No, this isn’t some strange, Star Trek thing… NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, held every November by the Office of Letters and Light, a non-profit organization founded by Chris Baty. What started out over 10 years ago as 21 friends determined to finally write that novel they never got around to, has turned into an international challenge with over 100,000 participants every year.

But how can I write 50,000 words in a month and still have a life? you may ask. I’m here to testify that it isn’t always easy. Some days are like pulling teeth, while others flow with the abundance of a rushing river. The key is that you continue to stay in touch with your story and your momentum helps carry you along. Plus, writing each day becomes a habit, something unpublished writers often strive for but have difficulty accomplishing without a challenge like this.

Trust me, if you think you can slack off during the month and then race to the finish, odds are against you. But be ready to give up all the spare time you have to achieve this goal. If you are a fast writer and hit your goal really quick, great! For the rest of us, be prepared to sacrifice!

But remember, the most important thing is not winning. It is the experience of making your writing, your work in progress, a priority in your life for a while. Hopefully, one obvious benefit is that you’ll be that much closer to finishing your novel. Whether you hit the goal of 50,000 or lag behind with 25,000, that’s 25,000 words you didn’t have before November 1^st.

Not only will you have more pages, but you’ll learn a lot about yourself as a writer. You’ll learn exactly how many pages you could produce if you were under a tight deadline. The experience might reveal to you whether you need more preparation before you start on a work. Or help you reach that momentous occasion of finally typing your first The End.

Here are some techniques that might help you in your quest, should you choose to accept it:

1. Sign up on the website at www.nanowrimo.org . This will provide you with the accountability of listing your word count and encouragement from the forums, including some forums specific to the romance genre or certain geographical areas.
2. Remember, quantity is what counts here, not quality. According to the website, “This is a fun, seat of your pants approach to novel writing.” Perfection is not required! First drafts are called drafts for a reason. They are designed to be rewritten, and rewrite them you should, just not in November.
3. Prepare ahead of time, whether you are a plotter or panster. If you are going to crank out 50,000 words in 30 days, you don’t have time to stop and figure out where you are going. At the very least, you need a clear idea of your characters, the beginning and end of your book, and a few key points in between.
4. Let’s talk about numbers. To write 50,000 words in 30 days, you’d have to write 1665 words each day. But, if you write 2000 words each day, you can compensate for a few off days, like Thanksgiving. Plan how many off days you might need and factor them in when calculating your word goals.
5. Success Strategies. Here are a few strategies to help you crank out the pages during November. A) Use a timer: Try writing in timed sprints. When it is time to start, do nothing but write.  B) The Buddy System: Accountability can go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals each day.  C) Create a Writing Challenge with a prize. Everyone throw in $10 and the person to write the most words by the end of the month gets the cash or the equivalent in an Amazon gift certificate.
6. Reward Yourself. All work and no play makes Jane an awfully dull girl. Don’t forget to reward yourself (large or small) for all that hard work.

So, do you plan to NaNo this year? If you’ve participated before, what were the pros/cons of your experience? Any advice for first timers?

Danniele Worsham