5 Tips and Pointers to Getting the Most Out Of Your Nanowrimo {Even If You Are a Super Busy Parent,

Nanowrimo is right around the corner and, I dunno about you, but I am super excited! Writing is a huge occupation of mine, both professionally and personally.  

I'm not going to kid myself and assume the daunting task of 50,000 words for the month is a possibility for me. I have numerous other tasks and occupations in my life that simply don't allow for that kind of commitment. However, a goal of 10,000 words for a busy momma is totally achievable; that's less than 400 words a day. What's fun about this month is making connections, blossoming simmering ideas, and reaching new personal goals in writing.

Nanowrimo, although it is meant to occur in November, isn't restricted to just that month. In fact, I've found that writers do much better when they expand this event to take place over three months. October is for planning (I’ve heard the term “PREPtober” circulating a lot), November is for writing, and December is for drinking hot cocoa next to a warm fire while preparing for seasonal activities… and editing.  

It can be very difficult as a busy parent to keep on top of your passions, especially when they have the potential to be quite time consuming, like writing. So setting reasonable goals during a fun event like Nanowrimo is essential to, not only getting the most out of it but also, having fun while doing it!  

The following is a list of 5 tips and pointers to getting the most out of your Nanowrimo if you are a super busy parent, like me. 

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Make achievable goals. 50,000 words is a lot. Maybe 10, 20, 30, 40k is more your thing? Maybe your aim is a total of 3 short stories or 15 poems. Choose what works for you and make your goals achievable so that you can have that glorious sense of satisfaction after having completed what you had set out to do.

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Set a time to do your work. Is it after the kids go to bed? When you send them off to school? During nap time? Every Saturday afternoon when they go to visit their grandparents? Even if you need to get a babysitter once a week, this step is vital to making the most out of your Nanowrimo.

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Utilise PREPtober. You'd be surprised at how much more you can accomplish with a little bit of planning. Lay out your outlines, do some background research, and set yourself up for success!

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Make yourself accountable! Sign up with the  Nanowrimo community and find yourself a writing buddy. Post on you public mafia sites what your goals are and how you are progressing. The encouragement is extremely motivating and it has been psychologically proven that public commitments increase the likelihood of completing the task that has been committed to!

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Write drunk, Edit - somewhat - sober. Don't read and re-read your writing as you go along in November. Just write! No true editing until December. When that time comes, utilise the connections you made throughout this 3 month writing session and get people to read and edit your work. *A write up on how to give and receive constructive criticism in writing will come in late November. It will also include information regarding the not-so-constructive criticism that inevitably finds its way into the editing scene as well*

So there you have it, a short list of tips and tricks to taking part in Nanowrimo 2017 as a super busy parent. 

If you're going to write - during Nanowrimo or anytime -, look me up! I'll be on the Nanowrimo sitem and you can always find me here on mine and through my social media handles (on Facook and Twitter!). I'd love to have more mommy (parent) writing companions to chat with, report my progress to, and motivate!  

If you liked this post, don't forget to tell me about it and SHARE on social media! Thank you! 

#writing #prep #parent #busy #Nanowrimo #connect