Today is Double Up Day, which is a major fundraising drive for National Novel Writing Month<\/a>. \u00a0Writers aim to produce twice the word count they normally produce, and invite people to donate to the cause. \u00a0Today they\u2019re offering perks for half the amount they normally offer them for, a special commissioned poster, hourly donation prizes that you\u2019ll be entered into a draw for, and a Grand Prize\u00a0all expenses paid trip to the Writers\u2019 Digest Annual Conference in New York! \u00a0So if you\u2019ve ever considered contributing a couple of dollars to this awesome cause, today is the day!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you started NaNoWriMo<\/a>\u00a0with me<\/a>, you\u2019re now a little less than a week in, and already I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve had your problems (as have I). \u00a0I have a few suggestions that may help you succeed that I think are more applicable in the early stages than the later ones; though I promise I\u2019ll have some help for those too later on in the month! \u00a0Ready? \u00a0Here we go!<\/p>\n Let people know when you\u2019re going to be writing. \u00a0Block out a couple of hours that are completely non-negotiable and use them. \u00a0Don\u2019t let anybody interrupt that for any reason (\u201cNo, I can\u2019t see Dr. Strange with you tonight; I\u2019m writing.\u201d \u00a0Yes, that would be a tragedy and a true sacrifice. \u00a0I feel your pain. \u00a0But sacrifices are sometimes necessary for art.)<\/p>\n You can\u2019t write all day every day. \u00a0No<\/em>, you can\u2019t<\/em>. \u00a0Eventually your brain will stall if you try that. \u00a0So plan on taking some scheduled breaks and actually take<\/em> them. \u00a0Get out of the house. \u00a0Go on a date. \u00a0Go to a movie. \u00a0Just take a couple of hours at least in the week when you are absolutely not thinking about writing to let your batteries recharge.<\/p>\n Also, nothing is more distracting than pain or hunger. \u00a0Keep a small store of snacks in the fridge or the cupboard to keep yourself fueled. \u00a0Your brain can\u2019t function without sugar, remember? \u00a0Also, take a break every hour or two to do a little light exercise. \u00a0Nothing serious; do some stretching, or some yoga, or go outside and take a short walk around the apartment building, or take your dog out before he messes up your carpet. \u00a0Just that little mental disengagement and the physical activity will get blood flowing to your brain again and trust me, your work will be a lot better.<\/p>\n Really, just stop deleting things! \u00a0It all counts towards your word count and you never know when it might be useful later. \u00a0If you really can\u2019t stand looking at it, just put a few asterisks before it and banish it to the bottom of your document where you can forget it until December 1st.<\/p>\n Some things are just easier with a friend. \u00a0If you\u2019re the kind of person who, like me, likes support and encouragement, find some writing buddies! \u00a0Go to your local write-in, go to the NaNo Forums. \u00a0Check who might be writing in your genre. \u00a0Ask your Facebook friends if anyone else is doing NaNoWriMo. \u00a0Buddies can be good for everything from accountability (how\u2019s that word count doing?), beta reading, editing, bouncing ideas off of, crying on the shoulder of, and more.<\/p>\n Getting sore sitting in the same seat? \u00a0Move to a different part of the house! \u00a0Having trouble sitting down? \u00a0How about lying<\/em> down? \u00a0Maybe you can rig up an impromptu standing desk for a while. \u00a0Or if you\u2019re just desperate for human company but your word count is still lagging, go out to the coffee shop or the library or your local write-in. \u00a0It\u2019s amazing how effective this can be for jogging the brain into gear.<\/p>\n Have to go to the doctor\u2019s office? \u00a0Picking up the kids from hockey practice? \u00a0Why not take it with you? \u00a0Your phone has all kinds of handy writing apps, including a decent version of Microsoft Word for Android now; you can write while you\u2019re waiting in the car or in the waiting room or even while you\u2019re waiting for the kids to get into position on the ice if you\u2019re watching the game. \u00a0Take it with you by uploading it to the cloud or just copy and paste what you\u2019ve got back into the original file later. \u00a0Or, that wonderful old fashioned technology of pen and notebook works wonders too. \u00a0I wrote about half of my first novel on my Blackberry (I miss my Blackberry) by doing just this, and maybe a third of The Witch\u2019s Eight Paths of Power<\/a> got written this way. \u00a0A lot of little bits add up quickly!<\/p>\n Having trouble visualizing what\u2019s going to happen next? \u00a0You don\u2019t have to write in chronological sequence, you know. \u00a0Why not go to a part that you know is coming that excites you and write that instead? \u00a0You\u2019ll find it easier, the word count will mount up, and it might make it simpler to visualize where to go from there.<\/p>\n Play music that sets the stage for you, or put on a movie in the background that you\u2019ve seen before that reminds you of your book\u2019s setting. \u00a0(I say that you\u2019ve seen before because otherwise, you\u2019ll watch the movie and not write). \u00a0Sometimes having that extra sense to help create the world can be just the boost you need. \u00a0I usually make myself a good YouTube mix for whatever I\u2019m writing. \u00a0If you\u2019re writing epics, search \u201cepic music\u201d or \u201cfilm scores\u201d in the search function. \u00a0A whole new world will open up to you. \u00a0You\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n A lot of the work of the NaNoWriMo people is in trying to help you<\/em>. \u00a0They do virtual write-ins on their YouTube channel<\/a>, Word Sprints on their WordSprints Twitter account<\/a>, and offer prompts on their regular Twitter account<\/a> throughout the day. \u00a0They have forums <\/a>to discuss plot holes, character names, cover ideas, genre issues, or just socialize if you need a break. \u00a0Why not check some of those out if you never have before?<\/p>\n![\"Once](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/482\/2016\/10\/once-upon-a-time-george-hodan-300x200.jpg\")
<\/h2>\n
Block Out Your Writing Time; Defend it to the Death!<\/h2>\n
But Plan Breaks!<\/h2>\n
Stop Editing!<\/h2>\n
Buddy Up<\/h2>\n
Change Locations<\/h2>\n
![\"Writing](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/482\/2016\/10\/writing-hand-14434507636rI-300x219.jpg\")
Take it with You<\/h2>\n
Start in the Middle<\/h2>\n
Inspire Yourself with Sound and Music<\/h2>\n
Use the NaNo Resources<\/h2>\n
Turn Off the Internet<\/h2>\n