How to Prep for NaNoWriMo (or Writing in November)

NaNoWriMo may start in November, but for those of us who organize for our regions, the work starts way ahead of November 1st.  There is lots of organizing to do, sometimes as far back as September to get our venues and events lined up.

Even though we're not officially Municipal Liaisons this year, my (unofficial) co-MLs and I are still organizing as usual, so we've been busy setting everything up.  In some ways maybe we're even busier this year than normal, as we've been trying to figure out how to address NaNoWriMo's AI stance, distance ourselves from HQ, and find NaNoWriMo alternatives for our region.

But even if you're not a local organizer, October can be a good chance to prep for writing in November.  Not everyone is a plotter, of course, but plotting and worldbuilding aren't the only things you can do to get ready.  Here are a few things I find helpful to do before November starts.

• Clean your home.  Seriously!  You likely won't have time in November with all the extra writing and events.  Doing a good deep clean now will make you feel less guilty in November.  Unless you get writer's block, of course.  Then you might be motivated to clean.
• Plan ahead.  If you're planning to go to a lot of write-ins and events, start getting those up on your calendar.  Active regions should be posting their events in the next few days or week.  And if you don't see any you'd like to attend, create your own!  You can submit your own events on the NaNoWriMo site so that others know when and where you'll be writing.
• Carve out time to write.  Even if you don't go to the events, take a good look at your schedule and figure out when will be the best times for you to write.  Are you the early morning, before everyone else wakes up kind of writer?  Do you write on your lunch break?  Or are you the type that likes to write at the end of the day, when you're winding down?
• Make a budget.  If you'll be going to a lot of write-ins, don't forget to budget for the added expense of all those extra coffees, pastries, meals, and gas!  It adds up quickly.  If you're on a tight budget, be sure to look for write-ins at libraries and other venues where you won't be tempted to spend money.
• Warn your friends and family.  No matter how many years you've done NaNoWriMo, it never hurts to remind the people in your life that you'll be less available for the month of November.  Set the expectation now and you'll make it easier to decline social invitations and extra work for the next 30 days.

Of course, this post is coming a bit later than I had planned, thanks to my cat's illness taking a lot of my time.  Prepping should actually start earlier in the month, especially if you do like to outline and worldbuild ahead of November.  But it's not too late!  You have this weekend and most of next week to get ready to write in November.