NaNoWriMo 2020: An Update

My first official NaNoWriMo is done and in the bag. My middle-grade fantasy story, working title An Ordinary Girl clocked in at a little over 55,000 words, and I actually finished it on the 27th. I’ve used the past three days to run through the grammar and language a few times and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Since only 13% of people typically win NaNoWriMo, I thought I’d share a little of what helped me be successful.

Tips for a Successful NaNoWriMo

First, I went into November with a plan. While I’m not a meticulous planner, I find I’ll spin my wheels if I’m not sure where my story is going. When plotting a novel, I focus on the major plot points and give myself a sentence or phrase to use as a writing prompt. For this project, I used a combination of the plotting worksheets I’ve developed and the plot prompts provided in the Novel-Factory software.

Second, I took full advantage of the virtual write-ins hosted by my local region, including Zoom meetings and Discord chats.  I found that sitting down for two hours with other writers was a great way to keep my focus. I typically crushed my word counts on the days I joined the write-ins; hitting between 2,000-4,000 words. I actually hope that my local region hosts more virtual write-ins next year, in addition to the usual in-person write-ins.

Third, I built myself a spreadsheet that tracked what my word count should be versus where I was. The spreadsheet allowed me to feel good about taking days off from writing. Bonus, the spreadsheet and project word counter on the NaNoWriMo.org site helped keep me accountable.

Fourth, I kept things simple. My story idea was simple, I didn’t engage in many activities outside of writing, I planned simple meals for work nights so I’d be able to write afterward, and I scheduled writing time on my calendar so I wouldn’t get distracted.

More NaNoWriMo Videos!

Granted, it would have been better to post these earlier in the month, but hey, I kept things simple! In case you missed them, here are the links. Remember when I said I was going to demand a promotion from Marcus? Well, dream big folks. I’m now listed as ‘Fellow Idiot’ on these videos.

Psst, we’re talking about another video/series of videos, so if you haven’t done it yet, Like and Subscribe to Marcus’s Channel: The Idiot on the Writers Block.

Did you participate in NaNoWriMo this month? How did it go?