Welcome to the NaNoWriMo challenge!

You are about to tackle something extremely exciting and also extremely difficult. As a 10+ year NaNo veteran, I wanted to make a short post to share what I wish I knew when I first attempted National Novel Writing Month. I’ll try to keep it brief, there’s writing to do!

1) It is totally different than writing a novel the normal way

I have had the opportunity to write both during NaNo and outside it, and let me tell you that writing a novel is almost nothing like doing NaNoWriMo. The NaNo challenge is all about speed and word count, while writing a novel normally is about quality and persistence.

You need to keep that in mind, because some days you will write terribly (or not want to write at all) but since there’s only 30 days to finish you will have to keep writing anyway if you want to win. You can’t let badly written words stop you.

2) The people who do NaNoWriMo are awesome

If you ever get stuck or feel at your wits end (it will probably happen!) there is an amazing community on the NaNo message boards who will pick you up and encourage you to keep at it. Here’s the key: Ask for help to keep going, DON’T ask for permission to quit. What you ask for there you will get. So tell them “I am struggling, can you tell me to keep trying?” and they will absolutely help cheer you on.

3) Everyone is different, so do what works for you

If I don’t write every day during NaNo, even if it is only 100 words, I get stuck in a rut. So I always suggest you write every single day in November, no matter how many words you get down. BUT everyone is different. You must do what works for you. So if someone has well-meaning advice, but it doesn’t make you write your 50K, don’t worry about it. Let what works for them work for them, and you keep working on your novel!

Those are just a few things that will hopefully help! I wish you great success in your attempt to do what most people only dream of doing.

Remember: Most people who want to write a novel never even start. You’re already on your way just by making the commitment, and have gone further than most people ever get in their whole lives! Celebrate that, then keep working. :)

Year after year I failed at the NaNo challenge. I FINALLY won for the first time, and then won again and again as the years went on.

What changed?

This book details the differences between winning and losing NaNo, and what you need to know to make it to the finish line. No silly advice, just practical knowledge from more than 10 years of participating in National Novel Writing Month. If you want to win, this guide to victory is waiting to help you because NaNoWriMo is a whole different beast than the standard novel-writing process.

Click here to learn how to win NaNoWriMo every time.