As this year’s long march to the 50K mark begins, there are many plots and cups of coffee brewing. Everyone has their own style of writing: Planner, Pantser, or a Plantser. Each person’s approach to making the 1667 word per day quota is as unique as the participating writers. This my tenth year participating in the challenge, and hopefully, my tenth year meeting the coveted 50K finish line. Over the last decade, I have learned some methods to help me through those dry spells when 1667 words seem impossible.

1. Psyche Up!

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Thankfully I have a daughter who also loves to write. As a teenager, she can set her own goal to reach by the end of the month. As an adult, I don’t have that luxury. You know how it goes. At any rate, we spend most of October winking and smiling at each other, whispering random numbers as we pass by. “Twenty days!”, “ten days!”, “three days!” We count down together. I have always had the excitement by myself before my daughter got involved with NaNoWriMo, but it is much more fun and builds amazing amounts of anticipation when you have someone to share the experience with.

2. Stock Up

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What’s your pleasure? Sweet? Savory? Copious amounts of caffeine? Writing can be hard work, so make sure you have a stash of snacks to boost your energy. My daughter and I are straight up chocoholics, though I like some caffeine mixed in. But every once in a while, I crave something savory like cheese, popcorn, or nuts. I’ve never been able to figure out why munching on a light snack helps writer’s block, fatigue, and drafting doldrums, but it does.

3. Hole Up

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If you are an introvert, you likely have this ritual already. There are a lot of writing groups and “write-ins” this time of year. Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with those! In fact, there are times I have wished to live in an area where such get-togethers occurred. However, with COVID-19 still nipping at our heels, this year why not host some virtual writing sprints and online write-ins? Admittedly, it isn’t the same. But it is better than nothing, unless you are an introverted writer. My strategy is to shut myself in my bedroom, shamelessly ignore my family, and write until I meet that day’s goal. After ten years of this ritual, my family understands and respects my writing time. They have been a great encouragement to me, and I appreciate their thoughtfulness when I slip into a writing vortex.

4. Shut Up

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Shut off your phone. Shut off your notifications. Close every window on your laptop or computer while you are writing. This is especially helpful if you are an extrovert and is used to the constant barrage of dings and pings that interrupt your momentum. 1667 words a day is nothing to sneeze at, and it takes some serious commitment. As an introverted writer, I relish any excuse to not acknowledge people for a little while. Outside chatter doesn’t help my writing process. There is a time and a place for everything, but while I am writing is not the time or the place to socialize.

5. Show Up

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So you have gotten yourself psyched up, stocked up, holed up, and shut up. Now you need to show up at your keyboard. Don’t dilly-dally for hours. Try to start writing within fifteen minutes of sitting down. Why the fifteen-minute window? Because many writers need time to transition (a.k.a. procrastinate) for a few minutes before putting on their WG (Writing Genius) capes. But creating is a verb, which means that some sort of action needs to take place. Write for Pete’s sake, that’s why you just locked everyone out of your room for a couple of hours and hid the stash of chocolate under the bed.

NaNoWriMo has already begun, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. In my first year of participating, I waffled back and forth about joining. I finally did…on November 7th. I still met the goal, and from that time on, I have never looked back. My NaNoRituals most likely are very different from yours. It doesn’t matter. What matters is hitting the 1667 words per day, and ultimately the 50K by November 30th. And remember, during NaNoWriMo, bad writing is better than no writing. Besides, you can always console yourself with some chocolate.