Are you booked for November? Create your NaNoWriMo survival kit. Well, look no further. I am here to give you a simple breakdown of how you can set up your survival guide kit. 

But before I go any further, I’ll give you a quick overview of what NaNoWriMo is, tips, and what you can do once you complete NaNoWriMo.

What is NanoWrimo

NaNoWriMo is short for National Writing Month. Since its discovery in 1999, people globally have been challenged with writing 50,000 words for the month of November.

The rules:

At midnight on November 1, you can begin writing. But, on November 30 at 11:59:59 local time, it ends.

You are allowed to write notes that have to do with your novel. However, you cannot begin writing before this date.

Now to keep yourself accountable, register an account.

How to win NanoWrimo

You win by writing 50,000 words, but there is one thing you do not want to forget. Your quality of work is better than quantity. 

Writing is expression!

Types of work

Determine the work you want to write for Nanowrimo. Typically, people write fictional works, but if you enjoy writing non-fiction, take advantage of the month and get things done.

Quick Tips for writing

Show don’t tell

Write your words as if you were the reader. How would you describe the scene of a story?

You wouldn’t write: There is a man at the bar staring at me.

Instead, you’d write: Eyes stare at my soul as I peek at the man at the bar in an oversized trench coat swishing his drink in his hand. 

You want to give your readers a visualization of what’s taking place.

Active voice

In simple terms:

Passive voice: Object+”to be” +past participle+by+subject

Example: A book was read by Suzy.

Active voice: subject + action + object

Reminder: The subject performs an action (verb) in which the object receives the action.

Example: Suzy read a book.

When you use active voice, it makes the sentence concise. You are describing the action using fewer words.

Save your work

When you begin writing, make sure you save your work. You do not want to write and end up deleting your stuff by accident.

If you struggle to write your first 1,000 words, I have a quick solution for you.

After you reach that word count, continue the rest of the chapters in the same document.

I’ve noticed that it is easier to write because I don’t feel as though I am struggling to come up with the first 1,000 words.

You can always separate the chapters later.

Outline

An excellent and efficient way to make sure you are on track is to create an outline. You may realize how easy it is to write out each chapter. Additionally, you can use outlines as time stamps when you need to go back.

It will allow you to see an overview of your work yet make necessary changes if needed.

The NanoWrimo Survival kit needed

A comfortable area

Before you begin writing, make sure you are in an environment where you feel relaxed. During your writing process for November, you may feel various emotions. Make sure that the seats provide enough cushions.

However, if you are in bed writing, make sure you use sturdy yet comfortable pillows.

Hydration

Make sure you listen to what your body needs throughout the day to prevent dehydration. If you do not like drinking water by itself, try adding some lemon. Another idea is to make yourself a cup of tea.

Even if you usually do not drink a cup of tea, consider grabbing a flavor that lingers on your taste buds. You could even make your tea from scratch. Put it in a pitcher. Warm up your drink when you are thirsty.

Snacks

Stuff your pantry with snacks that allow you to function. For instance, you could eat a granola bar as a midday snack. In the evening, you have a piece of dark chocolate for a snack. 

Studies have shown that dark chocolate is nutritious, helps improve blood flow, lowers blood pressure, protects skin exposure, and more. 

Letting go of Perfection

Do not edit your work while you are writing. You will get into the habit of correcting everything. Thus, you may not make progress. 

When you participate in the National Writing Month for November, think of your work as a draft that will transition into a work of art. 

Originality

Allow your writing style and voice to connect with others through the words you write. Do not try to mimic how others write because you want to present yourself as authentic. 

Now there may be scenes in your story where you use clichés. But add your own twist to them because you want to captivate the reader’s attention. 

Breaks

As much as you may want to push through, give yourself breaks. You want to pace yourself throughout the month because it is a process and a life-changing experience. Why?

You overcome self-doubt. Over time, you will realize that you are breaking your walls down. 

Confidence

Believe in yourself! As you go through the month of November, there may be times where you want to give up. If you ever feel like this during your writing journey, remember why you started. 

You don’t have to feel confident all the time. But you need to make a habit of showing up for yourself. 

Find Your Support

Are you the type of person who gets things done when someone points out, “You are doing a great job”? Consider joining a forum or a Facebook group.

If you cannot find a group to join, you can always create an event using a site like Eventbrite. You can do meet-up sessions two times a week or more to check in with others.

Nothing is impossible. You got this!

Time sprints

Are you the type of person who gets easily distracted? Do you feel as though it takes you a long time to get things done? 

If you have or want to manage your time better, try writing sprints. Set a timer on your phone for 20 minutes. Once your timer goes off, take a break for 5 minutes.

