NaNoWriMo begins in about
a week, and it’s time to start thinking about exactly how you will make time to
write these 50,000 words that need to be written.
The month is about
proving to yourself that you can write a novel. And that’s wonderful! The
coffee house book idea began as a poorly developed and badly written NaNo
novel. But with all the time spent gearing up, planning, organizing, and
outlining in October, we may forget that, come November 1st, you
have to actually sit down and write the thing! For many of you—particularly if
you have adventures outside of your home known as a “traditional job”—creating a
writing schedule can help keep things organized and make sure you have enough
time to write your novel while not being at risk for getting fired or having
small ones rise up in protest due to lack of sustenance.
This is the first year
since 2007 that I’m participating in NaNo and have a traditional job. So this
year is going to be a bit of an adjustment for me. That’s why I’m making a
schedule. Not only do I have the responsibilities of taking care of Puck and
Tink and helping my sister host Thanksgiving dinner, but I have to do it while
the hours of 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. are blocked off.
This year I’m faced with
the challenge of making time to write 1,667+ words every day in the month of
November without having the flexibility to write for NaNo first and write for
work afterward.
Remember that life comes first. Always. It’s important for writers
to set aside time to write. It’s important for the family and friends of
writers to understand that writing time is needed. But it’s more important for you to be a present
and important part of your family. Don’t neglect your life to write this story.
If something comes up, it comes up. Address it, then get back to writing when
you can. Life happens. And without it, we wouldn’t have anything to draw from
for our stories. So if life needs to get in the way during NaNoWriMo, so be it.
The story will be there when you get back.
Think about when you’re most productive. Since you’re likely going
to have to sacrifice sleep, decide where you want that sacrifice to occur. Are
you the type that gets up before everyone else in your house to have a quiet
cup of coffee? Get up an hour earlier (even a half-hour would be great) and use
that time to write. Conversely, if you’re the type that stays up long past
everyone else, write once the family has gone to bed. Or both! Find a time of
the day that works for you and stick with it. You know your writing style best.
Think about how long it will take you to write 50,000 words. How
fast do you write? How well does your story lend itself to quick writing? If
you’re able to churn out 1,000 words in half an hour, you’ll only need about an
hour and a half a day of writing time to hit the goal. But if you’re a slower
writer, you’ll need to set aside more time each day. Don’t short-change
yourself out of writing time in your schedule.
Be flexible. Remember: this is meant to be fun, and to figure out
what works best for you. It’s great to set aside two hours in the morning to
write every day, but if you’re finding that you struggle to get going, consider
trying to write at a different time of day to get your NaNo novel done. Don’t
lock yourself into anything. (No one will know, anyway!)
There’s no need to write
out a formal writing schedule (unless you feel the need, I suppose), but know
when you’re going to write. And when you decide be sure to tell your family. If
they know you have specific times set aside to write (and to not write), they’ll
know to leave you alone during those times. (Having a silly “writing hat” works
well to let little ones know you’re busy!)
The time to write exists.
You just have to carve it out within your schedule and just get yourself in the
chair to write when it’s time.
Happy scribbling!
