Welcome, November

If you know me, you probably know that I NaNoWriMo.

I know, I know, it's really the garage band of noveling for amateurs and wannabes, but for one month out of the year, I don't take my writing or my self all that seriously and embark on the totally ridiculous, unrealistic, and wildly fun task of pulling a novel out of my behind.

And you know what? I'm actually pretty damn good at it :D I mean, at NaNoWriMo. At writing novels that are worth publishing? Heh, not so much, but one day I'll get that down, too.

This year is going to be a particular challenge, though I am determined to give it my best shot once again. About two months ago, I had this crazy dream, and when I woke up I thought, THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING NOVEL IDEA! And so I began planning and thinking about how my story might come together for. This month, I'm writing a speculative love story about a cafeteria lady and a high school janitor who have the power to travel to different dimensions and times.Wild and weird, I know.
  
I've been participating (and winning) NaNoWriMo since I first began in 2011. Here are a few tips that get me through:

1. Have a plan -- I always go into the month with a loose plan for success, though it's a flexible plan. I try to have landmarks in my story. For example, in this story, by 10k, I want my two characters to have fallen in love.

2. Be consistent and write everyday, even if it's just a few hundred words. On particularly busy days, find at least 15 minutes to sit down and work on your novel just to keep it fresh in your mind.

3. Do it together. Have a few noveling buddies. Participate in the Nanowrimo forums. Having a community of writers always helps with motivation. I find that, typically, my writing buddies tend to drop off about halfway through the month, but by that point, I'm already invested in the project :-D

4. Spend your down time thinking about your project. Daydream about it while driving, walking, eating, spacing out, before you go to bed. I give my novel a lot of brainspace, and that way, when I sit down to write, I have something in my head to pour onto the page. For me, I think, this is the real key.

5. Have fun. Don't take it so seriously. The point of NaNoWriMo isn't perfection, but practice, community, and fun.

This month is going to be particularly challenging for me due to my health issues, though maybe I can even use that to my advantage. I spend a lot of time lying down, and there's no reason why I can't just prop my laptop on me. Plus, this might be just the kick in the pants I need to get into a writing routine and to get my mind off my back, even if just a little bit. I'm meeting with Surgeon this week, so maybe he will have other plans for my November, though right now, I'm looking forward to a month of wild writing, birthday celebrations, and stuffing my face with pie at Thanksgiving.

Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.