If you’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, my guess is you’re acutely aware that there is less than a week left to accomplish the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Don’t start to sweat at that thought. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month.
If you’re super far behind.
Take a few minutes to figure out why or how you got so far behind on your NaNoWriMo project. Did something unexpected come up at work or home that is out of your control? Give yourself some grace and pull back on your NaNoWriMo. Were your plot and characters underdeveloped? Step back from writing and put in the work now to get your plot and characters as strong as you can; that will make writing and revisions easier.
If you’re only a little behind.
Sit down with your calendar and decide where you can add in a few extra writing slots; this should be all you need to catch back up on your word count. Be ruthless with your writing schedule as Thanksgiving and Black Friday approach, too. Don’t let all that hard work go at the last minute.
If you’re caught up.
Try to work ahead in the next couple of days so you don’t feel pressure to write on Thanksgiving Day. See if you can push ahead enough to even finish a day or two early!
When you finish.
When you hit your 50,000-word goal before the end of the month, don’t forget to take time to truly celebrate your accomplishment! Give yourself some time off from your finished first draft; the time away from it will help you go into revisions with a clear head.
Where are you at in your NaNoWriMo journey? Need some last-minute inspiration to get you over the hump this month? Read all our NaNoWriMo posts.
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