1. It’s Not a Sprint, It’s a Marathon

Even though you’re going to spent one intense month writing somewhere in the vicinity of 50,000 words, the work doesn’t end on November 30th.
In order to be a successful writer, you need to rewrite, revise, edit and edit some more in the next year, in order to create a complete and legible piece of literature. (For more tips, go to GalleyCat.)

2. Work With Technology, Rather Than Against it

Instead of getting distracted by Facebook, Twitter and other 21st century time traps, make them work for you. There are several great apps to help you get on your writing way. Write or Die helps you make the most of your writing time: you set your goals, preferred punishment and then get cracking. If you get distracted, you’re in trouble. Here’s a list of some other great writing apps.

3. Don’t Just Write

It is just as important to read as it is to write during NaNoWriMo. You may have noticed, when you read something and then write, you often embody some tone or voice of the piece you just read. I recently attended a lecture by Susan Cain, author of Quiet, where she said that sometimes, if she greatly admires an author, she will read some of their work before  starting to write in order to take on some qualities of that author’s style. If you’re having trouble putting pen to paper, perhaps what you need is put down the pen and pick up your favourite book.

4. Don’t Get Bogged Down by Facts

Author of The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, John Boyne, tells writers working on historical fiction pieces to do their research but not get weighed down by the facts. Be aware of the information but remember that you are writing a work of fiction and a certain amount of freedom is allowed in order to represent your voice and story. (For more tips, go to The Huffington Post.)

5. Get Ready

50,000 words is a lot of words. Do the math, that’s about 1667 words per day. That there takes some commitment. To prepare for your NaNoWriMo journey and to ensure success, there’s a few things you can do. Designate a place in your house, a quiet coffee shop, at work, or wherever you plan to write so that once you are in that space, you can get into the writing zone. Have everything you need close by – electrical outlets, pens, paper, water, coffee maker, etc – and remember to tidy up and keep it clean. You know what they say, tidy house, tidy mind. (For more tips, go to Storyist.)