NaNo Advice: Morning Words, Lunch Words, and the Rest

The weather is turning cold.  The leaves are falling.  Around here, we went from the 80’s and humid to the 50’s and arctic overnight, so the leaves aren’t turning.  Nonetheless, my mind lightly turns to thoughts of NaNo, in which one writes a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.  I have advice for newcomers to the shenanigans.

One of the astonishing benefits of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo, for short) for people like me, who start out not entirely sure of much besides the beginning and the end, and some small handful of scenes in between, is that writing a lot in one day makes your brain start beavering away on the story. (I am what is called a “pantser.” I write by the seat of my pants. I get all excited when I can outline bits of the story here and there, but usually I can’t, because how will I know what’s going to happen until I see how this bit plays out?) If I write a little, I only know a little. Writing a lot makes me see farther down the story’ road.  NaNo makes you write a lot.

To write a lot and to see where you are going, you want to engage your brain early in the day. What I am about to describe helps you on both fronts.

Morning/breakfast words. Write ten words at breakfast. You are not required to write more than ten but you really, really have to write those ten. (I once saw a launch checklist that distinguished between things that were mandatory and things that were required. I was baffled. Those ten breakfast words are both mandatory and required, and I’m saying that for those of you able to tell the difference, which I can’t.) Because you only have to write ten, you will feel embarrassed if you don’t write a measly ten words, so you will do it.  Also, where it’s possible to put off spending an hour writing it is not possible to put off writing ten words.  It just isn’t. Ten words is quick, and you’ll finish them before you finish your caffeinated beverage of choice.

Writing ten words will make you think about your story. You’ll start knowing what happens next. You’ll cogitate on your commute. You’ll make little notes if you’re on the train or talk into your phone if you’re driving. Don’t crash.

One of the other benefits–and it’s just a coincidence so don’t think about it too much–is that you’ll usually write more than ten words. Because you have to go to work, you will feel rushed and like you should leave, but you need to get this sentence/paragraph in before you forget it, and you might find you’ve written 50 words or even 300. That’s 50 or 300 you don’t have to write later. Those additional words are neither mandatory nor required under this regime. Just be glad you got them.

Lunch words. Write 700 words at lunch. My children used to call NaNo the Month of No Love. I bought a ham on November 1, because we all know the definition of eternity: two people and a ham. Four people and a ham last a good long while, as well.

Your work friends must feel unloved, too. For 30 days you will eat alone, unless you have someone doing NaNo with you at work. That person is allowed to sit with you. Funny fellows in the cafeteria will come up and ask if you form a Writer’s Block (true story) as you sit there churning out words. You will scowl and make them go away. At lunch, you write 700 words. More is great.

Evening words. After dinner, do what you have to do. Whatever your goal, just get there. No TV. No games. No email or Facebook or nothing until you have met your goal after dinner. Do not start a load of laundry. Do not decide you need to call your aunt with whom you haven’t spoken in months because she’d so love to hear your voice. Call her after you reach your goal. You can do all that after you hit it. Knowing that your husband is waiting for you to watch the next episode of Daredevil will make you write faster. That’s a good thing.

Also, this is a good time to convince your spouse or children that they should do the dishes.  If family dynamics don’t allow that, you get to do them after you’ve reached your word goal for the day.  If you are not a night person, you will be a little brain dead late in the evening.  It’s better to be doing dishes than writing while brain dead.

Do what I say for the first three days. Anyone can do something for three days. Then you will know if you like the habits and if they are helping you. (They will.)  Once you know this method works, be very afraid of doing it any other way, because, with the exception of Day 17, if you stop for a day you will stop for three.

Because of Thanksgiving I aim for 2100 words a day. Also, because of Day 17.

Day 17.  Somewhere around Day 17 you will get exhausted. Don’t edit.  If you are all tuckered out on Day 17, look at your word count and say, “hey!, I get a day off and I’ll still be on track.” Then just write 300 words that day. Or none. On Day 18, get back on track. Do not get tired before Day 17.

That is all.

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