#because I KNOW there won't be 50k left to complete during nano so I have rush this draft out now (since my brain is finally cooperating!)

[revvethasmythh]

8 days ago my longfic wip was sitting at 17k and had been for weeks, and today I passed 30k. I have no idea what changed in my brain chemistry to allow this to happen, but honestly thank fuck

[dark-academia-quotes]

NaNoWriMo survival tips

NaNoWriMo has officially started! I am sooo excited to start writing, and as a special celebration post, I will be sharing my top 10 survival tips for participating writers! If you're scrolling through this on Instagram, this will be part 1/2, so stay tuned for the remaining tips that are to come!

1.F*ck the traditional word count (if you want)

Yeah, you heard me right. You should totally not strive for 50k if that doesn't serve you! Set your own word count goal according to what is realistic to YOU. That could be 15k, 30k, or 100k! An ideal word count should push you to your limits without completely overstraining you. Should it be a challenge? Absolutely! That much of a challenge that you have burnout and writer's block for the next 2 months? Probably not.

2. Don't edit during NaNo

Seriously, just don't. It will slow you down, you will get frustrated and it will take your focus off of what should matter most this month: writing! If you want to, you can look at it from a scientific angle: Writing is done by the right side of the brain, which is responsible for creative processes, whilst editing is done by the left side of the brain, which is responsible for rational thinking. You can't write well while in editing mode, which is why you should totally keep those two processes separate, and save the editing for the months to come.

3. Stock up on snacks

Don't walk, RUN to the nearest supermarket if you haven't stocked up on your favourite snacks yet. For me, that is chocolate, tea, bread, and whatever salty thing I can get my hands on. Because you know what is stressful? Writing 50k words in a month. But you know what is even more stressful (and honestly downright impossible)? Doing so without SNACKS!

4. Create a space that inspires you

Inspiration is always important, but even more during NaNoWriMo, because that is one of the times where writing can feel like actual hard work, and doing hard work without some sort of inspiration or motivation will most likely lead to failure. Some ways that you can create that space are:

digital:

build a pinterest board for your WIP or your characters

create a YouTube playlist with author's interviews or dark academia videos

find some good writing/dark academia atmosphere on Ambient Mixer

browse through Social Media to find posts related to writing (like this one) to inspire you. Just make sure that doesn't become your main activity.

watch NaNoWriMo content on YouTube

make a Spotify playlist for your WIP

analogue:

light some candles

put on fairy lights

go for a walk regularly

decorate your room in a way that reminds you of writing (I have a looot of sticky notes on my wall)

5. Tidy up your space

To be fair, this is more of a Preptober thing, but if you haven't already, you should totally tidy up and organise your writing space in a way that is efficient to you. This way you can avoid disrupting your flow while writing, as you won't need to search for your stuff. This may include sorting already existing documents, going through your notebook drawer to eliminate the chaos in there or just giving your desk a deep clean.

6. Get your family on board

This is a very important thing for me this year, as I am staying with my family in Argentina, which means working under unideal conditions. I live with two children (7 and 11 years old), fights between them as well as between my cousin and her husband are common, I don't really have my own room and having a quiet space is rare due to the presence of five pets (thank god for the invention of noise cancelling headphones. They are cute though).

One way to make things easier, especially if you live in a familiar situation that is similar (or worse), is to get people on board. Tell them what you are about to do, put a sign on your door when you work, bribe your little brother with snacks to leave you alone when you write. I promise you it makes a difference. I realise not everyone has the option to do this, and if you are a writer (or any kind of artist really) that lives among people who aren't supportive of your dreams, know that I am with you and that I wish you all the best.

7. Reward yourself

I personally like to reward myself every 10k words I write during NaNo, and I make a list of the rewards I want to give myself beforehand. That way, when you're writing that one slow, complicated or just emotionally draining scene that just doesn't seem to end, you have other things to look forward to besides just winning. You can also give yourself small rewards every day you hit your word count - or do both!

8. Take care of your health

That obviously includes physical health: make sure to move your body every once in a while, don't use writing positions that could injure your back and make sure to eat full meals even when you are busy. That being sad, I want to put a special emphasis on mental health here. Don't stress yourself too much with your project, you aren't here to get a burnout. Be mindful and realistic about the goals you set. And remember, your mental health comes first. If you have to choose between maintaining it and finishing NaNo, your word count should never be the priority.

9. Have a reason

Now, that sounds pretty plain, but it can actually be pretty helpful once you start! Ideally, you should have a note/paper/document somewhere that lists exactly that: why you are doing NaNo, and why you are writing in general. Maybe you really have this story that you just have to tell to find your inner peace, maybe you want to choose writing as a career path, or maybe it just gives you joy to create stories. Maybe it is a coping mechanism. Whatever it is - write it down. That way you can come back to it when you feel like quitting.

10. Be kind to yourself

I know this kind of falls under 8., but I wanted to give this a special mention. Don't be harsh on yourself when you feel like you aren't going to hit your word count on the 15th. Keep writing. 30k/50k are better than quitting after 7k, and you will be glad you continued. You can get the rest of the words in in December.

If you get writer's block at some point, punching the Laptop and drowning yourself in negative thoughts are probably not going to make it better. Take a deep breath, acknowledge that the frustration is there, watch your favourite Disney movie, dedicate yourself to finding inspiration and then get back to writing. It is very likely that you will at some point be frustrated with this process, so having a frustration escape plan can really do wonders.

Anyway, that is it! If you enjoyed reading through this, kindly consider supporting me by commenting, liking, saving or sharing this post! And if you are interested in more writing and dark academia content, a follow is of course appreciated. That being said, have fun writing and make the best out of this year's NaNo!!