Gearing up for NaNoWriMo 2010

Find out why I’m attempting this insanity (and why I expect to fail) at Killer Chicks.

This year I’m taking the plunge and signing up for National Novel Writing Month.  50,000 words in 30 Days

Today thru November 30th I’ll be posting something NaNo related every day here PLUS  I’ll be updating my word count status on Mondays at Killer Chicks.

Care to join me?

10 Steps for Gearing up for NaNoWriMo

Last year more than 165,000 writers signed up for NaNoWriMo. That probably means there are at least 165,000 ways to prepare for this writing endurance event.

Here are my tips for getting ready.

1) Sign up. http://nanowrimo.org

2) Decide on what story you want to tell over the next month. Write an outline. Develop your characters. Pretend you have a clue.

3) Clean your home (you may not get a chance during the literary marathon)

4) Cook meals (time is a precious commodity during November…stock up your freezer while you still can)

5) Read Chris Baty’s  (founder of NaNoWriMo) NO PLOT? NO PROBLEM!

6) Indulge in a mini-breakdown when you realize what you’ve volunteered to put yourself thru.

7) Decide what you’re going to write with/what you’re going to write on.  Don’t go changing programs midway through your project…there’s no time for a learning curve.

8) Stock up on caffeine…or sugar…or whatever it is you need to fuel your creativity

9) Decide on your reward system. This is hard work you’ll be doing and while in a perfect world, the work would be it’s own reward, sometimes you just need a piece of chocolate, or to download a song, or to waste time reading about others struggling to reach their daily word goals.

10) Give yourself a big clap on the back. You’re about to attempt something extraordinary!