Preparing for NaNoWriMo
Plan Your Hours of Writing in October
Plan Your Hours of Writing in October
One success tool for NaNoWriMo is to purchase or upload a large calendar with all the hour slots for November. There are a lot of downloadable versions on Google. Or, if you have a weekly planner with the hourly segregation's, just print off a copy or download a version onto your computer hard drive.
Many of us don’t like to plan ahead for NaNo. Some of us even believe it is a waste of time to plan our manuscripts. Yet, the most successful writers plan every manuscript they write. That way, they know where their time is going and what they can do to be more productive in November.
We all have 168 hours every week to do what we need to and want to. However, for many of us, a lot of that time is wasted. We watch endless television, cruise the internet for hours a day, and check email, just to name a few time wasters. If we don’t know where our time is going, chances are we are wasting a lot of time that we could use doing more productive and enjoyable activities.
Successful writers build planning into their schedule. In other words, either Friday or Sunday, they plan their writing hours and what they will work on the next week. It could be as important as dusting and vacuuming your home every week. It will help you feel organized and ready to get writing when the brand new week starts.
So, planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Instead, it can be something that is enjoyable because it will help you to be the most successful in your writing career and other aspects of their lives. Planning can also help writers make time for their family as well as their writing so that their loved ones are not always complaining that they are feeling neglected because you are always writing
Here are a few strategies to plan your manuscript:
• Determine what your duties are every week—and write them down. For instance, if you work full time, write these times down. If you have a family and husband, write that down. And list any other interests that you have such belonging to a church, health club, and so on.
• Get a weekly spread sheet with the spread of 168 hours and write down your work times. Then write down the times you spend with work, family, friends, going to church, engaging in social activities and sports. Write down everything that is part of your life right now.
• Look at all the empty slots that you have on the schedule. You should have many hours that are not filled in and that you don’t have anything going on. Decide when to slot your writing time in those gaps. Make sure that it is a time when you are less likely to be interrupted. Look especially at the morning and evening slots on the schedule and perhaps schedule your writing time then.
• Become aware of how much television you watch every week by writing these times down for a week. For instance, do you watch television for three or more hours a day? If you do, take one or two of these hours and plan to do some writing. Your family will be busy watching television anyway and you can use this time to write. Not only will you feel more successful as a result and more self-confident as a writer, but your family will also feel comfortable with this schedule.
• Plan your weekends. Take a weekend or two to track what you usually do. Do you spend time with family and friends? When do you socialize? When do you play games with your family? When do you just hang out? Jot all these times down on your schedule.
It is best to have three or four anchor events during the weekend. However, you want to also do something to refresh yourself. That way, you will be ready to start writing and working on Monday.
By taking these steps, you will know where your time is going every week. You will also know how much time you devote to writing and working, and how much for family activities. This way, you’ll be able to plan your week and make the best of your 168 hours. But what is more, you will have time to write, and do whatever fun activities you want to do with your family. That way, your family can’t complain when you take the time to write. You are spending time with them AND writing too! So, planning may be the answer to your problems.
If you answered any of these questions in the affirmative, try to reduce your planning and increase your writing. This will help you be most successful.
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