story, you won’t go too far.
2. Conduct research ahead of time. Getting through 50,000 words in a month is a big commitment. You never know when the dreaded writer’s block will hit. In those moments, you need to dedicate every moment of your writing time to your actual writing – every minute focused on researching what kids in the 90s liked to do or how people back in the 50s talked takes you away from the whole point of Nanowrimo. Do as much of your research prep work ahead of time so that between November 1-30, you only need to worry about the words you’re typing for your book.
3. Know your characters and setting. Similar to above, there’s no room in your busy schedule to plan out a character sketch for your main characters or to think about your setting while you’re writing 1666 words a day. As part of Preptober, take the time to think about your protagonist and main cast of characters. What’s their goal? How do they change over the course of the book? What’s their personality? Understanding your character will help you get in the headspace when it is time to write in their voice.
4. Have an outline, or at least plot points, ready. Even if you consider yourself a pantser, consider the big moments you want to reach in order to get to your ending. 
5. Establish a routine. I suggest finding a spot to write and setting aside a certain  amount of time per day with no distractions. Tell your family not to bother you for an hour a day. Put a sign outside of your room. Leverage the Pomodoro Timer method to keep you motivated. If you make it a part of your routine, you’ll be sure to not fall behind.

By doing all this, you are sure to set yourself up for success. Even if nothing comes from the book you write during this month, you at least are practicing your skills and staying sharp.

Keep writing, and Happy Nanowrimo!