Survive NaNoWriMo and a Busy Life
How to Survive a Hectic Lifestyle and Make Time for NaNo-ing
At 11:59pm on October 31, in any given part of the world, the sound of impatient writers clicking mouses, tapping pencils and drumming fingers will be heard wherever National Novel Writing Month(NaNoWriMo) 2009 participants are found. When the clock strikes midnight, the ferverent writing to reach a word count of 50,000 words in just thirty days will begin. Despite what many people might think though, this challenge is not just for those with unlimited amounts of time on their hands.
Allison Cosgrove, a fourth year participant, mother of three and wife, leads a busy life even without throwing NaNoWriMo into the mix.
“I generally have one or two jobs, plus pets and a variety of social engagements, birthdays, as well as Christmas parties to attend,” says Cosgrove. “Adding in NANO makes me feel like I’m running head long into the path of an oncoming Mac truck and am powerless to do anything but enjoy the ride.”
Benefits of NaNo-ing During a Stressful Month
While the benefits of taking on a seemingly impossible task such as NaNoWriMo during an already busy lifestyle vary from person to person, one thing seems to remain the same: the sense of fulfillment that comes from completing the first draft of a manuscript while balancing the rest of your life.
“November ends up being a hectic month, but everything gets done because there’s no time to idle,” says 20 year old Alyssa Tompkins, a third time participant. “And then suddenly December rolls around and you wonder what you ever did with all that spare time before. That’s the most interesting feeling of all, I think, and the best reward is the knowledge that you’ve done it once, so with the right spark, you can most certainly do it again.”
For Cosgrove, the drive that brings her back each year is the thought of beating her previous year’s word count.
“Every year has, without fail, gotten busier for me and yet every year I have managed to rise above it to top my word count from the year before” says Cosgrove. “That is without a doubt the biggest rush!”
How to Balance NANO With The Rest of Your Life
While there are multiple things one can do to make time for NaNo during a busy month, it is clear the most important thing is to plan for set times to write. Whether it’s half an hour each night before bed, 15 minutes of your lunch break, or on the bus ride home – making sure you have those daily slots scheduled in will keep your brain on the move.
In his book, No Plot No Problem, NaNoWriMo creator Chris Baty points out the importance to carrying around a pocket-sized notebook and pen no matter where you are, because you never know when inspiration might strike. If you can’t carry around a notebook, at least make sure there’s a pen handy – writer’s can always jot notes on napkins and toilet paper if necessary.
Delegation is the key in surviving NaNo for Cosgrove, and if delegating tasks doesn’t work, then she suggests getting as much as you can done in a timely fashion.
“If you leave everything that has to get done until later it will only eat at your creative energy, as you will only be thinking about what you have to do rather than focusing on what you want to do,” she says.
Another helpful tip is not stressing. Tompkins adds that in her opinion, it’s one of the worst things you could do during NaNo.
“You’re more likely to suffer a breakdown than get anything done, and no one wants that,” Tompkins explains. “If you have to back out of NaNo to take care of something more important, or put it on hold for a few days, or even a week, to keep the main parts of your life on track, then do it. Even if you don’t reach that 50 000 word goal by midnight on November 30, at least you’ve done something you wouldn’t have done otherwise. You can try again next year.”
How to Get Involved With NaNoWriMo
Becoming a participant of NaNo is quite simple. To join the challenge, go to nanowrimo.org and register. The website also provides information on local NaNo writing groups, as well as how to connect with other participants.
NaNoWriMo also sponsors an annual Young Writers’ Program (YWP) for those 17 or younger, where they set their own word count goal for the month. For NaNoWriMo’s YWP go to the Young Writers' Program Website.
Signs for Writers at Public Locations During Nano
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Nanoers Can Post Flyers to Raise Interest
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