The Final Countdown

It’s the final countdown, and I’m not talking about Europe or their hit single.

Don’t tell me you don’t have that song stuck in your head now.

Yes I know it's a catchy tune. You’re welcome.

No, I mean there’s only a week left until the beginning of National Novel Writing Month and I must admit I’m beginning to get a little uneasy.

NaNoWriMo must be daunting task for someone who knows what they’re doing, let alone for someone who is having a hard time wrapping their brain around their chosen NaNo project.

With only seven days remaining to prepare, I’ve got a lot yet to do. But if I work everything out right, seven days should be just right.

So I've put together a list of seven things I need to do yet before the beginning of National Novel Writing Month.

Reread @WriMo by Kevin Kaiser. I was given a free copy of this book to review, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is an absolutely invaluable source of encouragement for any creative soul, especially those undertaking NaNoWriMo. The book is broken into 30 easily read segments for each day of the month.

Do this creation exercise which is figuring out the themes, plot points and basically outlining my entire novel. The best part? This exercise promises to take no more than 32 minutes.

Get away. I need to create and explore background possibilities for my main characters. For this, I need to find some quite time to spend just sitting in my world and thinking. I need to find a way to get away from myself so I can get inside my characters’ heads.

Plan ahead. Go through my schedule and cancel or reschedule anything that possibly can be. I also need to plan out my writing regimen and create outlines for my weekly blog posts in November.

Don’t get distracted. Most of my family and friends already know that I’m participating in NaNo and so far they’ve been very supportive about this. But there are everyday people who don’t understand and will still expect me to pick up projects like I normally would. I have to figure out a way to insure they don’t distract me from my goal.

Don’t go crazy. While this may seem self-explanatory, I really need to make sure I take care of myself during the month and don’t allow myself to get run down. The last thing I want is to have a mental breakdown mid-month or to get sick (although getting sick could work in my favor if I consider it would mean a sick day from work...hmmm).

Have fun. Besides, if I’m not doing this for the sheer love of writing, what am I doing it for?  

What are your last-minute NaNoWriMo plans?

 

I'm still looking for some guest posters for November. If you have an idea, send me an email! Any sort of NaNoWriMo-related tips are especially welcome!