15 simple things to help you survive NaNoWriMo// Guest Post

Ready to launch into writing this November? Nervous you won’t make it? Here are 15 things to add to your NaNoWriMo survival kit to help you succeed!

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November (aka the epic month of NaNoWriMo) is coming up fast!

This is a pretty good piece of advice but not all that helpful. ^^

Today, veteran YA and children’s author + cover designer, Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick, so sweetly agreed to do a guest post for us!

And we hope you enjoy her excellent tips for surviving NaNoWriMo! 🙂

~ the sistas, Anna and Pearl

 

15 Simple Things to Help You Survive NaNoWriMo

When people first hear about NaNoWriMo, they usually display the face that says, “Really? You’re going to try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days?! You do realize that’s crazy, right?”

I think most of us realize it’s at least a little crazy, but that’s kind of the point. Pushing ourselves into survival mode to make words HAPPEN.

But, of course, we probably all privately wonder if we’ll be able to survive survival mode.

Here are a few things to consider adding to your NaNoWriMo survival kit to give yourself the very best chances of winning.

(Please note: this post contains affiliate links. This means if you click one and make a purchase, PerryElisabethDesign will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

1. WriteMind Planner – this planner is actually designed specifically for authors. Most planners have a calendar, right? Well, the calendar in this baby is a wordcount tracking calendar with spaces for you to track goals by day, week and month. That’s just one of the many handy organizational features of this planner (designed by Yours Truly!). Plotter? Pantser? Somewhere in between? You can customize the planner’s modules to suit your writing style!

Note: The WriteMind Planner is currently unavailable. But the shop will reopen October 29th!

 

2. Post-It® Notes – You know you need these! Bits of ideas running around in your head? Jot ’em down! Stick them all over your computer. Around the window. To your forehead if needed. (You know, handy reminders for other people in your life: “Remind author to eat.”)

 

3. Corkboard – for even more note-taking! Let’s face it: sticky notes might not still be sticking by the end of November. But if you PIN them up they’ll still be where you can see them easily. I love the unusual frame on this one! If you need more space, this burlap one is 2′ x 3′ and looks great!

 

4. Coffee, Tea, or… BodyArmor? – Pick your comforting drink of choice! The legions of writers (and crazed NaNo writers, especially) claiming to be fueled–not just by their muse but also by coffee–are strong. There is another bunch dedicated to the slightly more unusual tea-preference. (Have you ever had Good Earth Original? Yum!) But who says it has to be one of those two?! Why not BodyArmor sports drink? (Yes, I’m a desert southwest dweller.) Tyler and I highly recommend the Strawberry Banana flavor!

 

5. Writer’s Mug – There’s just something about putting your CDoC (Comforting Drink of Choice, see above) in a very writerly mug. It’s inspiration. Humor. Yum. All in one ceramic package! This one is definitely big on the inspiration! If you’re looking for a humorous way to remind people you’re busy… give them the “look” over the rim of this mug. And if you’re heading to a NaNoWriMo Come Write In, or if you’re afraid of spilling on your work this is probably the mug to use.

 

6. Water Bottle – Having a good supply of your CDoC is important to make it through November, but always have even more good, old-fashioned water on hand. I find when I’m afraid I’ll spill water on my laptop, I tend to set my glass on another surface nearby… and then forget to get up and drink it. I’ve taken to using a water bottle so the spill-risk is lowered and I can keep it right on my desk. HydroFlasks are awesome because they’ll keep a drink hot or cold for hours (I’m seriously into ice water even in winter… again, desert-dweller, I know). Mine has a screw-on lid, though, and I’ve found I drink less when I have to take the time to unscrew the thing and then screw it back on! Seriously. I think I might turn into the laziest person alive when I’m focused on something. Anyway, I’ve been eyeballing these flip-top replacement caps to solve that problem. In the meantime, I’m using my glass water bottle.

 

7. Snacks – You know your favorites, but be sure you have a good variety. Sugary snacks may be great initially, but after a little while they will actually leave you feeling sleepy and dull… not exactly the greatest place to be when you still have 600 words to write that day. Good alternatives are: protein snacks like jerky or nuts; fruit (think: apples with peanut butter, grapes, melon pieces); cheese and lunch meat with crackers; or popcorn. (If you’ve never had G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix, well, you’re really missing out. Pro tip: Costco carries it in a seriously wrong MASSIVE size.)

