NaNoWriMo ends in FIVE days!

Hello on this November 25th. Normally, I would've done a nice "pre-nano" post but alas, it did not happen. So if you're anything like me and in a slightly manic mad dash to 50k, I listed a few tips that helped me play catch up.

First, I will do an actual post-NaNo post with word counts and such but this is more of quick and dirty guide to pushing through.

1. 15 minute sprints

I don't care what your day consists of, 15 minute words sprints are possible... seriously, 15 minutes if nothing else, should be something you can do. For me this equals around 500 words on average... even if you get 100 words, it is a start. In general, if I can find just 15 minutes, finding 30 or 45 minutes becomes ALOT easier. Weird how that happens.

2. Quick Notes

This is a really basic outline skill I've learned to love after 6 books written in NaNo style. If you get stuck, step away from the computer and walk around, smoke, have a drink of um... water... do something else for around 5 minutes. Then sit back down reread your last paragraph and then on a scratch piece of paper (change the writing medium is the idea here) scribble down in very plain point a to point b to point c what needs to happen in your story. For some reason, this works to jumpstart and can get you out of a rut.

3. Little goals

I've been setting myself 5k word days to play catch up. (more on this in another post)

At each 1k I have a different "prize"

1k I get to have a second cup of coffee
2k Music break to recharge ( 1-3 songs)
3k Lunch/ dinner break depending on the time
4k Coffee!! (Again)
5k Free time/Smoke/Preferred Drink (depends on where I am)

These obviously are personal goals. Sometimes if I'm hitting a snag, I will set a goal (from wherever I am at that point) of 500 more words and I can check Twitter, Facebook, Etc. The point is to train your brain to not make up excuses to give up and otherwise lead to that phantom "writer's block" that I really don't feel exists except in our own minds to start with... that being said, an angry block looking thing is staring at me on my right side... or perhaps this is what happens when you consume TOO much caffeine.

Good luck in these final days of NaNoWriMo 2015!