At this point, I’m getting excited shivers just thinking about NaNoWriMo.

I love a good writing challenge. I can’t wait to get at that 50k word count goal with a ton of others writers around the world.

Thrilling, isn’t it?

But there’s that faint hint of panic. I mean, 50k words is a lot for only 30 days.

But let’s take advantage of these couple weeks of calm before the storm. Let’s put on our official NaNo-Prepper hats and set ourselves up for success.

Here are some ways you can prepare for NaNoWriMo to ensure a good kick-off.

01. Figure out your daily goal

This might be a little different for each person. For example, for myself, I won’t be writing on Sundays. So I have to calculate that in when I figure out how many words to write a day. Check out my blog posts here so you can effectively create your daily goals.

02. Set up your workspace

Spice things up! Take the opportunity to organize your workspace. Try rearranging things to create a new and different environment. I plan on adding some fairy lights to my workspace. 🙂 Do something fun! Extra points if you design your workspace after your NaNo novel.

03. Create a playlist

Collect all those epic songs for your WIP. Music is perfect for getting your mind in the mood for your story.

Having trouble figuring out what songs to pick? Try movie soundtracks, or my personal favorite resource, Audiomachine.

04. Snacks/drinks

Last year I wrote a whole post with recipes to get you through NaNoWriMo. 😀 Maybe make a collection of yummy coffee recipes you want to try, or healthy snacks to reach for for extra brain power. And don’t forget water!

05. Gather your books

Any notebooks or journals you need for your book, along with a thesaurus and maybe even a dictionary. I will have those things along with No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month.

Oh, and don’t forget to include a good novel for your breaks. 🙂

06. Create aesthetics/collages

Along with music, this is another super motivating thing to do. Create collages for your story and characters. I even used Canva to create a wallpaper for my laptop, themed after Embers!

07. Set up your NaNo account

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had this set up for about two years already. But if you’re new to this, make sure you familiarize yourself with the site and how it works so you don’t have to figure that stuff out in November, when you should be writing. The organization just recently revamped their site, so even NaNo veterans might need to take just a bit of time to re-familiarize and rebuild their buddy list.

Oh, send me a friend request if you’d like, or leave your profile name in the comments so I can send you one. 🙂

Of course there are so many other things you can do to prepare for this writing challenge, but these are my favorites. Share your own NaNo prep tips in the comments so we can all learn from each other!

A quick question for you…

During NaNoWriMo 2018, I gave you all a weekly update on my writing progress along with my weekly posts. Did you enjoy that? Would you want me to do it again? It occurred to me that it may have been a touch boring. Let me know!

Have a blessed day!

JOIN THE CLUB!

What other NaNo prep tips can you add? Do you want a weekly update about my writing progress?

PIN & SHARE