NaNoWriMo Prep Things You Might Be Forgetting

NaNoWriMo prep is a real task. For some of us(the ones who really want to get the plot right this time to minimize plot rewriting later on, aka me), it may even be a chore. But whether or not we like it, we can all agree on one thing: It's a big workload.

The character prep. The world building. The plotting. The outlining. The rearranging of the schedule to make extra hours for writing time. It's a lot, and you have to get EVERYTHING ready before November first. It's a lot. And it's easy to overlook some things, some fine details, maybe even some spreadsheets or plans that might be helpful during the month of November.

So I'm going to help you out if I can. Here are a few things you might be forgetting:

a game plan

It's so important to have a plan for NaNoWriMo. I don't care if you're not a planning person. You need to be ready if you want to finish the marathon. Figure out what parts of your day can be shortened, what things can be put on hold for a month. Can your morning routine be changed? How are you using your lunch break at work? How do you feel about staying up a little later at night or getting up earlier to get those extra words in? NaNo is intense. It helps to have it all written down if you want to get it done.

 a map

Does anybody have a map anybody maybe happen to know how the (heck) to do thiiiiiiiis- I kid. But seriously, if you have a fantasy world, maybe whip up a quick map. Doesn't have to be good, it just has to exist(kind of like the first draft you'll be writing). It'll help you keep track of how far your characters have to travel and where things are placed. Believe me, it's super easy to forget if that one place is southwest from here or if it's southeast from here.

a timeline

This is only if you wanna be really organized. Sometimes you want a timeline of everything that happens in your novel and what day it happens on. These can be helpful! You don't have to rack your brain for if it's still night or what day of the week it was, because it's all written down on a handy sheet of paper.

prizes!

Make sure to reward yourself! I like to have a prize at the end of every week in November, to pat myself on the back for making it that far. Candy, a new book, a spa night, whatever you want!

make your notes portable

I can't stress how important it is to have your notes in a form where you can carry them. If you're a digital writer, make sure you put them all in a nice handy file on your Google Drive so you can pull them up whenever you need them. If you're a hard copy kind of writer(I am), set aside a nice file folder and write 'NaNoWriMo' on it so you can always have your notes with you. But whatever you do, don't make a map that's taller than the folder. It's just a pain in the butt to deal with.

mOoD bOaRdS

Because I know you need a mental break from all the planning. Open Pinterest, find some aesthetic pictures that represent your different characters, and collage away! (here's a hint: if you want to make it look REALLY aesthetic, make sure all the pictures you're using have a similar color scheme, like yellow or pink or black)

Personal goals for each of your characters

So so so so so important! Motive drives every scene and every moment of the story. Motive is what decides the characters' decisions. Motive is why they're in the story in the first place! Each of your characters needs an individual goal that's personal and important to them. That is the force that will drive them through the story. Don't forget this part!

Chapter titles! 

I always divide mine into chapters and name them beforehand. As you know, I struggle with dividing/naming chapters, so this saves me so much time and mental energy later on. I just put a mark anywhere in the outline where I want a chapter break, and then I set up a separate page for the chapters with their numbers and titles.

weekly goals

It's super helpful to know where you should be at the end of each week in NaNoWriMo, so that you know if you're on track. Here's a quick list(write it down somewhere, you'll need it)

End of week 1(November 7): 11,600 words

End of week 2(November 14): 25,00 words

End of week 3(November 21): 37,000 words

End of week 4(November 30): 50,000 words 

I hope this helped! In all seriousness, I hope I'm not forgetting something myself. But if I am, I wrote this in enough time that all of us can fix our mistakes before November.

Good luck, my friends!