Do you like scrolling through your phone? Consider turning off your phone.

Set a timer on your computer. It prevents distraction and makes you more productive because you are creating healthy habits.

The Pomodoro technique is a time management system that makes people use their time wisely. Using this strategy allows you to break your work into 25 minutes and 5-minute breaks. 

A few applications that use this concept are:

Focus

Pomodoro Timer Lite

An alternative

Let’s say that you have everything mapped out for November. When November gets here, you start day one and finish writing your 1,667 words. You feel accomplished.

However, a few days pass by, and you get stuck. 

But you decide that is okay. You will catch up on your word count in the following days.

However, as the days go by, you realize that you are further behind. An easy way to regain control is to take advantage of your free resources. For instance, if you are using a Microsoft document, consider using a Google Doc along with the transcribe tool.

Instead of writing out your story by hand, speak your words. Don’t forget to annunciate the punctuation, if you do. It can seem awkward at first, but eventually you can get the hang of it.

Reward Yourself

Throughout your writing journey, you should set up rewards that motivate you to continue your piece of work. 

For instance, rewarding yourself could look like this:

5,000 words- Create your favorite dessert. 

10,000 words- A night where you watch your favorite movie.

15,000 words- A day to treat yourself to lunch.

20,000 words- A mini pamper session like a foot massage.

25,000 words- Go to a restaurant that you love eating at or a new one you always wanted to try.  You are halfway through your NaNoWriMo journey.

30,000 words- Try doing an activity you always wanted to do, like ice skating. 

35,000 words- A spa day.

40,000 words- Treat yourself to an early Christmas present.  After all, Black Friday happens within a few hours after Thanksgiving.

45,000 words- Book yourself a getaway.

50,000 words- Allow yourself to enjoy a night out.  Break free from doing the norm and let go of your worries because you finally say, “I won NanoWrimo for the month of November.”

After you have won NanoWrimo, you need to reward yourself because you did not give up.  

Pace Yourself

Set goals but overwhelm yourself. The last thing you want to do is burn out. When you reach your word count goal for the day, stop. 

It will motivate you to continue where you left off. Thus, you will have something to look forward to for the next day.

Move Around

Make sure you get some type of movement throughout the day. You shouldn’t sit and stare at your screen all day. 

Move your body.

Step away from your computer. Remember to take a moment and embrace your surroundings. You never know where your inspiration will come from. Get out and explore!

Create a Playlist

When it comes to writing, some people appreciate silence. But if you want to have noise, create a playlist. Combine your playlist with a mixture of slow and upbeat songs that represent scenes in your story.

Have Fun

You come out of this experience hating the entire process or regretting why you started.

Throughout your writing journey, you will learn to let go. When you let go, it becomes a lot easier to allow your words to flow. 

I won NanoWrimo Now What

What’s next after you finish winning NanoWrimo?

Continue writing your story. It all depends on the type of genre you are writing. You may feel you finally found your flow and decide not to continue writing your book the following month. 

Once you have completed your piece of work, you may want to publish your work. Congratulate yourself first.

Next, you should decide how much time you need before you edit your work. But the trick is to come up with a strategy during your time off. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself once you begin.

You might want to:

• Use different highlighters to mark story changes, grammar errors, scene changes, and character development.
• Have removable tabs to keep track of your chapters.
• Place your chapters in a sturdy binder.
• Use different colored pens to represent the changes.

Figure out what works best for you. Even after you make your edits, consider using beta readers to review your work. Another option is to get someone you trust to read over your work.

It will allow you to see what changes need to be made.

Once you have gone through several rounds of edits, decide if you want to self-publish or do traditional publishing. It will all come down to how you want things done.

Conclusion on creating your own nanowrimo survival kit

Do you want to win Nanowrimo? Create your own survival kit. November tends to be a busy month already, so prepare in advance.

A major lesson you will learn during NanoWrimo is that your biggest competition is you. You are competing against your doubts, fears, limiting beliefs about yourself, and more. 

As a result, you are your biggest supporter!

Overall, National Writing Month allows young authors to become confident in their craft of work. Regardless, if you meet your word count, you should still view yourself as a winner. Why?

You decided to take action. 

A key component of coming up with a kit is allowing yourself to be flexible.

Create a schedule that allows you to make progress.

After all, the goal is to make progress, not perfection. Do not forget to have a life outside of your writing. 

If you want to do a DIY kit, get a basket and decorate it with shredded tissue paper. Then add your favorite snacks and drinks.

Get creative and let the words effortlessly flow as you begin to witness the magic of writing come to life! When you prepare your National Writing Month survival kit, add touches that represent you; it makes the impossible become possible with writing.