Once I decided to do NaNoWriMo, I realized I had to make a plan. I knew that if I didn’t set daily goals and milestones I’d write a little here and a little there, then panic over Thanksgiving and probably give up. To prevent that, I’ve come up with a plan for working around my other obligations and keeping myself focused. Because this is my first time participating in NaNo, I suspect I may be over-planning. I’ll see what works and adjust for next year.

Defining my Obligations
First, I realized I need to be aware of the other things that will demand my attention in November. I’ve drawn up a schedule that will let me work ahead one full month in one of my classes before November 1. I also started writing posts for Here to Create as a backup plan for when I’m too exhausted to write another word.

Research
I never do anything without researching it first. I started reading everything I could about the NaNo experience, including No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. Here’s my review of No Plot? No Problem!, and here’s my list of other NaNo resources.

Set Goals
In order to write 50,000 words in 30 days, I need to write an average of 1,667 words per day. My goal is to write 2,000 words every weekday and 5,000 words on weekend days. This gives me a buffer for days I can only write a few hundred words or days I just need to take off.

I anticipate having a hard time keeping track of just how many words I’m getting done each day, so I’m also setting word count goals by date so I can regularly check my progress without having to remember to record the word count before and after each writing session. Here’s my rough plan:

November 5 - 10,000 words
November 10 - 20,000 words
November 15 - 30,000 words
November 20 - 40,000 words
November 25 - 50,000 words

Again, I’m allowing myself some leeway by planning to finish early. I won’t panic if I don’t hit my target word count by the days I’ve set; it’s just a way for me to know if I’m getting behind.

Strategize
On a daily basis, I’m going to try not to obsess over how many words I’ve written, though I will be posting my daily word count in the sidebar above the NaNo Participant logo. Instead, I’m going to shoot for two hours of writing every day and see where that gets me. On weekend days, I’m going to try for two or three two-hour writing sessions with breaks in between.

Over the past month, I’ve established a reasonably consistent habit of getting up every morning by 5 or 6. With luck, I’ll be able to get my two hours of writing in every day before work. One method that’s worked well for me on other projects is doing a little longhand writing before I go to bed. In the morning, I can just start typing from my notes without getting bogged down in re-reading the previous day’s work.

Another strategy is to find allies. I have one writing date set up with a friend who is also doing NaNoWriMo. My fiance may be participating as well. I might also connect with a local NaNo group that writes at a coffee shop.

Come up with a story
The story really shouldn’t be the last item on my list, but I think coming up with a storyline won’t be that hard. The hard part will be actually writing it, every day, until it’s finished. I’ve never had a problem coming up with ideas, but I’ve not yet finished a novel. I’m looking forward to my first completed novel at the end of November.

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