 

8. Lip Balm – Seriously. Sometimes with a project this size in front of you, the little comforts can make a hug difference. I personally like Burt’s Bees lip balm, and they have so many varieties! Original, flavored, “Ultra Conditioning,” and (for us ladies who don’t want to feel like the crazed writer we might actually be) rose-tinted.

9. Music – Whether you write to music, brainstorm to music, or relax and reset to music, include music in your NaNoWriMo survival plan! Over the course of a whole month, you are going to want variety and new songs if you’re anything like me. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can freely stream a TON of music. It’s all tidily organized so you can play specific artists, albums, or songs. I’m really enjoying their playlists and stations, though. (Variety, remember?)

Don’t have Amazon Prime? Well, I have good news… Amazon offers a free, 30-day trial. Also, the month of November is 30 days in length. Catch my drift…?

 

10. Earbuds – Gotta have a way to listen to all that awesome music! I was just looking at earbuds since mine have all died tragic deaths at this point. (The little people at my house like to pop those cool rubbery tips off them!) Someone once had me try out the Apple EarPods, and they’re most awesome. That’s saying a lot, because I typically find earbuds totally annoying and uncomfortable (small person, small ear canals. What can I say…). For me, they fit in my ears, stayed put, and were comfortable despite not having any delightful-to-pull-off rubber components. These are going right on my wish list now that I’ve remember them!

 

11. Stress Ball or… Cupcake? – A way to deal with a busy brain and maybe even help turn daydreaming into brilliant brainstorming! Go for something serious or get yourself a cupcake. No, really. It’s a stress ball shaped like a cupcake.

 

12. Actual Writing Tools! – Planning to write by hand? Have you tried my favorite pens and pencils yet? And 50,000 words in a month might call for this. (I’d really love to try one of these some day!)

Are you like me and write better when typing? Keyboard perfection and portability was a goal for me when picking out my computer. From my research, Macbook keyboards are the best… and now that I’ve been using a refurbished Macbook Air for a couple years now, I have to agree they are super nice for lots of speedy typing (if on the expensive side). I personally went for a 13-inch screen since I’m also using it for our graphic design work, but this little 11″ cutie would be so awesome for portable writing!

Really love your mobile device? Consider a bluetooth keyboard to level up your wordcount. (Unless you thumb-type faster than you keyboard type. In which case… wow.)

Highly distracted by notifications and availability of Facebook? Try taking a small step backward with the incredible AlphaSmart Neo2. Writers everywhere are gushing about these lightweight, tough, focus-friendly devices with super long battery lives. (And they’re really affordable since you can usually get one for around $30-ish.) I couldn’t take it anymore and had to get one. They are truly very cool and definitely force me to write. And only write.

 

13. Idea Books – Let’s face it. You’re going to get stuck at some point. “No Plot? No Problem!”  by Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month, looks like a good help! I personally own “642 Things to Write About” in all of its overwhelming glory. With that many things to write about, there’s sure to be something in there to kickstart the creative juices again!

 

14. Reference Books – You won’t have a lot of time to get bogged down in details (one of the benefits of this crazy business!), but having a few of these on hand might help get you out of a bind. Try this baby name book I’ve used before (yes, for naming kids and characters), and maybe the popular “Emotion Thesaurus” by Angela Ackerman and/or its FREE-for-Kindle companion guide, “Emotion Amplifiers.”

15. Your Favorite Person – When you need to bounce an idea off someone, when you need someone else to get excited about the story with you, when you need someone to tell you it’s going to be okay and even if you do lose your mind at least you’ll have a novel to show for it… you’ll want your favorite person. I highly recommend informing them ahead of time that they’re officially on-duty for the month of November. And then…Dedicate. The. Book. To. Them.

Think you can do it? You absolutely can, especially with some of these survival kit ideas on hand. 

Did I miss something helpful? Leave a comment here and share your wisdom with other writers!

 

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