Wondering if there’s a way to succeed on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)?
Yes Sir. And it’s not as overwhelming as it may seem.
The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. But NaNoWriMo doesn’t have to be just for writers. After all, who says fiction authors can have fun? Who says bloggers can’t use the momentum and buzz of NaNoWriMo to give themselves a break when things get upside down?
Let’s break down this annual blogger challenge. A typical blog post is between 500 and 2,000 words, or about 300 words if you’re microblogging. Therefore, 50,000 words translates into 50 to 100 blog posts – or about 160 micro-blog posts.
Now, in the content-first world of the internet, it’s safe to assume that Lady Consistency is the queen behind such a throne. For those of you who want to build an empire of followers, you need to not only write content that people will want to read, but also create content regularly. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, no, really.
We’ve all had trouble with our writing schedules. Maybe it’s because you had to step away from the keyboard Little Timmy fell down a well Again. Maybe you forgot about your aunt’s five-year birthday to Mr. Whiskers and had to run out to buy enough catnip to redefine the word “catatonic” as an apology. Maybe you’re stuck in a flat tire and you wish you had at least that horse with no name. The thing is that due to our health condition, we almost forgot about our previous commitments to our loved ones and our dear friend’s YouTube Shorts Murphy can make consistency difficult.
However, imagine if you were prepared for such daisies. Imagine having at least 40 items in your back pocket to choose from every day. Imagine all the things you can do without feeling guilty.
Say yes to your friends and family. Say “yes” to the vacation you dream of. Say yes to mental health days. Say yes to generating more money as a freelance writer, because now that your personal blog is taken care of, you can finally afford to expand your cyber territory.
Just don’t say yes yet, we still have some work to do before November if we’re going to make it. No, really, this will be quick, just five steps to NaNoWriMo success.
5 Steps to Succeeding at NanoWriMo as a Blogger
Step 1: Generate ideas
To write 50,000 words in 30 days, you need to have about 50 ideas to write about, and the best way to achieve this is to implement an Idea Journal. Idea Journal is exactly what it sounds like. This is a journal that you carry with you (either a physical notebook or an electronic device) and where you write down any ideas that come to your mind.
Remember that there are no stupid, bad ideas or ideas that are not available in Idea Journal. Like a rough draft, no one but you needs to know what’s in it. Additionally, it’s important to give your subconscious mind positive reinforcement every time it sparks creativity. Keeps writer’s block at bay.
Step 2: Plan your research
Once you have about 50 ideas to work with, it’s time to dive into SEO and figure out what research links you’ll need as you prepare to write your articles.
Knowing what you want to dive into and where you plan to dig for information is crucial to creating content quickly. The less time you spend poking around Google and Google Analytics when it’s time to write, the better your chance of succeeding at NaNoWriMo. Prepare at least two or three links for research purposes, the links you want to anchor in your article, and any keywords you plan to use.
Step 3: Get organized
Now that you have your article and research ideas planned, it’s time to get organized using your favorite e-calendar. One way to cope with this and maintain your sanity is to write two articles a day, Monday through Friday (except for American Thanksgiving and Black Friday).
If each article is about 1,200 words, that’s 2,400 words per day for 20 days, which equals 40 articles or 48,000 words in November.
Step 4: Find your motivation
What rewards will you give yourself for achieving your writing goal each day? Let’s face it, sometimes telling yourself you did a good job isn’t enough to motivate you to do it again the next day.
I know that’s not the case, and I also know that as a writer with ADHD, the things I prefer to do outside of writing change from day to day. To motivate myself, I think about what I’d rather do and then tell myself I can do it as soon as I finish counting the words.
But sometimes we need something extra to keep us in check. What price can you pay but are not willing to pay if the reward is not enough? One of my coworkers has trouble getting up early in the morning, so she made an appointment with me, a morning person. The deal is if he doesn’t call and say he’ll get up at 7 a.m., he has to pay me $50.
I never thought I’d say this, but I haven’t received $50 from her yet. Not that I was disappointed, because I liked her cheerful voice that tells me “thank you” and wish me a nice day every morning.
Step 5: Responsible friends
Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary process, and the fact that NaNoWriMo understands community is part of what has made it successful since its inception in 1999.
Every year, NaNoWriMo brings together writers with one common goal: to write 50,000 words.
Each writer can then run their own race to the end, surrounded by a network of supportive people who are going through the same ordeal as they are.
So don’t go alone. Find someone who can hold you accountable like my co-worker did with me for getting up in the morning. You can motivate each other when things get difficult, remind each other of the rewards you will receive when the difficult word is completed.
And hey, maybe one of you will make $50 if the other decides to call it quits and not show up.
If you are an American, make Thanksgiving a day to thank yourself and anyone who wants to join you. November can be the most rewarding month of the year!
Besides, it’s high time someone dethroned December. And to think that 20 days of sitting in a chair, fingers on the keyboard and a medal for a trouble-free blog in the coming year will be enough.
What are you waiting for? This is the recipe for NaNoWriMo success as a blogger!