By Chelsea Hindle
Picture this scenario in your head. It’s midnight on November 15th. You’re sitting in your living room with a cup of lukewarm hot chocolate in your hand and a blinking cursor on the blank laptop screen in front of you. You’re supposed to be 25k words into your NaNoWriMo novel, but instead, you’ve got 5k words, a headache, and sleep deprivation.
Or maybe you don’t have to imagine that scenario, because that’s where you are currently. The headache and sleep deprivation are all too real and you’re wondering if it’s even possible to catch up on all the lost words before the end of the month.
In that case, I have good news for you! It’s completely possible—with some effort and discipline— to catch up on your NaNoWriMo goal. Especially since the fact that you are here proves you haven’t given up yet.
Over my years of competing in NaNoWriMo, I’ve identified two reasons writers tend to fall behind with their goal. Reason #1 is time. Time is of the essence in NaNoWriMo and many writers tend to overestimate how much spare time they have. Or they underestimate how long writing almost 2,000 words a day will take them. So the number one reason, in my experience, is time.
Reason #2 is boredom, lack of interest, or distraction. Committing to one novel for a month is a big undertaking. And sometimes writers find themselves bored or disillusioned with their work. This has definitely happened to me before.
Of course, there are other reasons you can fall behind, but I will be focusing on these two in this article. Hopefully, though you'll find some tips to help you in this six-step guide to catching up on NaNoWriMo.
Step #1: Identify Why
First of all, you need to identify why you’re running behind. Be honest with yourself and don’t make excuses. Have you been busy? Have you lost interest in this story? Have you got distracted by other projects—writing or otherwise?
You must diagnose the problem before you attempt to fix it. Imagine going to the doctor and being given a prescription for a generic drug. And you haven't even told the doctor what your symptoms are! That doesn’t make sense, and neither does trying to pound out more words in an attempt to fix whatever is wrong.
Anyway, be honest with yourself. There's no shame in admitting that work has you run off your feet. Or that a family crisis has kept you out of state. Or that you've lost interest in the project that seemed so exciting back in October.
Once you’ve identified and diagnosed the problem, it’s time to move onto the second step.
Step #2: Problem Solve
You’ve identified the problem—you’re short-staffed at work and you’ve had to work double-shifts for the past week. Or you’ve hit a roadblock in your current novel and you can’t work out how to fix it. So you’ve stopped writing.
Let’s tackle the lack of time first. If you are struggling with having enough time to write, you need to take a look at what’s using your time and how necessary it is. Obviously, this is subjective for everyone. Are you spending most of your time at work, or working on assignments? Well, those things are both necessary. We need money, and assignments need doing. But are you spending most of your time scrolling through Instagram? Or staring at your beautiful, aesthetic Pinterest board? Neither of these things are necessary, and they are taking valuable time away from your writing.
Prioritize your time. If work is stressful and keeping you busier than usual, you can lower your goal. You aren’t going to writer jail if you aim to write 30k words instead of 50k. If you tend to waste time watching cryptozoology videos on YouTube (guilty), ask for some accountability. Have a friend or family member keep you on track and monitor your internet time. Some phones and computers even have app timers, which limit your usage and are very effective.
On the other hand, if falling behind has to do with your novel itself, what can you do about it? If you have lost interest, figure out how you can address it. Could you swap projects? Could you add an aspect to the story that fascinates you? Try the story from the perspective of a different character? Shift the focus to a subplot?
If you are stuck on a plot hole, go back to the drawing board. Examine your outline, chat with some writer friends, and ask them to look over what you’ve written. See if they have any ideas. Or, skip over the problem area and find a way to patch up the plot hole once you’ve finished.
Also, don’t be afraid to examine the fact that the rush of NaNoWriMo might not be for you. Some authors don’t like rushing their work and that’s completely fine. If writing slow but steady is more your style, don’t be afraid to admit that and move on.
Step #3: Put a Solution in Motion
Once you have identified the cause and brainstormed the solution, it’s time to set a plan in motion.
If you read my earlier article about preparing for NaNoWriMo, you may have already created a schedule. But, if you find yourself running behind, either your schedule hasn’t been a good fit, or you haven’t been sticking to it.
Take time to review your schedule. Was it a bit too idealistic? Are you spending more time doing specific things than expected? Examine your schedule and adjust it as necessary. If you haven’t created a schedule yet, do so now. (And, pro-tip, always schedule more time for things than you think you will need).
If you are struggling with Plot Issues, decide how you are going to tackle them…and then do it! Rewrite your outline, if that’s what you want to do. Skip the scenes that are causing issues…and actually start writing!
