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HAPPY NANO, FOLKS! it's time for a little thread on how to nano while respecting your own boundaries, and staying as mentally healthy as possible. (you know. considering the state of the world.)
#GabhiTips
#GabhiTips
you decided to do #nanowrimo! yay! that's excellent news!
what is your objective with it? is it finishing a manuscript? is it writing 50.000 words? is it both? and is that achievable for you and your expected schedule in november?
what is your objective with it? is it finishing a manuscript? is it writing 50.000 words? is it both? and is that achievable for you and your expected schedule in november?
one thing to consider is that this is an entirely arbitrary challenge! you can adjust it as you see fit!
in '18, my goal was to write 10 short stories. wrote 5 and i was very happy with the result. it was 5 stories that i wouldn't have had otherwise.
maybe write 20k. maybe 10k!
in '18, my goal was to write 10 short stories. wrote 5 and i was very happy with the result. it was 5 stories that i wouldn't have had otherwise.
maybe write 20k. maybe 10k!
i love to say i've been participating in nano since 2013 and have never "won". i have never both written 50k /and/ finished a story in that timeline. while i personally find it funny to say that i've been losing since '13, i am actually very proud of my less-than-"ideal" results.
it's also absolutely alright to tinker with your goals as the month rolls by. commitments come up! life happens! you're not less of an author because you change your nano goals or drop nano altogether! it's all in good fun!
"ok, gabhi. i already know all that. what i want to know is how to keep writing every day!"
fair. but also know that you don't *have* to write every day. i certainly can't. i write better in bursts, then go a few days without touching the document. maybe that's how you work too?
fair. but also know that you don't *have* to write every day. i certainly can't. i write better in bursts, then go a few days without touching the document. maybe that's how you work too?
with that being said...
know the time of day that's best for your writing. do you have kids? maybe that might be before they wake up or after they've gone to bed. do you have a day job with a generous lunch break? maybe then.
know the time of day that's best for your writing. do you have kids? maybe that might be before they wake up or after they've gone to bed. do you have a day job with a generous lunch break? maybe then.
there's a lot of research that supports that we work creatively better during the morning/afternoon/evening... and there's also a lot of research that says this is BS! personally, i choose to adapt to the time slots that i *can* rather than waiting for the perfect muse moment.
motivation is fickle, and your first draft is allowed to suck. so is your second and third, if i'm honest.
outlines help me stay on course and know what to write next, but maybe you'd benefit from an entirely spontaneous approach. plot? what plot? write what feels good!
outlines help me stay on course and know what to write next, but maybe you'd benefit from an entirely spontaneous approach. plot? what plot? write what feels good!
once you figure out a time that works best, there is one thing that's actually a cool trigger, and good news is that it can be anything. a (literal) writing hat, coffee, stretching before sitting down to write. when your brain associates this trigger with writing, it's easier.
"i got that all figured out. but how do i stay healthy during this month?"
first thing i'll say is stay hydrated. we truly take for granted how important water is. NOT COFFEE, NOT TEA. WATER!!!! first sign of dehydration is moodiness/irritability, followed by headaches.
first thing i'll say is stay hydrated. we truly take for granted how important water is. NOT COFFEE, NOT TEA. WATER!!!! first sign of dehydration is moodiness/irritability, followed by headaches.
don't forget to eat. set alarms on your phone if you need them. light vegetable-rich meals are better, because digesting heavy food takes mental energy as well.
yes, i know it's a privileged take, and not everyone has access to light vegetable-rich foods. if you don't,
yes, i know it's a privileged take, and not everyone has access to light vegetable-rich foods. if you don't,
consider taking a 20min nap after eating. it boosts the digestion system while also giving you the boost of a "power nap". longer than that, you may feel more tired than before.
(though i do love 4h long naps on the weekends...)
(though i do love 4h long naps on the weekends...)
the best thing about nano is the community, so definitely reach out to friends (maybe make new friends?) with whom you can be accountability buds, and also talk about how much you have everything right now. (don't we all hate everything when we're drafting? and revising? and--)
to recap:
- adjust goals as necessary
- water
- light foods (BUT JUST EAT!!!)
- power naps
- support system
i would say that's the most important Healthy Kit for NaNo(TM). but here's some extra stuff.
- adjust goals as necessary
- water
- light foods (BUT JUST EAT!!!)
- power naps
- support system
i would say that's the most important Healthy Kit for NaNo(TM). but here's some extra stuff.
"my story sucks!!!! i don't have any plot!!!"
none of us do, man. we're all doing our best here, and consistently feeling like we're falling short. you're not alone, be it your first or 47320th draft. keep going. worry about quality during revisions.
none of us do, man. we're all doing our best here, and consistently feeling like we're falling short. you're not alone, be it your first or 47320th draft. keep going. worry about quality during revisions.
"but i STILL worry about quality!!!"
talk to your friends doing nano about it. maybe you can set up an email chain where you can send updates every day to a few friends and they can reply whenever they have the time? i did this in 2016 and it was a lot of fun.
talk to your friends doing nano about it. maybe you can set up an email chain where you can send updates every day to a few friends and they can reply whenever they have the time? i did this in 2016 and it was a lot of fun.
"i don't have any friends doing nano :("
reach out to folks!!!!!! i promise you, they'll probably be super happy to have more people to brainstorm with. especially in the #nanowrimo tag.
reach out to folks!!!!!! i promise you, they'll probably be super happy to have more people to brainstorm with. especially in the #nanowrimo tag.
"but i'm... awkward."
we all are.
also, we all worry that all of our mutuals hate us too.
(they don't. i mean, they probably don't? i hope they don't. lol)
we all are.
also, we all worry that all of our mutuals hate us too.
(they don't. i mean, they probably don't? i hope they don't. lol)
"i can't wait to finish this draft so i can query it!!!"
DON'T DO THAT HGIFODHGIFDIJGFD
it's an agent's worst nightmare to receive nanos just finished on dec 1st. take the time to revise it later. (i'll do a thread on that once the month is over)
DON'T DO THAT HGIFODHGIFDIJGFD
it's an agent's worst nightmare to receive nanos just finished on dec 1st. take the time to revise it later. (i'll do a thread on that once the month is over)
"okay, okay. any last words before i close your thread?"
yes! if this was helpful to you, please consider adding my book on goodreads :D thank you!! https://twitter.com/gabhimartins/status/1308522734633324545
yes! if this was helpful to you, please consider adding my book on goodreads :D thank you!! https://twitter.com/gabhimartins/status/1308522734633324545
