It’s upon us. That time of the year where the most ambitious of writers try to write a lot of words in a short amount of time.
Here’s to your survival during Camp NaNoWriMo. May you come out of July with a terrible first draft.
- Do not research. You could have researched before. You can always do so after. It doesn’t matter. Your priority during Camp should be writing as many words as you can. Not researching how to bury a body.
- Do save your work everywhere. Make multiple copies and drafts of your novel, so you can sleep easier at night.
- Do not procrastinate. Easier said than done. It helps a lot. Writing 1,667 words in 24 hours is much easier than writing 50,000 words in 1 day.
- Do sit in your chair and pound keys. Try to stay seated until you hit a goal you’ve set for yourself.
- Do not read everything in sight. You can pick up that awesome book once you’ve hit your word count for each day.
- Do tell people you’re busy writing a bestseller. They’ll hold you accountable. They might even ask to read it.
- Do not edit. Don’t do it.
- Do reward yourself handsomely. Exercise. Sleep well. Eat good food. But treat myself.
- Do not waste your precious writing time. It’s precious. Cherish it.
- Do have fun. Make writing fun again.
See you in August. Feel free to wave your manuscript in the air and scream your victory at the top of a mountain.
Herminia Chow 