Wow, where did this month go!?

I swear it was just October 1st like five days ago! And now, NaNoWriMo is just days away.

That being said, I think it’s about time I shared what I’ve been up to for Preptober.

 

What is NaNoWriMo?

Let’s start at the very beginning. You may be sitting there reading this and wondering what the hell I’m even talking about.  You might be a new writer, like myself, or even just a friend following my journey wondering what I’ve been talking about. So, let me answer the following questions for you!

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It’s an online project where writers, of any skill level and genre, set aside time in November to write a 50,000 word manuscript. (From November 1st to the 30th).

What is Preptober?

Preptober is basically using the whole month of October to prep for your Nano project. People will use this time to come up with a story idea, outline, character develop, and so much more. In hopes of being ready to dive straight into their story on November 1st. (You don’t want to be struggling to do this while trying to get in your word count)!

My First NaNoWriMo.

November 2017 is my first year participating in Nano. I’m excited and also scared shitless about failing. I recently participated in #ChanceChallenge, which was similar to Nano, and I failed it miserably! Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with failure. It helps us grow and learn. But, the thought of failing to reach 50,000 words twice in a row, is scary.

That being said, I have tried my very best to set myself up to succeed this Preptober!

What did I do for Preptober + NaNoWriMo Goals.

The first thing I did was make a list of everything I needed to have done before Nano started.

Then, I created a schedule to reach my word count. I set myself up to reach 50,000 words, but still be able to take 5 days off, at most. My daily word count goal is 2,000 and if I write this amount everyday in November I will exceed 50,000 word by 10,000. I set up the 5 days off, because I know life happens and I didn’t want to be scrambling to meet word count goals.

Then, I made a few different charts to track my progress. I love to fill in the empty squares when I complete a task, so this way I get to do it 3 different ways. Keeping me motivated to fill out each chart!

Bullet Journaling my way to a NaNo win.

I hadn’t planned on starting a bullet journal again. (I tried it at the beginning of the year, and it lasted about 2 weeks)! But, so many people who have won NaNoWriMo recommended it. So, I caved and set one up. And I must say I love it, and truly believe it will help me win my first Nano.

You can order an actual bullet journal, or do what I did (because I was impatient and didn’t want to wait for a real bullet journal to arrive), and use a blank sketch book. If you want it to look a bit more perfect, order a real bullet journal. If you don’t care, or have more time to make it perfect, a sketch book is a great way to go.

It’s been a great way to keep everything for Nano organized and in one place. Plus, its helped me create a bit more organization in my life! I was so scatter brained before, and now I feel like I kind of have my shit together.

So here is a little sneak peak into my bullet journal set up!

Tips:

I wish I could offer you a ton of tips on how to rock NaNoWriMo, but since this is my first year participating I cant.

But I can offer some words or encouragement and one tip I plan on following that I received from others.

1- It’s OKAY if you don’t win Nano! Take it as a learning experience and do things differently the next time.

2- It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just get it written, then go back and make edits after November 30th!

3- Have Fun! Don’t over think it. Enjoy your time writing. After all, we do this because we love to write and tell stories!

The one tip I plan on following:
Write as much as you can in the first week. When its all new and exciting! That way when the burn out hits, you will be a bit ahead of the game. 
I wish you all good luck with your Nano projects! If you’d like to be writing buddies you can find me at Sidnie Bishop on the NaNoWriMo website. Also, if you’d like more information on Nano check out the website. (Linked above).