NaNoWriMo Tips for 2012

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10 Tips to get you started on NanoWrimo

1. Don't read what you've written. There's no time. It might not make sense, but at least it exists.

2. I read somewhere recently that saying you have writer's block indicates there is only one pipe from which words come from. This is not the case. Leave the blocked pipe alone and tap into others. The blocked pipe will eventually sort itself out. 

3. Don't fight it if your mind gets ahead of you. Sometimes it hurts, and sometimes it takes you to dark places. Let it. Sometimes you don't know where any of what you're writing is coming from, and sometimes that scares you. That's okay. 

4. Don't be mad at yourself for not meeting your daily word count. Start again tomorrow. 

5. Missing a few days means you'll be a few thousand words behind. Do not panic, you can catch up. Do not give up, there is still time. 

This is my chart from 2011 - you can plateau plenty of times, but you can still win this. I promise. x

6. Engage with people on Twitter on @nanowrimo or #nanowrimo or #nanosprints - the countless 3-minute sprints and hour-long marathons are what may make it happen for you. These are real people doing the same thing you're doing; there is no better place to find people who really get it. Because of how global NaNoWriMo is, this community is accessible whether you're writing during your lunch break or while weeping bitterly at 4am. Sprints remind you, you're not doing it alone. And that's important. 

7. Don't interrupt your writing because you think you've been taking to long to describe Sarah's first day at school or Mark's decision to leave his wife. Long-winded as that path may seem, it will take you to place you had not yet imagined. Sometimes, your subconscious creativity outdoes itself. 

8. Have a routine. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and start your day with Nanowrimo. Write during your lunch break. Write after work. Take notes while you're waiting for the bus. Listen to music you haven't tried before. Think about the sound the bus makes. Look at how people stand, talk, move. Eavesdrop on conversations. Write more when you get home/to the pub/wherever. 

9. What's your character's favourite colour, band, food, author? If you don't know, he/she doesn't know either. And if he/she doesn't have a favourite band, how interesting could he/she possibly be?  

10. Have a playlist that makes you write more/better/faster. Make playlists for your characters. But be careful which songs you choose; none of them will ever mean the same thing to you ever again. 

My playlist from 2011.