So this will be my first time Nano'ing as a parent. I'll have a 4 month old and I'm wondering how the heck I'll find the time to write. I am hoping that I'll be more efficient with what writing time I'll have for when the baby is napping or otherwise not being held by me. Or asleep. Like right now.
Is that my only hope? Be as efficient with writing time as possible and go as long as possible in case I have days where I can't write?
Sprinting will be your friend. At four months, iirc, there will be lots of shortish naps. You won't have hours and hours to just sit down and write, but grab the little moments here and there that you can
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Babywear! Hands-free and better for both mom & baby. Mine was 2 months during last year's nano, which meant she was still sleeping quite a lot, but I'd pop her in her sling when she woke up and keep on writing. Helped her nap easier too. I also made sure dad(/partner) knew it was a priority for me & he was expected to pick up any cooking/housecleaning/babycare slack during November.
Writing something escapist is actually usually really good for my pain levels; it gets me out of my body for a while. That said, blankets and hot packs are wondrous things; if they help with your pain at all, make them part of your writing routine.
I have done Nano during college before (and now am doing it during grad school, joy). I handwrite my whole novel, so I carried it everywhere with me and pulled it out before classes, during class breaks (I had a lot of 3 hour classes), anywhere where I found myself with a few idle minutes on hand I wrote.
The other thing I do is plan out my weeks. I make to-do lists with homework items and writing goals for each day. It's important to be REALISTIC about what you can accomplish in a single day. Like, don't put "write 20 page paper, write 3,000 words" on a single day. Instead, I'd do something like "write 2 pages of paper, read x pages of assigned book, write 16667 words" for one day. With this method I'm much more likely to accomplish everything well and on time, and not ever get stressed out or overwhelmed.
Sounds like good advice to me. Last year I wasn't in school - this year I'm in part-time grad school and it's currently sucking up a lot of my time (and energy, which I don't have a lot of due to chronic illness). I'm hoping I'll be able to "win" NaNo but I'm also worried that the stress is going to get to me too much and I won't be able to write enough.
But yeah, lists are your friends, and making smaller, tighter goals that are easier to accomplish is better for your mental health - you can check off more goals and see your piles of homework slowly decreasing (but noticeably decreasing), instead of having bigger goals that are impossible to do in a night if you want to do them well (like thewonderelf's example with the 20 page paper, etc.).
And I think you mean 1667 words. ;) Not 16,667. Now that would be a lot of writing for one day!! xD
I'm starting a full time job on Monday. And moving. And I'm a parent.
I'm worried I won't have time, that'll be tired or want to do other things. But I figured if I spent my LJ and Reddit time Nanoing instead...it might work.
I also start a new job on Monday (hooray for a paycheck!) Which means new schedules for my kids and changes for the whole family. I am so nervous that my brain will be fried with the seven week training that will last before and throughout Nano. Honestly, it comes down to writing sprints. When I enter the sprint room, I have to be prepared to actually write - no tv on, no Facebook visiting, etc.
Time is precious! But writing can be a way to release. With everything going on, for me taking the time to push out some words is a way to let all of the rest of that busy life roll away for at least an hour of my evening.
Heh. My husband is starting his new job on Tuesday, he'll be staying with my parents until we close on our new house in week three, we have three kids, and he's ML for our home state. He's also a part time student. I hear you, completely.
I figure WriMos already know they are insane, so embrace it! Make the crazy that is your regular life part of your insane nano experience! Who needs ninjas, when your life already looks like *that*? ;)
My husband and I are just about to close on a house - so November is moving month! I'll be trying to alternate sprints with packing boxes, we'll see how well that works o.O
I'm posting here because I'm a full-time student, work, and am dealing with mental illness right now. I don't really have a plan of what I'm going to do. I used to write in class a lot, but now my classes are the sort where I have to type furiously to keep up, so that doesn't work too well anymore. I guess I'll be sprinting during the breaks (15 min between each class and I stay in the same room). For work, depending on how much I have to do, I might have some downtime I could use to write. And I don't tend to have a lot of homework, so I'm not too terribly worried about that
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Is that my only hope? Be as efficient with writing time as possible and go as long as possible in case I have days where I can't write?
Tell me someone else has done this! :D
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discuss here
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Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. At least you try, even if circumstances are very trying.
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discuss here.
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Any advice for juggling homework with school?
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The other thing I do is plan out my weeks. I make to-do lists with homework items and writing goals for each day. It's important to be REALISTIC about what you can accomplish in a single day. Like, don't put "write 20 page paper, write 3,000 words" on a single day. Instead, I'd do something like "write 2 pages of paper, read x pages of assigned book, write 16667 words" for one day. With this method I'm much more likely to accomplish everything well and on time, and not ever get stressed out or overwhelmed.
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But yeah, lists are your friends, and making smaller, tighter goals that are easier to accomplish is better for your mental health - you can check off more goals and see your piles of homework slowly decreasing (but noticeably decreasing), instead of having bigger goals that are impossible to do in a night if you want to do them well (like thewonderelf's example with the 20 page paper, etc.).
And I think you mean 1667 words. ;) Not 16,667. Now that would be a lot of writing for one day!! xD
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discuss here
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I'm worried I won't have time, that'll be tired or want to do other things. But I figured if I spent my LJ and Reddit time Nanoing instead...it might work.
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Time is precious! But writing can be a way to release. With everything going on, for me taking the time to push out some words is a way to let all of the rest of that busy life roll away for at least an hour of my evening.
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I figure WriMos already know they are insane, so embrace it! Make the crazy that is your regular life part of your insane nano experience! Who needs ninjas, when your life already looks like *that*? ;)
(good luck!)
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Do you have a circumstance that doesn't fit with the above options? Post it here and hopefully someone else can offer some advice and encouragement.
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