NaNoWriMo: Day 1 - 5 Tips For Success

Last month, I counted down the days to Halloween. Today, I start counting up—this time, tracking the days until the end of National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo. Throughout November, I'll post writing tips, story starts, and motivation to help you hit your goal of....50,000 words?

That's a bit ambitious for me, so I've set my goal at 5,000 words in 30 days. That means writing 167 words a day, which doesn't seem like a lot, but with school and homework and all of the other things in my life, it will still take dedication and commitment.

Which is why I'm kicking off my NaNoWriMo posts with 5 Tips For Success.

1. Prepare. Create character profiles and carve out some daily writing time. For me, that's going to be an hour after dinner. 
2. Create an outline. It doesn't have to be detailed, but you should have a general idea of where your story starts and ends, with a couple of key things that happen in the middle.
3. Keep a journal. There is nothing worse than walking to school and having the best idea, and then forgetting it as soon as you get home. Carry a journal and jot down those ideas!
4. Plan motivators. Give yourself simple rewards for every milestone. For me, I'm going to dig into that Halloween candy only after I hit each daily word goal.
5. Limit distractions. Find a quiet place to write and turn off your social media. I like to write at the kitchen table, but this year, I'm wearing headphones to drown out my sister's voice!

What did I miss? Are you doing NaNoWriMo on your own or within your class? Tell me about your story! Let's motivate each other to get writing.

Gotta jet! See you tomorrow—with at least 167 words written. Right?

~ Chase Superman Duffy