Prepare for NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The stated goal is to write 50,000 words—an entire novel—in one month. But the real goal is to motivate you to write.
I find getting started is the hardest part. I have an idea. I even have a whole book outlined in my head, and I could tell you the story. I just haven’t found the time to type it into my computer. I always find something else I should be doing. Or I want to wait until I have uninterrupted time. Whose ever heard of that?
NaNoWriMo.org is a website to motivate you, help you keep track of your word count, and give you pointers to get started. Check with your local library; they may have something planned to bring people together. Here in Williamsburg, VA we are having a kick-off on Saturday, 4 Nov. We are going to have authors available to tell writers how they got started and to answer questions (check out the NaNo page on this website).
I am a writer and I get intimidated by the idea that I am SUPPOSED TO write a blog every week. The idea of writing 1,667 words a day practically paralyzes me. So if you are hesitant, you’re in good company. All writers are different, and I don’t know how I can be creative on demand. However, if you dig into the program some more, you’ll see that the goodness is not necessarily in the finished product, but in the journey. Once you get started, you’ll find that it isn’t as bad as you had imagined. You CAN write.
And writing is the number one goal this month. Don’t worry about editing, or sharing it with anyone else. This is for you. All those other things will come later. You don’t want to break your creative flow with editing.
So how do you prepare? I suggest having an idea of what you’re going to write about. If you are an outliner, then outline your idea. If you are writing nonfiction, you need to do some research. Then gather your computer, set up your writing zone, pick out your munchies, and look forward to November. If you need a pick-me-up, go back to the NaNoWriMo.org website for encouragement.
Happy writing!