Prep Before Plot: Non-Writing Tips to Get the Jump on NaNoWriMo
by Beth Cato/2010
Ah, it's October. Head outside, breathe in some refreshing fall air, and listen to the screeches of writers as they realize NaNoWriMo is only weeks away. For many, it's all about plot, characters, and how the heck to fill in 50,000 words without luring in the cat to lie down on the keyboard. But NaNoWriMo is about more than writing--it's about time management.
I'm a veteran of (*gulp*) eight NaNoWriMos. It's all good and well to prepare outlines if you're a plotter like me. If you're a panster, what's to be done? Whatever your preparation method may be, there is one big way to get ready for November: take care of essential, non-writing duties in October so you have more free time to write when that eleventh month arrives.
Food
Whether you're a housewife, retiree, or college student, you have to eat. Making meals takes up valuable time, and getting too much take-out will hurt your health and your pocket book. The good news is that you can use your freezer as your friend.
- Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) is a food movement with a self-explanatory name. Get your ingredients, assemble your food, and freeze it in a prepared state or cooked. Visit sites like food.com or Google and search for "OAMC."
- Crock pots/slow cookers are miraculous during NaNoWriMo. Prepare your meal the night before or create everything in the morning, and work on your word count while your meal cooks itself. Unless you're feeding a horde, you can usually get multiple meals out of a single crock pot. Leftovers FTW. Check out What A Crock or A Year of Slow Cooking.
- In October, many grocery stores will publish a lot of extra coupons and offer good sales in anticipation of the holidays. Take advantage. Buy a few ready freezer meals and stash them away.
Pesky obligations (home chores, work, school)
If you can work ahead, do it now. Dig out the Christmas stuff so it's accessible after Thanksgiving. Take care of any cluttered areas. I always make sure to get my file cabinet up-to-date during the last week of October so I don't have to worry about that during NaNo or the holidays. Look at your workplace or school responsibilities, too. You may not be able to write a full term paper in the next few weeks, but you can get research out of the way or get other smaller projects done. Every little thing counts!
Discipline and rewards
NaNoWriMo can be described as a masochistic exercise. You must suffer greatly for awesome results. However, to get those results you have to exercise discipline and figure out rewards for success (short and long term). Establish your guidelines now. Post them by your computer. Tell your roommates/spouse/family/friends so they can keep you in line. (If they don't support your goals-shame on them! You need positive vibes, not toxic fumes.)
Some examples of rewards:
- cannot browse the internet until at least 1,000 words/2,000 are done
- can't attend an event unless daily or weekly goals have been achieved
- buy a sweet treat/drink for meeting goals
- can take a day off of writing because you're ahead on word goals
- get a big reward (iPod, iPad, video game, etc) for making 50,000 words in November
However you prepare for November, keep this in mind: you're taking on an awesome challenge for that thirty day span. Whether you feel exhilarated or hopeless, keep your eye on that daily word count. Those pesky adult obligations can steal your soul and your time. Don't let them. Use October to your advantage, and let the words flow free in November!
Ah, it's October. Head outside, breathe in some refreshing fall air, and listen to the screeches of writers as they realize NaNoWriMo is only weeks away. For many, it's all about plot, characters, and how the heck to fill in 50,000 words without luring in the cat to lie down on the keyboard. But NaNoWriMo is about more than writing--it's about time management.
I'm a veteran of (*gulp*) eight NaNoWriMos. It's all good and well to prepare outlines if you're a plotter like me. If you're a panster, what's to be done? Whatever your preparation method may be, there is one big way to get ready for November: take care of essential, non-writing duties in October so you have more free time to write when that eleventh month arrives.
Food
Whether you're a housewife, retiree, or college student, you have to eat. Making meals takes up valuable time, and getting too much take-out will hurt your health and your pocket book. The good news is that you can use your freezer as your friend.
- Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) is a food movement with a self-explanatory name. Get your ingredients, assemble your food, and freeze it in a prepared state or cooked. Visit sites like food.com or Google and search for "OAMC."
- Crock pots/slow cookers are miraculous during NaNoWriMo. Prepare your meal the night before or create everything in the morning, and work on your word count while your meal cooks itself. Unless you're feeding a horde, you can usually get multiple meals out of a single crock pot. Leftovers FTW. Check out What A Crock or A Year of Slow Cooking.
- In October, many grocery stores will publish a lot of extra coupons and offer good sales in anticipation of the holidays. Take advantage. Buy a few ready freezer meals and stash them away.
Pesky obligations (home chores, work, school)
If you can work ahead, do it now. Dig out the Christmas stuff so it's accessible after Thanksgiving. Take care of any cluttered areas. I always make sure to get my file cabinet up-to-date during the last week of October so I don't have to worry about that during NaNo or the holidays. Look at your workplace or school responsibilities, too. You may not be able to write a full term paper in the next few weeks, but you can get research out of the way or get other smaller projects done. Every little thing counts!
Discipline and rewards
NaNoWriMo can be described as a masochistic exercise. You must suffer greatly for awesome results. However, to get those results you have to exercise discipline and figure out rewards for success (short and long term). Establish your guidelines now. Post them by your computer. Tell your roommates/spouse/family/friends so they can keep you in line. (If they don't support your goals-shame on them! You need positive vibes, not toxic fumes.)
Some examples of rewards:
- cannot browse the internet until at least 1,000 words/2,000 are done
- can't attend an event unless daily or weekly goals have been achieved
- buy a sweet treat/drink for meeting goals
- can take a day off of writing because you're ahead on word goals
- get a big reward (iPod, iPad, video game, etc) for making 50,000 words in November
However you prepare for November, keep this in mind: you're taking on an awesome challenge for that thirty day span. Whether you feel exhilarated or hopeless, keep your eye on that daily word count. Those pesky adult obligations can steal your soul and your time. Don't let them. Use October to your advantage, and let the words flow free in November!