November is national novel writing month. You can write a novel in month no matter the time of year, but this is about knowing there’s probably hundreds of thousands of people doing it at the same time. Plus, there’s incentives from companies like Reedsy who is hosting their Novel Sprint where you’ll get a chance to win $5k after hitting the 50k goal.
Almost three years ago, I zero drafted Churchbred in two weeks. The story poured out of me, no distraction free writing device required, though I did buy one after that. Two weeks is extremely ambitious so if I was going to write a 50,000 word draft in thirty days, here’s what I’d do:
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Outline and Prep
I’d spend at least a week prepping and outlining and reading comparative titles. October is known as Preptober and writers spend the month gathering their outlines, constructing character sheets, and world-building. If you’re a fly by the seat of your pants writer, then try to have a single line for the beginning, middle, and end so you don’t get lost in the weeds halfway through.
Always Carry Your Device
I will always have a device on me even if I’m just running to the grocery store. When I was drafting, my laptop went everywhere even if I could only get one sentence in because every minute mattered. If I didn’t want to carry my laptop, I made sure that I had access to the document on my phone or iPad or I’d write in a note and email it to myself to add it to the document later. You never know when inspiration will strike or when you’ll finally figure out the ending to that scene. I got some of my best writing done while sitting in a waiting room and I’d hit my goal for that day. You truly never know.
Plan to Not Write
I’d plan my days by my expected word count. If I had plans for a weekend, I’d up my word count goals for the week leading up to it to compensate for the potential low (or non-existent) word counts. I think you should still try to write every single day even if it’s just fifty or one hundred words or a paragraph or just the beginning of a chapter. It helped me to stay in flow and develop a habit of writing no matter what. It’d help to use websites and apps to track your word count, especially one that’ll adjust your word count goals by day. I used Pacemaker at the time, but I’m sure there are plenty of alternatives.
Sprints!
I’d sprint like my life depended on it. If you’re zero drafting, you can not give your brain time to overthink every single word. Non-stop, uninterrupted sprinting catapulted my word count. I picked maybe two days where I sprinted for the entire day. Have your meals and snacks prepped and ready to go and tell everyone you know that you will be unavailable for that day and to pretend you don’t exist. Have your playlist ready, take breaks, drink plenty of water, and prepare to hate every single word you write, but at least it will be written. You can’t edit a blank page.
Get Local
I’d check for any local writing groups, cafes, or libraries hosting write-ins. That’s how I found my writing group and we still meet every single week! If you can’t do local, check online. There’s plenty of writers doing sprints and meet-ups every single day on YouTube or Instagram. I think it helps that your brain knows you’re not doing it alone and you can bounce ideas off of each other.
Rewards!
I would reward myself for every milestone I surpass. Last year, I got myself a new to me iMac after finishing a round of revisions on May is due South. Prior to that, I treated myself to a nice bottle of wine or something small that I’d been wanting but didn’t want to purchase just yet like a new phone case or a nice set of pens. If you don’t trust yourself, you can wrap it up and label it “for when I write X amount words,” or give it to a trusted friend to hold. In an ideal world, I’d have a treat every single day I accomplished something, even if it’s just watching an episode of my latest TV obsession.
I hope these tips helped, I’ve been following them for everything I draft and it hasn’t failed me yet, but results may vary. It’s important to learn your process and know that there’s no right or wrong way to do it—unless you’re using A.I. then obviously that’s the wrong way to do it because A.I. could never be more creative than you. I hope you’re able to smash your word count goals and get something drafted in thirty days or less. I believe in you!
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