The bottom line, and the key to this step, is action. You need to do something. Sitting around and brainstorming isn’t good enough anymore. Take action!
Step #4: Create Mini-Goals
Obviously, when you enter into the chaos of NaNoWriMo, your goal is to write 50k words and/or finish a novel. However, that is an enormous and overwhelming goal. Especially when it’s November 15 and you’ve still got 45,000 words to smash out.
So, breaking the big goal down into smaller ones can help. Know how much time you have for writing and how much you can feasibly write in that time. For me, personally, I know I can write 500 words in an undistracted hour of work. I also have about 3 hours a day, and four days a week to write. This means that in one week I should be able to write 6k. If I set aside the one hour a day I spend on Instagram, I have four extra hours in my week, which is another 2,000 words written.
Break down the goals however you want, but here’s an example:
50k in one month roughly equals 12,500 words a week.
12,500 words per week roughly equal 1,785 words per day.
At 450 words an hour, that equals 4hrs of writing a day. Much more manageable, right?
But what comes next?
Step #5: Reward Yourself
Yes, really. Reward yourself and celebrate what you have completed, instead of what you still need to complete.
Appreciate how far you have come and then motivate yourself to complete your goal by identifying a reward that you will earn at the end.
Break down your rewards into small, medium, and “Almighty Ultimate Reward”. For example, you could take yourself down to your favorite local café for a day of writing and after you complete your hourly target goal, you could buy yourself another coffee (also, supporting local businesses, yay!). And, after reaching your weekly target, you could treat yourself to a dinner out with friends. Or a visit to a local handicraft shop you’ve been eyeing. Or have a movie afternoon with your family.
And then, of course, you deserve a reward at the end of your trials and tribulations. An ultimate reward, something that you really, really would like to have.
Since starting NaNoWriMo, I have made it my tradition that I buy myself a soundtrack after completing my goal. Since I don’t usually buy music for myself, this serves as a wonderful motivation to complete the goal. Also, rewarding yourself that makes everything you've achieved seem tangible and valuable.
And now, onto our final and most important step.
Step #6: Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Failure terrifies humans. Somehow, giving up has become, not something that humans have to do for their own sanity occasionally, but something that is a source of great shame.
While we find it hard to deal with failure, giving up is not a mark of shame or dishonor, but something we need to do sometimes.
Dr. Brene Brown, a renowned psychologist who has studied shame and its effect on humanity for decades, once said: “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” She also said, “The only thing I know for sure is that if you’re going to dare greatly, you’re going to get your [butt] kicked at some point. If you choose courage, you will absolutely know failure, disappointment, setback, even heartbreak. That’s why we call it courage. That’s why it’s so rare.”
Every time we set out to do something, we run the risk of failing. And that is okay. And it’s healthy, and necessary, to fail sometimes.
If you are failing NaNoWriMo, or if other things are now your priorities, that is completely okay. You are allowed to say, “I can’t do this. I’ve failed.” You are allowed to throw in the towel and say, “Maybe next year.”
Nobody is going to judge you. I, for one, had a strong NaNoWriMo streak going. I lived for the thrill of each November and loved the late nights pounding out words on my old faithful laptop. But last year, a series of incidents piled up, including the sudden and traumatic death of my grandmother. And I had to give up. It was no longer my priority. Helping out my mum and grandfather, looking after my younger siblings, and my own mental health, were the things I needed to focus on. Did I fail? Yes. My novel finished at 10,000 words. But was that for the best? Definitely yes.
Your self-worth—either as a writer or as a person—is not tied up in your failures and successes. Don’t be afraid to give up if you need to. Don’t give in to society’s disapproval of failure. Failure, in my experience, often leads to something better.
Do you struggle with having the time or motivation to write?
Are you one of those little writer butterflies that flutter from one project to another if left unchecked?
If so, what are your tips for staying committed even when the going gets tough? Or which of these steps do you need to focus on more?
Chelsea Hindle
Chelsea Hindle is an almost-20-year-old writer who masquerades as a dog trainer by day and scribbles away in a notebook at night.
At the impressionable age of 15, she discovered Kingdom Pen, which changed her life in the best way possible and motivated her to pursue her dreams. Since then, she has written dozens of stories, made many mistakes, and enjoyed every second of the writing life.
When she isn’t writing fantastical tales, Chelsea can be found training her dogs to play the piano, cooking, knitting, and reading too many books.
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Definitely going to bookmark this article for when I will, (most likely), fall behind this NaNoWriMo! XD The step about mini goals is especially helpful It takes away so much of the overwhelm when you can focus on accomplishing a small goal instead of the daunting 50K.