NaNoWriMo Survival Tip #1: Feeling overwhelmed? We’ve got your back!
If you’ve ever found yourself sitting at your computer, staring aimlessly at your screen with a million thoughts and worries going through your head, we’re here to help. With NaNoWriMo in full swing, it can feel like the workload, deadlines, and pages of words to write are all piling up with no end in sight. This can be suffocating and with too much to juggle, it might even feel like an impossible feat looming over your head as you put blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights into completing a full novel in just four weeks. Luckily, here at the Aaxel Author Group, we’ve got your back! Today we’ll go over just how to tackle the daunting task of partaking in NaNoWrIMo.
Calendar Blocking:
Instead of facing every morning with a sense of anxiety and dread over how much work you have to do, try this: at the beginning of each week, sit yourself down with a calendar and pick out a couple of days in which you’ll have recreational and leisurely plans other than writing. For example, if you have a girls’ night on Friday, and you have a brunch date on Monday, mark those down on your calendar in any color of your choosing. Or if you have other responsibilities to do on Wednesday, block out that space so your calendar isn’t just about writing and resting. Then, in another color, fill in the free space with blocks of time set for writing. By first choosing to focus on the days you’ll have off, it takes away the trepidation and stress because you get to determine which days you’re free rather than clouding your mind with all the days you have to work.
Break Periods:
Another way of breaking down your schedule into digestible pieces is by setting a timer on your phone. Determine how long you want to write for–say, 30 minutes or even an hour– then keep your nose to the grindstone until the timer goes off. Once your timer goes off, restart it for a smaller chunk of time and allow yourself to breathe and relax. Get some tea or coffee, indulge in a snack, or do a quick workout. Try to avoid scrolling mindlessly on social media as it’s easier to get overstimulated mentally and forget what you were doing in the first place. When that timer rings again, just repeat this pattern of set periods of writing and resting. This can encourage a more laminar flow of creativity and prevent writer’s burnout. It also benefits those who get distracted easily as it doesn’t restrict you to one task at a time.
Accountabilibuddy:
Our last tip for scheduling is having another person keep you on target. An accountability buddy–or accountabilibuddy–is someone who you send your work to as the month goes on so they can read it and offer insight for when you find yourself slowing down. Operating similarly to a beta-reader, your accountabilibuddy can take on the legwork of minor editorial work, leaving comments to bigger pieces of your story that may alter the plot further down the line. By doing so, it can also nurture your inspiration because when you collaborate, you think about your story in a new way. Additionally, they provide extra deadlines to help eliminate extreme procrastination, and ultimately prevent burnout. This is beneficial especially if you find yourself often cramming your work into the very last day.
So now that you know some new ways of tackling a daunting challenge such as NaNoWriMo, we strongly suggest taking a look at our post about one of the biggest mistakes an author should avoid here. You can also check out our other services, such as manuscript evaluations and book publishing, or simply contact us!
