22 October 2010

Get Prepared, Get Motivated, Get Writing!

Get yourself some shiny new pens and paper, or a decent computer,or you will be doomed before you even start.

Enjoy the last few precious days of relative calmness and prepare yourself for thirty days of sleep-deprived madness.

Tell everyone - including spouse, children, family and friends - that unless someone is dying, you are pulling a Garbo and would like to be left alone for the whole of November.
 

Will your brain into writing mode, and tell it to ignore all of the usual signals that it sends through your body. Food and toilet breaks are to be scheduled in every four hours, no more, no less. Sleeping isn't allowed. This will take practice, so start early.

Resist all urges to play Bejewleled Blitz (or any other pointless game, for that matter). Again, this may take some time, so practicing now would be good.

Ignore the phone. This is a good idea even when you aren't working on a NaNoWriMo challenge.

Talking will be banned (unless you are giving yourself a pep talk, or you are sounding out something you have written), so if, like me, you are a Chatty Cathy, get your fill of tongue-wagging in now, before it's too late.

Invest in ear-plugs. Essential for ignoring the phone and other distractions.

Nuts are essential. Typically, you have to be nuts to attempt NaNo, but you also should really buy some too. Nibbly snacks are an important tool to have when you will probably forget to stop and eat.

Giving up is not an option! You can do this! You will do this! The NaNoWriMo 2010 Winner's Badge will be yours!

11 comments:

RosieC said...

Nice tips, and great pep talk. :)

H.B.Markor said...

Go-Team-Go! Erm, Write-Team-Write!

Bah, whatever. Just go write something.

(That's my counter-motivation^ *nodnodnod*)

Bring on the NaNoWriMo!

Jen said...

Fantastic motivational piece! love it!

Sugar said...

Yay! Thank you.. I need a cheering section!! lol

Amber T. Smith said...

Excellent! I'm glad the tips and the motivational angle helps!

Bring on the NaNo indeed. *nods* I'm starting to get excited now. Scared, but excited. *snort*

Amie Kaufman said...

Love it, thanks! I'll come back to this halfway through, when I'm in need of the pep talk all over again. Looking forward to November!

James C. Wallace II said...

What's that on the far horizon???

Looks like Nanowrimo!!!

Soon, the madness begins anew!

Unknown said...

Must . . . resist . . . Bejeweled . . . Blitz!

Great post.

Hart Johnson said...

Can't write OVER it!
Can't write Under it!
Can't write AROUND it!
Gotta write THROUGH IT!

YAY! Great post, Tara!

Donna B. said...

Wonderful...great post, thank you. Just discovered your wonderful blog. I will be back. Thanks Rayna for letting me know...

Amber T. Smith said...

Yay! I'm really pleased this post has motivated some of you guys! Awesome!